Inbound marketing and content marketing are synergistic in that you cannot have one without the other. If you want to learn about what these marketing techniques entail, see How to create a content marketing strategy and What is inbound marketing?
So, how do they relate to each other? Inbound marketing generates leads for your business by attracting and pushing customers to make purchases. It relies on tools like CTAs, ads, user forms, SEO marketing, free trials, etc., scattered across the sales funnel. On the other hand, content marketing focuses on creating and providing valuable content to your target audience. Content includes email newsletters, e-books, social media posts, blog posts, landing pages, etc.
Thus, content marketing creates interest in your products, and inbound marketing helps you seal the deal. And guess what? These two marketing techniques are critical components of a successful marketing plan.
Let’s give you steps of how you can use the two to keep your customers happy and attract even more leads:
Know Your Audience: Start by understanding your target audience and nailing your KPI’s under Growth Marketing Strategies. Understand the market needs and the best channels to reach your audience.
Hack Your Goals: What do you want from your marketing plan? For example, if you plan to grow your social media following, that will inform your next step.
Invest in Marketing Tools: These should align with your goals. For example, if the goal is to increase website visits, you can invest in SEO, landing pages, newsletters, CTAs, free trials, etc. Choose the inbound and content marketing tools to help you reach your goal.
Engage Your Audience: Businesses cannot survive without interacting with their target market. And how can you do this using inbound and content marketing? Then using inbound marketing tools like SEO, SEM, and social media posts, you can start attracting people to your page or website. Content marketing tools like landing pages and blog posts can also help you engage your audience personally and generally. Also, use forums, chatbots, social media posts, and emails to gain feedback about your content’s value and marketing strategies.
Evaluate Your Progress: Note how well each marketing strategy is working using your KPIs. Seek more ways to integrate the two to drive more qualified leads to your page or website.
At each point of the sales funnel, think about what content and inbound marketing strategies you can use to put a smile on your customers’ faces.
Download your content and inbound marketing synergy workbook here.