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.

There are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration when choosing the best social media platforms for business. 

Keep reading to find out more about how to find the best platforms for you, as well as what kind of benefits each platform can offer. Get social today with these tips and tricks. 

1. Look at Your Target Audience 

Before determining your social media marketing plan, you’ll want to take a close look at your target demographic. Consider different aspects of your audience’s profile, such as their age, gender, interests, and values to create a buyer persona. This will allow you to build profiles that appeal to your customer by using the platforms they are more active on. 

These online platforms allow you to engage with audience members, with the potential to turn them into loyal customers. Creating a marketing or buyer persona right away will allow you to craft messages that will appeal to a potential customer. To find out more about your customers, check out the demographics of your site visitors. 

You can do this by conducting customer surveys, or simply looking at your Google Analytics. After establishing a customer persona, you can then establish the voice and tone that your brand will use to market on social media. Your brand personality will come through with your social voice, but these tones may vary slightly across platforms. 

Social media is meant to be less formal, and more humanizing than traditional marketing. Make sure you keep this in mind when developing your company voice. 

2. Figure out What Platforms Your Target Audience Uses

Once you’ve done the work to analyze your customer demographics and created a buyer persona, it’s time to figure out where this kind of person is active in the social media world. There are a few tools you can use to determine this. 

Tools like Buzzsumo can help you figure out where the content in your industry is most popular. This will help you see what type of platform marketing is working for those in your industry, helping you to form your own marketing plan. You can also conduct some research to find the overlap between your target audience and social network demographics. 

Doing some competitor research on social media is a great way to see what works for your product type and industry. If a competitor is getting tons of traffic on certain platforms, there is a high probability that they have cracked the code on how to create effective content.

While doing your competitor research, make sure you brainstorm on ways you can stand out. Do something different than your competition to stay ahead of the game. 

3. Audience and Content 

You will also want to consider what kind of content will best connect to your target audience, as well as what will best showcase your product. Different social platforms will help you share certain content types.

For example, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr are all image-based companies, great for those with visual marketing content needs. Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo will be best for promotional video content.

You may find that your audience and content type could be spread over multiple platforms. While managing multiple platforms may seem like a lot of work, it could provide a key way to grow your customer base and brand awareness. Using a social media scheduling tool can help you schedule out multiple postings on multiple platforms at once so that you can plan ahead. 

While it may be wisest to use a few social media platforms to reach your audience, don’t cast too far a net. Only focus on the platforms your audience is actually using to make sure you’re making the most of your marketing efforts. 

4. Choose Platforms That Will Allow You to Build a Community 

Now that you have selected your social media platforms based on your audience and content type, you will want to figure out how you can create value for your followers. Giving your followers some value will allow you to build a loyal following and social community around your brand. It’s important to note that the only way to keep a steady, growing following is to post consistently. 

Make sure that the information your sharing via social media content varies to keep audiences engaged. Share informational blog posts, iconographics, videos, quotes, and tips along with your promotional content to build brand loyalty through authenticity. Amusing and entertaining content is most sharable, allowing you to get your brand in front of more audience members. 

Humanize your brand by sharing your brand’s story, sharing behind the scenes videos, or introducing your staff members. This allows your customers to connect with your company, your team, and your mission. 

5. Measure Your Success

With social media constantly changing, it’s best to track your efforts, calculate your success, and experiment along the way.

Collecting data about your social media performance can help you to track patterns. It can also help you understand areas that need some tweaking. Routinely check your performance routines and analytics to optimize your social media platforms. 

Make the Most of the Best Social Media Platforms for Business

As you can see, the best social media platforms for business will vary depending on your company, your customer, and your content type. Make sure that you take the above steps to find the best social media platforms for your business. 

Are you looking for expert assistance with your social media marketing? Contact me today to get started. 

Ecommerce sales are projected to rise to $4.8 trillion globally by 2021. And over 1.5 billion people shopped online last year.

If you are someone that offers a product or service online, this is GREAT news!

But maybe you’re still wondering how to get clients in the first place.

Great question! And we’re here help you learn!

Read below for simple solutions to gaining quality clientele for your business.

How to Get Clients

You already have a great service to offer and a great staff to support you. So, why aren’t the new clients lining up at the door to work with you?

The truth is that in the age of the internet, businesses of all kinds have more competition. You have to set yourself apart even more than you have in the past.

There are tons of clients out there waiting for you, but in order to reach them, you need proven strategies for digital success. Depending on your business and the clientele you wish to reach, there are nuances to attracting new clients.

But there are a few strategies that should work no matter what your product or business

Let’s start with these 7 steps!

1. Find Clients Where They “Hang Out” Online

Chances are you already have an idea of who your ideal client is. Think about them now.

Are they male or female? Are they young or old? What kind of job do they have? What is their lifestyle like?

Now that you have an idea of who that client is, it’s time to investigate where they spend time online. Social media marketing is largely dependent on finding out where your audience is the most active.

You can use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter to gain clients. But instead of posting on every media outlet you can think of, focus your energy on posting where you know your potential clients will be able to see and interact with your content.

Many of these platforms are free to join and free to post, so why not give it a try!

2. Leverage Your Existing Network

Whether you have been in business for years, or are just starting out, you already have one of the biggest sources of help to get new clients.

Your network!

Your personal and professional networks consist of the people, groups, and businesses you are connected to. Start making a list of the people that come to mind and brainstorm how you could contact them for support.

If you are a college graduate or part of a professional society, these are great communities to start with! 

3. Host an Event

If you have the means to host potential clients either in person or virtually, take advantage of it. Just because people spend a lot of time online, does not mean that they would turn down an opportunity to learn more about your business in person.

You can host an open house, or a charity event to advertise your business and all that it has to offer. You can also host a virtual event, like a webinar, to market to new clients. 

Choosing a virtual event will likely be the less expensive choice, but be sure that the content of the webinar is valuable to your potential clients while encouraging them to get to know more about you or the business you work for. 

4. Establish a Referral Partnership

Connecting with people in adjacent professions can help you and your business grow through the power of referral. 

Think about it like this. If you own a shoe store, you could partner with a sock store. That way, each of you can refer customers to the other’s business.

Be creative about who you reach out to about partnership. Don’t forget that everyone will want to know what’s in it for them. Make sure that you are also adding value to the partnership by offering money or another form of compensation.

5. Try a Livestream

Video media is up-and-coming as the most popular form of advertising. People would rather watch a video than read an article, so take advantage of it!

A Livestream is a lot like hosting a pre-recorded webinar, but live! This will appeal to clients while also pushing a sense of urgency because they want to experience it live.

Make sure that you are comfortable and prepared on the subject matter if you are going to choose to host a Livestream. 

6. Pay for Advertisements

While there are plenty of free strategies to attract clients to your business, there are also opportunities to pay for advertisements.

Platforms like Facebook offer affordable ad space that you can use to promote your business or services. You can choose the copy or images that are used for the ad, and you have control over how long the ad runs.

Online platforms that offer paid advertising have the ability to reach your target audience based on what they already know about their habits online. 

So, if you have exhausted free options, try a paid ad and see how it goes!

7. Start Your Own Website or Blog

If your business doesn’t already have a website, start one today! There are several easy-to-use website building tools online. Or, you can hire a professional to design your website. 

When designing your website, remember your audience (the ideal client you were thinking about earlier). What appeals to them? What do they most want to get from your website?

Adding a blog to your website can also boost your client numbers. With the right SEO, you will get increased traffic to your company website via the blog. If you are comfortable writing them yourself, go for it! If not, you can hire a freelance writer to assist. 

Good Luck

Now that you have a few new strategies for how to get clients, it’s time to put them into action!

If you are confident and passionate about your business, your clients will be too! Start to see your online potential turn to online success.

If you are interested in other digital marketing strategies, check out some of the other blogs!

Did you know that only 61% of companies feel that their digital marketing strategies are effective?

Digital marketing has become the new norm and if you’re not confident in your digital marketing strategy, then you may want to start figuring out ways to make it even more effective. 

With technology constantly changing and evolving so does the way that companies need to market which is why thinking outside of the box is so important. Adapting your strategy to fit current trends is extremely important when it comes to digital marketing. 

Keep reading for our guide to seven successful digital marketing strategies you should consider for your business. 

1. Give Your Brand Personality

In 2020, your company’s digital marketing strategy should already include some type of social media marketing but does your brand have a personality? Giving your brand a personality on social media is a big thing that you should add to your marketing strategy if you’re trying to revamp and get more creative. 

Having a social media presence and posting content is great for getting followers and advertising your products or services. When your brand has a personality and interacts with clients, that is when you go a step further. 

It’s a great way to help push sales and retain customers who will stay loyal to you. Being authentic and personal will help to humanize your brand and give it some personality that can really shine through on social media. 

2. Instagram Stories

Another huge part of social media marketing that is completely taking over is the Instagram Stories feature. One reason why this feature continues to dominate is because it is the first thing that users see when they open the Instagram app on their smartphones, so it is easily accessible. 

Besides that, Instagram Stories tend to be much more casual so your customers feel as if they can relate and connect with you on a more personal level. This is why you should make sure that Instagram is a big part of your digital marketing strategy.

There are tons of different ways you can engage and interact with your followers using the stories feature as well. For example, you can ask a question to get feedback or even post a ‘this or that’ poll on your Instagram Story. 

For business accounts, Instagram also has a ‘swipe up’ feature which means you can post a link to your products or services and users don’t even need to leave the app to make purchases or view your other content. This is an awesome way to promote anything outside of Instagram but this feature is only available for business accounts on Instagram. 

3. Social Media Influencers

Another great way to promote your brand is to let the pros do it. Social media influencers are a great way to get the word out there about your products to your target audience. 

When it comes to finding the right social media influencers for your brand it will take a little bit of time. You’re going to want to do a bit of research into each social media influencer to make sure that they align with your brand and its values.

Not doing research on a social media influencer before partnering with them could be detrimental to your brand. 

There are a few ways that you can partner with influencers who will promote your products. Sometimes you can send a few products to a social media influencer, and they will make a post about the products for free. 

On the other hand, you may need to pay them for a post or for them to talk about your products or services but in this case, you would get to approve what the post first. Social media influencers can greatly improve the way you market in 2020. 

4. Try Out Podcasting

Podcasting has started to become more and more popular in 2020 and is a great way to market your brand. There are two ways that you can include podcasting in your digital marketing strategy. The first is either by creating your own podcast or starring on other people’s podcasts. 

Obviously, when it comes to creating your own podcast this will be much more work. You will have to be able to record regular episodes meaning you will constantly be needing to come up with new and fresh content. It can also be quite difficult to build up an audience that listens to your podcasts routinely. 

The benefits of having your own podcast make it completely worth it! You will always have an outlet to promote your products as well as a way to express your opinions. 

The easier route would be to network with other podcasts and get a guest spot being interviewed on a popular podcast. Of course, this would be a one-time thing but it would also be a great way to get your company out there to a whole new audience. 

5. Vlogging

Whether you love it or hate it, vlogging isn’t going away anytime soon and is becoming even more popular to help companies advertise. One reason why vlogs are so popular is because more people feel like they can relate and connect with them. 

People like to shop with brands and companies that they can connect with on a personal level. You’ll find that more people will buy from companies who are down to earth and interact with them on social media than ones that do now. 

This is why vlogging has become such a great success! When you vlog you can speak directly to your viewer about behind the scenes events, products or services, or even just let them know about your day.  

Digital Marketing Strategies in 2020

When it comes to finding the best digital marketing strategies for your company you may have to do a bit of trial and error. Finding the most effective strategies depends on what your target audience will respond to positively. 

Overall, when it comes to your digital marketing strategy you need to make sure to stay on top of the changing trends. 

If you’re looking for even more ways to enhance your digital marketing strategy, then get in contact with me! I can help create a digital marketing strategy tailored to fit your needs.