There’s no doubt that you’re using all kinds of techniques to reach new audiences and make a huge marketing splash. You’ve done the marketing research, and you’re focusing on developing a website that brings your customers to you. But are you doing everything in your power? Are there strategies you’ve overlooked in your inbound marketing quest?
The truth is, there’s always more you can be doing to market your company. And there’s tons of advice out there recommending what it is that you should be doing, but narrowing it down can be a challenge. So what are the best inbound marketing strategies? The ones that will draw customers in? The brilliance of choosing inbound marketing is selecting techniques that attract customers to you. So which techniques are those?
Here are a few strategies you may have forgotten about: Strategies that will continue to work for you long after you build them into your website.
Using All Kinds of Media
Sure, you know that publishing long blog posts is the most effective kind of content for bringing in new leads. But it’s not just lengthy blog posts that get noticed. You can weave other kinds of content and media directly into your posts, too.
Your blog is the perfect opportunity to give your readers a whole multimedia experience. Images, infographics, and videos are shareable – so in addition to engaging your readers, you are creating content that is much more likely to be shared and seen by a wider audience. This boosts your SEO score too!
Here are other kinds of media that you really should consider weaving into your blog posts, for better-looking, more effective, interactive blog posts:
- Infographics
- Videos
- Podcasts and audio
- Pictures
- Downloadable resources
Need more proof? We remember 80% of what we see and do, and 20% of what we read – and 90% of what our brain processes is visual. You will provide better content for your readers and help them remember your blog (and your brand) if you boost your inclusion of multimedia elements.
Host Webinars and Online Courses
Another overlooked way to gain attention from new audiences is to host your own webinar, online summit, or e-course. You are the expert in your field, so if there is something in your realm of knowledge that you are passionate about, and you can provide enough engaging content to speak for 30-40 minutes on a topic, hosting a webinar is a fantastic way to introduce your brand to a whole new audience. 73% of marketing and sales leaders believe that webinars are one of the best ways to generate new, quality leads who are actually interested in what your business has to offer.
Much like publishing a blog, a webinar that is chock-full of valuable information establishes you as an expert. Your audience gains trust in you, and when they are in need, they will come to you. And as a plus? You get registration data from webinar participants, and you can follow up with a solid, targeted email marketing campaign to help convert participants to customers.
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Here’s what you need to know about webinars in order to make the most of your webinar preparation:
- The optimum, preferred length of time for a webinar is 30-40 minutes, and the statistical preferred date and time is Tuesdays between 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning. If it’s not a convenient time or date, or it’s too long, you’ll lose your audience.
- You must include a question and answer session at the end of your webinar! Why? It engages your audience even further in your webinar topic – and your company and you! Typically, these sessions are around 10 minutes in length, but can go shorter or longer as necessary. It’s helpful to have a few FAQs ready to go to get the ball rolling.
- The key to a successful webinar? A strong marketing campaign promoting the event to drive registration. Spread the word on your brand channels and social media, email everyone in your database, engage influencers, create a teaser video, write a blog article and include links to your webinar landing page all over your website, and even put out paid social ads, so you can get your webinar seen by the right people.
Install a Live Chat App
I’m a huge fan of installing a live chat feature on your website. Despite their 92% customer satisfaction rate, there are many websites that have yet to implement a live chat, and they truly are missing out. Live chats have grown beyond your preconceived notion of what
Not only are live chat features cost-saving, convenient, and very well-received by your clients, but you don’t have to use them just for frequently-asked questions. Today, businesses are using live chat to connect with potential clients in all kinds of new ways.
What else can live chat apps do? You can get involved with whole new audiences using multilingual chat support, or onboard new clients, make orders, and even more. There are even examples of qualified professionals using live chat applications in order to provide immediate assistance for people struggling with addiction.
So what can a live chat app do for you? When using chat technology to interact with your customers and revolutionize your business, the sky’s the limit.
A/B Split Testing in Email Marketing
You’ve done the research and you know how to market to your buyer persona via email marketing campaigns. But do you also know what kinds of emails get the best responses? Test your email campaigns in real time using an A/B testing system, so you can see what kinds of email marketing gets more clicks and converts opened emails into actual sales.
Hubspot has detailed tutorials on how to properly run A/B split testing for email marketing, and when you run these tests, you figure out which variables are the most effective for future campaigns.
When you A/B test your brand campaigns, your marketing strategies get stronger with every email you send, you learn more about your target audience, and you get a higher return on investment from your marketing dollars.
The focus of inbound marketing is building a brand channel that works for you. When you go inbound, you have more time to focus on what’s most important to you: your business. You’re providing valuable tools for your customers and marketing in the most effective way possible, all at the same time.