If you are new to the world of inbound marketing, it can be a daunting prospect. Many people have been in the same position and luckily, have shared their pitfalls. Before you embark on a massive campaign, read about these common mistakes and plan to avoid making them yourself.
- Don’t try and do everything at once.
It can take months to develop a strategy for a successful inbound marketing campaign, so don’t try and push one out too soon. Focus on the most important elements first – the ones that need the most work – and keep working on it day by day.
- Don’t forget to set realistic and measurable goals.
It helps to have SMART goals: Specific (like how many blogs you need to write), Measurable (without hard numbers, it’s difficult to measure success), Attainable (know what you and your team are capable of), Relevant (the goals should matter to your business), Timely (set and stick to deadlines).
- Use what you have already.
Don’t be tempted to overhaul your existing marketing material – use what you have. You may just need to spice up certain aspects of your website a bit or tweak content for a specific audience. It’s important too, to integrate your outbound marketing with your inbound.
- Ensure you write blogs.
While blog writing is not for everyone, there’s no denying the impact it can have on your campaign. Every time you write a new blog post, you add another indexed page to your site, which is another opportunity for you to show up in search engines and drive traffic to your website. Blogs are also an opportunity to generate leads, by using calls-to-action.
- Create relevant blog content.
While it might be tempting to write about the first thing that pops into your head, targeted content that will drive people to your website is what you want.
- Examine your email list.
Sending your message to people who don’t want to hear it is a waste of time. You need to review your email list and send your emails to the people who expect to receive them. This will decrease your bounce rate too.
- Measure your results and adjust.
Without tracking the metrics you set for your goals, you will not know how your success compares to your original objective. You may only wish to track the elements you are focusing on, like optimizing your blog, so track blog views, click through rates, etc. If you don’t measure, you won’t know what to adjust.
- Stay up to date. Online changes happen daily and inbound marketing requires a higher level of attention, detail, analysis and expertise than old advertising-based marketing. If you can’t stay current, use an inbound agency to assist you.
WSI has a handy tool to help your inbound marketing campaign
Digital marketers, WSI, have created an Inbound Marketing Checklist with helpful links to ensure your campaign gets off to a healthy start. From social media strategies, SEO, paid search to website development, WSI can help fine tune your online marketing strategy, so why not contact WSI today to find out more.
