Inbound Marketing for Startups, B2B and Other Companies: Guide + Business Tips

shuklarani41423

Attracting tons of traffic by providing users with in-demand content (inbound marketing) sounds very attractive. Such a tool is cost-effective and effective in the long term. However, not all companies are ready to interact with potential clients regularly, provide them with exciting and useful content exclusively for them. Many simply do not believe in the success of such an undertaking.

We will dispel the myths! How to implement inbound marketing on page seo service strategies in the B2B market? Can an online store use it to attract more customers and how? Read our guide to find out the answers and get additional information about promoting your business with inbound tools.




What is Inbound Marketing: Basic Facts
It is silly to repeat over and over again that the Internet has changed business dramatically. It is a fact that for many companies, traditional methods of promotion (not to mention other commercial aspects) no longer work or do not allow them to grow and develop. Modern advertising consumers control what they want to see online, which makes classic push notifications, cold calls, direct mail and even targeted advertising too intrusive. That is why inbound methods have become popular and effective in the digital world.

Inbound marketing is a comprehensive strategic tool that aims to build close relationships between potential customers and companies through professionally created content and encourage the former to make a purchase. The content should be useful and solve real, current problems of potential customers.

By asking Google how to choose a gaming laptop, a cleaning company, or a professional coffee maker, the average Internet user may end up on your company’s website. He/she will get an answer and, if your content is interesting and varied, will likely sign up to learn more. With more information, they will likely remember you as a true industry professional and become real customers. This is how the average user becomes a lead, and the lead becomes a buyer.

Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing: What's the Difference
Imagine watching a top-rated TV show, and during the commercial break you see all sorts of commercials from companies ranging from diapers to insurance companies. You may not be interested in them, but you still watched the ad. The advertiser spent a fortune on someone like you who doesn’t need diapers or insurance. The same goes for push notifications on websites or poorly configured targeting (even though the latter is at least more targeted): we didn’t ask for it, but we are forced to interact with it anyway. This is classic “outbound” marketing.

inbound marketing scheme
The Inbound Marketing Process by Hubspot

In contrast, the inbound marketing strategy is aimed at attracting only the most targeted users, providing them with solutions to their problems, building relationships step by step, transforming casual users into potential and then loyal customers. This is possible with the help of content that is distributed through blogs, social networks, e-books, podcasts, video tutorials, webinars.

Inbound marketing tactics work great in any market and can be successfully used by many companies. Let's look into the problem and find out what tactics and tools can be used for different types of businesses.

Inbound Marketing for B2B: Key Points
Content is a working tool for any type of market. Whether your potential customers are buying metal, building materials or consulting services, 70% of their pre-purchase supplier research is done online. Today, most manufacturers and service providers are going online to attract regular B2B customers. And their purchasing decision process is not much different from that of the B2C market. However, there is one distinguishing feature - the key focus is on the company's expertise and its ability to continue servicing.

A corporate blog for B2B companies is still the best way to attract potential customers, demonstrate their professionalism and the benefits of the product/service. This tool is ideal for answering various questions users have about your production and products. The more detailed and specific your articles are, the more authority you will gain in your industry. But how to run a B2B blog correctly?

What’s the biggest challenge? When you’re first starting out, it’s hard to resist the temptation to write about your company rather than the industry as a whole. You need to remember that potential customers are unlikely to care about your stock price or the financial success of your company over the past quarter. B2B customers want high-quality industrial products and first-class customer service. When you start building your inbound strategy and planning your content, focus on this problem.

Pro tip: Have your company's experts write about their products and services, or endorse articles written by copywriters. No one knows a product better than highly qualified experts. Start a blog about the basics of your industry: materials, manufacturing methods, processing methods, features, types of service, etc. These are the first questions your potential customers have when choosing the ideal supplier. To determine this, you must understand everything about your customers and know the problems of their businesses.