HOW TO WIN WITH INBOUND MARKETING IN 2016Distinguish your brand from the sea of sameness

John Beveridge is thefounder and President ofRapidan Inbound, aninbound marketingagency and HubSpot-certified partner based inMcLean, VA.

Twitter @JohnMBeveridge

Email john.beveridge@rapidanstrategies.com

Phone 866.610.0579

www.b2binboundmarketer.com

HubSpot 2015 State of Inbound

“The biggest change is that 2015’s report

doesn’t cover the emergence of inbound

marketing as it has in past years -- the

principles are now well-entrenched.”

Inbound matches the way people buy

Source: Corporate Executive Board, New Decision Timeline

Content marketing is ubiquitous

Yes, 86%

No, 14%

Does your B2B organization use content marketing?

Yes No

Source: Content Marketing Institute, 2015 B2B Content Marketing Survey

How can you distinguish yourself from the noise your

prospects experience while they are trying to accomplish their

goals and objectives?

AN EXECUTIVE KEYWORD STRATEGY (SEO EXPERTISE NOT REQUIRED)

What are keywords?

Keywords are phrases that your

prospects and customers use to

search for information about the

problems you solve on search engines

like Google, Bing and Yahoo.

Google algorithm changesOver the past few years, Google has changed its ranking

algorithm to favor websites that produce good content.• If you create good content that answers questions and provides information

that your target audience wants, you’re probably practicing good SEO without

knowing it.

• 15-20% of the searches Google sees every day are unique – they’ve never

been searched for before!

• Optimize your content for humans, not search engines.

Short-tail keywordsShort-tail keywords are short phrases (usually one or two words) that describe what you do at the highest level.

Examples: Inbound marketing, cybersecurity, web design,

accounting, etc.

Characteristics of short-tail keywords

• Difficult to rank for

• Don’t reveal intent of searcher

Long-tail keywordsLong-tail keywords are longer phrases and questions that buyers search to get specific information

(Example: How can I protect my government contracting

business from corporate identity theft?)

Characteristics of long-tail keywords

• Easier to rank for

• Often reveal a very specific intent

How to build your keyword strategyStep 1: Choose your target short-tail keywords

For most of us, there are several short-tail keywords that describe our businesses. (Example: digital marketing, online marketing, internet marketing, inbound marketing, social media marketing, inbound marketing)

Choose your targets for business reasons.

How to build your keyword strategyStep 2: Build long-tail keyword phrases based on your root short-tail keywords.

1. Create long-tail keyword phrases based on the questions you hear from prospects and customers.

2. Create long-tail keyword phrases based on your target audience (industry, location, demographics, etc.) – e.g. How can I generate leads for my technology company with inbound marketing?

3. Create long-tail keyword phrases (and content) for all phases of the buying process (Awareness, Evaluation, Decision)

4. Look for niches that offer ranking opportunities.

How to build your keyword strategyStep 3: Use your targeted keyword phrases based in all aspects of your business

• Use keyword phrases for on-site SEO• Use keyword phrases in the titles and body of your content (WRITE FOR

HUMANS!)• Use targeted keyword phrases in your outbound marketing (emails and

calls)• Train your sales and service people to use your keywords in the course of

their daily responsibilities

Targeting a keyword niche

OPTIMIZE YOUR BLOG FOR YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Optimize your blog for your audience

“27 million pieces of content are shared every day.”

Source: ION Interactive – 75 Essential Content Marketing Facts

Optimize your blog for your audience

Understand how people consume information on the internet.

Most people will not read your blog post from beginning to end. They search the web for specific information and scan your content to find what they’re searching for. Make it easy for them!

Source: ION Interactive – 75 Essential Content Marketing Facts

Optimize your blog for your audience

Format your blog to provide information in digestible chunks.

• Use images!• Break your blog post into sections – use headers,

horizontal lines, images and charts to give the reader bite-size chunks.

• Use bulleted- and numbered-lists to present information.

• Offer lead-generation content for a deeper dive

Source: ION Interactive – 75 Essential Content Marketing Facts

Optimize your blog for your audience

Present information visually

• Videos• Infographics• Use charts and images in your content

Source: ION Interactive – 75 Essential Content Marketing Facts

Optimize your blog for your audience

Don’t forget to promote your content!

• Social media – multiple postings• Post evergreen content• Use click-to-tweet to get readers to promote your

content• Ask colleagues, friends and vendors to share your

content

Source: ION Interactive – 75 Essential Content Marketing Facts

Optimize your blog for your audience

Use your content in outbound marketing

• Use blog posts to reach out to potential buyers• Use blog posts in lead nurturing• Answer questions with blog posts

Source: ION Interactive – 75 Essential Content Marketing Facts

NEXT STEPS

Next steps

Download the presentation and get The Ultimate Lead Generation Handbook: bit.ly/NVTCInbound

Schedule a free inbound marketing consultation: bit.ly/InboundConsultation