Inbound marketing consists of three main online marketing tactics: SEO, content marketing and social media marketing. While each of these three campaigns can be very successful on its own, when the three are properly integrated, the results for your website and brand can be remarkable. Internet marketing is not a one-or-the-other kind of battle. The most successful websites understand how to leverage all their online assets to their benefit, including social media marketing.
By now, most businesses realize the importance of having some level of a social presence. Social media have even bled into traditional advertising, with television commercials ending by asking viewers to like them on Facebook or find and follow them on Twitter. From Fortune 100 global brands to the local home businesses and small firms around the corner, understand the importance to be involved in social networking. Having them is one thing, but really using them is what makes them so valuable for your inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing is a marketing strategy that focuses on attracting prospective customers by offering useful information. Inbound marketing works to position your website in front of a target audience that is already looking for you, your products or your services. Instead of trying to capture the attention of a passive audience, inbound marketing helps your website attract a visitor that is already interested and drive them to you.
Studies have shown that social media profiles are great for engaging and connecting with current customers because are more likely to be interested in what you have to say and share. Your social profiles let current and past customers interact directly with your brand, which helps establish a strong trust factor. People want to do business with other people and social profiles let you create a personality for your brand that you website might not have.
When someone searches for your brand directly, your social profiles are likely to rank just under your actual website. This is a good thing for multiple reasons. First, it helps you dominate a larger percentage of the search results. A branded search could also return sites that you've written guest blogs on or 3rd party reviews. You want the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) to be as filled as possible with your own sites and profiles. Secondly, social profiles make your company that much more transparent. It lets your customers feel like they have a direct line of communication with your company and you are willing to have a conversation with them should the need arise.
When it comes to inbound marketing, you have to think of your social profiles and point them all back to your main website. Getting people to Like you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter is one good thing, but having them to convert to your site is a better thing. All your inbound marketing tactics, including social media, should work to push visitors along to your website, no matter which touch point (blog post, article, social profile update, etc) they first arrive at.