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Convert Your Website Strangers Using Blog & Social Media

Monday 14 April 2014

10 minute read

By Sarah Burns

We've spoken a lot about our new ways of marketing - 'inbound marketing' - or 'content marketing' as some know it better as. In this blog in our Inbound Marketing 101 series, we're discussing stage one, "attract".

In line with many inbound marketing agencies, we share the belief of 'inbound methodology', as it's known, which is a cycle following four key marketing stages: attract, convert, close and delight.

This has been the most effective method of marketing since 2006, when marketeers really embraced modern technologies and accepted that the old 'outbound' ways, just weren't up to scratch any more.

The main goal with inbound is that by creating content that is suited to the reader's interests, you will naturally attract the traffic you'll need to convert and close over time. On top of that, you don't just end there, but continue to delight customers with continuously great content.

Previously, we’ve blogged in this series about “What makes an inbound marketing campaign?”, so today we’re taking you through the first of these stages – “attract”.

“Attract” is the first stage of engaging with an eventual customer / promoter. In this second blog, they’re merely a stranger or visitor, if you will. “Attract” is what makes them excited about you and ready to engage with you.

Attract, Convert, Close & Delight explained...

Stage One: Attract

inbound-attractIt's all about gaining the "right strangers" - how do you attract them? Firstly, it's irrelevant if you're in the wrong place or attracting 'just anyone'. You need the right people who are likely to become leads - ultimately happy customers. We discover our customers through various methods, but we attract them because we adapt our messaging and business style to suit them, not us. 

Buyer Personas are a great way to generally work out what each of your general customers are like, how they want to be approached and communicated with. Our Buyer Persona process takes clients through goals, challenges, pain points and common aspects of a typical customer (i.e. do they use social media and are they pre-occupied with families or work?)

Attraction predominantly comes with content creation, namely:

  • BLOGGING: Content creation is easier, better strategised and often done via blogging. A company blog can be shared throughout a team or outsourced to a company like ours, either way it ensures there is constant activity around your brand. This activity attracts strangers (ultimately, customers) and search engines - done well it will delight them and move customers into the 'promoters' section. Our blog post and free downloadable guide are great to get you started with a blogging strategy.
  • SOCIAL MEDIA: Engagement with customers, strangers, unhappy consumers and everyone in-between is key to 21st century business marketing. All of the biggies, as well as the small companies are active on social media to some extent (the best are, anyway). Look at our social media guides for your best first - or next - step with social media marketing.
  • KEYWORDS: SEO has also "grown up", but is a separate function to marketing. You don't have to implement a huge keyword marketing strategy - but, boy, does it help! Our approach to keyword marketing (forget that horrible term, 'SEO') is similar to our general marketing outlook - content creation! The more content and conversation you engage in / create, the better your digital footprint, the more likely you are to rank with various search engines. We have some great blog posts and downloadable guides on keyword marketing / searchability. 
  • PAGES: A website is where the transformation from attract to convert really goes down. Your marketing / sales patter can be as impressive as you like, but if your website is poor, then your potential lead could be turned off. Creating a beacon of helpful content is the key to enticing these website visitors to stay on your website and become paying customers. For information about creating the right first impression with branding and websites check out our blogs and FREE guides available here

In future blogs we will cover the next three stages of the inbound marketing methodology – convert, close and delight.

Inbound Marketing For You

We passionately believe in the advantages of inbound - we've seen the results for ourselves and now we're offering it to customers. As our former companies, Au Fait and Echo Graphics, we delivered a lot fo these services, just without the title. Now we have the title and a new title for ourselves (thrive), we want to pass it onto you. 

If it's not right for you, we wouldn't offer it. Although, at least some of the key marketing methods are right for everyone - content creation is paramount for searchability, brand awareness and customer engagement. Any customer-facing business should already be aware that social media is key to success.

Plus, we still offer our creative services - branding, graphic design and website design - as part of, or separate to, an inbound marketing strategy - few companies can offer the whole package, but our expanding team can.

Next Monday will see the release of our third blog, highlighting the effects and benefits of “convert” – that is stage two of the inbound methodology we follow. 

If you're looking to embark on a website build project, whether it's completely from scratch or a site refresh, our ebook will give you the knowledge to make your project as stress-free as possible.

The Website Design Handbook for Businesses

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