Now that’s it is 2017 – inbound marketing has come a long way over the years. And it continues to be incredibly effective not just generating leads, but building brands that customers and prospects revel in interacting with.

But just like no two companies are alike – no two inbound marketing strategies are created equal.

It’s important for your brand to stand out from the crowd. You need your voice to be heard.

Inbound has become more important to growing your business online than ever. And there are no signs of it slowing down.

While it can be tempting to keep doing what you have been (because that’s the way you’ve always done it) – it won’t necessarily produce the results that you want.

Here are some ways you can consider improving your inbound marketing strategy:

1. Blog with a Twist

Blogging is one of the best ways for your company to get the news out, share the problems you’re solving, and attract/interact with customers on a more personal level.

One of the problems with blogging, though, is most companies think “more” equals “better.” But this leads to the creation of lots of useless content that will just be left to gain virtual dust sitting untouched on the shelf.

This year focus your blog on the audience you want to be reading it. That means quality over quantity.

Be sure understand their needs, goals, and aspirations before you get started. If you currently blog and don’t have a good grasp on your audience, go back to square one.

Answer questions and provide valuable advice. Sure, it may take a little more time to create, but the value it will give is worth the investment for your blog (and eventually, your bottom line).

2. Put the Social Back in Social Media

Social Media has revolutionized the way we interact.

To be honest, we at HeadsUp Marketing have made this mistake before. But one of the biggest errors brands make with social media is treating each platform the same.

There is good news, however! You can easily adjust your strategy to align with your goals here. Just follow these steps:

  • Define your audience and know who you want to reach.
  • Create content your target audience wants to engage with.
  • Focus your content around your audience’s needs.
  • Determine the channels your audience uses.
  • Post your content as well as interact on the channels you find.
  • Measure your results and make adjustments as needed.

Remember, social media is about being social and building relationships!

3. Optimize for Search Engines Users

So easily misunderstood, SEO remains one of the most critical parts of any online marketing strategy.

When people have questions, they use search engines.

Getting found is about a lot more than just having a ton of content. It’s about having the right content with the backlinks to prove it.

To put it simply: Add visuals to your content.

If your competitors are putting out “dull” infographics, you have an opportunity to show them up (so to speak). If you create the best-looking infographic, it will make your content more shareable and linkable – increasing its ranking in search engines.

Want more reasons to use visuals in your SEO strategy this year?  Here’s a great article all about that!

4. Conclusion

This year, can (and will!) be your best year yet.

But it will take a little more time to build a better mousetrap (marketing strategy) and the patience to be flexible and adjust along the way.

Don’t settle for average this year. Build a grand-slam strategy that gets you results.