Inbound Marketing Blog

Here’s a quick guide to starting an Inbound Marketing Plan

Developing an Inbound Marketing Plan doesn't have to be complicated or too time consuming.  Here are some steps you can start today to help you create your own Inbound Marketing Plan, to give your online marketing efforts a plan and purpose, and get you closer to achieving your business goals.

Marketing Tips:

1. Remember to have a plan and purpose for every strategy and tactic.
2. Ask yourself how does this relate to the bigger picture and your business goals?
3. Make sure that each tactic is aligned with a step in the acquisition process.
4. Make sure you're prospect focused, not product focused.

The first step is align your product or service with your prospects’ needs or problems.

1. What does your company do?
2. What product or service do you sell?
3. What problem or need do you provide a solution for?
4. Who has a need for your product or service?
5. Describe who they are in detail: job title, demographics, location, values, interest.
6. What words do they use to describe their problem or need?
7. If you’re not sure, spend some time doing research, ask people, network, search online, monitor conversations on Linked In and Twitter.
8. Use the Google Keyword Tool or Hubspot Keyword Grader to determine the best keywords and keyword phrases

Next, create a marketing funnel that outlines, content and conversion tactics for each stage of the acquisition process:

1. Build your market reach (advertisements, organic search, social media, offline marketing, networking)
2. Fill the top of your funnel with offers like: an ebook, whitepaper or how to guide.
3. Nurture these leads with lead nurturing and email marketing, this helps establish you as an industry thought leader, promote offers like; webinars, case studies, research and videos.
4. Offer bottom of the funnel offers to your leads like; special offers, free consultations, free trials

Then, after you’ve worked out the marketing funnel, write an action plan to achieve each step:

1. Develop strategies to connect and engage with your target audience and industry thought leaders on:
   1. Linked In
   2. Facebook
   3. Twitter
   4. YouTube
   5. Blogs
   6. Google Alerts
   7. Create content using keywords to promote to your target audience:
      1. Website Marketing
      2. Blogging for Inbound Marketing and Leads
      3. Press releases – link keywords in the copy to your website or blogs.
      4. Ebooks, whitepapers.
      5. Presentations.
      6. Images, video, audio.
      7. Articles and how to guides.
      8. Leverage content to create content.
      9. Use presentations for blog articles.
      10. Group several blog articles into an ebook.
   8. Promotion; social media, blogs, press releases
   9. Advertising; Test and measure ads on; Google, Facebook, Linked In and industry sites that offer online ads.
   10. Link all online ads to a specific landing page that have a lead conversion offer.

And finally make sure you're able to track and measure your success. Use Google Analytics or Hubspot’s Closed Loop Analytics to track what keywords and sites are driving traffic and leads so you know what's working and what's not.

Like I said this is just a quick guide to get you started on the right track with your marketing. If you have any questions or would like me to elaborate on specific areas in future blog articles please let me know by commenting below or emailing me directly at:

Download my free Inbound Marketing Plan ebook here!