In keeping with the theme of “back to basics”, now that we have seen the 5 principles of lead generation, Impact Branding & Design LLC have summarized the steps for inbound marketing. Here are the six steps:
Step #1: Develop a Successful Marketing Strategy
I agree when they state that marketing is an investment in the growth of your company and not an expense. However, as we all know, developing a successful strategy is easier said than done. It requires expertise and innovation. Ensure you are clear on what are your goals and objectives and how will you measure ROI (return on investment).
Step #2: Create and Maintain a Powerful Website
Your company’s website should be:
- easy to navigate
- have a professional appearance
- be search engine friendly
- be mobile ready
- easy to update
I would add that it to maintain a powerful website, you also need to continually test and adjust to improve your website’s performance.
Step #3: Generate More Traffic
Numerous books, conferences, webinars, blogs, whitepapers and more have and continue to cover this topic. According to Impact, the following are ways to generate more traffic to your website:
- blogging – Impact claims a blog gets you 55% more traffic
- social media – nearly 2/3 of US internet users regularly use a social network
- SEO (search engine optimization) – 46% of daily searches are for info on products and services
- PPC (pay-per-click) which is optional
Step #4: Convert Traffic to Leads
According to Impact, here is the proven process to convert traffic to leads:
- Build landing pages with attractive offers and calls to action with a form to collect information
- After completing the form, the prospect should receive an auto-generated response and their information should be added to your CRM system
- Place Calls to Action throughout your entire site
Step #5: Convert leads into sales
Impact categorizes this step into five different areas:
Lead Intelligence: Know which pages on your website are most effective at collecting information and generating relevant inquiries.
Segment Leads: Segment your information into lists so you can send targeted messages to them.
Lead Nurturing: No specific nurturing campaigns are suggested here but I agree, it is important and need to be implemented.
Email Marketing: Send timely messages to your contacts.
CRM Integration: Close the loop to your campaign and integrate a system of managing your customer relationships.
Step #6: Measure Everything
This speaks for itself. Measure traffic, click through rates, inbound links, audience engagement – yes, measure, measure, measure.
Below is the full info graphic from Impact Branding & Design.
