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How to achieve growth with inbound marketing

06/14/202111/16/2020 by scmarketing

This blog covers some of the steps to consider to help you achieve growth with your inbound marketing strategy. Right now, businesses are vying for attention online as we’ve all shifted focus to conducting business remotely. Our networking events and exhibitions have gone for now, and everyone is searching online for services and products.

With 89% of B2B buyers and 81% of consumer shoppers starting their online search for products or services by turning to Google, how do you get your business in the mix? How can you generate web traffic via search engines and get good qualified leads who are interested in your products and services visiting your website?

Here’s a few tips on achieving growth with an inbound marketing strategy that attracts leads that are right for your business.

Who are your customers?

If you don’t already know who your core customers are, then you need to. This will ensure that any inbound marketing is targeting the right people, with the right messages and when they want to hear from you. This means that your budget is more efficient and provides a better return on investment.

Be consistent

Now you understand your target audience and their needs and challenges then you need to tailor content for them. You need to make your messages consistent across all marketing platforms. Creating a core message document with a tone of voice specific to your business helps. As well as creating an online buyer persona of the person you would like as your customer.

Being consistent helps build trust for your brand.

Content marketing

Now you need to attract customers. Part of your lead generation strategy is to get people to your door and that means to your website. Therefore, great content is what you need including keywords that will help with website optimisation and your website rising in search rankings.

We recommend you have a blog page for your website which allows you to update relevant and unique content regularly to your website. Include your researched keywords in a blog post not only for SEO but to continue that consistency of messaging.

This is all part of lead nurturing. You want to engage with your prospects and maintain your existing customers. So become that thought leader with interesting content offering advice that solves their problems. Know any industry legislation that will impact their business and provide informative templates and eBooks that can help grow their business.

Be professional yet approachable

Having a relevant social media account can help with this, especially of you are an accounting firm. However more often than not accountants are inclined to the think that social media is not the right channel for them. However, it’s worth remembering that social media is not all about Tik Tok and photographing food. Your audience is somewhere on social media.

It’s about thinking of the right social platform relevant for the people you want to reach. For example, LinkedIn is perfect for networking and ideal for reaching out to SMEs in a professional manner. However, don’t dismiss the virtues of Facebook. If you think of Facebook as another search engine. If for example your accounting firm has a company page on this channel then this helps reassure people about your firm.

Inbound marketing agency in Surrey

If you’re looking for qualified leads become a lead generation magnet with the help of Smart Cow. Take a closer look at our marketing services or book a consultation and we can discuss digital marketing strategy that is best to achieve your business goals.

We specialise in digital marketing for accountants as well as providing digital marketing services and web design for local businesses within Croydon. If you’re looking to grow your business, get in touch.

Find out more about lead generation strategies for your business in our blog.

Accounting firms: Kick start your inbound marketing campaign

05/06/202109/25/2020 by scmarketing

With so much happening online today, ensuring your accountancy firm has share of voice online is essential for new business and growth. While ensuring your existing clients are well looked after, in this current climate it’s no longer possible to simply rely on repeat business or referrals.

At the centre of all your online activity should be your website, but how do you get potential clients to your site?

Here we give you an overview of how to kick start or enhance your online inbound marketing campaign for your accounting practice.

Set up your Google My Business page

If you haven’t already set this up then make sure you action it as soon as possible. We’ve got a series of videos coming up to give you the ins and outs of this directory but safe to say that as it is one of the largest search engines, then having your business listed with address, contact details, opening times, web URL and services then you are already helping your optimisation strategy to lead people to your business.

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Before starting your inbound marketing campaign, make sure that your own website is optimised for search engines. There are many tools available to run against your site to see where improvements can be made to your site is more effective. We found Semrush a great tool, although also many free options and plug-ins you can have for your browsers.

If your website design and build was some time ago make sure that is is mobile responsive. Check how the web pages look on your smart phone and that it’s easy to read and navigate.

We can provide a free website review which will highlight some key areas you can focus on initially.

Also take a look at our Boost your SEO blog for some quick fix top tips for your SEO strategy.

Create a persona

Do you know who you are marketing to? One of the best ways to understand this is to create a marketing persona. This is an imaginary character based on your target audience and current client base.

Once you’ve created a persona it makes it much easier to understand how to market to them, what language to use and what online marketing channels would be best.

Here’s our tips on creating an online persona for your firm.

Website structure

You need to make sure your website is structured to make it easier to navigate so that visitors can quickly and simply find what they’re looking for.

This makes a much better experience for your visitors and also lowers the bounce rate which will negatively affect your site in search engine results pages (SERPs).

We can work with you to review your site so that the website functionality is spot on for your prospects.

Keywords

It is worth making sure you know which keywords are appropriate to your business. Be specific. Think about what you would type in the search function to find what you are looking for to help you get a list of the right keywords.

This forms part of your content marketing strategy. Initially we recommend you review all your website content to ensure that it is up to date. Then consider adding a blog or news feed. The reason we suggest this is that it allows a space for you to add regular, fresh content to your website which will incorporate those keywords.

The more you use the keywords in fresh content, the more chances you have of being found by search engines. If you are an accountancy firm phased in Croydon then makes sure that you regularly say this on your website. But not only that, be a more specific in content and write blogs with keywords in titles or H1headings.

Take a look at our article, why blog, as this has some great tips on keywords, internal and external link building as well as Google My Business.

Inbound marketing agency for accountants

This is just a short overview of the key areas to implement to kick start your inbound marketing. Lay these solid foundations so that you can build on this for your ongoing inbound strategy. Here’s some further reading to help:

We specialise in marketing as well as working closely with many local businesses in Croydon and London area. Take a look at our digital marketing services for accountants including website design and development, social media management, Pay Per Click (PPC) and more.

The Beginner’s Guide to Inbound Marketing

07/16/202005/29/2020 by scmarketing

If you’re looking to get more qualified leads coming to you then understanding the basics of inbound marketing can help you attract quality leads.

Learn the basics with Smart Cow Marketing

Inbound marketing is all about getting potential clients to find you at the right stage of the sales Journey.

Our Guide gives easy to follow key points to get you on this proven route to getting more high quality leads to your business. The guide covers topics such as:

Lead generation – What is it? Why is it important?
How to generate leads
Lead generation marketing including: social media marketing, email marketing or pay per click ads
Lead generation strategies and tips for campaigns

Lead generation marketing

What’s key to your lead generation strategy is the different digital marketing channels that you can utilise to help start the lead generation process.

Using a mix of activity as part of your inbound marketing strategy is the best way to attract quality leads to your business.

Flexibility for change  

04/21/202004/17/2020 by scmarketing

One of the most prominent things we’ve noticed with businesses during these unprecedented times that COVID-19 has impacted on us is that we’re adaptable to change.  

Local businesses evolve

We’ve touched on video conferencing as many businesses, who are able to, have adapted to working from home. But where businesses rely on footfall to physical premises, they too have evolved. We’ve been amazed and in awe of the ingenuity of locally businesses here in Croydon. As we’re sure you are too in your local areas.

From bars, restaurants and cafes so quickly turning to providing online delivery or  takeaway options. People want these places to survive. We all want to return to normal as soon as possible so having the ability to support and buy where we can is great all round. 

The arts, so used to collaboration face to face, they too have had events canceled and have switched to total reliance on online selling (#artistspledge has caught everyones attention – read about it on Instagram).

These are only two sector examples. It goes without saying that this is affecting everyone.

Flexible working

The term flexible in business is often heard. Whether that be flexible working or a flexible software solution that your team can create dashboard views that suit their individual preferences. Whatever, flexible is a prevalent term.

But for so many of us, this had not been tested to the degree we see today. For many office-based companies working remotely was probably seeping into the normal routine anyway, but evern so it’s still a dramatic shift for many.

Perhaps before now we didn’t truly understand the term ‘flexible working’. It’s not just about the ability to work at home, remotely and when suitable for you. It’s so much more. It’s about adapting to change swiftly for the benefit of the business and its target audience – whatever sector you work in. It’s about how you solve the challenges your target audience is facing. What solution you can offer them within your capability.  

Seeing how all companies are changing to cater for their customers and clients, in such a short space of time, has been heartwarming. It’s not only about businesses surviving, it’s so much more – it’s about community being at the heart.

Keeping present in a digital world

Now, more than ever, the solutions offered by the digital world are paramount for keeping businesses in the public eye.

Digital marketing has always needed to be flexible. These marketing solutions are not just plug and play (read our blog on it’s not just about social media to get more of our thoughts on that). Digital marketing forms part of your inbound marketing strategy and lead generation. It’s about a package of tools that you switch up or down according to metrics, campaigns and your goals. 

Ultimately , you want visitors to your website, but how do you get them there? This is where you need the flexibility to adapt to change and perhaps take the time to act on implementing marketing activity now, so that in a few months’ time, your continued online presence will reap dividends as search engines remember you. Just like the local shops, bars, pubs and art groups, just because you do not have your physical premises does not mean you should not and can’t be seen. 

Digital marketing resources for your virtual business

Here’s our resources to help you with inbound digital marketing. We’re also able to hold a video call with you to chat through some quick online marketing wins you could implement to help your business in the long-term. 

The Digital Marketing Tools to help you engage. A mix and match approach will help maximise your opportunities. Chat to us about the what each entail and what may be the best fit for you so that you can form a digital marketing plan.  