Inbound Marketing Basics

Many business don’t know where to start with the Inbound Marketing path. There is so much information out there and so many black hat SEO practitioners that is hard to know what it’s important and where to begin. Here are the top three things your conscious business can start doing today:

Who are you and What do you do?

Define your area of expertise. That means, find out what makes your business unique. Niche business are great because people like to connect with your story and what you do. There are many of us out there that rather spend our money on little pop-and-mom stores that help the “big man”. However, many small business owners are unable to budget a marketing campaign and or to start a blog or site for people to find them. Once you find what your business strengths are, start writing about it. Share a blog post on how your store got started, what motivated you to open a business. Share tips for your potential clients on that the you know how to do.

 

What is your Goal?

Determine your goals for your campaign and write them down. What is the objective of having a blog, social media page (twitter, Facebook)? Will your campaign be driven by the traffic or by the leads that convert? Honestly, your goal should be to attract more clients (leads) and to convert (actual sales). However, if your goal is to” spread the word” on what you know how to do or a conscious cause, then you want to measure the amount of subscribers and comments you get. Then compare to what you wrote down as your goal and ensure you are meeting the expectation you set for your campaign.

 

Who’s your Audience?

Identify your customers and audience for your blog and Inbound Marketing campaign. This is very important! I suggest to write it down like if you were manifesting for a boyfriend/girlfriend! Think about who is the ideal person to come to your shop, hotel, restaurant, etc. and write it down. Then think about what that person wants to read on your blog, what items they will buy from you, or what advise they need from you. How is your business helping them with the problem they have? What will they type in their favorite search engine to find your business to help them with that problem? That will help you understand if your campaign will work and keep you on task.

 

I enjoy writing things down. Even int his day and age of technology, I always carry a little notebook and pen to write things down. Anything, maybe an idea for a blog, maybe a recipe, or an address of a possible place to come back to. The idea is that Inbound Marketing doesn’t have to be another shore you have to do, but instead something you want to and know will bring help you meet your goals. And if it becomes overwhelming, take a step back, breathe, and relax 🙂 It’s going to be ok!

 

By Lina Gonzalez

Photo by Bidrohi >H!ROK<