Having just entered autumn and still with a Bostonian hangover from Inbound19, we have interviewed our Marketing Director, Javier Gutiérrez Pérez, with the aim of explaining everything related to the Inbound methodology at a glance:
what is it, who is it aimed at, why are companies and consumers no longer served by the techniques of the past, what has changed, why is it a fundamental tool for businesses, what is HubSpot's CRM, why implement this methodology, and most importantly, why do it with Occam?
It is common, and even normal, that many customers or users are still not very clear about what Inbound Marketing is. That is why we are going to share with you, week after week, small doses of marketing, entertaining pills to tell you what this fantastic methodology that is changing the rules of the game in business consists of.
We tell you how our first marketing talk went. A coffee?
' %}Before the question-answer..
Cups on the table, naughty hands and ideas about to blossom in a relaxed, cosy and calm atmosphere. With coffee and everything. Our communication and marketing directors, Daniel Collado and Javier Gutiérrez, have laid their cards on the table to talk to us about Inbound Marketing. Many clients are hearing about it, but they don't really know how it works or what it consists of. Let's put our doubts to rest. Let's talk to you about our first audiovisual pill: WHAT IS THE INBOUND METHODOLOGY?
let's get started!
Inbound Marketing: WHAT IS IT?
The first rule of this methodology consists of ATTRACTING, but never AVASALLING the customer. Inbound Marketing is based on generating valuable experiences with a positive impact on users-customers-companies. It is achieved by following the steps that its creators, Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, defined at the beginning:
- ATTRACT TRAFFIC. In this first phase, the ideal is to use different resources, such as: content marketing, social networks, SEO techniques, publication calendar, etc. In addition, they must be well planned, because REMEMBER! what we want is not that everyone visits your website, but to focus on attracting users who really need your product or service, those potential customers who will later become leads or sales opportunities and, finally, promoters of your brand. So do not forget to have well defined your buyer persona. The content you generate should be focused on this profile and attract the attention of the right users at the right time.
- Content marketing: For our content strategy to be successful, we must plan very well the posts to be published, how and when. Therefore, it is important to have a publication calendar (blog and social media) that allows us to foresee and schedule both the publication and the writing of the content. In this way, the company can plan, organise itself and breathe easy.
- Social media: How to use social media in an Inbound strategy is one of the most frequently asked questions, so remember these tips: define your position (what you are posting on social media for), your perspective and personality; try to keep the tone and essence in all your communications; use social media in line with the Inbound strategy, post frequently and share valuable content on social media.
- SEO techniques: It is not a matter of defining a keyword and repeating it 1, 2, 3, infinite times in the text, but of doing a prior study of long-tail keywords related to the company's sector and working on them effectively (include them naturally and use other words related to their semantic field without altering the meaning of the text). Also use internal and external links.
- CONVERT. Now that you have visitors to your website, the next thing to do is to convert visitors into leads or sales opportunities, but you must think about the best way to start a conversation with them. Through a form? With a message? A call? How about a meeting? Once you have contact, don't forget to answer all their questions and offer them content that is valuable to them. Communication must flow.
- CLOSE: What can you do with your contacts' data? If you have already started a conversation with them, it is because they have come to you, which means that you know things as interesting as: their name, surname, geographical location, profession, age. We will take advantage of all these records to manage them, integrate them with a CRM, like HubSpot's, or with automated tools and lead nurturing. The automated cycle of content adapted to each stage of the buyer's journey (discovery, consideration and decision) will begin. Thanks to this process, you will be able to determine the best moment to convert them into customers for your brand.
- DELEIT. At this stage, many companies get complacent and forget to follow up with their customers when, in fact, this is the moment when they should take the most care of them. That is why the sales funnel or conversion funnel has evolved into what is known as the flywheel.
It's a tailored and effective alternative that HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan told us about at Inbound 2018. It seems that the linear approach of the conversion funnel is no longer the best way to measure growth because, as he points out, "Funnels generate customers, but they don't consider how those customers can help you grow".
The flywheel leverages momentum to keep spinning while the funnel loses it. So, remember this: keep your customers informed with the latest offers, trends in your industry, etc. But don't forget about them because, then, they will forget about you too.
And keep on delighting..
Our first marketing talk ends with this short conclusion
Until very recently, there were companies that worked on these four stages separately. Others still use emailing or automation techniques and confuse it with Inbound without following the whole process. However, this methodology is not only emailing, SEO or content, but it is the set of all these actions focused on SMART objectives (measurable, achievable, achievable and with a specific timeframe). The great advantage of Inbound lies in its ability to relate all these tools and stages, combine them and maximise their effect.
That is why Inbound has become the best way to convert strangers into visitors, customers and promoters of your company.
In this first coffee chat we have tied up several loose ends, but we have left open a few others that we will unravel little by little. Some of them: Who is Inbound Marketing aimed at? Why are the techniques of the past (Outbound) no longer valid? What is HubSpot CRM? Why should companies implement it?
see you next time!
