Inbound Marketing Checklist for Success

TAG Communications

Quad City Corporate Office 230 E. 2nd St., Davenport, IA 52801

Phone: (563) 355-2200

Tri-State Office in Dubuque 120 East 9th St. Suite 220, Dubuque, IA 52001

Phone: (563) 587-8080

www.tagmarcom.com

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INBOUND MARKETING

A Checklist for Success

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Quad City Corporate Office 230 E. 2nd St., Davenport, IA 52801 Phone: (563) 355-2200 www.tagmarcom.com

Tri-State Office in Dubuque 120 East 9th St. Suite 220 Dubuque, IA 52001 Phone: (563) 587-8080

twitter.com/TheTAG_Team

facebook.com/TAGmarcom

youtube.com/TAGCommunications

flickr.com/tagmarcom/

linkedin.com/company/tag-

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About the Author Don Farber VP Digital Experience & Strategy, TAG Communications

Don drives digital concepts and executes creative plans that turn digital silos into unified marketing strategy to grow audience, content share and campaign ROI for TAG and our clients. He came to TAG from the publishing industry where he managing product development of digital initiatives in 52 U.S. markets. Don has also been fortunate to present

emerging digital media marketing concepts and strategies through public speaking events to business professionals and marketing colleagues nationally.

Table of Contents:

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

What is Inbound Marketing? …………………………………………………………….... 3

Top 5 Benefits of Inbound Marketing ………………………………………………….. 4

Can Your Company Generate Inbound Leads? …………………………………….. 9

Getting Started Checklist ……………………………………………………………........ 14

About TAG Communications ……………………………………………………………... 16

http://www.tagmarcom.com/

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Don’t find leads. Help leads find you. The days of relying on cold calls, tradeshows and print ads to turn prospects into customers are over. The fact is people are bombarded with 5000+ ads daily. Instead of tuning in, they are tuning out of many forms of traditional marketing. And who can blame them? Advertising hasn’t really changed in 2,000 years. It evolved from a soapbox to billboards, then print, radio, TV, fan page and online ads. They all have one outdated methodology in common: They PUSH. We live in a digital world and it spins from the moment we wake to the moment we sleep. Whether you like it or not, consumers have the ability to educate themselves on your company and your company’s products before engaging with sales. The smart marketer has started to adapt to this shift and has come to realize that engaging consumers is no longer about pushing out interruptive messages exclusively, but connecting with them in places and on the device they prefer. In the new digital world where buyers are in control of self-educating, the marketer’s job is no longer to find leads; it is to help leads find you.


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What is Inbound Marketing? Instead of pitching your products or services, with inbound content marketing you are delivering information via social media, blogs, email and your website that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if you, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward you by researching your website and ultimately with their business and loyalty which means increased profits.

Inbound Marketing Methodology Before working on your content strategy, it's important for you to understand each stage of the marketing funnel in terms of lead mindset, effective content, and messaging goals. Below is a simple breakdown of the inbound marketing funnel stages:

Marketing Funnel - HubSpot

Inbound marketing is not a tactic, channel, or technology. It’s a way to approach your

marketing in order to capitalize on the way consumers make buying decisions today.

Inbound marketers understand that people value personalized, relevant content and connections -- not just interruptive messages -- at every stage of the marketing funnel.

Inbound allows you to attract visitors, convert leads, close customers, and delight them into promoting your business to others.


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Top 5 Benefits of Inbound Marketing to Your Business

#1 Inbound marketing gets your brand

noticed and in the mix

81% of business buyers start their quest for a solution with a general web search

Question: Where do you typically begin your search for content addressing business topics and challenges?

General Web Search 81%

Directly on Vendor Websites 35%

Industry Guides/Reports 34%

Social Media 23%

Content Syndication Sites 19%

Word of Mouth 18%

Other 11% DemandGen Report, Content Preferences Survey, May 2012

70% of buy cycle is complete before sales engage - Forrester 2011


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#2 Inbound leads are higher quality

Inbound Lead Funnel

Organic Search +

Web Direct + Social Media +

Web Referrals =

15%

Lead to Opportunity Conversion Rate

Outbound Lead Funnel

Paid Content Promotion +

Online Advertising + Social Media +

3rd Party Webinars =

7%

Lead to Opportunity Conversion Rate

Optify 2013


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#3 Inbound leads cost less

Inbound Lead Funnel

Organic Search +

Web Direct + Social Media +

Web Referrals =

$22

Cost Per Lead

Outbound Lead Funnel

Paid Content Promotion +

Online Advertising + Social Media +

3rd Party Webinars =

$44

Cost Per Lead

Optify 2013


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#4 Inbound marketing works

Chart: Trends in 2012 Marketing Budgets

Question: please indicate the changes to your lead generation budget for the following channels for 2012

Chart Key: Increase Greatly Increase Slightly NO Change

Website Optimization +74% 29% 45% 23%

Social Media +73% 27% 46% 24%

SEO +68% 24% 44% 30%

Email Marketing +63% 19% 44% 32%

Content Marketing +62% 23% 39% 37%

Marketing Technology +62% 14% 38% 46%

Webinars -57% 9% 17% 57%

Tradeshows -59% 4% 19% 59%

Print Advertising -59% 3% 17% 59%

Direct Mail -60% 6% 17% 60%

MarketingSherpa Lead Generation Benchmark Survey 2012


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#5 Inbound marketing costs less!

Chart: Inbound Delivers Below Average Cost per Lead

Marketers 100% more likely to see below average inbound cost per lead vs. outbound

Question: To the best of your ability, please write in

your average cost per lead.

HubSpot State of Inbound Marketing 2013

8%

4%

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

Inbound Outbound


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Can Your Company Generate Inbound Leads? Reality Check: Does your company have the skills and toolset to deliver the following critical components of lead generation?

1. Website Optimization

a. Search Engine Optimization:

Your customers begin their buying process online, usually by using a search engine

to find something they have questions about. So you need to make sure you’re

appearing prominently when they search. To get there, you need to carefully,

analytically pick keywords, optimize your pages, create content, and build links

around the terms your ideal buyers are searching for.

b. Mobile Optimization:

Is your website optimized for tablets and smart phones? American consumers carry

their smart phone with them an average of 18 hours per day and access search

engines at least once a day. If you only have one version of your website, you’re doing your

business a great disservice.

Two Thirds of consumers report they’re more likely

to buy from a mobile-friendly site, and 61% say

they'll abandon a mobile site if it is hard to read and

navigate (Google).


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c. Call to Action Buttons:

Call to action buttons entice and lead your customers to your premium content

and lead generating forms. On pages where a call-to-action is the focus, one of

the most important features is the conversion button itself.

Call to action buttons can improve conversions by well

over 30% (HubSpot).

2. Creation of Premium Content

a. Website Content Pages:

Your websites is the foundation of your digital marketing plan. You must optimize

your website to appeal to and speak with your ideal buyers. Transform your

website into a beacon of helpful content to entice the right strangers to visit your

pages. Is your website content written to engage and entice your customers?

b. Blogging:

Inbound marketing starts with blogging. Do you have an optimized blog page with

lead generating forms and RSS feeds? A blog is the single best way to attract new

visitors to your website. In order to get found by the right prospective customers,

you must create educational content that speaks to them and answers their

questions. You should write and update engagning and education blog posts a

minimum of 3 times per month?

Companies with blogs get…

55% more visitors and 70% more inbound leads

than those who don’t (HubSpot).


http://www.hubspot.com/products/analytics/

http://www.hubspot.com/products/business-blog/

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a. Social Media:

You must create and share remarkable content and valuable information on the

social web, engage with your prospects, and put a human face on your brand.

Interact on the networks where your ideal buyers spend their time.

Social Media in the marketing mix can be considered word of mouth in the fast

lane.

80% of U.S. social network users prefer to connect with

brands through Facebook (HubSpot).

b. White papers and eBooks:

White Papers and eBooks such as this one draw readers. Why? White paper readers are

seeking useful information to help them understand an issue, solve a problem, or

make a decision. This often involves learning about the features and benefits of a

product or service they’re considering buying. Business people must try to stay

current with their field, compare different vendors accurately, and make wise

decisions. White papers can help them with all these challenges.

69% read white papers to get information about products

and vendors. 42% read to help justify buying decisions.

31% of white paper readers consider the papers they read most often

to be invaluable in making a purchase decision (Forbes and TechTarget).

c. Case studies and client testimonials:

Customers are now conducting more research before committing to purchase. Case

studies and client testimonials can help to sell your products or services.

Testimonials offer powerful peer-to-peer persuasion and can be shared. When

written properly, case studies give an unbiased view about your company and the

products and services that you offer.


http://www.hubspot.com/products/social-media-contacts/

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d. Email Development and Marketing:

With email marketing, it’s easy to connect with your customers and for customers

to share your message with their networks. And the more customers spread the

word about your business the more you grow.

77% of consumers prefer to receive permission-based

marketing communications through email. (ExactTarget). 72% of B2B buyers are most likely to share useful content

via email (Earnest Agency).

Email marketing remains unbeaten, with ROI still almost $41 per dollar spent and

is particularly effective when integrated with social media (DMA).

e. Online Video:

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words but in the digital age a product video could very well be worth a thousand sales. Did you know that, when

it comes to engagement, online video is 5.33 times more effective than text? Or

that customers that view a product video are up to 85% more likely to buy

(KissMetrics)? Business decision makers LOVE online video because it gives them

the most amount of information in the shortest amount of time.

90% of online shoppers find videos useful when deciding to

make a purchase.

Websites are 52X more likely to be found with YouTube

videos embedded in them.

61% of YouTube users engage with brands to learn about products and

services (Neilson).


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3. Creation and Optimization of Landing Pages containing

Lead Generating Forms Online marketers have used the term “landing page” for many years to describe a sales

tactic focused on getting people to take one, specific action. Today, landing pages have

simply become a required element in the marketing toolbox for every imaginable

business. Why? The short answer is because they help increase your conversion rates

because they are focused on a single objective that matches the intent of the promotion

that your visitors clicked on to reach your page.

Landing pages are your lead capture workhorse. Whether you have an available white

paper or ebook, you want to build your email newsletter sign-up database or you have a

workshop to promote you will want to create signup forms for these landing pages. Your

signups will soar when you create a page that details, sells and demonstrates the benefits

of acquiring your free report. A landing page with video, audio, images, descriptions and

very intuitive call to action is a must for lead capture campaigns.

Focusing on your users instead of yourself can increase

sales by 90%.

Removing unnecessary details from your landing page can increase

conversions by approximately 60% (Neilson).

4. Promotion P.T. Barnum said it best: “Without promotion something terrible happens…Nothing!”

We’ve discussed that content is king and publishing engaging, high-impact and information-rich website, blog, social and premium content is a solid start. However, to ensure a wide captive audience and boost your content marketing ROI, you must promote and market your content. Producing excellent content without promotion will not secure your status as an industry thought leader or increase lead generation or conversion.


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Inbound Marketing Checklist Use this checklist to ensure you are doing all you can to put inbound marketing to work for your company!

1. Website Optimization: [ ] Do you have an offsite blog or onsite Blog landing page? [ ] Is your website optimized for SEO and Mobile? [ ] Are Calls to Action Present and Effective? [ ] Are Forms and Value statements present and Effective? [ ] Is website content informative, interesting and entertaining?

2. Creation of Premium Content Blogs: [ ] Do you have an optimized blog page with lead generating forms and RSS feeds [ ] Are you posting blogs optimally 4+ X per month or minimum of 3X per month? [ ] Do your blogs have call to action buttons and inbound marketing forms?

Social Media: Do you have the right social platforms in place, with engaging contet that are designed and optimized for your brand: [ ] Facebook [ ] YouTube [ ] Twitter [ ] Pinterest [ ] Google + [ ] Other? [ ] Are your social platforms promoting your Website, Blog and Whitepapers? [ ] Do you social platforms have call to action buttons and inbound marketing forms?

White Papers and/or eBooks: [ ] Have you written and optimized white papers and/or eBooks?

[ ] Are they informative and easy to interpret? [ ] Are they designed with online audiences’ needs in mind.

[ ] Are they collecting user information that can be used to finalize the conversion? Case Studies and Client Testimonials: [ ] Are they informative and easy to interpret? [ ] Are they designed with online audiences’ needs in mind.


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Email Development and Marketing [ ] Are your email campaigns CANSpam compliant? [ ] Are your templates developed to display correctly on multiple email readers? [ ] Is your email marketing mobile optimized? [ ] Are your newsletters informative and easy to interpret? [ ] Are they designed with online audiences’ needs in mind?

Online Video Topics:

[ ] Company / staff introduction? [ ] Products? [ ] Testimonials? [ ] Solutions? [ ] Processes? [ ] Culture?

Production: [ ] Who will write? [ ] Who will produce? [ ] Is talent needed? [ ] Do you have a YouTube business channel and is it optimized?

3. Creation and Optimization of Landing Pages containing Lead Generating Forms

[ ] Are pages SEO optimized? [ ] Do landing pages need custom URL? [ ] Are landing pages mobile optimized? [ ] Is there video available? [ ] Are lead capturing forms developed? [ ] Who’s email addresses are forms directed to? [ ] What is plan to convert after data is collected?

4. Promotion

What strategies will you use to promote your inbound strategies? [ ] Facebook [ ] Twitter [ ] LinkedIn [ ] Google + [ ] TV and Radio? [ ] Print [ ] Public Relations (Digital / Print)? [ ] Outdoor? [ ] Other?


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About TAG

We believe great things are possible and everything springs from your goals. TAG is a fully integrated marketing communications company serving businesses in nearly every industry for clients throughout the nation. Marketing isn’t new to us and our web services team is recognized as a leader in the digital space. When you partner with our TAG, you’ll have better control over timelines and budget, without losing access to local, friendly and responsive web support.

TAG Communications In-House Areas of Expertise

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Account Management

Project Management

Project Coordination

Quotes / Estimates

Public Relations Management

Web Design

Video Production

Audio Production

Direct Mail

Copywriting

Yellow Pages Management

Google AdWords Certification

Social Media Management

Digital Media Management

Traditional Media Management Graphic Design

Web Development


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