Remaining Relevant with Inbound Marketing - cdn.ymaws.com · 2017 Fall Conference nefma.org...
Transcript of Remaining Relevant with Inbound Marketing - cdn.ymaws.com · 2017 Fall Conference nefma.org...
nefma.org2017 Fall Conference
Remaining Relevant
with
Inbound Marketing
Presented by Cam Mirisola-Bynum
Communications Director, Grant Marketing
nefma.org2017 Fall Conference
Cartoon Recap
• The long game
• Know your customers
• Nurture brand loyalty
• Meet expectations
• Fill information gaps
• Address customer pain points
• Clear (and compliant!) messaging
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Agenda
• What it Is; Why it Works; Why You Should Care
• Buyer’s Journey
• Inbound Marketing Methodology
• Content Marketing Culture
• Questions
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What Is Inbound Marketing?
• Data-driven approach that attracts people to your website and brand, then converts them into customers
• Content-driven: focus is on customer needs and pain points
• A methodology—it can be implemented through various content offers, platforms, and campaigns simultaneously
• Not “just” marketing anymore—an integration of sales and marketing
• Educating customers
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What Is Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing IS the new business model
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Why it Works
• Customers and consumers have driven the change
• We give them what they want—how and when they want it
• The essence of “on-demand” targeted content is precisely what keeps it
relevant to the consumer
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Why it Works
• When you use inbound marketing successfully, prospects SELF-INDENTIFY
with your brand: products, services, company culture
• Customers “organically” come to you in the process of educating them
• You have HELPED them with a need and built trust
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Why it Works
INBOUND MARKETING METHODOLOGY
—BY ITS VERY NATURE—
KEEPS YOU RELEVANT
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The Future (Is Here) …
By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationships without talking
to a human (Gartner Research via Salesforce blog)
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B2B Buyers Research Digitally
• 94% of B2B buyers report researching
online before a purchase (Acuity Group)
• 71% of B2B researchers start their
research with a generic search (Google, 2015)
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B2C and B2B Buyers:
Searching and Purchasing on the Move!
• 81% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases (Retailing
Today, 2014)
• 51% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their smartphone (Google, 2015)
• 78% of local-mobile searches result in offline purchases (Search Engine Land, 2014)
• Shoppers now make 51% of their purchases online (comScore, 2016)
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THE BUYER’S JOURNEY BEGINS
It’s a process …
• Awareness Stage: experiencing pain points and symptoms
• Discovery Search: considering solutions and getting answers to problems
• Decision Time: chosen solution strategy includes vendor list
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Connecting with the Customer
• According to Forrester, 59% of buyers prefer to do research online instead
of interacting with a sales rep because the rep pushes a sales agenda rather
than helps solve a problem
• A LinkedIn survey found that B2B buyers are 5x more likely to engage
with a sales professional who provides new insights about their business
or industry
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Funnel Breakdown: 70%
Research completed before contacting you:
• ID’d and prioritized problems and new objectives
• Assessed impact on organization
• Created alternatives to status quo
• ID’d features of new solution
• ID’d potential solution providers
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Funnel Breakdown: 30%
All they need now:
• Connect with you and competitors
• Evaluate options and offers
• Choose you … or a competitor
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The Money’s Pretty Much on the Table Already
Did you engage early enough … or are you leaving it there?
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They Are Ready For You!
• Do they know that?
• Help them self-identify as
YOUR customer
• More than half your work is
DONE at that point!
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Relevant Content Connects!
It’s Increasing in Influence, Reach … and Sales
• 9 out of 10 buyers say content effects purchasing decisions
• 73% “fed up” with irrelevant content
• 80% business decision-makers prefer getting info from series of article vs. ads
• Millennials are looking for more engagements with financial advisors and banks via online tools: 61% want video meetings; 57% will change/choose advisors that offer that service
Data from The Marketing Blender, 2016, Forbes 2013
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Ranking
Relevant Content
Searchmetrics Ranking
Factors for Finance
U.S., 2017
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Ranking Relevant Content
Searchmetrics Ranking Factors for Finance U.S., 2017
Searchmetrics Tip:
Even more so than other industries, keyword stuffing is a no-go for
finance. Forget keyword optimization and start focusing on relevant
content that holistically addresses the topic.
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Finance: Not Interesting Enough?
• Are you passionate about it? Are your customers? (Money? Of course they are!)
• What customer questions do you often hear?
• Does your company have a greater purpose beyond selling products and programs? Tell the stories!
• What industry expertise or hidden talents do your employees have? Tell the stories!
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Educate & Inform
Money isn’t necessarily the barrier to
purchase—knowledge and learning more
commonly are
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How?
• Reach prospects when they begin their discovery, at the top of the funnel
• Speak to/with prospects through your relevant, helpful online content
• Give them the answers they are searching for
• Position you and your company as thought leaders, experts—build trust
• Provide reliable solutions—better yet …
BE THEIR SOLUTION
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Creating Content
• Blog post- Can have varying kinds
• Video, podcasts, webinars, emails
• Chat bots (dynamic, interactive “dialogue”)
• Call-to-Action (CTA) - Takes prospect to landing page
• White paper, case study, eBook
• Checklist, guidelines, “listicle,” spec sheet, infographic, interactive tool
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Blog Post• Have authoritative
and educational, helpful tone
• Vary in style/content format
• Speak directly to the targeted persona
• Solve a problem; give solutions
• Entice prospect to want more info to click on the CTA
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Call-to-Action (CTA) Button
• Provoke immediate response
• Eye-Catching
• Clear value proposition
• Aligned with sales cycle/funnel stage
• Take prospect to a landing page
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Landing Page
• Succinct message
• Dedicated page with no distracting info
• Clear value prop about download; answers,
“What am I getting?”
All Efforts Focused On:
• Form to capture lead info
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Types of CTA Offers
Content
• Guidelines
• Spec Sheets
• Catalogs/Brochures
Personal Touch-Points
• Assessments
• Engineering Consultation
• Quotes
• “Let’s chat”
• Contact Us
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Resources
Page
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Interactive Tools and Resources: Easy as 1-2-3!
Webinars are interactive, too!
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BudgetSimple
• Home page animated video
• Addresses pain points
• Explains product and process
• Uses different personas
• Easy sign-up to get started
• Free and low-cost options
Interactive Tools and Resources
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Interactive Tools and Resources
F1F9
• A 31-day course
• Landing page has high-quality video
• Clear copy explaining the needs, expectations, deliverables
• Program offers quick, daily lessons delivered by email automation “workflows”
• Received over 10K sign-ups over two years
• Source of continuing leads
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The Right Place and Time
CATER TO CUSTOMER CONVENIENCE =
IN-THE-MOMENT, ON-DEMAND RELEVANCE
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The knowledge you possess
is a HOT commodity!
Cultivate that company-wide, and you have the collective
resources to be a massive thought-leader and influencer.
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Customer Expectations Have Changed
People are searching because
they have a …
• Need
• Problem
• Query
• Curiosity Your website is
available 24/7/365 to
answer their questions
when you aren’t.
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Google’s Mission
Google’s goal is to give its
customer (the searcher)
the answers that are the:
• Best
• Most Specific
• Most Contemporary
• Most Relevant
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Organic Search
• 50% of search queries are four words or longer. (WordStream, 2016)
• B2B researchers do 12 searches on average prior to engaging
on a specific brand's site. (Google, 2014)
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Keywords
Focus on negative phrases
• The reality: people search for answers to problems this way
Long-tail keyword—the low-hanging fruit
Examples:
• Retirement planning: short-tail
• Retirement planning for self employed: mid-tail
• Advantages of retirement planning for self employed: long-tail
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Keywords
• Retirement planning
(8,390,000 results)
• Retirement planning for self- employed
(2,470,000 results)
• Advantages of retirement planning for self-employed
(1,700,000 results)
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Participation in Content Creation
Is Critical for Success
Everyone is a stakeholder
You all have:
• Unique voice
• Talent
• Expert knowledge
• A finger on the pulse
Your writing staff is as large as your employee pool!
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Writing
• Say what needs to be said
• Blog word count: at least 500
• Latest U.S. averages for blog length: 501-2,000
words
• Latest is to use long-form, webpage “pillar content”
• Focus on keywords and holistic subject matter
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General Writing Tips
Be …
• Useful/educational
• Generous (give, give, give, give, ask)
• Engaging and entertaining (Oh, yes, you can!)
• Timely
• Human
• Promotional (sort of)