Having a small business opens up a ton of growth opportunities. But, it would be best if you used the right strategies to enjoy success. Our friends over at www.findmyworkspace.com discuss how you can make inbound marketing work for your small business.
The biggest challenge businesses have to attract customers and make them come back to you for more. This is where marketing comes in, and there are two ways to do it. The traditional way to do it is to advertise on TV, radio, and newspapers to spread the word about your business. This way, you try to find customers ready to buy your product, and your advertisements are meant to make them choose you immediately. This is called outbound marketing. Another form of this is telemarketing, which happens when you reach out to potential customers, introduce your products, and offer them special promotions to encourage them to buy your product.
However, over the years and with the evolution of media and the rise of the Internet, outbound marketing has slowly lost its effectiveness. This is where inbound marketing comes in. With the Internet and social media, businesses nowadays can advertise differently. Inbound marketing aims to let potential customers find you by attracting them with valuable content disseminated through different social media platforms and blogs.
But is inbound marketing effective even for small businesses? Wouldn’t it be easier to stick to the traditional method of spreading the word about your business?
Inbound marketing is the perfect way to start advertising your business. It is relatively more accessible and less expensive to set up, and you will reach more people if you do it right. According to data from the International Telecommunication Union, 2015 ended with an estimated 3.2 million billion people gaining access to the Internet. In addition, as of March 31, 2017, Facebook statistics report that there are 1.94 billion active monthly users of social media platforms worldwide. Imagine having that kind of reach! But before you get carried away, here are a few simple things that you need to make inbound marketing work for your small business.
(1) Set up a website.
In the real world, when you want to start a business, you need to set up first is an office or workspace. In the virtual world, you also need the same thing. You need to have a website that contains all the information about your company: the history, management, products and services offered, the latest updates concerning your company, how to contact you, and so much more. Next, you need to buy a domain name, sign up with a web host, and design your site to set up your website. This is similar to registering your business name, finding and renting a workspace, and designing your workspace in the physical world. Having a great website is key to a successful inbound marketing campaign.
(2) Set up your social media accounts.
Aside from Facebook, you should have an Instagram account to share beautiful photos of your products, a YouTube account so that you can post videos and tutorials, and a LinkedIn account to connect with other people who are in the same industry as you are. Setting up a Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest account also helps. You can connect to many people and show interest in your brand by actively posting through these social media platforms.
(3) Set up a blog and prepare informative and valuable content.
To attract interest to your business, the strategy that inbound marketing employs is different from outbound marketing. You don’t blatantly advertise your products and services, and you don’t immediately confront your target market to choose you over your competitors. Instead, you allow them to like you, trust you, and eventually choose you over others by offering valuable information to them through articles, photos, video tutorials, and other blog posts. This is where having a good content marketing strategy comes in to build the right content for the right target personas. In addition, by creating interest through information, you can establish your credibility and authority in your field, which makes it easier to convince the right audience to choose you above your competitors once they are ready to buy your product or service.
(4) Make sure that your content can be found using search engine optimization.
Using the right keywords in building your content will make it easier for people who need your services to find you when they search online. Build site links to strengthen your site and make Google rank your site higher.
Inbound marketing may not be as straightforward as outbound marketing, but it gets the job done. To get the most effective results, research and clearly define your target personas so that you can effectively create the right content for them.
Author Bio:
Gemma Reeves is a seasoned writer who enjoys creating helpful articles and exciting stories. She has worked with several clients across different industries such as advertising, online marketing, technology, healthcare, family matters, and more. She is also an aspiring entrepreneur engaged in assisting other aspiring entrepreneurs in finding the best office space for their business.
Check out her company here: FindMyWorkspace
