Why Your Inbound Strategy Needs Content Marketing
Inbound marketing programs are screaming for good content. Without it, your prospects would suffocate in the vacuum of your sales funnel, IF they even reach it at all. Effective content marketing will not only attract new leads, but help you qualify, convert and retain these customers.
The Heart and Soulmate of Your Inbound Marketing
You may be tired of hearing the sales cliché’s that compare the delicate dance with prospects to dating. But it is relationship building and the parallels are pretty clear.
In this time of building new customer relationships, content marketing is essentially a matchmaker, a wingman (or wingwoman), and the cupid of inbound. It’s an icebreaker for your company. It gets you noticed. It attracts the specific people you’re compatible with and want to meet. It makes you look good. It helps seal the deal and make sure that everyone goes home happy. So what are you waiting for, cue that arrow.
How content marketing impacts your inbound sales campaign.
- Attract
Eye Contact and That First Impression: Similar to a singles scene, potential customers only allot seconds to scan an already crowded space to search for something that catches their eye. Maybe it’s something specific they’re looking for. Or, it could end up being something they didn’t know they wanted until they see it. Use a compelling headline, popular topic, informative graphic or data to lock eyes with your customer. This will help them to engage. If the content is not going to get you noticed, it’s not worth the effort. - Nurture
Flirting with Content: In this stage of non-committal communication, you need to charm the proverbial pants off of your prospect with a nurturing campaign. Use automation stream content to keep the conversation going. A persuasive headline is no different than a well-received pickup line. It piques their interest and evokes a response. Now, you have to tell your new friend more of what they want to hear. Tailor the content based on clicks, paths and opens without giving too much away. This will help you to begin to learn about the prospect by analyzing their engagement of specific material. - Qualify
Relationship Status – It’s Complicated: Drip campaigns, by design, help with lead scoring. Are they hot for you? Or, not for you? The content you create will be information the user wants, but now you’ll intertwine more about yourself. Here’s where they get to really know your company. This will help determine how into this relationship they really are. If they taper off, it may not be a good match, or additional touch points may reveal that they’re not ready to commit – after all, timing is everything. If they continue to download and click-through the content however, you may have found “the one.” - Convert
Do You Take This Company…: Inbound campaigns will result in either a conversion, or end up supporting a personal sale. The content should align with your specific end goal. In either case however, at this point in the communication building trust and proving a commitment takes place on both sides. With clear call-to-actions and obvious next steps, the goal with your material here is to make it as easy as possible for them to accept your proposal. - Retain
They’ve Said YES! Now What? – The honeymoon may be over but your content marketing is far from it. A new challenge arises. Relationships are hard work. Your content needs to shift focus to boost brand loyalty. There are upselling opportunities and ongoing support to convey. Offer content that signifies a clear indication that you’re invested in the relationship.
Using these content marketing strategies will bolster your inbound marketing campaigns. You can implement quantifiable techniques that produce ROI for your company. Look for our next blog that will discuss Measuring the Effectiveness of Content Marketing Campaigns to find out ways of gaging these programs and assessing the performance of individual content pieces.
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