Inbound Marketing Age

“But Nikki, I had to buy those boots, the website said they were ‘trending’ and I didn’t want to miss out.”

Were they really trending though, Lucy James? Or were you a victim of social proof?

Of course, Lucy wanted the boots, but usually cautious and sensible with her money, Lucy would’ve deliberated a little more before making such a quick purchase.

What caused this sudden urgency in her behaviour? Perhaps it was the fact the seller used social proof to lure Lucy into impulsively parting with her money - ‘these are selling fast, so buy them quickly before they sell out’.

Landing pages are some of the most important pages on your website. Each is designed to serve a purpose - most likely, to convert a prospect into a lead.

A good landing page will be simple, yet powerful. But a poor landing page could lose a contact at the crucial point of conversion.

Marketers use a variety of techniques to improve conversion rates - like imagery, contrasting colours, and graphics - but as we know, words are the real currency of the internet.

Writing well is one thing, but writing an effective landing page is a dedicated skill.

Millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the most dominant generation in the workforce.

And more importantly, they now make up 45% of B2B buyers.

The top end of this cohort - now approaching their mid-30s, are set to be our biggest allies as they move into managerial roles and acquire more purchasing and decision-making power.

The ubiquity of spoken content in 2019 is undeniable. Podcasts, webinars, videos and presentations are prolific in marketing and sales, but spoken content transcends industry and sector. We see it harnessed in science, popular culture, psychology, education and so much more.

Not only does it empower you to thrust your brand into the spotlight, but it enables your organisation to cultivate thought leadership and gain a wider audience. For that reason, spoken word should be an integral part of your inbound strategy. 

Social media has solidified its reputation as a viable B2B marketing tool.

Rather than the fun, leisurely pastime it once was, it is now prolific in the digital marketing space and has been adopted by major business brands looking to take full advantage of the opportunities it offers.

I can’t stand reading my old blogs.

I'd go around the houses about five times before saying anything concrete. I used vocabulary I wasn’t totally comfortable with. And I always seemed to think more was ...more. More words, more examples, more regurgitations of the same ideas.

Of course, that’s reflected in the stats.

Even if traffic was high, nobody was hanging around long enough to extract any value from my posts.

Whether you have an inbound strategy or not, I think it's fair to assume that  staying competitive, profitable and on top of search engine results pages (SERPs) is a priority for most businesses.

But that requires you to constantly have your finger on the pulse - algorithm updates, ranking factors and changes in your readers’ behaviour will all influence not just a content marketing strategy, but a marketing strategy full stop.

There's a new decision-maker entering the B2B sales funnel.

Curious, socially aware, digitally native and research driven, millennials are more involved in making decisions about which products and services companies are using than ever before.

The B2B Millennial Marketing Report states that 73% of millennials are involved in product or service purchase decision-making at their companies.

By 2020 millennials will represent a third of the workforce so you can no longer deny their power and influence in the B2B marketing sphere. 

Simply put, don't let millennials be an afterthought.

Imagine you are a shop owner, selling to the general public. As the centre of your business, the building itself would be somewhere customers feel comfortable, at ease, guided by clear signage and top notch customer service advisors. Shelves would be stacked in an orderly and strategic manner, items would be priced clearly, and staff would be friendly, helpful and available.

What’s more, the store would be clean and warm (or cool, depending on your hemisphere...), with an engaging and attractive interior that is aligned with your brand identity. 

The reason I paint this picture is because your website deserves the same investment. 

Struggling for new content ideas? Or just struggling to find the time to write regularly enough? I may have a solution for you. Those old blog posts lurking in your archives - the ones you've either forgotten about or have been rendered obsolete over time - they could be gold dust. 

“It’s not very user-friendly.” 

You've maybe used those words before, or heard them muttered in frustration as a friend, relative or colleague tries to navigate their way around a poorly designed app or a website.

But they are most certainly not words you want to be associated with your own website or app.