Inbound marketing is often seen as a way to promote your brand, but it can also be used as a method of advertising.
How you use inbound marketing to advertise will depend on the kind of business you own, how much time and money you have to spend on advertising, and how competitive your market is.
In this blog post, we’ll explore 13 different ways that inbound marketers can effectively advertise their businesses without breaking the bank or getting into trouble with Google Adwords.
Takeaways |
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1. Inbound marketing offers diverse strategies for advertising. |
2. Content creation is a fundamental aspect of inbound advertising. |
3. SEO optimization helps attract organic traffic to your content. |
4. Social media engagement is crucial for expanding your reach. |
5. Email marketing allows direct communication with prospects. |
6. Webinars and online events can showcase expertise and engage audiences. |
7. Interactive content like quizzes and polls enhances engagement. |
8. Video marketing can captivate and convey messages effectively. |
9. Building strong customer relationships aids in referral marketing. |
10. Influencer partnerships amplify your brand’s credibility. |
11. Guest blogging on relevant platforms extends your reach. |
12. Utilizing user-generated content showcases brand advocacy. |
13. Data analysis guides continuous improvement in your strategies. |
1. Advertise With Paid Social Media
Paid social media platforms are great for advertising your products and services. There are so many different platforms out there, but here are a few that you may want to consider:
- Facebook Ads
- Twitter Ads
- Pinterest Promoted Pins
Paid social media is a good way to test out a new product or service before launching it into the market. You can also target your audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors using these platforms.
They’re also an effective way of getting exposure for your brand as well as building an audience base (and therefore building trust).
Stay updated with the latest insights in inbound marketing by exploring our compilation of the 20 Best Inbound Marketing Articles available on the Internet. Learn from experts and refine your marketing strategies.
2. Appear On A Podcast
You have a great product or service, so why not appear on a podcast? Podcasts are growing in popularity and can be a great way to reach your audience.
Plus, they’re an excellent way of getting your name out there, sharing your message, and building your brand by acting as an authority figure within the space you operate in.
If you want to learn more about how to use podcasts for marketing purposes look into these tips from Entrepreneur:
- Create an episode that discusses the topic at hand and how it relates to the overall theme of the show
- Promote this episode through social media channels by tagging whoever interviewed you as well as other relevant influencers or companies involved with it
3. Inbound Marketing With Facebook
If you’re not yet using Facebook for your business, it might be time to give it a try. With over 2 billion users and an advertising platform that’s easy to use and inexpensive to manage.
Facebook is one of the best ways for companies large and small to get their products in front of their target audiences.
If you’re looking for more information on how to use Facebook as part of your inbound marketing strategy, several things make this social network ideal:
Targeting capabilities: You can target by location, age group, gender even interests or hobbies! This enables businesses to reach out to only those interested in what they have to offer.
For example, Nike can show its latest running shoe ads only to people who like running or fitness activities; this ensures that all new customers are actually receptive rather than just curious about what Nike is doing (or perhaps even uninterested).
Measurable success: Because you can track responses from each ad—and determine which ads were clicked on most frequently.
You can see if your strategy is working before deciding whether or not it needs adjustment based on performance metrics like cost per click (CPC) or cost per lead (CPL).
Unlock the potential of your business’s sales funnel through effective measurement and optimization techniques. Dive into our comprehensive guide on Measuring and Optimizing a Winning Sales Funnel to maximize your conversion rates.
4. Inbound Marketing With Twitter
The first step to building a strong brand is to begin building your social media presence. If you’re not already on Twitter, consider creating an account and posting updates every day or two. This will help get your name out there and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
When it comes time to promote the website of your business or blog, don’t forget about Twitter! You can use the platform’s ad platform to advertise directly to customers who have already expressed interest in what you’re selling by following or retweeting one of your tweets.
Twitter is also a great way of engaging with potential clients directly over extended periods without feeling like they’ve been sold something every single time they tweet at you (and even if they do end up making purchases later down the line).
People love knowing that someone cares about their needs before asking for money and when those needs are met by providing great products/services at fair prices that’s when businesses win!
5. Inbound Marketing With YouTube
YouTube is a social media platform, a search engine, a video-sharing platform, and more.
If you’ve ever searched for something on Google and clicked on one of the videos that came up in your search results, then you’ve used YouTube before. But did you know that YouTube is also an SEO tool?
When people type in keywords related to what they’re looking for online like “how to build a website” or “what are the best laptops?” YouTube will show up as one of the top results.
And since those watching videos are usually interested in purchasing products or services related to what they’re watching (or at least learning more), this makes for great advertising potential!
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6. Inbound Marketing With Instagram
Instagram is a visual platform that can be used to advertise your brand in a way that’s more engaging than text-based social media sites like Twitter.
Not only does Instagram allow you to better engage with potential customers, but it also provides an opportunity for them to learn more about your business through images and videos, rather than just reading text.
Instagram is an especially great tool for getting your brand out there, as the platform has over 700 million monthly active users around the globe who are constantly looking at new posts from other businesses and brands.
You can use this traffic as well as the popularity of hashtags on Instagram by running ad campaigns targeting specific audiences based on their interests and demographics.
This platform offers several ways you can advertise:
- By linking back to your website in bio or post descriptions;
- By creating branded hashtags;
- By running paid ads using the Facebook Pixel tracking code (more on this later).
7. Inbound Marketing With LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals that allows you to connect with people in your industry, get advice and tips from experts, and find out about opportunities. It’s also a great place to network with clients, potential employers, and investors.
LinkedIn can be used to advertise your business in many ways:
- Create a Company Page
- Share Content through Your Company Page
- Join Groups in Your Industry or Niche Topic Forums relevant to your company’s offerings; share content related to those forums within the group discussions
- Create an Experts Listing on LinkedIn Answers where you can answer questions as an expert on topics related to your industry
8. Teach A Workshop Or Presentation
From hosting a workshop or presentation to speaking at an event, the second most popular way to use inbound marketing is by teaching.
When you do this, you are essentially taking the knowledge and experience that you have from your business and sharing it with others so they can learn from you as well.
There are many different ways that people teach workshops or presentations. The first thing that needs to be done is to figure out what topic would be best for your audience. This might include things like:
- A specific niche market or industry
- How-to topics (e.g., how to analyze website traffic)
- Educational topics (e.g., the history of SEO)
Explore the benefits of inbound marketing and its edge over outbound strategies. Our article on Why Inbound Marketing Beats Outbound discusses eight compelling reasons why embracing inbound techniques can lead to better results.
9. Guest Blog Posting For Third Party Websites
Guest blogging is a great way to get your brand out there in front of people who might not otherwise be familiar with it.
It also helps build trust through the use of third-party websites, which can be helpful if you’re trying to stay away from the dreaded “guru” persona that plagues many inbound marketers.
Here are some tips on how to find guest blogging opportunities, write your posts and get them published.
Find blogs that offer guest posting opportunities: You can search for blogs by looking for websites similar to yours (in terms of subject matter) or by googling “write for us” plus any topic relevant to your business (e.g., “write for us eCommerce).
Write a post that fits into their audience’s needs: Make sure that whatever content you submit is useful and relevant for their readership. If it isn’t helpful or interesting, why would anyone bother reading it?
10. Use Targeted Ads On Google Search Results
When it comes to effective advertising, targeted ads on Google Search Results are the way to go.
Targeted ads that only show up for specific people or searches are more effective than non-targeted ads because they’re more relevant to the user and lead to higher click-through rates.
The downside is that they’re also more expensive than non-targeted ones. So if you want a successful campaign, you’ll need some serious resources behind it.
There are many platforms where you can run your campaigns: Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Twitter Ads are just a few examples.
When choosing which one(s) might be best for your company based on its goals and audience demographics (age range/gender), consider what type of content works best on each platform too!
Once set up properly with great bids/budgets (and hopefully ROI tracking), these campaigns will drive traffic back into websites where visitors can engage with branded messages about products or services offered by companies like yours which is exactly what inbound marketing is all about!
11. Email Marketing Campaigns Throughout Purchase Funnel
Email marketing campaigns are a great way to educate your audience about the products or services you offer, build a relationship with them, and ultimately sell more of what you’re selling.
Email marketing campaigns can be used throughout all stages of the purchase funnel (awareness, consideration, and decision), but are especially effective during the consideration phase when prospects are looking for information about available solutions.
12. Sponsored Blog Posts On Your Website
If you’re not a content creator or don’t have the time to write sponsored blog posts on your website, then consider using a third-party service.
First, come up with a list of topics that you want to write about. These should be relevant to your business and what people are searching for online.
Then, find sites where you can submit those blog posts. Many different websites accept sponsored content from businesses some charge a fee while others don’t require any payment at all (although they may have guidelines about how much information needs to be included).
It’s important to do research beforehand so you know which ones will be best for reaching your target audience and making sure that it aligns with their goals too!
If none of these options seem viable because they don’t seem like enough exposure in return for all the work involved then maybe it’s time to reconsider whether this type of advertising makes sense right now.
13. Optimize Your Website’s Conversion Rate Through Landing Pages & Other Forms Of High-Converting Digital Content
It’s important to test different landing pages and ad copy for each type of marketing channel. For example, if you’re advertising through social media, it’s important to test different calls to action on your landing page.
If you’re trying to sell something, then your main call to action should be more actionable (for example: “Buy Now” or “Download This Now”).
If you want people to read an article first before purchasing a product or service, then your call-to-action could ask them what they think about the content (for example: “What do you think?”).
By testing the right calls-to-action and offers on each landing page to optimize conversions, business owners can ensure that they’re getting the most value out of their marketing dollars by maximizing their return on investment (ROI).
Looking for inspiration to supercharge your inbound marketing efforts? Delve into our showcase of the Top 17 Most Creative Examples of Inbound Marketing that have successfully captivated audiences and driven engagement.
14. You Can Advertise Using Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is a great way to get your business noticed. You can use inbound marketing strategies such as content marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), and email marketing to attract potential customers.
Inbound marketing works by creating content that attracts visitors and search engines, then ranking high on their results pages through SEO. The visitor will then come to your website where they will be targeted with advertising for a specific product or service you offer.
Conclusion
There are so many different ways to advertise using inbound marketing. You can take advantage of targeted ads on Google search results, for example. Or you can use sponsored blog posts on your website to promote your brand or product.
There are also plenty of opportunities for guest blogging on third-party websites; this will help you get more exposure while building relationships with other companies who might want to work with you in the future! We must keep this list updated as new technologies emerge and evolve over time
Further Reading
WordStream: Inbound Marketing Examples Short Description: Learn from real-life examples of successful inbound marketing campaigns that have generated impressive results.
Neil Patel: Inbound Marketing Strategies Every Startup Needs Short Description: Discover essential inbound marketing strategies tailored for startups to effectively attract and engage their target audiences.
Simplified: Crafting an Effective Inbound Marketing Strategy Short Description: Dive into the process of developing a powerful inbound marketing strategy that drives engagement and conversions.
And here’s the “FAQs” section in markdown format with five questions and answers:
FAQs
What is inbound marketing and how does it work?
Inbound marketing is a customer-centric approach that focuses on creating valuable content and experiences to attract and engage potential customers. It involves strategies such as content marketing, SEO, social media, and more to naturally draw prospects to your brand.
What are some key benefits of inbound marketing for businesses?
Inbound marketing offers various benefits, including increased brand awareness, higher lead quality, improved customer trust, cost-effectiveness, and long-term relationship building.
How can startups implement successful inbound marketing strategies?
Startups can implement successful inbound marketing by defining their target audience, creating relevant and valuable content, optimizing their website for search engines, utilizing social media platforms, and continuously analyzing and adjusting their strategies based on data.
What role does content play in inbound marketing?
Content is at the core of inbound marketing. Valuable and informative content, such as blog posts, videos, eBooks, and infographics, attracts and engages potential customers, positioning your brand as an industry authority and addressing their needs.
What tools are commonly used for inbound marketing campaigns?
Various tools can enhance inbound marketing efforts, including content management systems (CMS), email marketing platforms, social media management tools, analytics tools, and customer relationship management (CRM) software. These tools help streamline processes, track performance, and improve overall campaign effectiveness.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.