The Process and Philosophy of Inbound Marketing

You’ve probably heard others speak of using social media, blogs, webinars and other methods of driving traffic to a company’s website and converting visitors into customers. You’ve determined it’s a strategy you should look into further and consider for your business.

It is important to understand that unless you’re actively engaged and committed to inbound marketing it will not work for you. Additionally if you do not consider inbound as a strategy for your business, you may be missing the boat and handing business over to your competitors.

So what is the process of inbound exactly?

1. Create an engaging company website that includes a blog, pictures, videos, white papers, testimonials and other content that is interesting to potential customers. It should be user friendly, uncluttered, easy to navigate, and incorporate keywords that are trending with current search engines.
2. Develop a blogging strategy that includes frequent updates at regular intervals. Every additional blog creates a new page that’s searchable by potential customers, thereby increasing your online presence. You should focus on topics that speak to and answers the needs of your ideal buyer in an educational, informative or entertaining way. Again, focus on keywords that will generate traffic, and include them in both the title and body of your content.
3. Set up and design a profile with several social media websites, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. You’ll want to build a following of users, which you can begin developing by requesting that existing customers follow your page. The process of inbound marketing involves attracting attention, so post frequent updates. You can include links to your blog entries, as well as upload pictures and video. It’s also useful to make announcements about news related to your industry.
4. Convert interested visitors to leads, and then into customers. Now that you have earned their attention, bring potential customers to your site via a special offer or piece of educational material. It’s key that you link to a landing page that requests their contact information. These leads become customers once they take advantage of your special offer and express interest by filling out your forms.
5. The process of inbound marketing must include metrics. It does not end with increasing your online visibility, generating leads and converting sales. You must constantly review the metrics to ensure future growth and build up your customer base. Monitor traffic to compare regular visitors and first-timers. Refer to search engines to see how your page is ranking next to your competitors, and identify which keywords result in higher performance. Finally, keep tabs on your followers on social media, and your blog subscribers.

The importance of inbound marketing has increased tenfold over the last few years, and its dominance as an online promotion method will continue to intensify. Business owners need to understand the process of inbound marketing, recognize its value and commit the resources to realize success. At the same time, it’s essential to realize that building an Internet presence takes time before showing return. Proper balance among several factors, including consistency and commitment, is key to success with inbound marketing.

Learn more about Inbound through our free guide “Is Inbound Right for You?“.