It’s common practice for companies to create AdWords campaigns, attempt content marketing or other brand building efforts without first developing an effective strategy. This wastes time, effort and money. It’s important to have an inbound marketing strategy. Why? Having an inbound marketing strategy helps to set clear goals and objectives. You can’t get to your destination without knowing where you want to go.
What goes into an effective inbound marketing strategy?
Before you execute any ideas, your strategy should be developed based on the following components:
• Buyer persona development
You need to understand the customer you are attempting to reach. This takes real-time metrics, research and data to develop the model of your target customer. This data will help you create elements within your plan to get customers to know, like and trust your brand. Trust builds loyalty, and loyalty converts and keeps customers. Every component of your plan should address buyer wants, needs and align with your overall business goals.
• Keywords research
Your strategy should also include research on the keywords that attract your buyers. Using the right keywords will draw your buyers to your site like a fish to water. Keywords help build traffic, customer engagement and data for you to track. Use analytics to understand keyword usage and integrate those words into your SEO tactics and content to draw buyers to your information.
• Competitive analysis
A competitive analysis is essential in assessing your target market. You should know the intricacies of your competitors and how they do business, why they attract certain customers, how and why they lose customers, and how you can implement ways to do things better. The ultimate goal is to move those customers over to your platform.
• Content audit
No inbound marketing strategy can be successful without content. Your content must be relevant, engaging, meaningful and constantly updated. Your strategy should include variables for measuring how well your content is received, whether it is shareable and if it contributes to a memorable user experience. The keys to having great content is to make sure it positions you as an authority, it is error-free, answers questions and creates a venue where your audience wants more. Optimized content generates leads to draw and keep your target market entertained.
Having a plan in place is crucial to your success and an essential element in moving forward. Putting your plan into practice helps create a new perspective on getting things right. A detailed plan can also help you see where you have done things wrong, and can eliminate steps that have not produced positive results. With a strategic inbound marketing plan in place, you will create cost-effective techniques that will allow you to focus your efforts on tactics that are actionable and results-oriented while adding value, increasing exposure and strengthening your brand.
