Inbound marketing agencies use a mix of skills and tools to help clients achieve their aims. Our skills include design, content creation, technical knowledge and planning but, sadly, our toolkit doesn’t contain any magic wands.
The only trick with Inbound Marketing, and in fact, most types of marketing, is to have a plan and to stick with it consistently for the long term. Saying Abracadabra and expecting sales to double overnight is not an option.
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Make a Plan
The first step, then, is to have a plan. Your plan is the way your will meet your objectives which most likely involve getting more traffic to your website, generating more enquiries and ultimately obtaining more customers. The more precise you can be with your objectives, the easier it is to create an effective plan.
Who are you Targeting?
You will look, first and foremost at your ideal customers, who they are, where they work, what their challenges are and how they research their purchases. There will almost certainly be at least two or three diverse personas. Each one will need separate content that speaks to them and about their individual problems and requirements.
Armed with that picture you will be able to work out the type of information you need to provide in order to attract them to your website, engage with them and earn their trust so that they get in touch with you.
Do your Research
Keyword research is all about finding out what phrases your ideal customers type into Google when they are trying to find out more about the service you offer or the products you sell. It’s a crucial part of getting your information found online. Remember that the first time they find you may be early in the decision-making process so include educational phrases too.
Work as a Team
The ways of carrying out your plan are where the skills and tools come in. If you use an inbound marketing agency, implementing your plan will be a team effort – using your skills where possible and supplementing them with complementary skills from the agency.
Add the Magic
The magic happens when you put all this together and start producing the right sort of information and keep producing it week after week. It can take months or even years to see major results – you have to stick with it!
You can read more on the Red Evolution Blog.
Julie Mitchell-Mehta is a Chartered Marketer at Red Evolution, an Aberdeen based Inbound Marketing Agency that uses marketing, design, development, content and SEO skills to help businesses thrive online.
