We’ve heard it so often, it’s become a cliché… the Internet has changed the way we _________ [fill in the blank]. But it’s true. For those of us involved with using the Internet to run and promote businesses over the last couple of decades, there is no doubt that things have changed. I started using the Internet for business in 1996 and started Neolynx in 1999 to help other business owners utilize the Internet to meet their business goals. As a marketer, my fundamental task has remained the same – to spread the word about products and services in order to get people to buy them. I have utilized many traditional forms of marketing – e-mail blasts, telemarketing, direct mail, TV, radio, and print advertising. While these still have a part to play in the modern marketing mix, the problem they have all become less effective at spreading the word as people have become better at blocking these interruptions and ignoring them when they do get through.
Where did my customers go?
It’s no news that people use the Internet to shop and to gather information. How and where ? This is the question marketers and business owners alike should be asking. More specifically, “where on the Internet do they go and how do they use the Internet for these activities?” Most people find it easier to sit at their desk (or on their couch) and look for information online. Here’s what they do:
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- People primarily shop and gather information through search engines like Google.
- Another place people go when gathering information online is the blogosphere.
- The third place people gather information, learn, and shop is through social media.
By now it should be obvious… if you want to be successful and grow your business and revenues, you must match the way you market your products and services with the way your prospects learn about and shop for your products and services.
This is where Inbound Marketing comes in. Inbound marketing, if done right, is a very effective way to reach your prospective customers. “What is inbound marketing,” you ask. Well… read on and I’ll explain.
The problem with most websites
Ahh the website…
I remember when I first started building websites for customers in the 1990’s… The business owner would had me a brochure the company had been using at trade shows and ask that I essentially create a digital version and put it up on the World Wide Web – the Information Superhighway, the Future of Human Connectivity. These were some truly exciting times. However, having a brochureware website is where the trouble starts for many businesses today. FOLKS, IT’S NOT 1996! (sorry, didn’t mean to startle you there by yelling. But as you can tell, I’m passionate about this stuff!) People visit these type of websites once, click around, and never return. Never! Who can blame them for not returning? Why do these website have to offer? They are filled with sales-oriented messages. What’s there to compel them to stay on these websites – let alone come back? Nothing! These websites are a one-way megaphone broadcasting to visitors. That’s not how it’s supposed to be done… not if you want to succeed. The top-ranked websites today have created communities where like-minded people can connect with each other. Instead of a “megaphone,” think, “hub.”
But wait! There’s more…
Although the steps mentioned above are but a few of the tasks involved with a comprehensive inbound marketing plan, you should not neglect the importance of tracking your progress. First, take time to measure where you currently stand in order to track progress and results as you implement changes. For example, you should be measuring the number of links back to your website from other websites and the number of organic keywords that are producing traffic to your site on Google. Remember: you want to make it as easy as possible for prospective customers to find your company online.
In closing
The bottom line to a successful inbound marketing strategy is two-fold.
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- Inbound marketing requires a shift in mindset. Start thinking about your web presence in terms of an interactive, constantly changing hub for your entire industry – a hub that also happens to sell products and/or services.
- You need the right partner to assist you on this journey. A partner who has the experience, knowledge, and resources to help ensure your inbound marketing strategy is solid and properly implemented.
to learn how we can help you with your marketing.