Want to attract new prospects and turn them into customers? It might be time to explore inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing works because it’s an organic way of interacting with and gaining customers. Rather than forcing a product or service on people or working overtime to get them to listen to you, you can attract customers to your business with inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing aims to continually provide value to a prospect until the prospect is ready and willing to pay for additional value. Typically, you do that by providing information and support, but there’s competition out there for your inbound marketing. Today, not just any freebie or information will do. You need an opt-in that provides real value.
Here are six great download ideas for your next inbound marketing campaign.
Apps
The best inbound marketing campaigns recognize what people want and give it to them. People use their phones and computers for everything. With 90% of mobile internet time spent in apps, free mobile apps are becoming an increasingly effective lead generation tool.
Your app provides value to a prospective lead or customer. It builds brand awareness and increases loyalty. Even a relatively simple app can provide great value and give you another communication channel to inform users of new products and services and encourage customer engagement.
In addition, that app provides valuable data on users, depending on the app and how interaction is handled. For example, you can learn where users buy their products and discover how to market other products.
Videos
Who doesn’t love videos, especially short videos? A survey reported that two-thirds of consumers (66%) pay more attention to short-form videos than long-form videos. Popular videos answer questions, teach the user how to perform a specific task, or entertain and teach. Videos are a great marketing tool, whether for free or for a fee.
To ensure your video is valuable, make sure viewers can follow along even without sound. Even though simple cell phone videos dominate TikTok, ensure your production is professional. Spend time to understand your audience, support your brand and provide real value with every video. Your primary purpose is to answer questions and provide value while encouraging potential customers to trust your brand’s product or service.
Infographics
An infographic is information that’s entertaining and informative. It’s a graphic based on data and minimal text. It tells a story with data and imagery, providing value and fun. Infographics make information more accessible and quicker to understand.
Infographics work because they are simple yet impactful. An infographic is 30% more likely to be read than a traditional article and can generate 12% more traffic.
Infographics not only provide value but reinforce your brand identity by helping customers to recall and identify your brand. Moreover, their simple layout and visually appealing elements make the content engaging and shareable. They build trust with the audience because of the focus on data. These easy-to-scan documents make it convenient for your customers to focus solely on information about their interests and needs. Then, when that prospect needs more answers or help, they will turn to your business.
Podcasts
With podcasts, companies can connect with customers on a more personal level. They allow listeners to get to know you and your business, hear the emotion behind your words, and have a conversation when they are most ready to listen.
With podcasts, your company can share your story at a time convenient for the listener. Podcasts help establish authority in your industry and create brand fans.
To generate ideas for your podcast, consider your target audience and what topics they’d like to learn more about. Consider inviting guests on the podcasts to keep things interesting, and sending out surveys to ask the audience what topics they want to cover. Use a link to additional value (maybe a coupon or an app) in the comments section or information about the episode.
Ebooks
Ebooks that cover topics your audience wants to know more about are one of the most valuable items a company can offer. An ebook is an investment in time not only for you but the reader. If they download your ebook, you know they view you as an authority and trust your product or service. You know that the person who downloads it has a real need for that information. Typically, you can consider that person further down the buyer’s journey than a person who reads your blog.
Before investing in an ebook, make sure to do research so you can provide real value. For example, doing keyword research on topics that are commonly searched for by users who visit your site is an intelligent way to develop a topic for your book. In addition, expand on a subject already written about in a blog for an ebook. Focus on topics you are an expert in and write with the audience's needs in mind.
Guides
Guides are authoritative, persuasive, in-depth reports on a subject that present a problem and provide a solution. They are some of the most popular content available online.
Creating a guide doesn’t have to be complicated. It can expand on a written blog topic or introduce a subject. You can focus on one specific task or a broader overview of something. It can be as simple as a list or step-by-step instructions, or as complex as a heavily researched white paper.
To create a successful guide, focus on a single problem or task the audience has. Ensure it has all the information your audience needs to solve the problem. Make it easy to use, with a table of contents or graphic elements like illustrations, so readers can quickly get the information they need.
For topics, talk to your customer service team. Ask them what questions they hear from your existing customers. This is a rich source of content with a lot of reuse possibilities.
Power up Your Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing works, but it can be difficult and there’s always a risk of wasting time and resources on a campaign that doesn’t deliver a return.
GO2 Partners can help. Our talented marketing specialists can help you achieve results within your budget. We have experience working with clients to build a strategy and providing execution services to help you reach your goals. It’s a turnkey solution, so you get the support you need at a lower cost and less hassle.
GO2 Partners caters to all stages of the buyer’s journey, from lead generation tactics to email workflows. We specialize in keeping up with new technology and trends and will help you identify audience demographics you may not have considered. Contact us today.
