Inbound marketing can be an inexpensive way of generating quality leads if you are doing it right. Studies have shown that inbound leads have a closing rate of 14.6 percent compared to outbound marketing leads of just 1.7 percent. The best part – inbound marketing strategies cost 61 percent less on average.

Want to learn how to attract quality leads?

Keep reading this guide to learn five indispensable inbound marketing strategies to start capturing leads and turn them into clients.

1. Content Marketing

Content marketing is all about creating value for your consumers. Though value is a broad term, it can come in many different forms, including:

  • Blog posts 
  • How-to videos
  • Infographics
  • Podcasts
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • And ebooks

Customers enjoy having companies create valuable content for them, in fact, they expect it. According to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer, consumers are significantly more likely to buy from a company they trust, and one of the best ways to build trust is by creating value.

Content Marketing Example

The popular investing app, Acorns, helps individuals build wealth through investing their round change from purchases into equities. They focus on helping people who don’t have the time or don’t believe they have enough money to invest.

The company started a blog to help reach these consumers and show them that it is possible to build wealth still. The blog is called Grow and helps spread helpful information about

  • Investing
  • Saving
  • Earning
  • Spending 
  • And borrowing

Through the outreach efforts of the blog, Acorns has managed to grow to over 7 million users.

2. Social Media Outreach

Social media is an excellent place to gather inbound leads due to the accessibility of information.

Over 3.8 billion people are using social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, giving plenty of potential leads. 

Generating leads on social media is easy, but getting quality leads not so much. However, there are certain ways marketing professionals are finding success, gathering quality leads, including:

  • Profile optimization
  • Providing valuable content
  • Hosting competitions & contests
  • Offering free samples
  • And personalization

Social media sites can be a great place to promote your brand and make real-life connections with potential consumers. It’s essential to keep in mind what you say on social media has a significant impact on the way people view your brand, so be sure that what you post reflects the companies views.

Social Media Marketing Example

Dove is a classic example of how effective social media efforts can resonate with consumers from all over the world. 

Dove’s “real beauty” campaign was initially run in 2004 to promote the message that beauty doesn’t come in certain colors, shapes, sizes, etc. instead, it comes from the inside. 

With the coronavirus pandemic looming, dove once again promoted its core message and started the “courage is beautiful” campaign to encourage and honor the healthcare workers who many would consider being heroes for their part in helping. 

3. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is becoming one of the most sought after marketing skills ever due to the effectiveness of the practice. 

With Google generating over 3.5 billion searches every day, and around 80 percent of people ignoring paid ads, your best bet to stay relevant is through search engine optimization. 

SEO involves creating optimized content to increase the amount of organic traffic your website receives. 

The optimization can come in the form of:

Content

Creating custom content can be an excellent way to interact with customers and provide education pertaining to the product or service you are selling. 

SEO comes from keyword research and placement throughout the custom content to increase the chances of being discovered by search engines like google.

Web Design 

Web design is another essential aspect when it comes to SEO. Web page loading speed is a crucial factor in search engine optimization. Nobody likes waiting more than a second for a website to load.

The security of a website is also a contributing factor to your search engine ranking. If you do not have a security protocol (HTTPS), it will flag you.

4. Video Marketing

It seems that every companies wishlist consists of a marketing associate with video making or editing skills. That is because videos and short clips have a way of resonating with consumers in a way that text cannot. 

According to a recent survey, 66 percent of business owners mentioned videos as their most effective form of their marketing strategy. 

Video marketing is an effective way of communicating information to consumers as 90 percent of the information sent to the human brain is visual. 

Videos are expected to become the primary form of communication in the coming years as apps like Youtube and Tik Tok rise in popularity. 

Example of Video Marketing 

One of the best inbound marketing examples is Budweiser’s “Someone waits for you at home” video that went viral. 

The video features a dog and its owner leaving to go out for a few drinks, it comes to nighttime, and the dog is still home waiting for his owner to return when a message appears on the screen saying, “For some the wait never ended.” And then it goes on to say, “but we can change that,” promoting not to drink and drive and the owner eventually comes through the door. 

The video went viral for several key reasons.

First, it draws emotion to the subject, which gets people interested and involved in the video. Secondly, it is promoting a good cause, “don’t drink and drive.” These two factors combined create a powerful message that sticks with consumers.

5. Paid Advertisements

Paid advertisements are another effective option for online lead generation. 

There are plenty of places you could buy ads – Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Youtube, etc. 

One form of paid advertisement that is gaining momentum among businesses is called retargeting.

Retargeting or behavioral targeting works by the company using tracking technology called a cookie. The cookie is placed in the consumer’s web browser when they visit your website, and when they leave, they will see targeted ads from the company reminding them why they went there in the first place.

According to a ComScore study, retarget marketing had a 1,046 percent lift in business name searches. 

Looking for Help With Inbound Marketing Strategies?

When it comes to the digital world, inbound leads are everywhere. To generate these leads and effectively close them, it comes down to how well you implement your inbound marketing strategies.

Focusing on creating value for your consumers is an excellent place to start.

If you need help with your digital marketing, contact us today, and we can help you reach your digital potential.