Inbound marketing is absolutely essential for any company. It’s the process of attracting new visitors and customers by utilizing content creation and promotion that appeal to the modern consumer.
How do you appeal to modern online shoppers?
Step 1: Figure out who your target audience is.
Step 2: Get to know what they like, what they don't like, and why.
Step 3: Create content to become their trusted source of information.
Online merchants must adapt to the new purchase habits of online shoppers to surpass the competition. Let's take a look at 4 inbound marketing practices that will bring traffic to your online store, resulting in increased sales.
4 Best Practices for Inbound Marketing
1: Social Media Marketing: Social media has become an essential inbound marketing tool in the past few years. This is because it is very easy to measure and analyze results.
There are many popular social media websites today including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. These websites allow direct communication and bonding between the brand and the consumer. Some people even consider a brand as their friend after interacting with them through social media networks.
Promoting events can also be acted out through social media. Advertise your company sales, upcoming events, and product launches to get people talking. Encourage fans and followers to share your posts.
Most importantly: social networks enhance the power of word of mouth. The experience your customers have with your business can be shared instantly.
2: Blogs: Maintaining a company blog is a great way to attract visitors. Not only do blogs offer valuable content for your website, but they also help with your SEO. You can use keywords within your articles that help bring your website to the top of the results.
Blogs inform and bring interest and discussion to your website. They also have potential promotional promise like social media websites, and can be used as a more professional and official alternative to these websites.
Blogging is one of the most effective inbound marketing tools.
3: Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search engine optimization is ideal to get your online store found through search results.
Utilizing SEO makes your company page show up near the top of the results without specifically paying for the placement. It also helps figure out what your target consumers search for and and the keywords they use when looking for a product or service that you offer.
Optimizing your website to accommodate your consumer’s interest leads to more visitors, costumers, and sales.
4. E-newsletters and Direct Email Communication: E-newsletters are great for direct communication. The subscription is optional, so you know that the most dedicated and interested fans will take advantage of the service.
While social media websites and blogs are made to appeal to a mass audience and casual fans, e-newsletters allow you to directly speak to hardcore fans. Because of this, exclusive promotions can easily be acted out.
Sales and other scheduled events can be sent to inform customers, while also creating a personal connection. For instance, e-newsletters may even refer to the receiver by name.
In short, e-newsletters are an effective inbound marketing tool to communicate directly with the consumer, while also building consumer trust and interest.
SEE ALSO: Inbound Commerce: Online Marketing for eCommerce
There are many different ways to go about integrating inbound marketing to existing marketing efforts. Now that we have the Internet, accomplishing the tasks of attracting visitors and keeping them engaged has become easier than ever. Direct communication is an essential key in today’s market, and having content and promotions with inbound marketing is just as important!