Want to increase your website’s traffic online?
Inbound marketing is one tactic that can increase your traffic and sales – AND improve your conversation rates.
But what is inbound marketing and how does it compare to outbound?
Today, our SEO agency discusses these terms and the various tactics you can integrate into your business’s digital marketing plan.
What is an inbound marketing strategy?
Inbound marketing describes the different tactics used when potential customers are actively searching for your products and services.
This is the main difference to outbound marketing, where you essentially chase leads, putting your name, brand, and business out there through tactics such as radio, magazine, or social media advertising.
The term ‘inbound marketing’ was coined by the company Hubspot, a marketer of software products, to describe how online marketers should aim to attract prospective buyers instead of choosing to expose themselves to those who have no interest in their product.
Inbound marketing strategies include:
- Auditing your current SEO strategies
- Learning what your users want
- Making your website mobile-friendly
- Using backlinks
Inbound marketing is a more advanced way of marketing compared to outbound marketing, and is generally exclusively a type of digital marketing.
What is an outbound marketing strategy?
Outbound marketing is the counterpart to inbound marketing in which a business dispenses a large net to a range of demographics, or specific people, to advertise their services or products.
Outbound marketing strategies include traditional ways of advertising, such as TV advertisements, print advertisements, billboards, and cold-calling.
As you can see, the major difference here is that outbound marketing involves tactics to reach out to potential customers; inbound is the opposite, where potential customers are out there searching for your services.
The goal, of course, is to make sure that your business is the one they find.
What are three components of a successful inbound or digital marketing strategy?
The three components of a successful inbound marketing strategy according to Livingstone, a Belgian marketing agency, are:
Content
You need to ensure that your website is filled with relevant content designed for your ideal customer.
Don’t just advertise; of course, you need to sell your services, but you need to do this in a way that always has the customer front of mind.
How will this service help them? Why do they need you? What do they need to look out for?
Remember, it’s not just about what you can do. It’s about what you can do for your customer.
Create content that answers their questions, and that shows your experience, knowledge, and certifications. These are all the things your potential customers are looking for when it comes to booking a service, making a call, or purchasing a product.
So if you are a plumber, for example, such inbound content could include:
- Writing blog posts that answer common questions or troubleshoot problems
- An ‘About Us’ page that details your experience, licences, and certifications
- A clear navigation menu that helps a user navigate your website to find relevant services
- Clear calls to action that communicate the action you want a user to take (call, fill in a form, book a consultation)
SEO
The online competition has never been more fierce.
As such, something that was once a nice-to-have has now become a non-negotiable.
Search Engine Optimisation is key to growing your business, increasing your reach, and attracting the customers you want the most, for the jobs that provide the best return.
SEO is a huge beast in itself, and we could certainly go on for hours and hours about it. In summation, however, there are a few key metrics you need to track in order to optimise your site to ensure you dominate the rankings and attract in-market visitors.
Website metrics include:
- Domain ranking
- Target keywords ranking
- Bounce rate
- Organic traffic
- Organic conversions
- New users
- Time spent on page
These metrics can have a direct impact on your SEO, as things such as a high bounce rate tells Google that users are not sticking around on your site, and thus not finding the information they are seeking.
Website analytics are an integral part of your overall SEO strategy.
Social media
Social media has evolved into an advanced and highly effective marketing tool. Most social media apps like Instagram and Facebook offer paid advertising, which can help expand your audience and introduce your brand to fresh eyes.
More than just a photo-sharing tool, social media is an effective marketing tactic used to attract an audience. Importantly, it’s also an avenue where customers will reach out to you for support. You must ensure messages and comments are being monitored and customers; questions are being answered.
Social proof is a hugely influential factor, too, when it comes to converting new customers who are searching for evidence that others have found value in a product. Reviews, too, play a hugely important role in your brand’s credibility.
Is inbound marketing effective?
Inbound marketing can be an effective marketing tool that attracts in-market customers ready to purchase
Prompt in-market users to take action on your website with strategic inbound marketing. Customers are looking for your product and services – so make sure it’s YOUR business they are finding!
If you’d like to learn more about inbound marketing or discover how it can help your business, we’d love to chat. Give us a call or contact us online and we’ll get back to you.
Call Melbourne: (03) 8842 1250 or Brisbane: (07) 3732 6522 or get in touch here.