COVID-19 has been brutal for a lot of businesses and some industries have been hit especially hard. The common response to revenue downturns is to stop or drastically curtail marketing. That is a big mistake and at Efferent Media we have the evidence to prove it. Our clients who have maintained and – in some cases – expanded their marketing have had normal or better than normal revenue during the pandemic… and inbound marketing is the key.
What Are Examples of Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing refers to content and material that attracts your target audience, more specifically drawing them with things they want to know. Examples of inbound marketing can be blog posts, videos, e-books, email courses, social media, and more which answer questions your prospects have, educates them, provides useful information, and so forth all geared to topics they’re interested in and that positions you as the authority.
What Are Outreach Strategies?
Outreach strategies are used to target your preferred audience. These strategies can work in a number of ways depending upon your goals and resources.
Here is one basic outreach strategy incorporating inbound marketing:
- Determine your goal(s). Let’s say you want to grow or expand your sales funnel by improving your email list.
- Define your target audience or customer personas.
- Figure out what topics interest this audience and what questions they have.
- Create content that appeals to that audience – including something you can give away for free that they will find useful: such as an e-book, a guide they can download, an email course, etc.
- Set up automation to securely process the incoming emails and send out the free e-book and other materials, preferably with audience tracking and segmentation for proper targeting of future communication.
- Add the offer to your website.
- Create a landing page for the offer.
- Use social media to drive traffic to the landing page.
- Use PPC and social media advertising to reach your target audience for the landing page.
- Create a steady stream of content to send on a regular basis to those who sign up, focusing on topics that encourage them to complete a goal or conversion (such as booking an appointment).
- Monitor and analyze your results. You may need to adjust your strategy and content accordingly to maximize results and keep going.
As you can see, such a strategy has many steps yet it is well worth the time and, if you hire a marketing agency, worth the money spent on it. A good inbound marketing strategy can boost revenue and keep prospects within your sales funnel until they are ready to buy.
It also prevents a “leaky funnel” in which you attract prospects but lose them while they are still deciding. Continuing to provide content of interest keeps them in your sales funnel, improving the odds that when they are ready to buy, they buy from you.
How Does Inbound Marketing Help During the Pandemic?
The Rule of 7 indicates that it can take an average of seven “touch points” or contacts before a person is ready to buy. People rarely make significant purchases as a snap decision. They want to do research and feel like informed consumers – especially for large purchases.
An inbound marketing strategy, such as the one detailed above, provides those contact points while also positioning you and your business as the authority in your field. Further, the initial freebie provided engenders good will.
Whether the inbound marketing strategy was in place before the COVID-19 outbreak began or if you decide to start one during it, inbound marketing is an invaluable tactic during the pandemic and moving forward. If they are delaying their purchase for any reason, it keeps your product or service in front of them until they are ready and able to buy.
More importantly, they are a captive audience as you customize your services and products to adapt to life during COVID. For example, let’s say you’re a party rental business. The cancellation of events during pandemic is an unexpected blow, however having an email marketing list means that you can switch gears and suggest fun home-based activities that involve your rentals such as a backyard movie projector for summer night screenings or a weekend bouncy castle rental to give the kids something different to do.
Have you instituted new safety protocols for your services? Your email marketing list can be utilized to give current clients and prospects the peace of mind that your business is following CDC guidelines. You could also offer special deals on gift cards and COVID-inspired services this same way.
Because of inbound marketing strategies such as these, Efferent Media‘s clients have not only been surviving the pandemic – they’ve been thriving. While some industries have been hit harder than others due to mandatory shutdowns or limited capacity, Efferent Media’s clients have had an average revenue year (instead of a slump) thanks to our marketing strategies. Our other clients have had an above average year, which is phenomenal in a pandemic-ravaged economy.
Find out what Efferent Media can do to grow your business.
Efferent Media’s Inbound Marketing Strategies Create Sales
Efferent Media develops and executes marketing strategies that maximize your sales funnel and drives revenue. We work closely with our clients to create a custom-tailored strategy for inbound marketing, and lead generation to maximize the potential of your business. Contact us today and let us get to work for you.