Inbound marketing is just a way of describing the oldest (and still the most effective) communications channel known to man. It’s effective because it harnesses the natural inclinations of communicative human beings to share information using a single, measurable process. The starting point, most “authorities” will tell you, is to create and publish high quality content (text, pictures, audio or video). Next, optimise that content for search engines - that way your message will gain good positions in Google SERPs (search engine results pages) so you’ll be visible.
Vital, since very few people search beyond the first 15 or 20 results pages and most assume that the first 10 results are the best or most relevant. So, if you are not in position one to 20 in Google, for all practical purposes, you don’t exist. Finally, sharing that content via social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Google +, YouTube and LinkedIn, will stimulate the viral spread of your content. Do all that, the theory goes, and pre-qualified customers will come to you rather than you having to seek them out.
WOM Is King
Content is the key to make this process effective. The entire process is wrapped up in terminology and jargon that tekkies seem to adore. The internet, social media, mobile etc might be the modern technological expressions and channels, but all we’re really talking about is word of mouth endorsement. And to get that, you first have to capture or create interest and attention. That requires a far greater understanding of the personas and the interests of those from whom you want that word of mouth publicity. Anyone will give far greater weight to word of mouth recommendations from a friend or at least someone they feel they know or share some interests with. It’s free, convincing and above all permission-based. So companies have to work hard at establishing those relationships on line and the first step towards that is publishing decent, useful, informative and entertaining content.
No Such Animal As A Social Media Guru
The content on most corporate websites is frankly dull and most business blogs are little better. In terms of sharing that content, many companies have only dabbled with social media, often without truly understanding why they are doing it at all. In the kingdom of the blind, the one- eyed man is king, hence the rise of that peculiar animal known as the “social media guru”. If there’s nothing new in the concept behind inbound marketing (it’s just a formalised and more methodical approach to obtaining word of mouth endorsements) its implementation does require an end-to-end approach. Thought and creative effort has to go into creating interesting, valuable or plain remarkable content that will inspire word of mouth referral. Everything published has then to be optimised so it’s visible and accessible and that has to be accompanied by a workable social media strategy to ensure that content can be seen by as many receptive individuals as possible.
Judging Success
Campaigns have to be measured and judged in more than simply financial terms, although research suggests that, even if the price of creating, optimising and sharing valuable content is factored in, leads generated via inbound marketing cost less than 50% of those generated via outbound marketing. Success should also be measured in the currency of reach, share of conversation, influence and positive sentiment towards your brand and those things are almost priceless.
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