Many business owners that turn to us have reached a point where they are essentially “burnt out” on the process of attracting new customers. They are tired of feeling like the only option they have to grow their business is to pick up the phone, send out thousands of mailers, or organize an expensive advertising campaign.
One of the things we help them to understand is that they don’t necessarily have to go through that kind of grind just to get the phone ringing or generate walk-in visits to a retail location. Whether they believe it or not, there are inbound online marketing tactics that actually generate real results.
If you’ve ever found yourself in the same shoes, you might be wondering what you can do on the internet that would make a real difference in your bottom line. Today, we want to get you thinking about 10 tactics we can help with that might change the way you view marketing and selling forever…
9Search Engine Optimization
As you’re reading this, Google is distributing men and women who are looking for products and services like yours to the appropriate websites. In fact, the world’s largest search engine does this approximately 5 billion times per day.
It shouldn’t surprise you to know that a well-optimized website can be a steady source of leads, increases, and sales. All you have to do is work with a partner who can help you to make your content stand out online.
8Local Profile Marketing
Many surveys have confirmed that the very best customers in most industries are local. That’s because buyers who can see you and meet you tend to purchase from you more often, place bigger orders, and be more loyal than those who are remote.
You can get more of this business by promoting your company through local business sites (like Yelp and TripAdvisor, for example) using a low-cost monthly service.
7Paid Search Ads
Imagine being able to reach out to someone who was about to buy the product or service you sell at exactly the moment it was on their minds. That’s the power of paid search ads, which can help you reach out to targeted prospects through Google, Yahoo, and other search engines.
The best part about these campaigns is that they can be highly-customized and only cost you money when a potential customer responds to your ad.
6Social Engagement
There are hundreds of millions of people who log on to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn on a daily basis. If you can establish yourself as a thought leader (or at least an interesting source of new content), you might be able to develop a following that will respond to your marketing messages and generate referrals.
In order to make this strategy work, you have to have complete profiles, a commitment to daily activity, and lots of patience. Put in the time, though, and it can pay off in a big way.
5Social Ad Campaigns
Just like paid search ads allow you to reach buyers at the right moment, social media advertising campaigns let you zero in on your ideal customer or client. By writing ads on Facebook, for example, you can focus on demographics like age and location, look for users who have certain interests, or combine both approaches and find a group of people who are most likely to contact you about a purchase.
4Targeted Information Pieces
One interesting quirk of the digital age is that there is information and content everywhere, but not enough insight. In other words, your customers could probably use more and better advice than they are currently getting.
So, by releasing a targeted information piece (like an ebook, video guide, or online course), you can establish your expertise and generate leads. You just have to be sure the information you have seems relevant and interesting to your target audience.
3Case Studies and Testimonials
If you and your company have done something amazing, don’t keep that information to yourself. Instead, promote your work with a detailed case study that outlines the problem you are facing, the solution you deployed, and the measurable results that followed. To make your case studies and testimonials even more impactful, use statistics and incorporate feedback from happy customers or clients.
2Email Newsletters and Autoresponders
If you have an existing network of prospects and buyers or can devote a little time or money to building an opt-in list of subscribers, you can use email newsletters and autoresponder chains to keep in touch with them.
Often, the most effective marketing strategy is simply to stay in front of your customers at the moment when they are ready to buy. The fastest, most convenient, and least expensive way to do that is by reaching customers through their inboxes.
1Referral Incentive Programs
Wouldn’t it be great to have more customers who are just like your best and most profitable accounts? The good news is that the buyers who already love you probably know other people who could decide to work with you, as well. They just need a little incentive to pass your contact information along.
That’s where referral incentive programs – usually revolving around free gifts, coupon codes, and premium products or services – come in. Promote them through your website and watch the new leads build up.
