With the fast-changing business environment and an increase in digital competition, every minute counts. However, there are many businesses and people out there that spend too much time on ineffective marketing strategies. It is essential to be aware of the marketing tips that can attract potential customers and save on time and resources. Inbound marketing is one such method of attracting customers by creating value-added content and encouraging personalized experiences.
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In contrast to outbound marketing, inbound marketing helps in winning customers by giving importance to the problems and issues of the customer. It helps in forming relations with potential customers and aims to help them out. Having an inbound marketing plan ensures that the customers find you, and it is not the vice-versa.
In this article, we have included some of the best inbound marketing tips that will help you in increasing the customer base and grow your business. Keep on reading to find out more about these tips!
1 Segment the Email List
In general, a customer’s inbox is filled with emails from several brands and businesses. One needs to give a good reason for the customer to open the email and go through it. Let us start by understanding what exactly is email segmentation.
Email segmentation is the process of segregation of emails based on customer data. One needs to understand the target audience and learn about their preferences and needs before sending out emails. Some of the factors based on which emails can be classified are as follows:
- Demography
- Purchase history
- Email open rate
- Online activity
- Satisfaction level
- Click-through rate
The emails can be made more personalized and relevant to the target audience based on these factors. One can even connect with the target audience on a more personal level, which will, in turn, keep them engaged and convert them into loyal advocates of the brand.
2 Expand your Content Strategy
One should not assume that the traditional blog articles would work for all kinds of visitors. It is well known that different formats of content resonate with different types of audiences. Thus, diversifying the content strategy becomes all the more critical. Different types of content that can help in delivering value to the customers are as follows:
- Videos: According to research, 99% of marketers invest their time and resources in video marketing. It helps in telling the story of the brand engagingly. Depending on the business type and the niche, there can be a different type of content. One of the hottest trends when it comes to content marketing is the use of live videos. They are popular as they are shot in real-time and hence, resonate well with people.
- Infographics: Factually, infographics are known to earn a greater number of shares and likes than other types of content. You can combine content writing skills with graphic designs which helps in presenting complex facts in an easy to understand and engaging manner. It is a good idea to include informative headings in the content and use the brand elements consistently.
- eBooks: There are several reasons why eBooks are valuable. Firstly, they help in repurposing the previous content, be it visual or textual. Secondly, they allow one to emphasize their industry authority and built trust with existing and potential customers.
- Case Studies: Case studies tend to be more detailed than customer testimonials that focus on customer insights. They focus on what problems a customer was facing before and how it changed. Vase studies should focus on the methodology used, the goals set, and the results that have been achieved. Remember, proper data and statistics should be used to back up the case study.
- Podcasts: A podcast is considered as one of the most flexible content types when it comes to formats. A user can listen to it anywhere and at any time. It allows the brand to build relationships with the target audience. One can even repurpose the blog content with the help of podcasts.
3 Build up the Technical SEO
Technical SEO is considered as one of the most essential segments of the inbound marketing strategy. When one knows how well the website is performing, it is easy to fix different problems and drive a better quality of traffic. For this, one needs to run website audits at least once a month. This will ensure that everything is working fine. Free tools such as Google Search Console can help you in this regard. Not only does it help in detecting problems, but it also helps in fixing them.
Investment in technical SEO can help in improving user experience as it ensures that the website is working spotlessly. This will help in motivating more people to spend time on your website and go through the content. This will also ultimately help you in ranking your website higher in Google searches.
4 Enhance the Web Design
Website design plays a vital role in content marketing efforts. It should be easy and quick for visitors to find the required information. Otherwise, they will just move to other options. Following are some ideas to optimize your website design:
- Focus on Website Navigation: The website navigation should be kept logical and simple as it will help in reducing the categories in the navigation bar. One should also focus on the navigation functionalities. Taking an example, adding a search bar can make it easy for the users to search for a specific brand or a product.
- Work on the Content Design: Investing in the content design is another way to boost inbound marketing. You can use on-brand design elements across the website in a consistent manner. The blog posts should be easy to use, and one should be able to navigate through the content easily. The fonts should be legible on different devices.
- Have a Responsive Website: You can utilize the Mobile-Friendly Test by Google to keep the website responsive. This ensures that the site looks great in different resolutions and loads quickly. It is important to understand which pages are performing the best and which are performing the worst. Collecting feedback from users is a great way to do so.
5 Refine Conversations Using Chatbots
Chatbots are a great way to improve user experience as well as conversions. They can help on multiple levels in the following ways:
- Provide real-time customer support: Chatbots help in providing real-time customer support. Customers expect a brand to be available for them round the clock. A chatbot provides instant feedback after a visitor asks a question.
- Simplify customer journey: With chatbots, visitors and customers do not have to fill up long forms. If a checkout process is not easy, chances are that the customer will abandon the shopping cart before completing the purchase. Chatbots help the user in finding the right products with the help of meaningful conversations.
- User experience is personalized: When user experiences are personalized, visitors can find their desired product faster. Chatbots also can recommend products to the customer based on their preferences, which improves customer engagement.
- Interactions with customers are humanized: This means that chatbots can replicate humans in terms of interaction. All you have to do is create engaging scripts, and you are good to go. This is an excellent form of inbound marketing. One great inbound marketing example for chatbots is National Geographic’s Einstein, which talks to the user in a witty manner and answers questions related to his private life.
Conclusion
Inbound marketing centres around the customer and does not work to maximize sales in a fast and aggressive manner. It helps to deepen the relationship with the target customers with the help of relevant and interactive content. The above tips would help you in enhancing the inbound marketing strategies of your business.
Author Bio: Swathi S, an indispensable member of the Stan Ventures SEO team, is the current outreach specialist at the organization. Known for her way with words, Swathi is a frequent blogger who keeps a tab on the latest SEO updates and guest posting services at the firm.