Thanks to innovations in the way people shop, like mobile apps and ecommerce websites, you aren’t just competing with the store down the street. Anyone in your industry that can be found online and is willing to ship to your area, or has good enough prices worth the drive, is now your competition. It’s completely up to the shopper to do their research and decide which business they want to spend their money at, and they are. In fact, a staggering 81% of people do research online before they decide to purchase. They’re comparing products, checking prices, and deciding which brand they like best before they even leave the house. Is your company adapting to this change in consumer behavior? In today’s customer-driven market, you need Inbound Marketing.

Inbound Marketing in 10 Seconds

To truly understand what Mariposa does, you need to grasp the concept of Inbound Marketing. You don’t need to be an expert (that’s what you have us for, after all!) but a few basics will help you understand why we do what we do. For the official breakdown, HubSpot defines it as “using marketing to bring potential customers to you, rather than having your marketing efforts fight for their attention.” Essentially, instead of bombarding everyone with your company’s services, you put the right information out there targeted to the right people.

Think of a loud used car commercial on the radio vs. a blog written about the most reliable used car models. If someone is looking for a used car in your area, they will find your blog and be appreciative of your information, then trust your company to continue to aid them.

What is a Lead?

This is where Leads come in to the equation. Let’s start with the basics, again from HubSpot. A Lead is any person who has indicated interest in your company’s product or service in some way.

While your used car blog has helpful information on it, aimed at building your company as a leader in the industry and staying fresh in their mind, there’s actually something else in it for you. Your blog won’t just end by saying “okay, good luck!”; it will conclude by asking them to take the next step. If we stick with the used car example, you may recommend they download a checklist to use while they’re shopping to ensure their car has all the features they need or they ask the right questions. The perfect offer will depend on a lot of other factors, but the most crucial part of this step is that in order to get the offer, they give you their name and email address. You just got your first Lead!

This person is no longer just a visitor to your website; they have shown interest in your company and given you their information. They are moving along in the consumer lifecycle stage toward becoming a full-blown customer.

Okay, Great- Now Get Me Some!

Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into those Leads. This is where Mariposa can actually make you money by bringing in new customers, giving you a positive ROI from your marketing budget.

By showing an organic interest in your business, Leads are initiating the relationship with you. This is much more promising than you, the business, initiating the relationship with them. Not everyone listening to the country radio station at 5 pm needs a quality used car, but everyone searching for blogs on how to buy a used car does. They may not be ready just yet, but this makes it easier and more natural for them to want to buy from you somewhere down the line when they are.

I’ve been using a used car metaphor throughout this blog because a loud car salesmen in a radio commercial is something everyone has experienced. The truth is, attracting Leads in an organic way that actually draws people to you is some that can be done in any and all industries, not just for cars. There’s many, many, many ways to get Leads to even so-called boring services. If your company is able to get enough customers to stay open, that means you have enough potential customers to attracts Leads- it’s that simple. What isn’t simple is wading through all of the potential Lead generating ideas to find the best methods for your unique situation.

Stop yelling your advertising. Use your blog to start drawing customers in. Download our free eBook The 30 Greatest Lead Gen Tips, Tricks & Ideas right now. This eBook will help you get started with Lead generation, as well as optimize your efforts going forward.

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