If you listen to the Google Partners Podcast, you’ll know that recently they discussed the importance of effective inbound marketing , and if Google are talking about it, you know that it means you should stand up and pay attention. Many companies of all sizes already implement inbound marketing to some effect, but if you’ve only scratched the surface are you using it to its full potential?

So let’s try and answer a very simple question: Why use inbound marketing?

Inbound marketing is so much more than search, blogs and social media. At its very core inbound marketing is about understanding and attracting customers to your business through relevant content that addresses their needs and captures them through the relevant channels.

Are the days of outbound marketing behind us? In some ways, perhaps. Customers no longer need to be told why they should choose your product or service over another. They are able to inform and educate themselves, which is all the more reason why you should be the one to educate them.

By providing the content that answers the questions your buyers want answering before they make their mind up drives traffic to your website and gives you the opportunity to nurture a lead towards making a decision. It’s easy to find out what those who are interested in your product are searching for and cater your websites content around drawing them in. Define the different types of customers who may buy your product.

Start by asking yourself: 

  • Who is this person?
  • Why do they need my product?
  • What do they need to know about my product?
  • Have I positioned myself to help this person?

Inbound marketing allows for a sustainable marketing strategy that traditional marketing does not. By concentrating on creating evergreen content for your website that answers your buyer personas questions and pain points, you’ll be driving organic traffic to your website where you’ll able to capture warm leads that are already looking for a solution that your product provides  and nurture them towards making a decision (hopefully with you!). By deploying inbound methods you are focussing on long term campaigns that in turn improve your website keyword rankings, allowing you to be found more easily by the customers you are hoping to attract. This will also all you to customise your overall marketing strategy around valuable data and maximise your ROI, to get the most bang for your buck.

If you do look to boost your marketing campaigns with paid media, by understanding and defining your buyer personas beforehand, you can ensure that any paid media you choose to use (Google AdWords, or paid social media ads for example) is targeting the people who will be actually interested in your ad. So,  unlike with television and newspaper advertising, you make sure only those who show some interest in your product will see your ad. If you sell to (for example) just women, or you know that teenagers are more likely to buy your product, or you’re limited by who you can reach geographically, you can limit who sees your ad and optimise its performance for your demographic without spending money where it’s unnecessary.

Have you considered if your target audience is using a particular social media channel? Both paid and organic social media can drive awareness of your brand and drive conversions when carefully considered. Your buyers may be operating across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, discussing their pain points and even your product without you knowing!

You can implement a social media strategy that gets through to you to buyer by using social listening tools that help you gain an understanding of what their pain is and where you or your competitors may be failing. You have the chance to engage with your audience and promote your content and solutions that address their issues, building brand recognition and loyalty.

So why should you implement an effective inbound marketing campaign? Let’s recap:

  1. To gain a better understand of your customers pains and needs
  2. To optimise the content on your website to drive traffic and conversions
  3. To effectively target the correct audience and draw them into your website as they start showing buying signals
  4. To participate in conversation within your industry through social media and build brand awareness

Do you want to know more about running an effective inbound strategy? We produced a guide that can help you do just that! Please download, and if you have any questions at all, don't be afraid to get in contact with us.