Inbound marketing is the wave of the marketing present and future. It has been proven to generate more leads than traditional marketing and to do so at a significantly lower cost. As companies see the benefits of inbound marketing strategies, they often try to jump right in and join the masses in the fight for attention online. Doing so without proper planning and resources, however, can lead to poor results. Even though inbound marketing uses platforms that seem simple and are often used by many at an amateur level (such as social media and blogging), a proper marketing strategy is needed in order to excel with your marketing goals. Here are eight reasons you need a marketing strategy.
- A proper marketing strategy will save you time.
If there is anything we all want more of, it’s time. And while planning and setting up a marketing strategy takes time in the short term, it actually saves time in the end because it allows you to research your customers’ wants, needs, and interests and then plan a strategy for attracting them and meeting those needs and wants through your products and services.
- A proper marketing strategy will save you money.
As mentioned above, developing a content marketing strategy saves you time. And we all know that time is money. But a proper marketing strategy goes further in that it also will allow you to focus your marketing efforts into the areas where you will get the biggest bang for your buck.
- A proper marketing strategy will help you retain customers and clients.
If you just throw content onto a social platform or write blogs on a whim, it will be obvious to your clients and customers. Writing and posting without planning can make your business look careless and / or dull. However, by planning out your content in advance, you are able to more clearly and directly build content that is suited to your customers’ interests.
- A proper marketing strategy will help you attract and convert new customers and clients.
Content marketing can be simple, but it is not easy. In fact, Moz points out that one of the biggest misconceptions within concept marketing is that utilizing content marketing is a super quick and easy tactic. In reality, however, using a proper marketing strategy takes careful time and planning. Creating genuine, authentic content that is high quality and interesting to your clients often requires a team that involves graphic designers, content strategists, writers, and others. When working together as a team to create high quality content, your company is able to create content that speaks to your audience in a much deeper way and that also has the ability to convert this audience into future clients and customers. Oftentimes, this step of converting a lead to a client is missed due to a lack of proper planning.
- A proper marketing strategy allows you to build an authentic, in-depth reputation online.
One of the best things about using inbound marketing techniques such as blogging and social media is that you are able to tell a story. When you plan your story over time, you are able to show your customers and clients what your business is like as a whole, highlighting the multifaceted view of what makes your company and personnel unique.
- A proper marketing strategy allows you to interact with your customers and clients on a long-term basis.
As customers and clients get to know your business as a whole and interact with you online and in person, you engender trust. Creating a well-thought-out content plan allows you to grow this trust in ways that are important to your customers rather than just posting content and hoping that it sticks.
- A proper marketing strategy will help you set and track your goals more efficiently.
Before you can track your goals, you have to set appropriate goals, and this requires planning. As you track goals, you can adjust your plan to incorporate strategies that are working well and to avoid those that are not.
- A proper marketing strategy will help you become an authority to your customers and clients.
Over time, the more your audience reads your blogs and watches you engage people successfully through your marketing platforms, more and more trust will be built, and your credibility will grow as well. Growing your credibility and trust will also require that you know and understand the changes in the industry. Making a plan that includes regular research of new strategies as well as a regular analysis of your current strategy will help you to remain credible and trustworthy in the years to come.
As you can see, with proper planning, a marketing strategy can take your business to a new level and help you connect with your customers and clients in a more meaningful and authentic way. If you want to discuss your marketing strategy or would like to build a new one, contact the experts at VisionPath Marketing! We are happy to help and offer free consultations.