Inbound marketing has so many benefits, it’s quickly becoming a central part of every quality advertising strategy. Online marketing, including PPC campaigns, is 54 percent successful at generating leads. By comparison, TV advertisements are less than 1 percent successful. By understanding the different components of online marketing, you can begin to create an effective strategy that offers a strong ROI.
SEO
Recent research has indicated that as much as 51 percent of your site’s traffic comes from organic search. Taking the time to optimize your content for online search, therefore, can have a tremendous impact on the overall success of your site. SEO should ideally be a global process that guides each portion of your content creation process.
- Develop content ideas after keyword research that offers insight into the vocabulary and topics that your readers are likely to enjoy.
- Create content that offers value for these readers so they have a strong motivation to share your material, engage with your page and backlink to your piece.
- Use your keyword naturally throughout the content and in your headings, URL and meta description to make sure your topic is clear to search engines and readers.
- Create an effective content distribution plan that includes the social media platforms and email lists where your target audience frequents. A strong distribution plan will attract a larger readership and encourage strong engagement metrics.
Adwords
In early 2016, Google adjusted the layout of the SERPs to allow for more space for ads at the top of the results page and eliminated the ads along the sides. As a result, some queries can have as many as four ad listings at the top of the page. One study found that as many as 45.5 percent of people cannot tell the difference between ads and organic search results when there is no right-hand column. PPC ads at the top of the page, therefore, can be your key to securing some of the traffic for high-value keywords for which you might otherwise struggle to rank.
Funnel Content
An estimated 93 percent of online experiences begin with an online search, and customers are performing these searches throughout their buyer’s journey. When you create content that attracts people throughout the purchasing process and guides them through, then you have tapped into the potential of online marketing.
Understand that most of the people who land on your site are going to be in the early stages of the purchase funnel, so the majority of your content should be geared toward this audience — informational content that is not heavily promotional. Effectively link this content to later funnel content and answer the needs of those progressing through the middle stages into the purchase stages. This will help you pull people through the funnel and see results in conversions and revenue.
Social Media
An estimated 74 percent of consumers report that they rely on social media when making purchasing decisions. Social media is a great platform for brands to communicate personally with their consumers, building relationships and improving their brand reach.
As you build your social media strategy, focus on creating a community. You want people to actively participate on your page, so ask plenty of open-ended questions and ask people to share photos and experiences. Not only will this build your relationship with these participating consumers, but the interactions posted will also appear on the feeds of those connected to your interactive followers. This will expand your brand reach and help you bring in more to your page.
Gated Content
Gated content can provide you with the leverage you need to gain valuable contact information for your prospective customers. You can create a variety of different types of gated content, such as case studies, webinars and white papers. These types of content are designed to provide additional value for your readers in exchange for being added to your contact list. Once you have people submit their information, you will be able to track the material they are reading and better pinpoint where they are in the buyer’s journey. You can then send them targeted emails that will help them move even further through the sales funnel.
Inbound marketing an effective means of gaining leads, building your brand’s reputation, and driving revenue. Consider how you can put these various components to work for you.
