Attracting new customers to your business can take some finesse. Knowing what your audience is looking for, how to deliver it and when to send it out is the formula we’re all trying to figure out. One thing that might get us closer to this answer is something called inbound marketing. Inbound marketing methodology is a business strategy that attracts customers through personalized content that is tailored to the customers needs. Instead of trying to grab your audience’s attention through continued advertisements and promotions, inbound marketing focuses on your customers problems and offers solutions. But how does inbound marketing work?
One of the biggest goals of inbound marketing is trying to foster a long term relationship with your customers by providing value at every stage of the customer experience. This gives the customer a reason to stay engaged and keep using your business to fulfill their wants. But what does inbound mean? Inbound means attracting potential customers through relevant content while outbound marketing aims to disrupt in order to attract attention. Inbound marketing can work seamlessly with a CRM and complement existing outbound marketing strategies.
There are three ways to implement inbound marketing tools for your business:
- Attract: Working with experts who can give reliable advice that will build trust with your audience and strengthen your brand awareness.
- Engage: Offer solutions to your customers problems to help them reach their goals. This will make them more likely to go from prospect to consumer.
- Delight: Being there to offer assistance at any stage in the customer journey will make your customers feel supported and secure long after they make a purchase.
Inbound marketing is effective because it is based on exactly what your audience is looking for. This works best when your business is producing high quality content that your audience wants to engage with. It’s about informing your audience about the products you have to offer and answering any questions they may have along the way.
This type of marketing can come in many shapes, sizes and styles. Being innovative and thinking of new ways to engage your audience should be a key priority. Some inbound marketing examples to attract, engage and delight your audience include:
Attract:
- Blog Posts
- E-Books
- Social media
- Content creation
Using these tactics is the best way to attract the right prospects to your business that are most likely to turn into repeat buyers.
Engage:
- Lead flows
- Email marketing
- Conversational bots
Engaging with customers through the channels they’re most comfortable with will help establish trust. This brand trust will then help to develop recurring customer relationships.
Delight:
- Smart content
- Inbound marketing automation
- Attribution reporting
Keep your key audience happy and supported through delight techniques that aim to create a pain free experience your customers want to tell others about. This increases their brand loyalty and spreads the word about your business.
Inbound methodology is all about empowering your customers. Give your audiences the resources and tools to learn about how your business can meet their needs. Put the power back in their hands.
When you create meaningful content your customers love, they’re more likely to sign up for a newsletter, engage with your website and share your business with their friends and family. Creating genuine interest by people you want to become your customers serves to generate new leads that turn into lifelong customers.
