What Is Inbound Marketing? And Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

What is Inbound Marketing? It’s a question that gets asked more often in digital marketing than anything else. Is it the new strategy to start following, or a trend that we will all forget?

Trends! I have hated them since I was in High School, more than likely because I was always behind the eight ball when it came to jumping on the bandwagon.

When it comes to marketing, keeping up to date with the latest trends is essential to keeping your clients happy and keeping your job! Which is why I have so many people asking me – What is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is not so much a trend as it is a method or a system for successful sales conversion

The inbound method focuses on four phases. Attract, Convert, Close, and Delight. Each stage requires the equal input of creativity and scientific implementation to be successful.

Unlike most trends, the inbound method draws on everything that we have learnt from our customers and what they want.

86% of people state they will go online to educate themselves about business problems before they do anything else. – HubSpot

Inbound takes the best systems and innovations in digital marketing and consolidates them, pulling everything together in one succinct and encompassing strategy. Inbound Marketing makes digital marketing more accessible to everyone.

Inbound has become an essential part of marketing strategy for businesses across the globe. So when you are looking for a digital marketing agency in Adelaide, or anywhere in the world, you should ask them if they use an inbound method before anything else.

Following an Inbound marketing strategy means you create and use content that provides solutions to customer problems. Your target audience finds your content and converts into leads for your business. You track every visitor to your site, and gain a more in-depth understanding of their needs, allowing you to market to every prospective customer efficiently.

What is Inbound Marketing? It is an effective digital strategy for any business!

This article will take you through the ideas that you need to get your head around to put a successful Inbound Marketing Strategy in place.

So the next time someone asks you ‘What is Inbound Marketing?’ You can tell them:

It is a four-part methodology that focuses on attracting, converting, closing and delighting empowered buyers to your business

What is Inbound Marketing? Getting Started …

If you genuinely want to embrace Inbound Marketing, it is essential that you plan for success by creating a reliable brand. Get to the core of your business by understanding buyer personas, and creating a conversion pathway for all leads.

Branding

Creating your brand can range from branding your business from scratch, rebranding your business, or fine-tuning your branding.

Each step requires the same process – aligning your messages and position to your customer’s needs

Your messages should align with the questions that your target audience is asking so they can find your content quickly and educate themselves on what you are selling.

Unlike traditional marketing, inbound reflects the empowerment that customers now have in the digital world, where information is so prevalent and easy to access. The inbound marketing methodology demands that everything you create be of value to your target audience and focus on what the customer is looking for.

Want to know more about Branding? Read these articles from the Baker Marketing team:

1. How to Build your Personal Branding
2. Terrifying US Cop Re-Defines Branding and Brand Loyalty
3. Avoid the Damage Negative Branding can Cause
4. 5 Brand Strategies to Help you get your Identity Right
5. Graphic Designers Needs to Embrace Strategic Thinking Too!
6. Brand Positioning Like a Chef

Buyer Personas

Buyer personas are an essential element of inbound marketing. In fact, whenever someone asks me “What is Inbound Marketing?” My first response is always about buyer personas.

A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of the person you are trying to sell to

Having a clear and well-defined buyer persona(s) allows you to market more effectively to your target audience.

Check out these articles from the Baker Marketing team to learn more about Target Audiences and Buyer Personas:

1. Do you really understand your target market?
2. Have you correctly identified your ideal target market?
3. Sharpen your focus with market segmentation analysis
4. Customer needs analysis – Part 1 
5. Customer Needs Analysis – Part 2

When you are starting to research target audiences and buyer personas you should create a storyboard for each persona that answers questions about their:

1. Role
2. Company
3. Watering Holes – Publications where you drink in information
4. Goals
5. Challenges
6. Personal Background
7. Shopping Preferences

READ OUR BLOG THAT OUTLINES 20 QUESTIONS TO ASK TO CREATE AMAZING BUYER PERSONAS

Conversion Path

A conversion path is a journey that you take visitors on to turn them into loyal customers and brand ambassadors. It is an essential strategy of the Inbound Marketing methodology.

Simply put your conversion path should:

1. Turn target audiences into visitors
2. Turn Visitors into Leads
3. Turn leads into customers
4. Turn customers into brand ambassadors

The sole purpose of inbound marketing is to nurture your target audience through the attract, convert, close and delight stage of sales conversion. Depending on your marketing challenge you can find more information on how to navigate through each of these stages here:

1. Attract
2. Convert
3. Close
4. Delight

Book a Free Inbound Consultation and trial with a specialist at Baker Marketing today and get a comprehensive overview to answer the question, What is Inbound Marketing?

What is an Inbound Marketing Campaign?

Years ago, running a marketing campaign meant developing creative, booking media, writing a cheque, and crossing your fingers that results would follow.

The channels that marketers use today are different, but the same problem remains: disconnected tools and channels mean it’s tough to measure results, and the experience for your leads often feels disconnected.

With this free checklist, you will be given a new framework for campaigns that address these common marketing problems.

You will learn how to develop an inbound marketing campaign that:

• Starts with the customer in mind
• Uses integrated tools to connect everything
• Works in any situation

You can also call us on 8352 3091 and book an Inbound Marketing consultation!