Inbound Marketing 101

Reposted from my entry on Mediacurrent's blog

You’ve built an awesome website. It’s exactly what you envisioned - beautifully designed, great functionality, and performs flawlessly. Days go by, weeks go by, and you’re still not seeing the traffic you had expected to see. Why? It’s not your site. It’s your inbound marketing strategy.

BUT WHAT IS INBOUND MARKETING?

Gone are the days where people are okay with intrusive marketing (sorry, Mad Men lovers). Let’s be honest, most of us get annoyed with the required ads on YouTube. So, instead of hunting for customers, wouldn’t you rather they all just come to you? That’s inbound marketing - the art of allowing your target audience find you.

HOW DOES INBOUND MARKETING WORK?

Your potential customers take to search engines to find solutions to their problems. They click on the link that seems to best answer their question. While learning more about ways to solve their problems, they are prompted to get more information by signing up for an offer, providing you with a means to contact them to start the sales process. Though it sounds simple, there is a science to an effective inbound strategy.

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY INBOUND MARKETING?

It all starts with a solid content marketing strategy. Once you’ve established what your goals are and who your buyer personas are, you’re able to start optimizing the content on your website to increase traffic. Think about the questions your buyer personas are asking. Is your content answering them? If not, it’s time to create new content.

But you not only want to write new content, you also want to give your visitors clear paths to become leads, taking your strategy one step further. By using calls to action in your content, you can encourage visitors to not remain anonymous and to open up the door to have conversations with your company. Marketing automation is a great tool to use to track a buyer’s journey through your site.

It’s important to note that consistently huge waves of traffic won’t come overnight. It takes a solid strategy backed with consistent efforts to see results. But by taking the time to create content that speaks directly to your ideal customers, you’ll find that the traffic you get will not only be higher in quantity, but also in quality.

7 Reasons Your Company Should Be Using Social Media

Reposted from my entry on Mediacurrent's blog

Social media. Everyone has it, but not everyone is using it correctly. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube exist not only to entertain and connect people to one another, but also to connect people with businesses. With advertising dollars getting smaller, the need for effective, low cost marketing tactics is more important than ever. And if your business isn't using social media, then you're missing out on a huge opportunity to develop your brand and garner new revenue.

Here are the top 7 reasons why your business should be on social media:

1. Build your brand – You have the opportunity to determine how people feel about your company based on how you present yourself online. Your social media presence allows you to create your brand persona and perpetuate that sentiment in everything you do - from posts to pictures to general customer service.
2. Spread the news – Many people find out about what's going on around them from their feeds. If you don't have the means to send out press releases via the wire, then take advantage of social media as your announcement platform. If you have a new product or service offering, or an event coming up, share your good news (or any news, really) on your social media account.
3. Manage your reputation – Part of building your brand includes being aware of how your messaging is being received. Also, it is imperative to handle any negative sentiments with grace. If there's a problem with your online reputation, social media is a great tool to use to fix it.
4. Build trust in your company – Customers today need to trust a company before making a purchase. They check reviews on Yelp and Google before selecting a vendor or even a doctor. Social media does several things to help your target audience trust you and your services. First off, people trust their friends and family more than anyone. So if people are talking about your organization positively on social media, chances are you will get referrals from those posts. Also, social media allows you to be accessible by customers. Customers can get questions answered immediately via social media.
5. Establish long lasting relationships – Along with building trust, you can build lasting relationships and brand loyalty through social media by simply being personal. Make your strategy more about making your customers happy than making profit. The profit will come from repeat business if you take the time to be relatable through your social media interactions. Ultimately, happy customers are profitable customers.
6. More affordable than traditional marketing – Setting up a profile is free. Creating content will cost time, but, when done effectively, will be worth the return on investment.
7. Find out what your customers really want – Who needs focus groups when you have a the opportunity to poll your customers in real time? Have you recently launched a new product? Ask your customers for feedback. You will save time, money, and valuable resources by getting feedback from your target audience through social media.

Stretching your advertising taking full advantage of social media and integrating it into your existing inbound marketing strategy. By doing so, you’ll get a solid feel on what you’re doing right and what you need to improve on to make the relationship with your customers last.