How to implement an inbound marketing strategy?

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We all know that digital and the Internet era have completely changed the way we live and consume. Today, everything is at our fingertips, in this small device that we never leave and that we call a smartphone. Of course, brands wanted to take advantage of the extreme development of digital technology and all communication channels were heavily exploited (telephone canvassing, mass mailing, TV, radio, etc.). So much so that to this day, a large majority of people find traditional marketing practices far too intrusive . A phenomenon that pushes brands to reinvent themselves and review their way of communicating to reach an ever more demanding clientele. It is in response to this observation that a new practice appeared in the 2000s and continues to prove itself: inbound marketing . But then, what is inbound marketing and how do you approach the different stages of implementation for your business?

What is inbound marketing and in what context did this practice emerge?
The first to approach the notion of inbound marketing were the founders of Hubspot Brian HALLIGAN and Dharmesh SHAH in 2006. However, this concept of so-called “inbound” marketing has actually been practiced for years.

By definition, inbound marketing aims to attract the customer to you rather than reaching them through more traditional methods of mass advertising . Indeed, as we mentioned previously, consumer habits hav belgium phone number list changed a lot and their relationship with brands as well. With the strong development of digital, the customer is now capable of real autonomy in their purchasing process . No need to question a brand or its sales department to form an opinion, a simple search on Google or social networks is enough.

With inbound marketing, brands have therefore decided to stop their one-sided communication by imposing advertisements on as many people as possible. They now prefer to focus on very precise targeting and offer their potential customers content that will interest them and help them finalize their purchasing process .


The steps of an inbound marketing strategy are as follows:
Attract the visitor.
Convert this visitor into a lead.
Trigger a purchase and turn them into a customer.
Build loyalty so that he becomes an ambassador.
Of course, each stage has its own methods and very specific content.

But before getting started, it is necessary to work carefully on setting up certain actions and not to neglect the steps.


How to implement an inbound marketing strategy?
Analyze the market and the competition
As with everything you implement, especially in marketing, it is necessary to carry out a complete analysis of your company's ecosystem . This reflection will allow you to take a step back from what you have already implemented, what should be kept or not, and what deserves to be improved. It will also be interesting to carry out a competitive analysis in order to see what your competitors are doing and how they are positioned.

Setting goals
Defining SMART goals is essential so that you can then measure the success of your actions effectively. A SMART goal is a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound goal , which allows you to have a very precise vision of your results. Start by using KPIs that you know well, such as your current conversion rates (number of visitors to your site for example, and number of leads obtained). This will allow you to know where you are at the moment and where you want to go in the weeks, months and years to come.

Define your buyer personas
Defining buyer personas is one of the central and essential actions in your inbound marketing strategy since the latter is based on the desires and needs of your customers. In definition, a buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your typical customer . You will be able to define several of them thanks to qualitative and quantitative surveys (see our article on the subject “ What is a buyer persona in marketing and how to define it? ”) . The more precise these portraits of your targets are, the better you will be able to know how to communicate with them.

Think carefully about your conversion funnel
The conversion funnel refers to your customer's purchasing journey (also called the Buyer Journey). In other words, it refers to the path a potential customer takes before making a purchase.

Here are the different stages that make up this customer journey:
1- The discovery phase
The persona will realize that he has a problem or a need and will begin his research in order to answer it. Here, it is appropriate to provide him with initial educational content to inform him. Ex: Pierre has taken up running again, but his current sneakers hurt his heel, so he will search on the Internet for the type of shoes with which he could practice his hobby without suffering.

2- The consideration phase:
The persona will have understood his problem and will know what he needs, he will start looking for solutions and the different options available to him. It is then necessary to offer him content that is a little more technical. Ex: Pierre discovered that it could be interesting to wear running shoes with a certain cushioning in the sole, so he will find out what is available.