The way we live our lives have drastically changed over the last decade or so, for example many people choose to read news online rather than purchasing the daily newspaper. Just as the newspaper is seemingly becoming less popular so have traditional marketing techniques. The way of traditional marketing is over, and inbound marketing is now the way to go.
What is it?
Inbound marketing is a consumer friendly form of marketing that benefits both consumers and marketers. It lets consumers to be in control; allowing them to find you rather than having you hunt for them. This benefits marketers and businesses because the consumers are genuinely interested and the leads received are more solid. Inbound marketing works by converting strangers into customers by using four main steps:
Attract
Online traffic is extremely important to business but having the right kind of traffic is more important. You can attract the proper kind of online traffic by utilizing tools such as social media, blogging, keywords and your website. By writing blogs and social media posts you engage consumers by providing them with informative information in regards to your business (e.g. 10 ways to organize your home – Home Improvement Business). To increase your online presence you should make your website user friendly and focus on enhancing keywords that will help search engines point to your website.
Convert
Online traffic to your site is great, but you only benefit from it if it turns into leads. There are simple ways to get visitors turn into leads such as contact forms, calls to action and landing pages. Contact forms allow visitors to become leads by simply asking people to share information such as their name and email address; this can easily be done with a sign up for more information form. Calls to action are another great way to increase leads however, for people to be interested in further information the call to action must be distinct. Once a visitor has clicked on your call to action they should be redirected to your landing page. Your landing page should feature further information of the call to action, and should ask the visitor to fill out a contact form, ultimately generating more leads.
Closing
After receiving leads the next step is closing. You may have generated the right kind of attraction and converted the leads but one of the most challenging steps is closing. There are a variety ways to close leads, and each one is handled differently depending on the situation. If you have a lead that seems apprehensive it is best to ease them into a sale rather than pushing them too far, you can do this by sending gentle email reminders or suggestions. Keeping track of all leads is imperative as forgetting a lead can be harmful to business.
Delight
After closing many people make the mistake of moving on from the sale and forgetting the customer. It is necessary that you follow up with your customers whether it be through a simple phone call, email or responding to their tweets. By following up you show the customer how much their business means to you.
By following the four inbound marketing steps the consumers are given choice and marketers are given solid leads, everyone benefits.
