A lot of companies are taking a hard hit in 2020. Many businesses are filing for bankruptcy or having to lay off employees because they can’t afford to keep open.  It’s not too late to turn the fiscal year around, though.  Another quarter is quickly approaching, which means that now is the time to plan for success. 

Everyone in the world is spending more time on social media and the internet in general, which means you can turn things around by examining your current inbound marketing tactics.

What is inbound marketing?

Most companies know the basics of inbound marketing, but they usually stick to the basics. Social media and pay per click ads can do some good, but they shouldn’t be all you consider. There are dozens of other types, but the most successful ones are search engine optimisation, live events and webinars, blogging, and using social media advertising more intelligently. 

What companies does this benefit?

Any company can benefit from reworking their inbound marketing tactics.  Creating a personalised buying experience for customers can give them the push they need to buy your product or service.  Look at what your company’s current tactics have brought your company.  Even if you feel successful so far or seem to see some good progress, you can get more by considering all possibilities.

SEO

Search engine optimisation is usually paired with blogging or social media. It puts to use keywords that your leads may search online and drives these searches towards your business. The more your links get clicked on search engines, and the more interaction your website gets- the higher your company’s website will show up in searches. This pro turns into a circular cycle: it means that your site will get more interactions and clicks since people are more likely to click the first couple of links that show up in a search than any other. 

PPC

Pay per click advertisement is the top way most companies try to reach customers. This option offers click-through image advertisements on other websites, video ads before YouTube videos, and link ads in search engines that show up above results. This option is the most classic type of advertising on the internet, but it has some significant fallbacks. A third of people use ad blockers that wipe these ads entirely off the surface of the internet. This problem means you could be losing a third of your leads, even if you’re only paying per click.

Live events and webinars

Live events and webinars are awesome because often, it’s all about your company from start to finish. Even if you’re doing a speech for another company, your company is still the main focal point. Hosting events can also be a way to help spread the word of mouth since people will want to tell others about what they’re doing or what they learned. You can host events online as well, with hashtag giveaways and live streaming.

Blogging

Blogging is fantastic because it allows others to feel like they’re getting a source of entertainment even when being targeted by an advertisement. Whether you’re purchasing posts from another creator’s blog to advertise your company or your company is running its blog, it has value because people will grow a connection with your company. This style of advertising is coming back into fashion again and is popular with many customers.

Social media

This option is the top way to advertise in modern times.  You can use social media to give your customers the impression that your company has a persona or personality. This step allows them to feel a personal connection to your company and is used by many top companies to help bring customers to their sites and businesses. Even if someone doesn’t know what your company is, a good impression like this can help them look into it and buy it.

Going Viral

This option is something you should always want for your company, but it’s nearly impossible to manufacture. Virality is a great way to ensure that hundreds of thousands of eyes get on your brand- but it’s hard to make it happen. Don’t push for this or try too hard, you’ll end up scaring customers away.  If it happens, you need to have a plan in place for what to do.

Automation or hiring more employees?

A hard decision many companies have to deal with is whether they should automate some of these inbound marketing tactics or hire employees for it. This decision all depends on what type of advertising you do. For blogging, social media, and live events, you can use employees- but PPC and SEO do better through automated services. 

Close the Sale

After your leads have clicked your link, the site they arrive at must have something they want to purchase. Keep your website professional-looking, easy to navigate, and eye-catching. Find a way to gather your lead’s information so that you can contact them again after they leave, and make sure to be open to answering any questions they may have. Inbound marketing can only bring people to your side; it’s vital that your company does the rest of the work that sinks a sale.

Any company can turn around their next quarter, or fix a bad year, by re-evaluating and reconsidering how they get leads, and how they advertise.