Since the arrival of the web, buyer behavior has changed. He consults a significant volume of information before making a purchasing decision. It is necessary to adapt the marketing strategy to this change. This digital strategy is called “inbound marketing” . This concept originated in the United States. But concretely, how to run an effective inboud marketing campaign?
What is inbound marketing?
Perhaps you have observed that almost all companies produce web content? Their objective is to gain visibility and incidentally generate more sales. inbound marketing technique .
Inbound marketing is a strategy that involves attracting leads through the creation of targeted content . Quality content can directly influence Internet user behavior towards a purchase. But sometimes it is necessary to maintain a relationship with the customer after this first contact, using marketing automation or lead nurturing in order to move them forward in the purchasing process.
The term inbound marketing was first used in 2006 , by HubSpot co-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah . They noticed that the traffic generated by the blog on their start-up easily translated into purchases.
Why do inbound marketing?
With the democratization of the Internet, the consumer matures his purchasing decision independently by exploiting the resources available to him on the web. Moreover, statistics related to inbound marketing show that prospects complete 57% of the process online before contacting a company sales representative.
What is the difference between inbound marketing and outbound marketing?
Inbound marketing is different from outbound marketing which bases its strategy on the use of untargeted advertising aimed at a mass audience. As a result, the budget is generally higher, and the return on investment is not always profitable. Indeed, advertising space is quite expensive. In addition, this method is not very popular with consumers who consider it intrusive.
Inbound marketing highlights the personalization of the customer experience through content that answers their questions. It is a systemic approach that is based on customer needs. It gains the interest of consumers by providing them with an informational offer consistent with their needs . In this way, it is the customer who chooses to learn more about the brand. You will then obtain a qualified audience. In terms of cost, inbound marketing is much lower. The effect will especially be felt with the long tail . This strategy is suitable for both B2B and B2C and generates long-term interest .
READ ALSO; Complete Guide to Developing an Effective Marketing Plan and Achieving Your Goals
What are the steps to follow to succeed in your inbound marketing strategy?
To implement a strategy inbound marketing, you need to take into account four essential elements : determine your buyer personas, produce a quality content, optimize your website and apply marketing automation. You must then follow a few steps:
- Determine your buyer personas , this will allow you to position your message and create your content consistent with the expectations of your audience . Identify your buyer personas based on all market data, your existing customers and the journey of visitors to your site. A buyer persona is a fictional representation of a company's ideal customer.
- Producing quality content increases your visibility and affirms your expertise. The customer carries out prior research on the internet in order to obtain information. You therefore need to publish on different channels : site, social networks, blog , etc. These are essential levers.
- Optimizing your website , which is the showcase of your business, generates traffic and leads . Your content must be optimized in content and form. It must be dynamic and optimized with the SEO system.
- Applying marketing automation allows you to nurture your leads. On the internet, there are several marketing automation software This automated process will help you be responsive to your audience .
Inbound marketing is not suitable for impulse purchases. It requires a long process consisting of several phases. To get started with this marketing strategy, you need to follow these four steps.
Building a qualified audience
This is the first step, it's about using all available channels to attract a qualified audience . Producing optimized, quality content allows your business to become its own media. In this stage the content must address a problem in a general way in order to provide an answer to a question.
Transforming visitors into prospects
The goal of this second step is to convert visitors into qualified prospects by presenting:
- forms,
- links,
- calls-to-action (CTA) on your content pages.
The goal is to collect information about your visitors. Naturally, the content must present the best solution to the visitor's problem.
Converting prospects into customers
This third step is supporting prospects in the purchasing process. It can also be described as nurturing . Several means can be combined for this step: telephone, newsletters, marketing automation, making appointments, etc. In this phase, you must offer relevant solutions to trigger the purchase.
Customer loyalty
impeccable products and services to guarantee customer satisfaction . Consumers communicate with each other through social networks and forums. A satisfied customer will become your ambassador . Word of mouth and recommendation are decisive factors for the consumer in general and for the Internet user in particular.
In summary, inbound marketing is the digital strategy adapted to the modern consumer's purchasing journey. The approach is relatively simple, but may sometimes require the help of a specialist agency.
—————————
Magileads is prospecting automation software that allows you to easily manage all the complex aspects of your marketing processes.
Test Magileads for free in 14 days. Click here.
Or book a demo to see how it works. Click here .
