Whether you\u2019re looking for your first customer or looking to optimize your current funnel, our step-by-step manual will tell you how to get inbound leads that convert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Step 1 \u2013 Research your ideal customer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you even think of creating any content, you need to know who you\u2019re creating it for. I know from personal experience it\u2019s tempting to skip this, but the step is rather vital \u2014 otherwise, you\u2019re just going to waste your time. You certainly can\u2019t blindly copy whatever seems to be popular and hope it\u2019ll work out for you. You need to have your buyer persona<\/a> nailed down if you want more inbound leads that are going to stick around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two main types of information you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Only when you know what\u2019s important to your ideal customer do you know how to get inbound leads through the content that appeals to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you find out these details?<\/strong> The best way is to talk to your existing customers. Send out a survey, or even better interview them face to face. If you don\u2019t have any existing customers, find lookalikes \u2014 maybe people who use a competitor or a complementary product. Whatever you do, don\u2019t just make it up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Far too many people do this exercise alone in a silo, imagining what their buyers want (all through the company\u2019s filtered perception) or even worse, coming up with pointless details (\u201cOkay, I think Enterprise Eddie likes pepperoni pizza and imported beer\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you know the problems your ideal customers have, you can start creating content that solves those problems. Before you go out and write a hundred blog posts on \u201cHow to solve X\u201d though, take a step back and plan out your content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that your inbound leads will be going through a funnel, following the Buyer\u2019s Journey: Awareness > Consideration > Decision<\/strong>. To convert those inbound leads, you need to support them with relevant content for each step of the journey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For each phase, also think about the format you\u2019ll deliver the content in. Just because you love writing blog posts or have invested in a top-notch camera, it doesn\u2019t mean that your content should be all blog posts or videos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider what formats your prospect enjoys consuming content in (see step 1). Then, consider what format is best for the stage of the buyer\u2019s journey. For example, at Reply, we write blog posts<\/a> (like this one) which are ideal for the awareness stage, ebooks for the consideration stage, and white papers to help with the decision stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine training for a race, running 99% of the way, then stopping just before the finish line. Crazy, right? Unfortunately, that\u2019s what a lot of people do with their inbound leads. They do the research, know how to generate more inbound leads in theory, create amazing content<\/a>, then fail to use it to convert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Why would anyone do that? My personal theory is that many people are attracted to inbound marketing because it\u2019s less \u2018salesy\u2019 than traditional methods. Then, when they produce their content, they\u2019re reluctant to prompt the prospect to do anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should never make it difficult for your visitors to become customers. Whatever content you\u2019re producing, make it crystal clear what they should do next. Of course, you have to be realistic; someone who\u2019s just read their first blog post is unlikely to immediately sign up for your enterprise solution. They\u2019ve still got to move through the buyer journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, guide them to the next stage of the journey, whether that\u2019s signing up for a demo or downloading an ebook. Don\u2019t be coy. Spell it out: \u201cLearn more about how Acme Solutions can solve Big Problem with our free guide [LINK].<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re still worried about coming across as pushy or salesy, shift your mindset. Remember, these are inbound leads \u2014 they\u2019ve come to you, looking for a solution to their most pressing problem. You have the solution they need. It\u2019s your duty to help them take the next step. If you went for a consultation with a doctor and she didn\u2019t tell you what you need to do next to get better, you wouldn\u2019t thank her. You\u2019d be annoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, as long as you\u2019re offering genuine value, never be afraid of showing your inbound visitors how to get that value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve written relevant content that converts, you need to make sure people know about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A big part of this is SEO. (Yeah, I know what you may be thinking right now: \u201cThis is just awesome! I\u2019ve come here to learn how to get more inbound leads, and you\u2019re telling me about SEO\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, this could take up a whole book by itself and is outside the scope of this post, but you need to use the terms and keywords your ideal customers are using to search for solutions (back to step 1). There\u2019s no other way around it. I suggest learning at least the basics (my favorite resource for getting started is the Ahrefs guide<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond that, you should distribute your content in the places your prospects will see it. For example, that might mean promoting your content on social media or writing guest posts on authority sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, we want to make it as easy as possible for the right people to find your content. Your content shouldn\u2019t be buried treasure \u2014 you should be shouting about it from the rooftops. Still, while it would be great to shout it from every rooftop, that may not be practical. Focus on the places your customers hang out (for us, that\u2019s more LinkedIn and less TikTok \u2014 at least for now). <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve already talked about the buyer journey your inbound leads will go through, and how your content must reflect each stage of the journey. However, what some people forget is that this journey takes time. Most people are unlikely to go from visitor to customer in one visit (unless the product is particularly low cost). For the majority of your leads, you\u2019ll need to nurture them through that funnel, giving them enough value that they keep coming back for more. So, let\u2019s talk about how to grow inbound marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t rely on your leads just coming back by themselves. Remember, there\u2019s a lot of competition for attention today and, even with the best will in the world, enthusiastic visitors will likely forget all about you and your awesome content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The easiest way to nurture your leads is by creating a lead magnet<\/a>, where you exchange something of value (most likely a piece of content like an ebook, for the consideration\/decision phase) for something else of value (their contact information). You can then create a nurture sequence (something that can easily be automated in Reply<\/a>, FYI), reaching out to them with even more value and encouraging them into the next stage of the buyer\u2019s journey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This doesn\u2019t have to (and likely shouldn\u2019t) be purely through email. Depending on the prospect and how they originally found your content, it may be appropriate to reach out over social media or via some other method. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The key here is to remember you\u2019re not the stereotypical salesperson, piling on the pressure to make the big sale. In today\u2019s world, it\u2019s virtually impossible to force someone to buy from you, even if you wanted to go down that road. Instead, engage with them with the help of targeted messages<\/a>, offer content that\u2019s specifically valuable to them, and give them all the information they need to make a decision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It seems like everyone\u2019s talking about how to generate inbound leads these days but only a few do it effectively. Inbound leads aren\u2019t a magic bullet, and they won\u2019t convert by themselves. The process may not be easy, but it is straightforward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By researching your ideal customers, creating content that meets their needs, including a CTA, then distributing that content and nurturing those leads, you can create a consistent flow of customers for your business. If you have your own secret recipes about how to increase inbound leads, don\u2019t hesitate to share them in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
![\"Demographic](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/demographic-psychographic-data-1.png\")
Step 2 \u2013 Create content for your ideal leads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"The](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screenshot-2022-05-01-at-18.30.57.png\")
Step 3 \u2013 Move your inbound leads to action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 4 \u2013 Distribute your content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Content](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Content-Distribution-Trifecta-1.jpeg\")
Step 5 \u2013 Nurture your inbound leads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n