Inbound Marketing: 3 Best Practices for Small Business

Inbound marketing can have a substantial impact on small businesses that hope to reach new clients and build their company's online brand. Inbound marketing differs from traditional advertising by focusing on cultivating personal relationships with people that are genuinely interested in their product or services. 

Focusing on a specific audience can help a small business to personalize its inbound marketing approach by creating dynamic content on a regular basis. Here are three of the best inbound marketing practices for small businesses that hope to grow and reach new levels of success in today's work environment.

#1 Blogging - Build Brand Awareness
Blogging is one of the most popular forms of inbound marketing, as it can play a pivotal role in reaching more customers and increasing brand awareness. Writing blogs allows a business to establish its online identity and requires minimal manpower, which makes it a perfect solution for small businesses. Updating blogs on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will promote greater interaction with clients and establish a company as a leading voice in their industry. These blogs can cover many different topics which can lead to higher conversion rates and help to build your company's credibility without requiring an extended number of employees.

#2 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Target A Specific Audience
The use of a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can help a company target a specific audience through the use of certain keywords, high-quality content, and link-building. An effective SEO strategy will propel a company's website to the top results of a search engine without any additional costs. The use of SEO tactics is much more effective than traditional advertising strategies because it allows a company to target a specific group of people that are genuinely interested in a company's product or services.

#3 Social Media - Inexpensive Advertising
The use of social media is another effective inbound marketing technique that is an inexpensive way for small businesses to build their consumer base. According to HubSpot marketing statistics, 76% of people use Facebook to find compelling content. Social media can also help boost the brand of a company, and it is a much more cost-efficient alternative than traditional advertising. For example, writing frequent posts or sharing related content that links to a company's blog can increase traffic to a website and substantially boost sales without the high costs of paid advertising. Besides the low costs, social media is also an excellent platform to interact with potential customers and build a positive relationship that can increase sales in the future.

The combination of SEO-focused blogs and the use of social media can set a small business apart from other competitors that fail to take advantage of these inbound marketing techniques. Consistently providing high-quality content is an inexpensive way to build the brand of the company and target a specific audience. More small businesses are increasingly relying on inbound marketing to build their company's brand, as it plays a vital role in helping a small business grow and reach new customers.