Increase Your Lead Generation Using Inbound Marketing
So, why should you be using Inbound Marketing? If you are responsible for marketing communications in your business, than you are likely using some form of traditional "outbound" marketing.
Trade journal ads, newspaper, direct mail, trade shows, radio, television, telephone cold calling and e-mail blasts are all examples.
They are intrusive to varying degrees and have their place in your mix of communications tools.
However, savvy marketers are also harnessing the power of "inbound" marketing.
With over an estimated 164 million adult internet users, more of the information that had been obtained offline such as product research is now done online.
Inbound marketing strategies are designed to help your prospects learn about your product or service when they conduct a keyword search, subscribe to your RSS feed (Real Simple Syndication), download your case studies, opt into your email newsletters, watch your videos, listen to your podcasts, follow you on social media sites or comment on your blog.
In other words, you can help yourself "get found" by prospects who are actively searching for the products and services you offer on the Internet.
The advantage is that it is with their permission as opposed to outbound marketing which is interruptive.
Consider the numbers.
Internet users conduct 88 Billion Google searches worldwide monthly.
There are over 800 million Facebook members with over 25 billion pieces of content shared monthly.
YouTube accounts for over 4 billion videos streamed daily.
As a result, the average budget spent on company blogs and social media has nearly doubled in two years.
Inbound marketing tactics consists of Search Engine Optimization, blogging, social media, website lead generation and lead nurturing.
Their focus is to "pull" your prospects toward your business or service so that they can discover you on their own.
If the descriptions and keywords used for your product and services do not rank highly in search engines, then your prospects will likely not find you.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial to achieving higher rankings.
One way to maximize your SEO is through frequent blogging.
The term "blog" is derived from the term "web log" which is a discussion or information site published on the internet.
It consists of "posts" discussing a topic of interest designed to become interactive by generating reader comments.
Statistics indicate that B2C companies that blog generate 88% more leads per month than those who don't.
B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those who don't.
The content generated through blogging is beneficial to prospects, customers and search engines.
Being active on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are essential for your business.
With 93% of US adult Internet users on Facebook, Both B2C and B2B companies are acquiring customers through Facebook and companies that use Twitter average double the amount of leads per month than those who don't.
Once a client or prospect arrives at your website, you should have a means of tracking their visit.
Consider incorporating a "call-to-action" (CTA) button that links to an offer.
This CTA button can take your visitor to a "landing page" detailing the offer while providing the visitor with a means to respond thereby creating a lead.
Its up to you to nurture that lead and build relationships and trust with your prospects.
Nurturing can build brand and product preference long before the prospect becomes a customer.
According to Forrester Research, companies that excel at lead nurturing are able to generate 50% more sales ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead.
Inbound marketing complements your outbound marketing program.
If you are able to implement the five components of inbound marketing, including search engine optimization, blogging, social media, website lead generation and lead nurturing, the synergistic effect will likely result in cost efficiencies, increased sales and improved return on investment.
Trade journal ads, newspaper, direct mail, trade shows, radio, television, telephone cold calling and e-mail blasts are all examples.
They are intrusive to varying degrees and have their place in your mix of communications tools.
However, savvy marketers are also harnessing the power of "inbound" marketing.
With over an estimated 164 million adult internet users, more of the information that had been obtained offline such as product research is now done online.
Inbound marketing strategies are designed to help your prospects learn about your product or service when they conduct a keyword search, subscribe to your RSS feed (Real Simple Syndication), download your case studies, opt into your email newsletters, watch your videos, listen to your podcasts, follow you on social media sites or comment on your blog.
In other words, you can help yourself "get found" by prospects who are actively searching for the products and services you offer on the Internet.
The advantage is that it is with their permission as opposed to outbound marketing which is interruptive.
Consider the numbers.
Internet users conduct 88 Billion Google searches worldwide monthly.
There are over 800 million Facebook members with over 25 billion pieces of content shared monthly.
YouTube accounts for over 4 billion videos streamed daily.
As a result, the average budget spent on company blogs and social media has nearly doubled in two years.
Inbound marketing tactics consists of Search Engine Optimization, blogging, social media, website lead generation and lead nurturing.
Their focus is to "pull" your prospects toward your business or service so that they can discover you on their own.
If the descriptions and keywords used for your product and services do not rank highly in search engines, then your prospects will likely not find you.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial to achieving higher rankings.
One way to maximize your SEO is through frequent blogging.
The term "blog" is derived from the term "web log" which is a discussion or information site published on the internet.
It consists of "posts" discussing a topic of interest designed to become interactive by generating reader comments.
Statistics indicate that B2C companies that blog generate 88% more leads per month than those who don't.
B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those who don't.
The content generated through blogging is beneficial to prospects, customers and search engines.
Being active on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are essential for your business.
With 93% of US adult Internet users on Facebook, Both B2C and B2B companies are acquiring customers through Facebook and companies that use Twitter average double the amount of leads per month than those who don't.
Once a client or prospect arrives at your website, you should have a means of tracking their visit.
Consider incorporating a "call-to-action" (CTA) button that links to an offer.
This CTA button can take your visitor to a "landing page" detailing the offer while providing the visitor with a means to respond thereby creating a lead.
Its up to you to nurture that lead and build relationships and trust with your prospects.
Nurturing can build brand and product preference long before the prospect becomes a customer.
According to Forrester Research, companies that excel at lead nurturing are able to generate 50% more sales ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead.
Inbound marketing complements your outbound marketing program.
If you are able to implement the five components of inbound marketing, including search engine optimization, blogging, social media, website lead generation and lead nurturing, the synergistic effect will likely result in cost efficiencies, increased sales and improved return on investment.