Using Inbound Marketing to promote your business
As an entrepreneur, your main goal is to get customers to buy your products and services. Inbound marketing provides you with a low-cost means for customers to find you. The idea is to take proactive steps to attract potential customers and motivate them to buy your products because of the quality content you provide. There are 3 main types of inbound marketing: content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media marketing (SMM).
Content marketing is the process of promoting your business by distributing information and resources that potential customers find valuable. It’s based on the idea that sharing high-quality information with a particular niche drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing allows you to demonstrate your expertise, build your brand, promote your business, help people, and generate income. Some of the most popular forms of content marketing include website posts (for example, tips, case studies, and tools), newsletters, blogs, articles, white papers, books, e-books, seminars, webinars, teleseminar, and videos. .
Search engine optimization is the systematic process of increasing the quality and volume of traffic to your website by improving the visibility of that site across various search engines. The goal is to apply a variety of proven SEO techniques (e.g. site content, inbound links, website title, and header tags) that will allow your web page to rank higher when certain keywords or phrases are entered. in the search field of the main search. engines. For example, if you own a sporting goods store and someone types “sporting goods” in a search field, you want your website to appear on the first two pages of results. If you don’t appear on the first or second page, people are much less likely to find your site.
Social media marketing is the process of communicating your message to potential customers through participation in various electronic media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. This happens by becoming an active member of one or more social media communities. SMM offers some important marketing advantages. It is very economical since it has practically no economic cost. It gives you the opportunity to become an active and respected member in various social communities and allows you to position yourself as an expert in your main areas of interest. While it can be time consuming, many people enjoy spending time networking with their colleagues in the virtual world.
So how do you get started with inbound marketing? I suggest you answer two questions. First, what inbound marketing techniques are you using? For example, do you have a blog or newsletter? Have you written an article? Do you facilitate live presentations such as seminars, clinics, or workshops? What about web-based presentations, like webinars? Have you taken any steps to optimize your website to rank higher in search engines? Do you participate in any social media community? Develop a clear picture of what you are doing.
Second, based on your answer to the first question, what is the best place to start? For example, if you are already using various inbound marketing techniques, you can simply continue with what you are doing, especially if you are getting positive results. If you are not using inbound marketing, identify a technique that you would like to try. You may want to start a newsletter or blog. You can facilitate presentations on your particular area of expertise (for example, seminar or webinar), or you can join a social networking site like LinkedIn and start building a network of partners. Whatever you choose, remember to be diligent and patient. Inbound marketing takes time to be successful.