Promoting Group Business Through Inbound Marketing

Transcription

1 Prmting Grup Business Thrugh Inbund Marketing If yu are trying t increase yur grup bkings, creating an inbund digital marketing strategy that cmplements yur traditinal sales and marketing effrts will drive new business revenue and website traffic. We knw that meeting planners like yu Use a variety f channels t bk destinatins including search, scial, industry frums, trade shws, etc. Primarily use the Internet t d research in all phases f the buying cycle Tend t be inspired by researching destinatins nline, and als talk t clleagues and htel and destinatin sales reps Are typically mst inspired by facilities with nline credibility Yu can build yur web presence and influence meeting planners by creating an inbund marketing prgram. First, evaluate yur resurces. Creating an inbund marketing prgram is an nging effrt yu must have a defined strategy that can be executed n a timely basis in rder t be successful. If yu d nt have the resurces, cnsider utsurcing yur inbund marketing campaign. This white paper will give yu the basic infrmatin fr creating an inbund marketing strategy t drive grup business. Fr additinal infrmatin n develping an inbund marketing campaign, please cntract Grdn Liametz at r gliametz@quantumleapagency.cm Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

2 Table f Cntents What Is Inbund Marketing?... 3 What Are Yur Gals with Inbund Marketing?... 4 Channels fr Inbund Marketing Cntent... 5 Types f Inbund Marketing Cntent... 7 Develp Yur Influencers t Assist with Inbund Marketing... 7 Make Yur Inbund Marketing Campaign Keywrd Friendly... 7 Key Elements in Yur Cntent... 8 Where t Pst and What t Pst Mnthly... 8 Hw t Measure Inbund Marketing Success... 9 Examples f Inbund Marketing Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

3 What Is Inbund Marketing? Inbund marketing is based n making yur htel easily findable by peple wh are seeking infrmatin n where t plan their next meeting. It is abut being discvered nline by prviding valuable infrmatin, rather than pushing yur htel and services t peple wh may nt have a need fr yur destinatin. Inbund marketing takes a nn-interruptin marketing apprach, as ppsed t interruptin marketing like print ads, trade shws, display ads, cld calls, etc. Inbund marketing allws meeting planners t find yur htel thrugh infrmative r educatinal vides, blg psts, white papers and mre. All f yur cntent with inbund marketing shuld be ptimized fr keywrds that yur audience wuld search nline. Meeting planners will use yur cntent as a resurce during the buying cycle. Cntent shuld be develped fr all phases f the buying cycle t enable lead nurturing. Inbund marketing helps every channel have (a): Higher cnversin rate Higher rganic search rankings Mre direct and bkmarking traffic Bigger fan base and cmmunity Mre referring links Strnger scial fllwing Mre brand visibility Mre lng-tail SEO Typically, yu use tracking analytics and marketing sftware t adjust and ptimize yur cntent strategy. Inbund Marketing Pulls qualified leads t yur website by being fund nline Enables custmers t cme t yu fr infrmatin Marketers prvide added value thrugh resurces Outbund Marketing Pushes a message tward a large, unqualified audience Custmers are sught ut Marketers prvide little t n added value Creates interactive and tw-way Cmmunicatin is ne-way cmmunicatin Allws the cnsumer t be in cntrl The marketer is in cntrl Is cst effective Is time-cnsuming and expensive Prvides analytics and real-time tracking Is difficult t measure Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

4 What Are Yur Gals with Inbund Marketing? Befre starting any campaign, it is vital t knw yur gals. Based n yur gals, be realistic with yur resurces and budget. What expectatins d yu have fr yur inbund marketing campaign? Yu als need t understand yur bjectives t develp a successful campaign. The key is t find what will wrk best fr yur htel in rder t meet yur custmers needs. 1. D yu want t drive new marketing channels fr grup revenue? 2. Are yu trying t increase custmers awareness f yur htel fr meetings? 3. D yu want t fill the pipeline with mre leads? 4. D yu need assistance in the buying funnel? 5. D yu want t drive mre meeting traffic t yur website? 6. D yu want t create additinal website cntent and be seen as a thught leader in the meeting industry? Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

5 Channels fr Inbund Marketing Cntent There are many channels yu can use fr inbund marketing. Belw are sme examples yu can cnsider based n yur audience and resurces. We recmmend starting with tw r three channels t begin yur inbund marketing campaign Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

6 Types f Inbund Marketing Cntent Develp an inbund marketing strategy t create rich cntent white papers, vides, infgraphics, articles and mre based n client persnas. Include unique cntent fr the multiple stages f the buying cycle. Here are sme examples: Meeting Planner Shpping and unique dining tp the list f activities meeting planners mst want r expect Meeting planners seek facilities that are cnvenient Meeting planners seek inspiratin fr new destinatins Meeting planners want t be educated n hw t use scial media fr their meetings Meeting planners are interested in infrmative blgs Meeting planners seek educatinal resurces, such as hw t cnduct a htel site inspectin Meeting planners are interested in hw smart phne apps can help their meetings Inbund Marketing Ideas Takeaway: Create a things-t-d list and include activities like white papers, vides, blg psts, etc. fr yur destinatin Takeaway: Create a list f what meeting planners shuld lk fr in a destinatin and include helpful website links in yur white paper Takeaway: Create a vide r white paper that creates inspiratin fr yur destinatin Takeaway: Create a webinar n hw meeting planners can use scial media fr their meetings. Yu can als create ther educatinal webinars n hw t negtiate with htels, determine lw cst incentive prgrams, etc. Takeaway: Create a blg pst interviewing meeting planners with predefined questins Takeaway: Create a series, such as hw-t vides r blg psts, n cnducting site inspectins r a site inspectin checklist Takeaway: Create a tw- r three-series infgraphic with infrmatin such as hw t budget fr apps, types f meeting apps, r hw apps can build strng prfessinal cnnectins during cnferences and meetings that benefit attendees Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

7 Develp Prmters fr Yur Htel Embed a Net Prmter Scre survey n yur website, scial platfrms r in campaigns. The Net Prmter Scre, r NPS, is based n the fundamental perspective that custmers can be divided int three categries: prmters, passives and detractrs. Yu can track these grups and get a clear measure f yur htel s perfrmance thrugh yur custmers eyes. Custmers respnd n a zer-t-10-pint rating scale and are placed int ne f the fllwing categries: Prmters (scre 9-10) are lyal enthusiasts wh will keep buying and referring thers t yur htel, fueling grwth. Mbilize yur prmters, and shw yur appreciatin f thse custmers thrugh: Offering discunts Thanking them Scial sharing Inviting them int reference r referral prgrams Sharing valuable inbund marketing cntent Passives (scre 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic custmers wh are vulnerable t cmpetitive fferings. Detractrs (scre 0-6) are unhappy custmers wh can damage yur brand and impede grwth thrugh negative wrd-f-muth. Typically, yu wuld ask nly ne NPS questin. Hwever, yu may want t dig deeper by asking these three questins: 1. Hw likely is it that yu d recmmend ur htel s meeting facilities t a friend r clleague? (This is asked utilizing a 10-pint rating scale). 2. What is the primary reasn fr the rating yu prvided? 3. What is ne thing we culd d differently t increase the value f ur htel services t yu? Yu can pst the results n yur website and scial channels. Keep in mind the NPS used n its wn may nt be 100 percent accurate, but in the right framewrk and with the additinal questining, it can be a useful metric. Make Yur Inbund Marketing Campaign Keywrd Friendly Keywrds targeted t meeting planning, cnference centers, destinatins, etc. are the nes yu shuld be using t drive grup business. Use varius keywrd tls t d yur research. Based n yur destinatin and inbund marketing theme yu will need t create targeted keywrds in rder t attract search-based rganic traffic. Create a targeted keywrd list using ne t tw keywrds fr each campaign. Cnsider lng-term keywrds, which cnsist f fur r mre keywrds. Use yur pre-determined keywrds with yur inbund marketing effrt t drive new traffic and increase yur search engine rankings Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

8 Key Elements in Yur Cntent Yur headline is crucial t grabbing yur audience s attentin (Tip: Write ten headlines and send them t yur five best custmers fr feedback). Be creative in explring new ideas and repurpsing existing cntent in innvative ways, such as turning s int blg psts, creating custmer testimnial vides, repurpsing articles int infgraphics and mre. Offering inbund marketing that is useful and free is the easiest way t leverage creative SEO strategy with targeted keywrds. In rder t generate leads, use this cntent t trade visitrs fr their cntact infrmatin. Keep in mind three base guidelines fr all inbund marketing campaigns: 1. Write fr yur targeted audience 2. Slve their prblems 3. Educate them Yur cntent shuld nt be prmtinal. Rather, it shuld be relevant t yur buyers, educate them and help them t see hw they can vercme their prblems. Remember, the cntent shuld vary in frm, s use a mixture f white papers, vides, articles and ther unique cntent. With prperly executed inbund marketing, peple will find yu! Where t Pst and What t Pst Mnthly When psting yur inbund marketing campaigns, keep in mind that yu re waiting fr the buyers t take actin. Make sure yu have valuable cntent and a strng call-t-actin. Cnsider the websites where yur target audience is nline, and select tw r three channels where yu ll begin yur inbund marketing campaign. Yur website LinkedIn Online press release Ggle+ Htel r industry blg Slideshare campaign Pinterest Facebk Meeting planning frums r cmmunities As with any sales effrt, the mre yu put int yur inbund marketing campaign, the mre yu ll get ut f it. A baseline mnthly activity fr yur htel is listed belw. 1. Call a few clients and brainstrm cntent ideas. (Tip: Schedule a lunch with three t fur clients and ask them). 2. Pick a theme fr each mnth and fcus n a key custmer issue. 3. Prduce cntent t supprt yur theme, like white papers, vides, blg psts, etc. 4. Create tw r three pieces f cntent arund yur theme, like infgraphics, checklists, webinars, PwerPints, etc. 5. Write additinal small articles arund yur theme and pst t yur blg. These culd be pieces f yur white paper. 6. When psting n scial media, d nt use the exact same cntent. Instead, custmize it s there is a slight variatin that makes it unique t each scial netwrk. 7. Test and analyze yur effrts Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

9 Hw t Measure Inbund Marketing Success Ultimately, ur gal shuld be revenue. Hwever, in rder t get t yur gal, yu need t measure ther metrics as well. If yu make yur verall effrts measurable, yu can becme mre effective and prvide mre value t yur target audience. Accrding t a MarketingSherpa 2012 B2B study, 73 percent f the B2B leads are nt sales-ready when they first cme in. Therefre, yu need t develp a variety f cntent during the buying funnel t nurture these leads. In a 2013 MarketingSherpa case study, a cnsulting firm increased sales leads 388 percent using an inbund marketing strategy. 80 percent f business decisin makers prefer t get cmpany infrmatin in a series f articles versus thrugh an advertisement. 54 percent mre leads are generated by inbund marketing than by utbund marketing. There is a 61 percent lwer cst per lead when using inbund marketing. 32 percent f brands are decreasing spending n utbund marketing t spend mre n cntent marketing. When yu analyze metrics like revenue, Facebk fans, LinkedIn fllwers, engagement, clickthrughs, cmments, cnversin rates, page traffic and unsubscribe rates, yu can determine what wrks and what needs t be changed based n yur marketing channels. Be sure t als review verall grwth in rganic traffic, set up gals r event tracking in analytics, and review traffic funnels Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

10 What Yu Shuld Measure with Yur Inbund Marketing Effrts Revenue Determine the grup revenue that was bked as a result f yur inbund marketing campaign by channel. Lead Generatin and Cnversin Measure cnversin by channel s yu knw where t put additinal recurses and hw t budget fr yur next campaign. Yur lead cnversin rate will prvide yu the quality f the leads generated, s be sure t review analytics mnthly. Call-t-Actin Landing Page t Dwnlad White Paper Set up a separate landing page asking three r fur qualificatin questins, and include yur address with a call-t-actin t dwnlad a white paper. Als include a thank yu page. Nte the analytics fr the number f dwnlads cmpared t the number f clicks t determine yur cnversin rate, page traffic, bunce rate, etc. Campaigns Take a lk at the pen rate, unsubscribe and bunce rates. Mre imprtantly, measure yur click-thrugh rate and cmpletins t yur landing page. In rder t reprt n channel perfrmance, create a tracking URL s cnversins can be attributed t the campaign. Blg Create cntent arund yur primary keywrds in rder t attract additinal search-based rganic traffic. Measure the effectiveness f yur blgging by lking at page views, blg subscribers and keywrd rankings in rganic search. Scial Media Use views, shares, cmments and referral traffic frm the scial media websites t establish the engagement level. Send custmers t a landing page and create a tracking URL s cnversins can be attributed t the scial channels. Each scial media netwrk has its wn set f analytics, s review Facebk, LinkedIn, Ggle+ and the ther platfrms yu use. Dn t Frget Custmer-Lifetime-Value Determine hw much recurring r repeat revenue yu have bked as a result f the lead Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

11 Examples f Inbund Marketing Take a lk at the fllwing examples f inbund marketing. Nte that the cntent can be simple, innvative and targeted t all types f audiences. Each f these examples slves a prblem yur audience has and gives them valuable infrmatin t cnvert them in the buying funnel. These examples deliver the three inbund marketing results: 1. Increased brand awareness 2. Better brand preference 3. Mre leads fr less cst Example Inbund marketing Cmment CVENT psts infrmative educatinal articles and white papers targeted t meeting planners and htels. Takeaway: What type f infrmative educatinal tpics can yu create fr yur audience? Nte hw they use their blg t prmte inspiratin fr the custmers t bk the htel. Takeaway: Meeting planners lk fr inspiratin. What cntent n yur website inspires them t bk yur htel? s/tabid/68/default.aspx Educatinal webinars fcus n meeting planners. Takeaway: If yu have in-huse list r rent a list, this is a great pprtunity t cnnect with current and new custmers. This is an interactive website featuring persnal diagnses f vacatin needs and custmized prescriptins. It urges peple t take breaks, weekend getaways and lnger vacatins. Takeaway: Build a micr site and target meeting planners lking fr incentive ideas, ways t increase cnference attendees, etc. Ght221Fg If smene wants t explre a new city and is lking fr insider tips, Hiltn will give them suggestins. Takeaway: Shuld yu create a Twitter accunt fr meeting planning suggestins? Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm

12 This website features educatinal articles n meeting planning. Takeaway: D yu have educatin articles r.xls calculatrs (fr fd and beverage services) that yu can share with yur audience? This helps cnsumers find and rganize new recipes. Takeaway: Fr resrts that have an emphasis n fd and beverage services, ffer cntent that yur audience will lve. Cca-Cla Jurney is a digital magazine that fcuses n imprtant tpics, scial causes and news abut The Cca-Cla Cmpany. Takeaway: If yu have histric htel, this is a great way t tell yur stry. ZpaYkNXI Take nte f the in-depth buying guides. Takeaway: Culd yu create meeting planning guides by segment? Watch the vide even if yu rarely ck, yu ll want t buy ne f his knives by the end f his stry! Takeaway: Cntent and stry telling builds brand trust, lyalty and inspiratin. When yu develp yur cntent assets, hw can yu tell a stry like this vide? Abut Quantum Agency Quantum Agency is a fast-grwing marketing agency serving bth the digital and traditinal advertising and marketing needs f ur clients. Our cmprehensive fferings include strategy, branding, digital marketing, scial media, paid search, website develpment, print, TV and radi, and all ther aspects t maximize value fr ur clients. We believe in educating ur clients and sharing what we knw and what we d penly, in rder t be 100 percent transparent. T see hw Quantum Agency can help yu reach yur nline and ffline marketing gals, call us tday fr a free assessment. Call us tday! Grdn Liametz, C-Funder/Partner Quantum Agency 7901 Kingspinte Parkway - Unit 17 Orland, FL Kingspinte Parkway Unit 17, Orland, FL gliametz@quantumagency.cm