Category: Marketing

Are you looking to improve your inbound marketing strategy but aren’t quite sure how to do it? 

Inbound marketing is a great way to grow your traffic without having to spend money on paid ads. If you tackle inbound marketing the right way, you’ll be able to create evergreen content that attracts more customers over time. 

What do you need to do to create a great inbound marketing strategy for 2021? 

Check out this guide to discover the top inbound marketing tips and tactics for the coming year. 

What is Inbound Marketing? 

Before the internet, businesses had to take out ads in newspapers and on billboards to get the word out about their business. Times have changed drastically, and now, businesses can attract customers to their products and services without the use of paid advertisements. 

This, essentially, is what inbound marketing is. Inbound marketing is the process in which businesses organically attract people to their website. Inbound marketing also involves building relationships with customers by providing them with help, education, and value. 

Inbound marketing relies on a variety of strategies and tactics to function, including content marketing, lead generation, chatbots, SEO, and web design. 

The great thing about inbound marketing is that it’s more affordable than outbound marketing, and it allows you to build more meaningful relationships with your clients. However, inbound marketing is a bit more time-consuming and competitive. It can also be harder to track. 

This is why you need inbound marketing tactics in place before you get started so you can outsmart the competition and see quicker results. Let’s dive into the strategies you need to use next. 

1. Do Your Research 

Before you make any adjustments to your inbound marketing strategy, you first need to do some research. You need to make sure you understand three things: your industry, your business, and your customers. 

Take some time to review your KPIs and metrics to gain a better understanding of the inbound marketing goals you’re trying to reach. Then, think about how you’re going to get there by looking at your conversion processes and ensuring they align with your overall strategy and metrics. 

Next, take a look at your overall industry by studying your competitors. Then, do some research on your customers by looking into their pain points and what problems they have that you need to solve. 

2. Develop a Strong Content Strategy 

A strong content strategy is the foundation of a solid inbound marketing strategy. To define your content strategy, start by asking yourself these questions:

• What type of content does my audience best respond to? Do they prefer blogs, white papers, infographics, or videos?
• What platform does the best job at attracting customers? Is it Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, etc.? 
• How much content can we consistently produce each week?

By answering these questions, you’ll be able to set the framework for your content strategy. 

3. Create Great Content 

Once you have a content strategy in place, it’s time to start creating great content. You should offer your consumers a mix of regular content and premium content. 

Regular content is content that can be accessed via your website and social media channels. Premium content, on the other hand, is content that’s exclusive to a select group of people. People will usually be happy to hand over their email addresses for access to quality premium content. 

Your regular content and premium content should be a blend of funny, entertaining, informative, and inspiring. You also want to mix in some live and animated content with written content. 

When creating content for your business, make sure to keep your overall objectives and content strategy in mind. 

4. Master Technical SEO 

Technical SEO is another major component of inbound marketing. Technical SEO involves analyzing how your site is performing on Google (or whatever search engine you’re using to drive the most traffic). 

At least once a month, your company should run a site audit to ensure that your site is performing well and doesn’t have any outstanding issues. You can use a tool like SEMrush or Google Search console to conduct your site audits. 

By tracking your technical SEO stats, you’ll be able to find ways to boost your results in the search engines. 

5. Create Segmented Emails 

People respond well to targeted emails. By segmenting your audience, you’ll be able to create more personalized emails that capture their attention. 

You can segment your email audience by:

• Purchase history
• Demographics
• Web activity
• Open rates
• Click-through rates

By personalizing the emails you send your customers, you’ll be able to connect with them on a deeper level. This can help you increase your odds of turning one-time purchasers into loyal customers. 

6. Revamp Your Website Layout 

Users have very high expectations when it comes to websites. If your website layout isn’t clear, visually appealing, and intuitive, then you’re going to lose a lot of potential customers. 

Even if you have the best inbound marketing strategies on the planet, they won’t mean anything if you’re sending leads to a site that doesn’t look good. Have someone take an objective look at your website to figure out where you need to make improvements. 

Are You Ready to Step Up Your Inbound Marketing?

Now that you’ve read this guide, it’s time for you to put these inbound marketing tips and tactics to use. With these tips, your business will be able to reach new heights in 2021. 

If you’re looking for more help with your inbound marketing strategy, click here to learn how HyperTarget Marketing can help you. 

Keeping customers happy requires catering to their every need— all the way down to how your business answers phone calls. According to studies, a customer is four times more likely to purchase products from a competitor if they dislike the customer service at a particular company.

Most people can agree that some of the main things that customers hate are rude representatives, long hold times, and being transferred from one department to the other. The best way to cut down on this type of headache is by implementing warm transfers.

However, if your company is new to this concept, this guide has you covered. We’ll explain the difference between a cold transfer vs warm transfer, and its benefits. Keep reading to learn more.

Cold Transfer vs Warm Transfer

A very common feature for today’s telecommunications is transferring calls. Basically, it’s the capability to switch a call from one person to another.

There are two ways in which a call transfers: cold (blind) and warm (attended). Essentially, the key distinction is whether or not the call is initiated or announced before the switch is actually made. 

The distinction is primarily the contrast between a warm invite and a cold shoulder. The warm transfer option requires an introduction along with some basic background information. It also includes a friendly reminder that the call is getting transferred.   

When no discussion or prior information is required, the cold transfer option is a quick and simple substitute. It’s called a cold/blind transfer because the call gets transferred without knowing if the other party is available to speak to the caller.

Are Warm Transfer Calls Better?

One of the most unpopular features of the modern call center is the traditional cold transfer. It’s the procedure of transferring an individual without filtering the call to determine the identity of the caller and the reason for the call. 

Why would a company want to stay away from cold transfers?  Well, they make customers have to repeat themselves over and over again each time they are transferred to a different representative. This is exhausting, irritating, and time-consuming—especially when they have a difficult issue or a complicated concern.

Warm transfers involve the gathering of pertinent information to ensure that the call is transferred to the correct person or department. Even if it’s just the caller’s name and the purpose of the call, getting information first helps to ensure that the transaction is handled correctly.

This type of transfer dramatically increases call traffic flow, decreases average wait times, and substantially enhances the experience of customers.

The Benefits of Warm Transfer Calls for Your Business

When it comes to the contrast between a cold transfer vs warm transfer, the warm transfer option is the winner. What does a warm transfer in a call center do for your company? Other than preventing customers from being tossed from one line to the next?

Well, it sends a direct message to your callers that your focus is on them. This is the most critical component of warm transfers. The way your business handles calls shows customers whether or not your company is taking their concerns seriously.   

Sometimes, as corporations expand, they seem to lose sight of the intimate connections that make customers feel loved and appreciated. At least, that’s the impression most customers will get when they’re not treated nicely over the phone.

A successful company never forgets the value of treating customers with care. Even if it’s something as simple as a warm transfer.

Helping Your Employees Understand the Value in Warm Transfer

If your call center has primarily used cold transfers in the past, that’s okay. You can train your staff on how to conduct warm transfers. Preparing your representatives to execute warm transfers is one of the first phases of ensuring that they’re done properly.

Do the members of your customer contact team know how to direct calls the right way? Do they understand the necessary “small talk” needed to prevent the uncomfortable silence that makes a phone call awkward before a transfer? 

Luckily, all of these things can be taught and discussed in call center training before the representatives ever make their first warm transfer.

 A crucial point to bear in mind is that today’s callers have limited attention spans and high demands for timely and proficient customer service. This is especially true for the Millenials being served in the market.

It’s better to answer the phone and occupy them than to keep them hanging on the line. Teach your reps how to provide constant engagement to every customer.

Essentially, when it comes to cold transfer vs warm transfer, cold transfers should never be an option. There may be certain circumstances where they’re needed, but it’s rare. When a person calls into your company, the goal should always be to help them as much as possible.

This is definitely true if your business has a call center. Be sure to implement protocols that ensure that no customer is confused about what’s happening on a call.

Get the Most Out of Warm Transfer Calls

When it comes to a cold transfer vs warm transfer, you can never go wrong with warm transfer calls. It’s one of the best ways to ensure that your customers are happy and that their experience with your company is great.

Speaking of phone calls, does your business need assistance? If so, HyperTarget marketing is here to help. We provide warm transfers, lead generation services, and more. 

If you’re interested in getting started, call us at 213-973-9905 or contact us online for more information.

We look forward to talking with you soon.

Your content creator needs a day off. You probably can’t afford to give them one, since they have so much to do – but we bet they’re exhausted.

Why? Because marketing trends in 2018 were all about quality and authenticity, which was a big change from the CONSTANT CONTENT!! push of 2017.

Next year, 2019, will see the refinement of 2018 techniques. Videos will still hold importance, but they’d better be well thought out. Learn other marketing trends we’re predicting for 2019 below.

Fewer Facebook Ads

What we’re about to say might scare you. In 2019, Facebook ads as we know them will start to die. But, you say, that’s my main marketing plan!

Well, for one, it shouldn’t be. But you don’t have to worry too much. Facebook ads won’t go away, they’ll just change to more “sponsored” posts.

Instead of seeing a Facebook ad, like the kind you create in ad manager, businesses will make promoted posts. Using influencers – basically, influencers are going to do the Ad work for them.

One company that does this well now, for example, is Fab Fit Fun. They’re a subscription box company that has a huge network of influencers.

We’re talking huge. If someone has a following of a million plus on Facebook and Youtube, they’re probably promoting Fab Fit Fun. They’ve even dipped into the podcast market.

Why? People love seeing the people they already watch unbox things. It has to do with how mystery processes in the brain.

The influencers give their honest opinion about the product and the viewers trust them. They feel like they know this person, and 84% of people trust reviews by other people.

So, how do you get in on this trend? Find an influencer in your niche.

If you sold boats, for example, you could feature a local charter fisher captain. Or a Seafood company – anything to put a non-company face behind your goods.

Be honest and open about how you compensate the influencer. Instagram cracked down on that last year.

A Return to Humankind

In our opinion, we’re at peak automation. Bots are everywhere. They read our search history and suggest products. They’re behind those little “chat now” buttons on websites.

They text us scams or updates from organizations we don’t remember opting into. Alexa is technically a bot, as are her companions from other brands.

When will the madness stop? Are we ever going to communicate human to human again? We think so.

Automation and bots may not go away next year, or ever, but the excitement about them stall. That’s where humans come back into the picture.

And thank goodness. No one’s opening emails anymore or clicking through sidebar ads. Automation can make getting leads feel impossible.

So, what’s the solution? Calling people to get leads. Human to human, the way it’s always been. People are tired of picking up the phone just to hear a recording offering some sort of health insurance.

When they hear a real human, it’s a breath of fresh air. Their happiness is good for you, too. They’re more likely to be kind and give out valuable information to our friendly lead callers.

Longer Videos

In 2018, everyone in digital marketing was pushing videos. Video, video, video! People would have a robot reading words over a screen with generic images, rather than not have video content at all.

And the focus on video will still be there, but people expect more now. You’re not going to get away with reading your latest blog post word for word as video content.

Get ready to hire a whole new video content creator or at least set aside a new meeting group for it. These 2019 videos need to be well planned and thought out.

Lighting and sound are important too. But what if someone’s scrolling and can’t use sound? It’s worthwhile to take the time to create captions.

Not only is it kinder for those with hearing issues, but it will increase the viewership of, you know, people at work or school. Just make sure you double check the captions if you let a service automate them.

There’ve been some bad fails that at automated captions that can change a video completely.

Micro-Moments

Think about the last time you searched on Google maps. Did you see business names, etc around your destination?

That’s still marketing, even though you probably ignore it. Now you know it’s there.

These are called micro-moments. They can be almost subliminal, in the way our brains record them.

For example, maybe you’re driving your kids to soccer practice at a new field. You don’t stop on the way there, but the kids are whiny and you remember seeing something about a sub shop around your location.

That sub shop that’s only a block or two from the field got in your head when the name popped up on Google maps.

To use this trick, if you have an in-person location, make sure you have a strong Google Business profile. Google is a narcissist. It loves promoting businesses that choose to use Google products and services.

2019 Marketing Trends

As we move into 2019, the digital marketing trends aren’t going to change overnight. You’re not going to wake up and see 10+ minute videos on 1/1 all over Facebook.

These changes will happen gradually, but the ones who are the first to use them will have more success. By this time next year, we’ll have an idea of what works and what doesn’t.

What trends will last into the roaring 2020’s? Hard to tell, but we’ll do our best to keep you informed.

Does your company have an inbound calling strategy? You’ve invested time, energy and resources to make your phones ring. You’ve worked hard to acquire every lead and customer.

What happens when the phone rings? If you don’t know, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table.

Customers who call you are more likely place an order with your company. When they do, they spend more than the average customer.

When you have a strategy in place for those inbound calls, you can increase those numbers even more.

Keep reading to learn how you can leverage the power of inbound calls by creating a solid inbound call strategy.

Why Do Customers Call?

The main question you need to answer when you create your inbound call strategy is why are they calling?

Is it to feel like your company can be trusted before they buy? Do they have questions before committing? Might they need a little reassurance before taking the next step?

Your potential customers exist in different stages of the buying lifecycle. The typical lifecycle is made up of 4 steps before a customer makes a purchase.

Awareness: The point where someone becomes aware of your company, product, or services. This is usually through marketing, direct outreach, or social media.

Interest: Once a prospect knows about your company, they will be interested in what you have to offer. They’ll start to look at your product offerings, and keep that information on the back burner.

Desire: They know they have an immediate need for your company’s offerings. They do more research into pricing and start to compare your company to others.

Action: They’re ready to take action and make a purchase. At this stage, they know they have a need. They need to be convinced that your company offers the best solutions to solve their problems.

An important point to note is that customers want to be in control of every step of the process. They don’t want to feel like they’re being sold to. Nor do they want to be called. Think about today’s world; no one wants to be called anymore, not even by their friends. People want to make calls when it’s best for them.

That’s among the biggest differences between outbound and inbound calls.

When you understand why your potential customers call, it’s easier to manage those calls. You can put the right people on the phone to give the customer exactly what they want before buying.

Set Up Systems for Each Stage of the Buying Process

There’s a big difference between a prospect who’s ready to buy and someone who just wants to kick the tires.

You want to make sure that you have systems in place to handle people who are just curious and people who are ready to commit.

You want to be sure that each one gets a high level of service, but no so high that your customer acquisition costs increase. It costs more money to have a phone rep than it is to have someone answer an email or live chat.

Your system should have a live chat and email options for people who are interested but don’t have the desire or want to take action.

If someone calls in, how can you tell where they are in the product lifecycle? That’s where a cloud-based phone service comes in.

They can route those calls to the appropriate person, so your staff time isn’t wasted routing calls. Prospects also feel like you have it together because they’re not being passed from person to person.

Have the Right People Available

The worst impression someone can leave on a call with a potential customer is ineptitude. You want to make sure that the people you put on the phone are confident, knowledgeable and ready to assist prospects.

It’s important to have your top sales reps available when a prospect is ready to buy. You can have customer service reps ready to answer questions for those

Use a CRM System

You’re going to need to have a record of all of the calls that are taken. It’s not enough to rely on memory or notes scribbled down everywhere.

Sales reps are productive when they have access to a CRM. Your entire team can have access to customer notes that show when they called, the issue at hand, and how it was resolved.

That can make your entire team more effective, especially if the original contact person is unavailable.

The good news is that a CRM doesn’t have to be an expensive solution. There are plenty of cloud-based tools that are priced according to the number of users and contacts.

These cloud-based tools often have an app that sales reps can use to access data anywhere. That’s convenient in case they need to follow up with a prospect while they’re out of the office.

Analyze Data

You’re going to need to track the effectiveness of your inbound calling strategy. The way to do that is to use detailed reporting and analyze data regularly.

You can track the number of calls, how they’re generated, and sales performance. You can also measure custom satisfaction after the fact.

The metrics will let you guide your marketing strategy. You can learn what is working, where adjustments need to be made, and where the greatest opportunities are.

An Inbound Calling Strategy That Gets Results

If you’re on the fence about having an inbound calling strategy, you need to hop off of it. There are great reasons why a plan of action around inbound sales. They come down to time and money. Yes, it’s an investment to have salespeople work the phone.

However, you’re leaving money on the table because you don’t have the staff in place to handle customer calls when they’re ready to buy.

When you do that, selling becomes easy. If you need help getting people to call your company, don’t hesitate to contact us today at 213-973-9905. You can also review our process to see how we get things done.

Sometimes web traffic just isn’t enough. Pay per call marketing companies (PPCall) help you boost interest beyond search results. Be selective when selecting a partner or your investment could hurt your business.

Search engines like Google are generating organic traffic for websites. Interested searchers will find the websites most pertinent to their interests. If your website is one of them, their search criteria could put you at the top.

Pay per call delivers different web-driven results. You only pay based on calls made by viewers of your ad.

Most companies will optimize their website and drive traffic from ads. But this can be costly, and there is only so much you can do. Pay per call marketing companies provide an inbound boost that drives business results.

Why Choose Pay Per Call Marketing Companies?

Every company needs an SEO strategy in its marketing plan. This is a basic first step in your digital marketing initiatives. But your early SEO strategy isn’t enough to distinguish you from competitors.

You need content for your website as well. But investing in quality writing and video is costly. It takes time for that content to pay off for SEO purposes as well.

Small businesses tend to avoid expensive advertising. It’s costly and they’re already working with limited budgets. But PPCall can scale with real business results.

Pay per call marketing allows you to pay only for the calls you get from the advertisement. Those calls can turn into real business results. In that way, you pay only when you’ve increased your chances of success.

As a channel, the logic makes sense. But you can make serious errors with your strategy. You could attract the wrong callers and pay for them anyway.

Pay per call marketing companies help you develop a campaign that yields the right results. These companies help you create content that targets specific audiences. They maximize the value of your visibility and your investment in every call.

10 Questions You Should Ask Your Pay Per Call Partner

You will need to make an initial investment in your partner. But all pay per call marketing companies are not equal. You want to be confident in the foundation you set for your advertising future.

Ask the following 10 questions when you interview potential partners. You will be paying for all types of calls your campaign delivers. Be sure each call is worth every penny.

1. How Much Experience Do You Have with the Pay Per Call Model?

Pay per call advertising is more than generic advertising. Your partner should appreciate the niche segment of all Google searchers that will potentially call and buy.

Look for companies who adopted PPCall strategies early. The longevity of their business will speak to their success. This is a good place to start.

2. Do You Specialize in My Vertical?

Every PPCall campaign is different. Make sure you don’t choose a partner that must learn your industry from scratch. Your PPC marketing partner should have a basic understanding of the foundation of your business.

But make sure the campaign they help create is right for you. PPC partners who reuse your competitors’ strategies won’t distinguish your brand.

3. How Do Your Previous Clients Feel About Your Work?

Like most businesses, client testimonials are the most compelling proof of success. Successful companies will have client testimonials on their website. They will have logos of recognizable brands as well.

Don’t be discouraged if niche companies are limited in this area. Sometimes positive feedback from niche clients is the most promising.

4. Are You a Google Partner?

Earmark companies that are Google Partners. Google Partners have access to greater resources than others. The partner badge adds validity to their company as well.

Not all pay per call marketing companies are Google Partners. You can find great companies without this label. But keep this in mind as you vet out potential partners early on.

5. What Are Your Pricing and Fee Structures?

You will be billed for all unique calls directed to your company. You will also have to pay for their management of your ads.

You should strike a balance between the two. You may have great management but pay too much per call. Your call prices may be low, but ensure you’re getting the services you need.

6. What Type of Management Comes with My Investment?

Read your contract carefully. Many pay per call marketing companies will hit you with unexpected fees.

You may find unique benefits you like in management options as well. You can balance between great service and affordability.

7. How Do You Perform Targeting Successfully?

Targeting is the determinant of the success of your campaign. Be sure you understand your partner’s targeting strategy.

Companies with poor targeting drive the wrong calls or none at all. This costs you money with no visible business benefit. Be sure your company understands your buyer personas and your goals.

8. Do you Offer Full and Regular Reporting?

You must keep a close eye on your campaign progress. Some partners will not provide enough information in their reports for this to be clear. Some don’t provide reports frequently enough.

You need good reporting to prevent unnecessary surprises. This is also how you determine if your investment is paying off. Thorough, regular reporting is a must in any partner.

9. What Are Your Guarantees?

Many companies will guarantee certain results from your campaign. This is an advantage, even at higher cost. If those guarantees match your business goals it will give you peace of mind.

Make sure these companies promise ‘make goods’ to be sure you hit those benchmarks. These are free services offered to hit those targets if the campaign falls short.

10. What Are Your Expectations for Long-Term Success?

Even with short-term agreements, you should look for a long-term partner. You want a partner you can trust for the duration of your business.

See how potential partners respond to your long-term goals. If they come back with long-term solutions it’s a good sign. You should think about the greater success of your business with every decision.

Lasting PPCall Success

Pay per call advertising is its own discipline. HyperTarget Marketing has been a resource for successful small businesses across verticals.

Start your PPCall campaign the right way. Sign up now for the HyperTarget Marketing Network and we’ll craft a custom plan for you.