Inbound marketing has proven to be the most successful way to promote your brand online. From blogging, email marketing, video, social media promotion to SEO and podcasts, the inbound way compels potential customers to further engage with your message…enticing them to keep coming back for more.
You see, whereas some brands may focus on sending email messages hoping they convert into sales, a true inbound marketing campaign utilizes multiple channels to connect with prospects and share valuable content that solves problems, answers questions, and resonates with their interest. One and done email marketing yields fickle results, breeding frustration. But if you consistently execute an inbound strategy that gives value to your audience, you will see much better results.
In fact, here are five strong benefits to inbound marketing and why there’s much more to it than sending an email and hoping it sticks!
#1 Positions You as a Credible Source
Blogging is at the heart of the inbound way and a top tactic to building relationships and fostering the know, like and trust factor with your audience. Rated as the 5th most trusted source, your business blog positions you as an expert in your niche, enhancing thought leadership. As you continue to share remarkable content that resonates with your target market, you will be viewed as the “go-to” brand and people will trust doing business with you.
#2 Boost Visibility in the Search Engines
In a digital era where consumer’s likely first choice is Google to look for answers and information, it’s important that your brand shows up in search to drive new visitors to your site. Blogging is one solution. In fact, companies who blog regularly have 434% more indexed pages than companies who do not (Source: Search Engine Land). They also receive 97% more links to their website. By optimizing your blog post for SEO, your blog is the tool to increase visibility in the search engines and boost brand awareness.
Social media is said to be another powerful tool that impacts your ranking on search. Though social may only indirectly affect your rankings, one of the ways it does is through the power of your community. Search engines factor in the size of your following on social media as a measure of your authenticity. Thus improving your social media positively impacts on your presence on search…both key factors to growing your brand online.
#3 Increases Brand Exposure on Social Media
Speaking of social media, with over 2 billion active users, social networks have become solid platforms to increasing brand awareness, connecting with potential customers, and driving more visitors to websites. In fact, one-third of millenials actually prefer to engage with businesses via social media (Source: Business2Community). More people are seeking to connect with their favorite brands on social to stay abreast of trending and industry-related topics, communicate with customer service and be made aware of sale promotions
An operable inbound marketing plan includes a social media strategy that builds your following, maximizes exposure, and creates tangible results for your business.
#4 Generate Quality Leads for Your Sales Funnel
Growing your leads list is the lifeline to your company. When you have more leads to work with, you’re boosting opportunities for revenue and business growth. Small businesses that blog receive a whopping 126% more lead growth than those that do not. Additionally, B2B marketers that use blogs receive 67% more leads than their competitors who fail to blog.
Publishing quality content will attract quality prospects to your site. With the proper content mechanisms like landing pages, webforms, popups and lead magnets, you can convert your web pages into lead generating machines. You’ll increase your lead conversions which better positions you for new sales. The key is having a compelling offer that entices your reader to opt-in.
#5 Successfully Grows Your Sales and Fosters Repeat Business
Here are a few stats that illustrate the power behind inbound marketing in generating sales for your business:
- 70% of customers say that blogs influence what they buy (Source: Business2Community)
- For B2B brands, 56% of purchasing decisions came as a result of a blog post (Source: DemandGen Report)
- Marketers who blog are 13 times more likely to drive positive ROI than those who don’t. (Source: HubSpot)
- Marketers have noted a 760% increase in revenue from segmented campaigns. (Source: Campaign Monitor)
- Email marketing works 40 times better at getting customers than Facebook and Twitter, and compared to social media (Source: McKinsey)
- Social media now plays almost as large a role in purchasing decisions as does TV (Source: Business2Community)
- 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video (Source: Hubspot)
These numbers are too compelling to ignore! Through proper lead nurturing, email segmentation, and remarkable content, your inbound strategy will create new and repeat sales that lead to loyal customers of your brand.
Conclusion
Inbound marketing is more than just one and done email! There are several components that harmoniously work together to create a winning strategy that yields amazing returns in your favor. Fully embracing “the way” positions you for true success in your digital marketing.
To learn more about how to improve your marketing strategies and grow your business, give us a call at 661-702-1310 or visit www.SmallDogCreative.com!
