Inbound: the Tools You’ll Need
Inbound marketing has proven itself as a highly effective strategy for reaching consumers and attracting business. With the right tools in place, it’s possible to channel your target audience all the way through the sales funnel and gain their loyalty. Without these tools — and all of these tools — your inbound marketing campaign could fall flat on its face. So what are the tools that separate the winners from the losers? The following will aid you in your efforts throughout the entire sales funnel.
Top of the Funnel
At this stage, your prospective customers are looking for a solution to some type of problem. Because their needs may be broad and the volume of consumers in this category may be sizable, this is not the time to worry about making a sale. Instead, you should be using your toolbox to help them realize their problem and identify their specific needs.
Content Management System — The content that you develop for your inbound marketing campaign needs to be used within a website that is optimized for any audience necessary, including mobile users. This ensures that your readers will be able to engage with your material on any platform.
Social Media Management –Social media exists as a critical component of inbound marketing, but you need to know how to efficiently drive traffic and leads to your site and related content. Social media management tools can help you analyze and filter social conversations so that you can zero in on where your most captive audience is located, how best to engage them, and how to bring that audience to your website for lead conversion.
Middle of the Funnel
At this point, your audience is aware of their problem and are eager to get it resolved by finding a workable solution. This is a very important stage, as this is the point at which you demonstrate your ability to fill in that void and convert a casual reader to a lead.
Calls-to-Action — Great content won’t do you a lot of good if you have’t included an inspiring call-to-action (CTA) that will direct your readers toward your offers. Whether tagged on to the end of a blog or an automated email, your CTAs should be unique, tailored to your reader’s needs, and very clear in what consumers can expect to find if they click-through.
Landing Pages –This is where your readers end up if they click on a CTA. This essential step bridges the gap between the previously read content and the special promotion, literature, or other promise made by the CTA itself. In order to cross the bridge, users must exchange information (i.e.: name, business, position, email address,) in return for the offer. This information can help you determine whether a lead qualifies for your sales team.
Email Automation — Once you’ve acquired the email address of your qualified leads, you can send personalized content straight to their inboxes. Be sure to base content and offers upon previously viewed content, downloads, etc. in order to customize the experience and continue to move users down the funnel.
Bottom of the Funnel
This is the moment of truth. Your leads require no more convincing that they need a solution, and they’re ready to make a decision. Here, they are looking for just the right offer and it’s your job to drive qualified sales leads.
Analytics Software — Analytics tools are vital to your inbound marketing strategy as they will enable you to track customer movements and actions so that you may be aware of what types of content and offers yield the highest success rates.
CRM System — CRM systems close the gaps between marketing and sales efforts so that nothing (or no one) ever falls through the cracks and no lead conversion opportunities are ever missed.
The ultimate goal of inbound marketing is to take a broad consumer need and narrow their search down to the very best solution: you. We know how to move customers through the sales funnel efficiently and effectively. Give us to call to get started right away.
