If your company is involved with B2B software or technology sales, then you are by now fully aware that the industry is constantly changing and evolving. For this reason it is important that you have a robust inbound marketing strategy in place with which you can boost your business’s visibility and spread the word about your latest software developments and services in the competitive marketplace without being left behind.
Despite the tumultuous times, there are some inbound best practices that are universal and constant which allow you to increase your business’s visibility and ensure that you are attracting potential customers and achieving sales. Stick to the following inbound marketing tips and you will see success in increasing your software sales pipeline.
Educate – The technology buyer experience has changed considerably over the past decade or so. There is a vast amount of technology content available all over the web for anyone to dip into, meaning that the software buyer is able to learn a lot more before they contact you. As a result the buyer is much more educated a lot earlier on in the buying process. Be on hand to provide this education to them – a well-stocked content library is the best way to do this. A wide variety of relevant and valuable content such as regular blog articles, downloadable white papers, and even visual content like videos or infographics is a great way to draw inbound traffic to your site and build a relationship with potential prospects who you can then begin to nurture and ultimately convert into sales.
Increase Your Online Presence – You may have a great product or service and a huge stockpile of valuable, high-quality content on your site, but if people don’t know you exist then this doesn’t mean a thing! The first step is to make your voice heard and let people know you exist. Use social media to share your content and ensure it is seen by the right people at the right time. Rather than just promoting your business, you want to draw them towards your site by providing a regular, consistent output of educational content to solve their technology pains and needs, and let them learn more about you before you go about trying to sell to them. Social media also allows gives you a platform to engage with potential prospects and build your professional network – by making yourself visible you will increase your inbound traffic. Your website’s SEO is also a major factor in boosting your online presence – building inbound links, using keywords you want to rank for and simply having loads of great written content will help you rank higher and make your business more discoverable.
Set Yourself Apart – It is not always easy to make yourself heard in the competitive software industry, and so it is important that you distinguish yourself from your competitors and really make it clear to potential prospects why they should choose you as a provider. Maintain a strong brand identity that is consistent throughout your entire inbound marketing strategy, including your site, content, social media and any engagement that potential prospects may have with you. This will ensure you are recognisable and stick in people’s minds when they are looking for a software provider to meet their technology needs. Differentiate yourself by providing the best possible customer experience from start to finish – this will work in your favour in the long run as the better their experience, the more likely they are to recommend you, and become promoters of your business.