Inbound software marketing can feel overwhelming. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet that never quits. There are so many things to keep track of: website design, keywords and phrases, blogging, social media posts, eBooks and whitepapers, offers and the campaigns used to promote them, email marketing, PPC ads... ad nauseam.
Then there are numbers and analytics to monitor, keeping track of where you've been, where you're headed and how you're doing in the meantime.
Is there any room for simplicity on your crowded buffet table?
The refreshing reality is that a simple approach is every bit as effective as that "throw it all out there and hope some people like it" strategy. Plus, you'll also see an increase in the amount of prospects and leads that come back for more.
Let's start with one of the most simple and important steps of all: defining your target market.
If you aren't marketing to the right people, you won't see any improvement in your marketing numbers. Often there's a disconnect between who your best customers are and the content you're creating.
For example, your sales/marketing crew may have done a great job identifying target personas and creating detailed and intuitive profiles. In the meantime, the vast majority of your content just talks about how great your products and services are and encourages people to "contact you" or "click here" to learn more or buy now.
That's not a wise use of your buyer personas.
Once you've established who benefits most from your products and services, you should choose one of those personas. Then, spend time crafting content that takes that person from first-time visitor to someone whose initial questions are answered to a converted lead who knows and understands quite a bit about your products/services and—finally—to a bona fide customer.
Marketing tip: Get up close and personal with prospects and clients by attending industry-related events and trade shows where you can meet them face-to-face. This organic connection will help you grow contact lists and connections with more true promise.
Until you're totally fluent in inbound marketing methodology, aim first at quality since it will always trump quantity. Making every dish under the sun and then hoping a few of them will become favorites is a waste of your time, talents and budget—and it leaves a lot out there to rot. Instead, let prospects savor one dish at a time. Then, as you learn more about what they like, you can keep adding more dishes as their appetite grows.
This requires a slow cooker approach to marketing. Choose a single offer and begin to build prospects' interest, information-bank and confidence over time. We recommend spending an entire business quarter promoting a single offer. This allows you to approach the offer from a variety of different angles and plan nurturing campaigns that will address all stages of the buyer's journey.
By default, this method also ensures content is more tightly woven so things connect more fluidly as prospects click-through along their journey.
Create a content map and see what you have now. Odds are you can revive and refresh old content that isn't performing anymore—or never performed in the first place—so that it fits better into your new-and-improved software marketing picture.
Spice up titles that have fallen flat. Create new content that fills the funnel gaps—typically the top and middle of the funnel. This will allow clients to find exactly what they want, whether they're in the mood for an appetizer, main course or dessert.
