How to succeed with Inbound Marketing?

How people are buying has changed significantly over the last years. Gartner says 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels by 2025. The traditional linear sales funnel doesn’t work anymore. Thus, as a marketeer, you need to think differently. Inbound marketing is not new, but many people are unsure how to approach this way of attracting new customers. 

The traditional sales funnel is broken. It’s no longer linear, and as a marketeer you need to adapt to new buying habits. 

Inbound marketing is important because it helps companies attract and engage potential customers through relevant and helpful content, rather than interrupting them with traditional outbound marketing methods like cold-calling or advertising. This approach can lead to higher conversion rates and a better return on investment because it targets people who are already interested in a company’s products or services. Additionally, inbound marketing can help build trust and credibility with potential customers, which can lead to long-term, loyal relationships. 

So, what should you do to succeed? Here are five best practices for inbound marketing: 

1. Define your target audience: In order to create effective inbound marketing content, you need to understand who your target audience is and what their needs and pain points are. By creating buyer personas, you can get a clear picture of who you are trying to reach and tailor your content to meet their specific needs.
   
   
2. Create valuable content: The key to inbound marketing is creating content that is valuable and relevant to your target audience. This can include blog posts, ebooks, webinars, and other forms of content that provide useful information and address the pain points of your audience.

3. Optimize for search engines: In order for your content to be found by potential customers, it needs to be optimized for search engines. This includes using relevant keywords and meta tags, as well as creating high-quality, engaging content that will be shared and linked to by other websites.

4. Use calls-to-action: Once you have attracted potential customers to your website through valuable content, you need to guide them towards the next step in the sales process. This can be done by including calls-to-action (CTAs) in your content, such as «Download our e-book» or «Schedule a consultation.» All supported by your marketing automation system with a personal, automated customer journey that adapts to the potential customer’s actions.

5. Measure and analyze your results: In order to understand the effectiveness of your inbound marketing efforts, you need to measure and analyze your results. This includes monitoring metrics such as website traffic, lead generation, and conversions. By analyzing this data, you can make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts and optimize your inbound marketing strategy. 

By following these best practices, you can create an effective inbound marketing strategy that attracts qualified leads and helps your business grow. Remember, inbound marketing is all about creating valuable and relevant content that addresses the needs and pain points of your target audience, and guiding them through the sales process with calls-to-action. 

If you want to learn more about best practices for connected sales and marketing, join us for the free 60-minute webinar “The Future of Customer Experience” on January 23rd, 2023. Find out more and register here: The Future of Customer Experience.