by Marcus Ledbetter | Jan 4, 2013 | Consumer Trends, Inbound Marketing, Web Marketing
We were in a quasi-sales pitch meeting yesterday and the prospect began discussing the “break-even” analysis. (I used to hate it when sales guys told me how many sales I would have to make to break even. If I just break even , the only person who has made money is the sales guy. If I just break even, I’m working for him, not me.)
In the analysis, we brought out the tried and true “Customer Lifetime Value” (CLV). (CLV is “a prediction of the net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.”) And as content marketers, we have pretty firm ground to stand on when we do. Content marketing is all about educating both your potential and existing clients. Sy Syms made the following statement famous in the business world. “An educated customer is our best customer.”
1. Educated Customers Stick Around (Customer Retention)
As Syms understood, if your client or customer understands the full benefits of your service, they will have more confidence in the outcome when the critics show up. The spouse might say . . .
“You should try __________.”
“No”, your educated client says, “what we’re doing with this vendor works because . . . ” (more…)
by Marcus Ledbetter | Dec 31, 2012 | Blogging Ideas, General, Inbound Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, SEO for Small Business, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Twitter, Web Marketing
Are you looking to get some momentum with web traffic? Trying to figure out how to build links and bring in more customers? This post is for you.
I’ve been listening to that lavishly written classic on human relations “How To Win Friends And Influence People” while jogging lately. What a powerful book. This is probably my fourth time through the audio version. It will not be my last.
It got me thinking about how building web traffic (link building, SEO, social media) is basically winning friends and influencing people online. So it makes sense that we can take what Dale Carnegie said back in the 30s and tweak and update it some to implement his techniques on the web.
There is a great deal to be learned here for content and inbound marketers. The outline below is verbatim from Dale’s book with his statements in bold and my comments following each. Some of the points deal with winning friends (and getting links), while others deal with influencing people (converting visitors into customers). Parts 1 through 3 of the book relate to content marketing, while Part 4 is about leadership which doesn’t apply here. These comments are through Part 3 only.
How To Build Links And Influence People
Part One
Fundamental Techniques In Handling People
- Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain. In all online interactions, keep on the sunny side. This is especially true with the use of sarcasm, which never plays well in text form. Stay light years away from negativity, whining, and sarcasm. (more…)
by Marcus Ledbetter | Dec 27, 2012 | Inbound Marketing, Web Marketing
Learn the advantages of hiring a team. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
So you’ve learned enough about Inbound Marketing to give it some serious consideration. Now the question is, should you hire an Inbound agency or do it yourself? We’ll give you some things to consider and even pass along the name of an objective 3rd-party who has been where you are and can give you his opinion on the matter — a guy we’ve never met and never spoken to — a guy who did NOT use an Inbound Marketing agency (like us). He did it himself.
Beyond Time –The Advantage of Team
Sure, there is the time thing to consider. We imagine you know all about the extensive time it takes to do all of Inbound Marketing. (One good place to grasp that time issue is our free Example 9-Step Inbound Campaign eBook.)
But if time is the only consideration, you might as well hire some college kid with a few hours on her hands. You don’t need expertise, you just need hours, right? Of course, we (more…)
by Marcus Ledbetter | Dec 21, 2012 | Blogging Ideas, Inbound Marketing, SEO for Small Business, Web Marketing
I never noticed until now that the face in the Mayan calendar is sticking his tongue out at us. How appropriate!
Well, thankfully, we are all still here! There may have been some hoping that the Mayan’s were right, but for all of us that were left behind, we must continue to press forward along the journey we call Inbound Marketing.
The fruits of the journey are great. Attracting visitors, generating leads, closing sales – it’s all there for the taking. The prize is ready for those willing to step up and carry the banner. We dodged the end of civilization as we know it, after all – our entire future lies ahead of us! Let’s view this as a second chance to do things the right way and as we enter into this new cosmic cycle of life, turning the gigantic carved stone page of the mayan calendar to a new.. well.. gigantic carved stone page and get started on the right foot!
We would like to challenge our inbound marketing enthusiasts and readers with the following three goals.
First Challenge: Create More Content. Content is the fuel which drives interested readers and potential clients to your website. Don’t write lazy, shot in the dark, content (no comments about this mayan apocalypse post please) – no, write strategic content, written to answer the most common questions your clients have. Write content that is optimized to attract potential clients using the most frequent search phrases in your market. Above all, write content that begs to be clicked on, read, and shared with the world. Your website stats will thank you for it. Inbound Marketing relies on a steady stream of quality, well written, well researched content in order to reach full potential.
Second Challenge: Capture More Data. User data that is. Once you attract visitors, make sure you have calls to actions, landing pages and premium content that is so fantastic that readers will be flocking to leave their contact information in order to download this wonderful information. Attracting visitors is only a part of the overall inbound marketing strategy. Offering visitors a reason to dig deeper is the key to moving them further down the funnel.
Third Challenge: Market to your Subscribers. Once you have collected contact information from your visitors, use it! By filling out a form, a visitor is giving you permission to speak to them. Use this, but use it wisely. Segment your list and make sure any emails going out to contacts is relevant to their interests. Know where your visitor is in their decision making process and speak to them accordingly. A “thanks for signing up” email shouldn’t be a heavy sales message. Gradually work your way up to an offer through a series of informative communication, leading the reader further along towards a purchase in the future.
If you aren’t sure what Inbound Marketing is, exactly, check out our FREE eBook. It’s full of information that will get you up to speed in no time, and it’s absolutely free. You can’t beat that!
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Be patient with these tactics. It’s like building a snowman – you start with a small snow ball and you have to patiently roll it along as it builds in size. You can’t hurry the process or you won’t like the outcome. The same is true with inbound marketing. The more you write, the bigger the snowball. The bigger the snowball, the more traffic you get. More traffic means more leads, which in turn mean more customers. Trust us, it’s worth it to take your time and do it right, and you can’t wait for the right time to start. The right time to start was yesterday – but if you haven’t already, the next best time to start is RIGHT NOW.
by Marcus Ledbetter | Dec 20, 2012 | Email Campaigns, Inbound Marketing, Web Marketing
Email Drip Campaigns have proven their value over the years. They are an effective way to educate your potential customer after contact and lead them down the sales funnel.
What Are Email Drip Campaigns?
Email Drip Campaigns are automated marketing emails that a contact receives after providing you with their address. This is often after filling out a contact form in exchange for something they value. Automated emails typically “drip” to a contact at regular intervals for a set time after the contact.
They are usually intended to give the contact more information about the topic they are interested in and tend to lead the contact to take a further step in the process.
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Email Drip Campaigns are often referred to as “Lead Nurturing Campaigns” or, in HubSpot’s new software, “Workflows”. The idea is you are “nurturing” your lead with the information they need to move them towards making a purchase or becoming a customer or client.
Why Use Email Drip Campaigns?
Email Drip Campaigns are useful in many different ways. (more…)
by Marcus Ledbetter | Dec 18, 2012 | Email Campaigns, Facebook, Hubspot, Inbound Marketing, SEO, SEO for Small Business, Social Media Marketing
So you’ve read articles, watched webinars, maybe even attended a seminar or two about Inbound Marketing. You’re hooked. You’re ready to get started! The only problem is, you’re not sure you have the budget for a full-on Inbound Marketing campaign.
Inbound Marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg!
You have probably heard of Hubspot as well. Inbound and Hubspot typically go hand in hand, and if you are running a serious inbound campaign, Hubspot is by far the best option and in the end, the most cost effective solution. As a result, many people have had their excitement about inbound tempered by sticker shock when they see what agencies typically charge for their monthly fees. We are going to do something though that might fly in the face of what a software partner should do — we’re going to tell you how to attack an inbound marketing campaign WITHOUT Hubspot.
3 Major Components
A good inbound marketing campaign needs a minimum of three major components: (more…)
