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What Is Inbound Marketing and Why is it so Important?
Trying to figure out what inbound marketing is? Think about a magnet. When lined up, it has one end that pulls in and one that pushes away. Inbound marketing is like the pulling end, because it’s a strategy designed to attract customers and draw them in seamlessly. While other marketing tactics can sometimes work like the repelling end, with heavy-handed approaches that drive people away, inbound marketing wants to establish strong connections. This article will explain more about what inbound marketing is, and how it helps create customer loyalty.
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Inbound marketing is a business strategy that centers around attracting leads via content and experiences that are curated just for them, thereby pulling potential customers to a company.
The methodology behind it is the concept that customers want authentic, meaningful relationships with the companies they work with—inbound marketing helps create those connections.
Rather than relying on generic marketing tactics such as banner ads, inbound marketing shares targeted messages that are designed to inform and capture attention, thereby generating interest and demand.
Inbound marketing is all about bringing customers to you, using slower and more subtle avenues. Kind of like a spider building an intricate web and then waiting patiently for an insect to land in it, inbound marketing is willing to play the long game.
Outbound marketing, on the other hand, is right in your face, using approaches such as commercials and paid ads to share messages loudly. It also seeks to build strong customer relationships, but uses very different tactics to achieve that goal. Because outbound marketing casts a wide net, it’s an excellent way to get your business front and center, especially if you are trying to establish a brand or reach a new audience.
The key to inbound marketing is sharing information that customers will find useful, relevant and advantageous. The more generic tactics that outbound marketing relies on won’t work here, because people want content that directly benefits them. Some of the most effective forms of inbound marketing include:
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Inbound marketing is important because it focuses on creating quality content that attracts customers organically, converting more leads into buyers and establishing a pattern of long-term loyalty. With targeted planning, it earns customer attention through conversations that feel genuine and beneficial.
In order to be effective, marketing must deliver exactly the right content, to exactly the right people, at exactly the right time. It typically consists of three stages, each of which is carefully calculated to capture each step of the customer journey.
Stage 1: Attract
The first stage of inbound marketing is in attracting your target audience, especially if people aren’t aware of your brand. During this stage, potential customers are doing their research and trying to find solutions. Companies can begin attracting prospects by increasing awareness and sharing relevant content, while also letting people know that you understand what their needs are.
Stage 2: Engage
Stage two is all about converting those prospective customers into paying ones. Companies can capture what people are looking for and leverage that information by creating targeted narratives that they are in control of. The key with engagement is to remain neutral and subtle enough that customers feel that they are in the driver’s seat when making a decision.
Stage 3: Delight
The final stage of inbound marketing is to surpass all customer expectations, thereby delighting them and establishing loyalty. This is done by offering memorable experiences, showing customers that you truly care about them, providing recommendations and continuing to invest in them even after a purchase is complete.
The most effective inbound marketing strategies center around creating a playbook that companies can use again and again. These strategies allow for scalability and can be measured through metrics such as sales, retention rates, survey results, return on investment (ROI) and social media statistics. New strategies are emerging constantly, and it’s important to stay on top of what methods your target audience wants to engage with.
It bears repeating over and over: Customers want to see content that directly applies to and benefits them. A generic ad for comfortable shoes is not nearly as effective as a unique video that explains why your all-terrain sandals are the best choice for women in their 40s who want to hike the Appalachian Trail. Personalized inbound marketing based on customer preferences is going to continue to gain popularity, especially as buyers come to expect a more custom experience. Companies that can provide this level of personalization are more likely to build loyalty and drive sales.
Blogs have been around for a while and, despite many changes in the digital landscape, are still going strong. Whether a company already has an established blog or is in the process of starting one, they offer the potential to attract many new customers. Buyers want to know that what they might be spending money on is worth it, and one of the easiest ways to provide that knowledge is by being an authority on the subject. If you’re trying to sell flying cars, adding some guest posts from a NASA engineer or an auto manufacturer could be an important key to success.
Influencers are like QR menus: people either love or hate the concept. Regardless of your personal feelings, however, for the time being they are here to stay and they can be a solid part of boosting your inbound marketing efforts. Celebrities are no longer considered authentic when they endorse a brand, but influencers have the advantage of feeling more relatable and transparent. The connection they have with their followers can be capitalized on by businesses to build brand trust, reach their target audience and promote their offerings.
Artificial intelligence (AI) may sound futuristic, but it’s been here for a while and is present in everyday life, even if you don’t always realize it. But that doesn’t mean you need to deploy chatbots to assist customers or write content with AI. Instead, employ AI as part of inbound marketing by using it to assist with creating targeted ads, better understanding consumer behavior and buyer’s needs, gaining valuable customer insight and sending abandoned cart follow-ups.
Just because you’ll need to work hard to create an effective inbound marketing strategy doesn’t mean you’ll have to babysit it after launch. Utilizing automation technology including social media management tools and email marketing software can make a huge difference in reducing errors, cutting costs and freeing up more time and resources. Automation means streamlining your efforts to help reach maximum potential in the most efficient ways possible. It also helps to level the playing field between large companies and small businesses, since automation tools are widely available to everyone.
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Inbound Marketing Explained and Compared
Inbound marketing consists of entirely organic leads, so it relies on brains rather than budget. Inbound marketing has the powerful ability to put customers in the driver’s seat, connecting you with people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say.
Inbound marketing is a strategic approach to creating valuable content that aligns with the needs of your target audiences and inspires long-term customer relationships.
Your customers are your customers because you provide solutions to their problems. That’s what inbound marketing is all about — providing the solutions that your target audiences are searching for.
Those solutions can come in the form of many different types of content across all your different platforms, designed to connect with potential buyers at different stages of the buying cycle.
Inbound marketing works because it’s entirely based on what customers want and what they’re looking for in the moment.
It’s not about putting your brand in front of customers — it’s about being there, and being ready, when they’re looking for the things you offer. Successful inbound marketing happens when you’re producing high-quality content that your intended audience really engages with.
Inbound marketing is focused on attracting leads through relevant and helpful content and adding value at each stage of the buyer's journey. With inbound marketing, prospective customers find your brand through channels like blogs, search engines, and social media. Inbound marketing is hands-down the most effective strategy – specifically, content marketing (on-site and off), search engine optimization and social media.
There is no magic to marketing – it's all about attracting clients with helpful, relevant content that addresses their pain points and/or needs and provides value.
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About: Andries vanTonder
Over 40 years selfemployed
He is a Serial Entrepreneur, an Enthusiastic supporter of Blockchain Technology and a Cryptocurrency Investor
Find me at my Markethive Profile Page | My Twitter Account | My Instagram Acount | and my Facebook Profile.
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