Why Social Media Isn't Enough Any More

Social media has crossed over into the business world in such a way that resembles the excitement it generates from people who just use it for fun. Even though Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be used as tools for generating leads, it's important not to abandon certain traditional marketing principles or the emerging influence of inbound marketing, which relies on SEO-driven web content. Relying strictly on social media for leads can limit business growth, as online efforts should be diversified.

Inbound Marketing

The most effective channel for reaching new customers online is a website filled with content that people are already seeking in search engines. The process of attracting visitors to a website has much more to do with informative articles and a series of blogs than fancy graphics. It's still a good idea to include colorful images and even videos, but the search engines mostly want to reward sites with comprehensive content that enriches the user experience. Sites with useful and authoritative content are more likely to get high search rankings, which is the essence of inbound marketing.

Sales pitches are not emphasized in this new marketing paradigm because even consumers looking to make purchases are not interested in being pitched. Consumers are now researchers who look for the best deals online and detailed product information before they make purchasing decisions. They are also more likely to make purchases from businesses they trust, which comes from relationship building and online interaction. That's where social media comes in, but the bigger picture is developing a sales funnel that captures leads through various channels and directs leads toward deeper information, which helps build brand loyalty.

Crafting Useful Content

In order to stand out from online competitors, a website needs to focus on its own niche. Content that is similar to other websites will not only get ignored by Google, but it may diminish the site's authority in the eyes of search engine robots. Any attempt to trick search engines to get high search rankings can draw penalties that lower site rankings. That's why it's better to focus on just developing useful content for interested followers, which is what the search engines reward. Following their guidelines is important because high search rankings lead to building traffic. Every quality web page full of useful content becomes a free advertisement for that site.

There are many creative ways to develop attractive original web content. Product descriptions and reviews are what many consumers are already looking for. They also like to know about the history of products, industries and people. The more knowledge you can share, the more you'll  become a regular resource for followers, which is the doorway to the sales funnel. Blogs that attract followings are given high authority and rankings in search engines. Even though Facebook "likes" and Google "+1s" add to this authority, the crucial key for building an online following is how much unique and in-depth information the site can share and keep people returning for more fresh content. Thought leadership is an important goal to establish credibility with search engines. 

Lead Generation

Even in the world of inbound marketing, leads can come from many places, online or offline. Leads can come from email, online questionnaires, forums and social media. Email leads can be generated from websites, blogs and newsletters. Organizing leads into useful marketing lists can be done with marketing software, in which each lead can be scored and archived as a profile with personal information. Personalization has become an important element of inbound marketing. Once qualified leads are determined, the sales team can work on building customer relationships.

Are you interested in getting beyond Facebook LIKES and focus on leads?  REAdy to make 2014 the year that your marketing was truly accountable, let’s connect.