Several months ago I started a series on common problems you could be experiencing with your social media efforts and today I’m wrapping it up.  A lot of businesses want to know about increasing social engagement or getting the most out of social advertising, but what about inbound marketing? After all, social media is just one part of an online business strategy, so it makes sense to cover the topic that’s on every business owner’s mind: Leads.

According to Simply Measured, “the top three goals for SMB social media marketing programs are brand awareness (74%), website traffic (53%), and lead generation (41%).” That’s right, social plays a huge role in driving people to your website, but you have to have the right content. You also have to have a way to capture those website visitors.

Inbound marketing is all about producing remarkable content that your audience wants to see, and, in turn, drives them to take action. This content is built around the buyer personas you’re trying to reach at different stages in the buyer’s journey. Part of that content is in the form of offers. These offers could include:

  • Guides
  • One-Sheet Infographics
  • Free Consultations
  • Exclusive Webinars or Podcasts
  • New Industry Research
  • Coupons
  • Templates

These are accessed through a landing page with a form that website visitors have to fill out if they want the information you’re offering. There is so much you could create to reach consumers in the Attract, Consideration, and Decision stages. Did you know that according to Demand Metric, “Content marketing generates 3 times as many leads as traditional outbound marketing, but costs 62% less.” Sometimes though, you hit a bump in the road and might find yourself asking the following question:

I’ve launched an inbound campaign, so where are my conversions?

What happens when that landing page is live and no one seems interested in the knowledge you have to share? Well, considering that your digital strategy hinges on buyer personas, there are 4 aspects I’d like to look at in regards to sticky spots when running an inbound campaign.

The Landing Page

Let’s start with the basics. This temporary portion of your website really does matter.  It’s what’s really going to “sell” your offer to the masses (even though it’s free) and entice them to enter their information in return for valuable insight. If your landing page isn’t doing its job, there are a few things you might need to change. It is crucial that you really showcase the content through the landing page copy, so ask yourself a few questions:

  • Does this clearly explain what I’m offering? This might seem like common sense, but when you’ve worked to put together all the moving pieces of a campaign, your brain might get a little tired (believe me it happens!), so make sure it’s clear and don’t be vague.
  • If you were the potential customer, would it speak to you? Again, maybe too easy of a question, but like all content, you should be thinking about it from the buyer’s perspective.
  • With that last question in mind, does the tone of the text fit the portion of the buyer’s journey you’re targeting? It can be easy to get the 3 stages mixed up when it comes to tone. Step back, take a look at your content again, then match your landing page to the offer.
  • Does the information I’m asking for in return match the value of the offer? You’re asking someone to give you their contact information in return for resources that could help them. A bigger offer (like a webinar or recent industry research) allows you to ask for more information while smaller offers might just ask for first name and email.

I mentioned it in the first point, but the last thing you want is to come across like you’re trying to build your marketing contact list while giving nothing of true value in return. Inbound marketing is all about communication, transparency, and helping your customers, so make sure the offer is clear. HubSpot also lists some great best practices for you to test here, so be sure to take a look!

The Call-To-Action

If the landing page is good to go, awesome! Maybe it’s a graphics problem that’s keeping your would-be clients from clicking. In that case, it might be time to look at your call-to-action (CTA) that’s highlighting that particular offer.

  • Changing CTA Design: Keep in mind that this is supposed to attract your customers. Make sure it fits the target age, demographic, and business. Need some help? Whether it’s B2B or B2C, look around at those industry specific websites to get a feel for styles that will attract the business you’re trying to reach.
  • Changing CTA Wording: The text on a CTA is just a small preview of the details on your landing page. You don’t have that much room, so make it actionable and attractive.
  • Changing CTA Colors: Given that color psychology is part of advertising, it makes sense that this small change could have an effect on conversion rate. Research shows, however, that it’s not necessarily the color that drives conversion rate on websites. Color has a lot to do with people’s personal preferences, and you’re not going to please everyone. Instead, try to make sure there’s enough contrast between the overall design and where you want users to click.

Advertising Strategy

Did you know 90% of the information our brains transmit is visual? Keep that in mind when designing anything for your digital marketing, but especially with paid advertising. You’re trying to gain the attention of thousands of people with your ads. HubSpot covers these 4 points in a lot more detail, but here’s a simple version:

  • Give a clear reason to click and find out more. Why should users visit your website or social profile? Offer something of value. Tell them why it’s valuable or how it can help.
  • Make sure your ad targeting is on point! A relevant audience is the only way you’re going to get the results you want.
  • Don’t launch that ad without a clear call-to-action. Let the audience know what they need to do next.

Think about social media advertising as a paid version of the call-to-action that’s on your website or blog post, except there’s money behind it. Don’t waste that money!

Re-thinking Your Offer

Alright, here’s the tricky part. If you’ve tried the above suggestions (not necessarily in order) and still aren’t seeing results, it might be time to take a closer look at your content offer, and more importantly, your buyer persona(s). Chances are you’re not quite hitting your target, so the resources you’re offering aren’t resonating.

Truly understanding who your ideal customer is makes content much easier! There’s a few things you really need to know about clients and potential customers in order to reach them with great content and relevant, helpful information:

  • Get to know their demographic: Everything from font choices in graphics, to posting times falls into this area. Your content tone, website, videos etc. should be crafted to attract the right people.
  • Understand their situation or business: Be aware of the problems your customers face on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Build trust by being a resource.
  • Answer their questions: What questions do you get from current clients? Start with those and then become the business that’s providing answers BEFORE the question is asked.

Just because an offer isn’t performing doesn’t mean you need to give up. In fact, the more you test, research, and redirect strategy, the closer you are to gaining (and retaining) the right type of clients.