At Writer to the Rescue I interact with a lot of savvy entrepreneurs who know how to generate leads and make sales. One of my newest clients mentioned “inbound marketing” when he contacted me about blog writing, e-newsletters, and website content. What exactly is inbound marketing, and how can it help me grow my business?
Inbound marketing is less about transactions and more about relationships.
Gone are the days of selling products by touting their advantages. People today shy away from the overt advertising and hard-sell techniques of outbound marketing. Instead of using direct tactics, you want to blend in. You don’t want to look salesy.
Inbound marketing relies on creating valuable experiences and making positive impressions.
The foundation of inbound marketing is content that provides value to customers, builds relationships, and forms connections. For example, when blogging for a wedding venue, my message needs to answer the questions the bride is asking. A blog about decorating explains who’s responsible for set up and clean up, what decorations come with the venue, when the venue is open for decorating, how many decorations are needed, and other information specific to the wedding. The bride isn’t looking for general tips–she’s probably pinned tons of ideas from Pinterest. She’s looking for a personalized guide to one, specific venue. You want a blog article geared to brides who are detail-oriented and motivated to organize as much as possible before their big day. When choosing a venue, the bride wants to know the venue is attuned to details large and small.
Inbound marketing can be modified to fit your business and target market.
So, now it’s time to consider your own business. What will provide value to the clients you serve? Do you have insider tips to share? Concepts that seem ordinary to you may be something new and interesting to your clients. They visited to your website or read your blog post because they have questions, and they leave with answers. More importantly, they leave with a fuller understanding of how you do business. Create content that addresses their questions, and you build credibility and trust for your company while attracting interested prospects.
