Attract, convert, conclude, retain
You may have already heard of inbound marketing or inbound marketing , but the question is: are you using it properly for your e-commerce?
Before going into the heart of the matter, let’s talk about the reputation of marketing techniques at the moment. Traditional marketing methods can be perceived as being too intrusive for some. How many times were you walking around town and someone approached you to give you a flyer? Be honest: either you took it to throw in the next trash or you kindly refused it. Every day we are exposed to advertisements and this can quickly become repetitive and tiring.
This bad reputation is not only found in classic marketing, but it also exists in e-marketing which, in recent years, meets an obstacle: the adblockers, or blockers of advertisements. According to the 2017 Adblocks Health Check in France , users are tired of seeing the same ads constantly on all sites they visit, and consider them as invasive (81% of respondents), commonplace (66% ), aggressive (57%) and dangerous (53%). That’s why 1 in 5 users in the world use an adblocker to avoid this constant intrusion of online advertising.
Stop chasing them!
The inbound marketing opposes these techniques marketing push traditional looking to impose products to potential customers. Imagine a magnet built into your online store: inbound marketing is that magnet that, under the condition of using the right methods of marketing pull, will attract your customers to your store. It will be the users who will come to you spontaneously, without the need to overwhelm them with advertisements.
You may wonder how this is possible? Do not worry, we’ll explain it to you right away.
What marketing pull techniques can you use to support your inbound marketing strategy and boost your e-commerce?
Inbound marketing, originally a subcategory of e-marketing, is gradually beginning to prevail against conventional web marketing. Previously we have shown that users are no longer attracted by the traditional means of advertising too intrusive to them.
With this method, we will be able to change the user of the unknown to the visitor , from the visitor to the lead (qualified contact and quality) and from the lead to the buyer to finally retain this visitor who will become promoter of the brand. This strategy will be accompanied by pull marketing actions, the ultimate goal being the loyalty and obtaining of brand ambassadors to increase profitability over the long term. Here are some techniques that will help you achieve this goal.
Tell us your story
” People do not buy products, but the stories they convey ” – Ashraf Ramzy. ( source )
Brands that will offer the same product (or almost) that you? There will always be some. But have you ever tried storytelling ? As its name suggests, this marketing technique consists of telling your brand story . For example, imagine that you make suitcases, how are you going to persuade consumers to buy your suitcases and not those of the store next door? It is your story that differentiates you from your competitors so use your identity and tell your potential customers. Many major brands like Chanel with the narration of the creation of one of his jackets have already used this technique to captivate and touch consumers.
As they say, trust is worth it. It’s not by snapping your fingers that your visitors will be captivated and will want to trust you. Take time, it is important to know how to tell your story through an atmosphere and not just a speech, to show what makes you different from others. So, take out your best assets and find the right words to catch the attention of your readers and want to read more. The user who arrives on your site must be able to understand immediately who you are and what you do.
If you succeed in generating interest and convincing users by clearly and effectively explaining what you are doing and who you are, it’s won! Readers will feel closer to your brand and ultimately build a relationship of trust with you.
Not decided yet ? It’s when turning visitors into leads that your story and the way you tell it will be critical. Feel free to be creative! Make your readers dream, provoke emotion and stand out from your competitors.
Quality content
A quality content is now the basis of any strategy of inbound marketing. We create quality content so that users come naturally.
In the process of turning your visitors into leads, your content and what you offer visitors are crucial. The more you have to offer them, the more you can ask them for contact information. In order to gather as much information as possible from your visitors, use effective call-to-action buttons, offer discounts or ask to fill out a form before downloading informative documents.
All content such as articles, case studies, demos, tips and white papers will add value to your site and help convince the user. The content must be useful for the reader and meet his needs or possible questions.
In addition, do not forget the importance of optimizing landing pages.
Set an editorial calendar! Studies say that 70% of consumers prefer to discover a brand via articles rather than advertising. Posting blog articles is a way to regularly feed your site and remind your customers to visit it. This is a key factor in turning strangers into visitors as your articles generate qualified traffic that is relevant to your business.
It is important not to neglect the importance of the words used, because they will play a crucial role in the natural referencing of the page. Identify specific and effective keywords that will help you reach your qualified target and move up the search engine results. Develop a good SEO strategy using the necessary software or SEO techniques. Indeed, the content and information given are important factors but do not leave aside the design and fluidity of navigation of your site that will increase the chances of attracting the attention of the user and keep it on your page. Have smooth and efficient information where users can find what they’re looking for quickly.
A tip to remember? Give priority to quality over quantity, even if you have to remain consistent and respect a certain logic in the publications.
Make links
In recent years social networks have become an essential tool for promoting a brand and some even become a sales tool, like Instagram with its recent shopping feature . But what really makes the difference is to have a loyal and committed community that can only be built with your involvement.
The challenge is to build a relationship of trust with your visitors. But how ? The secret is in the regular interaction. In case you do not know how to do it, here are some of the many ways you can use it: via social networks, e-marketing campaigns with newsletter, a good CRM service, at community meetings, conferences where the interaction will become physical, and much more! You can also promote exchanges between users with the addition of testimonials on your site, they will appreciate!
These physical and virtual interactions will maintain quality traffic and build loyalty.
We all know that Facebook posts or tweets are quickly drowned in multiple daily publications. It is therefore necessary to remain constant and feed these networks regularly: you can also determine an editorial planning for your publications.
Use the newsletter! Encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter with call-to-action buttons, you can even offer a discount on your online store for any registration. Be careful not to overdo it with the call-to-action buttons to avoid repelling the player. Once you have successfully captivated your customers and subscribed to your newsletter, apply them when designing them: personalized, with clear and relevant information, call to action buttons effective and a title that makes you want to click on it!
A sustainable and profitable solution
To summarize, inbound marketing aims to build customer loyalty by using methods of marketing pull. With the coming into action of word of mouth, these satisfied users will then become promoters of your brand. It can be differentiated from a simple e-marketing campaign where the effect is often ephemeral. In the case of inbound marketing, this is a sustainable solution that will boost your e-commerce in the long term provided, of course, to maintain the links created with your users.
Not convinced yet? And if you are told that 93% of marketers who use this strategy today increase lead generation and 92% increase their traffic ? Moreover, inbound marketing remains a profitable technique that is 65% cheaper than traditional marketing techniques.
At the end of the article, you may have realized that traditional marketing strategies are now complemented by these new, less direct methods towards the target audience, based on quality content.
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