ElementsDaily

“Companies should focus the majority of their marketing budget on inbound, not outbound initiatives,” said Jeremy LaDuque, CEO of Elements Inc., creator of ElementsLocal™, a new software solution for companies that increasescompany leads through maximized search engine results. “When you push your message out far and wide with little discretion, you’re essentially crossing your fingers that it will resonate with a few individuals. Inbound marketing generates leads that are more abundant and credible, as potential customers seeking your services have been attracted organically through search engines, blogs and social media.”

ElementsLocal helps company networks shift from traditional outbound marketing tactics like Pay-Per-Click advertising, which are costly and offer little lasting value, by bolstering the company’s Internet presence through the creation of local, autonomous and brand-compliant web sites for each company location.

For many companies who’ve become reliant on advertising, cold-calls and purchased e-blast lists, the shift to SEO and social media can seem intimidating. However, it doesn’t have to be, and in today’s economic climate, there’s no better time to make sure marketing dollars are used efficiently, says LaDuque.

He offers the following tips to help companies jump on the inbound marketing bandwagon:

Get Local. Instead of relying on just one national web site for the entire company network, provide cross-linked autonomous and brand-compliant web sites for each location. As the franchisor, you benefit from:

A “network effect” of hundreds of web sites, each displaying relevant content about the company, being seen by search engines, which increases rankings and visibility

An ability to leverage each company by allowing other branches to customize (according to franchisor specifications) their web site with local content and local e-marketing campaigns

1. Get Optimized. Some simple ways to get started with search engine optimization:

a. Focus the attention of each webpage to just a few keywords

b. Add relevant content about those select key words to that webpage

c. Add those keywords to the title and meta tags of that webpage

2. Get Social. Social media is the fastest-growing segment of the Internet, and best of all, it’s much less expensive than most other marketing tactics. Get your franchise on board by:

a. Participating in social media sites such as Facebook and You Tube. Start a corporate Facebook profile and seek out fans or upload informative – or even humorous – videos that have “pass-along” potential, such as an engaging company story or client testimonials. This will help attract more visitors to your web site, increase your exposure within a larger audience and boost your search engine ranking.

b. Using a blog and/or Twitter to publish information about your business. Gaining “followers” or subscribers not only increases the audience for your company message, but also helps you gain valuable insight from the comments consumers leave on your posts.

3. Get Efficient. Inbound marketing efforts are highly track-able, so employ various strategies to monitor the efficiency of your efforts. This will allow you to repeat what’s working, discontinue what’s not, and gauge what’s providing you with the best return on investment (ROI). Some helpful hints:

a. First, establish exactly what it is you want to track and make sure you have a way to measure what you want to track

b. Use statistical programs like Google Analytics to monitor web site traffic behavior – from number of pages viewed to length of time on the site

c. Use landing pages to track specific ad campaigns and/or marketing initiatives

d. Track throughout – from campaign to conversion to sale!

“As companies start to ‘think inbound’ in their marketing strategies, they’ll attract customers who are appropriate for and receptive to the company message,” said LaDuque. “This competitive advantage will not only save companies money, but will also help them build lasting and loyal relationships with clients.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 12:06 pm and is filed under Lead Generation, Online Marketing, Online Tools, SEO, Tips & Tricks, Web Analytics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.