5 Steps of an Inbound Marketing Strategy

Inbound Marketing brings customer traffic to your website, but only if your business is using a cohesive inbound marketing strategy.

Set your Goals

Begin with a clear goal in mind, and start with a simple plan to achieve this goal. The answers to a couple additional questions will help guide this process as will a basic understanding of search engine optimization (SEO).

Identify your Target Audience

Ask yourself who your customers are. The more focused your website is on a niche audience, the easier it will be to tailor messages to this audience. Words matter for SEO, so it’s critical your content targets a clear audience while speaking to them clearly and succinctly.

Find your Audience

Once your audience is clear, the next step is to find them. The best way to find your target audience online is to determine which sites your potential customers use the most. In addition to likely websites, you’ll want to look at social media, blogs, and forums. Titles matter for SEO, so optimizing titles in the names of your website, web pages, and article titles will place your content high in search results.

Generate a Content Calendar

The next step is generating a content calendar. Creating quality content won’t be enough to attract your audience, so to bring them to your website on a regular basis, set up a schedule in advance for when your website releases new content.

Create a Promotional Plan

The last stage in a successful inbound marketing strategy requires the creation of a promotional plan. A natural, organic promotion plan requires getting your audience to promote for you. They start as strangers, comprised of visitors, contacts, and customers, but with the help of specific marketing actions, these strangers become your promoters. Creating engaging, stand-out content will get your audience to read and share your content, making them some of your most faithful promoters.

Conclusion

Here’s a recap of what you need to do for your inbound marketing strategy:

What is your goal?
Who are you targeting?
Where are they found online?
Create your content calendar.
Create a promotional plan.

So, with a clear, achievable goal, you determine your target audience and develop a plan for finding them. The content you generate matters, so make it stand out among the clutter and release it on a set schedule. Lastly, turn your audience into your promoters with engaging content they will want to share. Executing these five simple steps is the basis of an effective inbound marketing strategy.

Ready to get started with Inbound Marketing? Call Horton Group today – 615.292.8642