How To Turn Leads Into Customers with Inbound Marketing

Sales and marketing have changed in the digital age. 

Back in the day we didn't have this cool thing called the internet where we could google just about anything we wanted.

Got a question? Google it?

Need to know "How To" do something -YouTube it.

In our modern era of marketing, most customers have read or watched anywhere from 30-300 emails, blogs, articles, videos, or more before they engage in picking up their phone or pulling out their wallets.

Marketing isn't about selling more things to more people at higher prices.

Modern marketing is about answering your prospects or customers' questions and positioning your product or service as the perfect solution. This new way of marketing is referred to as inbound marketing (sometimes also referred to as content marketing.)

Inbound marketing uses a strategic approach that engages with your audience by connecting them with useful content through organic means, like search engines and sharing links.

It's why the term Content is King has emerged. 

How does Inbound Marketing Work?

I'll share two simple examples below.

If a prospect in need of a new water heater where to head to google and search for the word water heater - and they landed on your company blog that answered questions about how to maintain a water heater, buy a new one, what the cost of a new on is, what to know about installation, what red flags to stay away from, etc. - that individual would be more likely to actually call your company for service and replacement than the company who forced them to "get a quote" as the only way to get any of their questions answered.

Another example might look like this. 

If I were to search "Find homes for sale near me" I might find a bunch of local real estate agents who want me to give them my email and phone number before I can search for homes on their website. I'd probably put in fake contact information because all I want is to look for homes, not speak with or get spammy robot written emails from a real estate agent I don't know.

Now let's say I land on an agents website that includes an ebook titled: The 5 craziest mistakes home buyers make that costs them $10,000 or more. Download it now.

Well that's information I'd be willing to give someone my email for.

If the information was helpful, and a great email sales sequence was in place after the download and continued to deliver more videos, emails or content that was highly valuable to me, then I'd probably hire that agent as my Realtor.

By creating customized content you're helping to humanize your brand, offering customers real world now solutions, and creating opportunities to entertain and educate your ideal them. This is what will turn them into paying customers and not just browsers on your website.

Inbound marketing works like a non-threatening sales person.

Examples of Inbound Marketing Include:

• Blogs
• Emails
• YouTube Videos
• Ebooks
• LinkedIn Articles
• PDF's
• White Papers
• Webinars
• and more!

 If you aren't using inbound marketing, you're losing sales.

The simplest way to get started with inbound marketing is to make a list of the questions your customers have. 

• What questions are you most asked? 
• What questions do your sales team members answer over and over again?
• What would your ideal client need to know in order to do business with you?

Write these down and then start creating helpful content for your ideal client in places they'd be looking for it.