Inbound marketing is a methodology of attracting customers through digital channels with useful content. The key issue is providing internet users with the information they need. In process of interaction with your content, a potential customer (a lead) builds a connection with your company, becomes loyal, and step by step transforms into your client.
This term was introduced by an American developer Hubspot in 2006. The process of transforming a stranger into a customer consists of 3 stages:
- Attraction – use helpful and valuable content that is delivered through the most relevant platforms and channels, draw the attention of targeted internet users, entertain them and fulfill satisfy their need for information;
- Engaging – you gradually present your product and services to the visitors, prove your business will solve their problems, and make them interact with your content/ site – now, they are your leads;
- Delighting – you become an “advisor” for your customer, engage your specialists, give consumers more and help them, and soon, former leads and regular clients become your brand’s promoters.
What methods and instruments do we use?
Each respectable and experienced inbound marketing firm knows that for each of the mentioned phases there are different strategies, channels, and instruments. What are they?
- Planning content and blogging. Deep and thoughtful research of helpful topics makes 50% of the result. The agency you turn to must have prominent experience in content marketing, it should both create and promote it successfully.
- Search optimization. Your content should be easy to find online, that’s why SEO is also a key in the work of inbound marketing consultants. An experienced SEO-specialist will optimize content according to specific phrases and keywords.
- Social media marketing. There’s no way to spread your content easier and quicker than with the help of social media. Promoting your business account is a must!
- Live chats and chatbots. In the phase of engaging, the implementation of chatting technologies helps users to build a closer connection and make sure they’re dealing with true specialists.
- Email-marketing. It is a powerful tool when it is needed to push leads to a purchase. Later, it is great for informing customers about news, promotions, new products.
- Conversion optimization tools. CTA’s and lead forms are the musts on your web-resource to make it easier for a customer to walk through your sales funnel.
- Marketing automatization. Personalization and the automatic delivery of delightful content will keep clients interested and engaged in the buying process.
Example of inbound marketing
There are tons of useful and fascinating content on the web provided by a certain company, and you may not even suspect it while interacting with it. How does it work?
Let’s assume, you are a coffee lover. You google “types of coffee roasting” and one of the first results that hold your attention is huge and comprehensive infographics. At first, you don’t notice it is on a coffee web-store, you continue investigating more about your favorite drink by reading articles and watching videos on sorts, kinds of drinks, methods of brewing, etc.
Not even a week will pass as you see the targeted ads of this online store on your Facebook and decide to buy a few packages of freshly roasted beans from different regions. A month later, you order a new coffee machine in the same store and advice your friends – a short way from a regular user to a promoter!