How many times have we talked about the inbound methodology chart? Probably a million and one, right? Attract; convert; close; delight. It’s just that simple—that the entirety of the inbound marketing strategy comes down to just those four words. Of course, we define and go into detail, but at its core, those four words make up the basic principles of the inbound methodology. The idea is to draw new people in and convert them to your biggest fans.
I recently read a great article on gobeyond S.E.O about the breakdown of the inbound marketing strategy and this question really stuck out to me: “How about walking a potential customer through a process that takes them from a stranger who doesn’t know a thing about your business into a stark raving fan who refers you to everyone who will listen?” Of course we want that! Of course every company wants that! For the most part, the ultimate goal of having a business is to make a profit—and this statement sums up exactly how to do just that through inbound marketing.
Let’s take a closer look at the steps of the inbound methodology chart:
Attract: This step really sets the stage for your future. You want to bring in the right types of people so that they will eventually convert to satisfied customers. To do this, you need to start by introducing yourself and your business. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are great places to show potential costumers that you are a wealth of knowledge in your field. Blogs are also a great way to do that as well! You should be answering questions that your ideal client would ask. After this, they will become website visitors and enter into the next stage.
Convert: In this step of the inbound marketing strategy, you want to convert those visitors into leads. I mentioned blogs briefly in the attract stage, but this stage is really where those blogs count. You have to use great content to convert potential leads into actual leads. Content moves people from stage to stage. You have to have fun, exciting, and relevant offers on your website. Make sure to have compelling calls-to-action, optimized landing pages, and appreciative thank you pages.
Close: Closing the deal of turning leads into customers is nothing new to marketing, but in the inbound methodology, it becomes even easier than ever before. Basically, you just need to get the potential customer to like and trust you through your content. Content is effective and influential if it helps those strangers come to know and trust you and your business. They trust you as a thought leader in your field and will want to keep coming to you.
Delight: Cultivating happy customers is absolutely essential. You want to turn your customers into those raving fans we talked about earlier. Word of mouth can be a great asset to you. People remember how you made them feel, so if you make them feel amazing, they will tell all their friends about their great experience with you. It is everyone’s job to delight customers. Here is a more in depth look at the steps to cultivating happy customers.
So now that we know all about the four steps to mastering the inbound methodology, let’s go put them to practice!
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