Inbound marketing focuses on establishing and building relationships by providing value and developing trust. Visitors are attracted to venues such as websites and social media through marketing efforts for the purpose of creating opportunities. Conversion starts with encouraging people to begin a relationship. Thus a ‘Call to Action’ is employed and something of value is offered in exchange for contact information. Thus the foundation for the relationship is established. Building a relationship to the point that people become prospective customers is the crux of conversion. The most important factors are providing value in a non-intrusive way. Following are tips on converting visitors to leads:
- Employ Calls to Action – A basic tenet of advertising is the ‘call to action’. The person who is exposed to a marketing message is persuaded to take some kind of action. Inbound marketing is based on providing value and building relationships. Thus a call to action equates to providing something of value in exchange for contact information. For example offering an eBook on reducing the cost of vehicle ownership in exchange for contact information will encourage a person to provide their information and establish a relationship.
- Use Contact Information Forms – When a visitor reacts to a call to action they should be presented with a form allowing entry of their contact information including email address. When possible the offer of value should be emailed to the person in effect validating the email address. Acceptance of the item of value and establishing contact is the start of relationship building.
- Continue the Relationship Building Process – Once a relationship has been established it’s important to build and sustain it. Continuing to stay in contact and bringing value will strengthen a relationship over time.
- Personalize the Relationship – A relationship with a person is much more valuable to an individual than an arms length relationship with a business. Establishing a relationship based on trust is much easier when cultivated at a personal level.
- Periodically Communicate Advances in Services Offered – Providing content of value is the foundation of positive relationships. The objective of relationship building is to attract business. Letting people know about improvements in product offerings will prompt consideration of your service offerings when they’re ready to make a purchase.
