Inbound Marketing Insights

Uncovering missed gems in digital marketing can truly revolutionize your marketing strategy. You can unlock valuable insights by delving into the power of user-generated content and diving deep into website optimization. These 14 often-overlooked tips offer unique and powerful ways to enhance your digital marketing efforts and set your brand apart from the competition. 

• Harness User-Generated Content
• Set and Track Marketing Metrics
• Capitalize on Micro-Moments
• Maximize Conversion Rate Optimization
• Embrace Multilingual SEO
• Personalization Drives Engagement
• Focus on Website Optimization
• Cultivate a Newsletter Community
• Conduct Thorough Customer Research
• Utilize Direct Customer Feedback
• Leverage the Power of Infographics
• Segment Your Audience
• Optimize with Conversion Testing
• Implement a Test-and-Learn Approach

1. Harness User-Generated Content

In my extensive experience managing multiple campaigns for different clients, I believe that the potential of user-generated content is often underestimated. Instead of prioritizing their “own” content, many companies should focus on promoting and spotlighting content created by their customers or followers. 

User-generated content is more effective, in my opinion, in connecting with potential customers because it is genuine and easy to relate to, leading to greater credibility, trust, and a stronger brand community. Give it a try and share user-generated content on your social media channels or website, and I'm sure you'll see an increase in engagement and conversions.

Tom Molnar, Operation & SEO Manager, Fit Design

2. Set and Track Marketing Metrics

Not deciding on metrics from the beginning of the project is a mistake. I work at a marketing company, and you have no idea how many clients do projects with us and, when we ask, “How are you tracking the success of your project?” they respond nonchalantly with, “Oh, we don't do that.”

We do marketing for a few financial institutions and track response rates on a very granular level, which results in them making excellent sales a month.

Obviously, not everything you are going to market/sell will be that high of a volume, but if you don't set goals for a marketing effort and then track the results, you are literally just throwing money away.

Marketing should always be about the numbers. Messaging and tactics can vary, but if you can't prove tangible results, you're not a real marketing expert, in my personal opinion.

Jugnu Nagar, SEO Specialist, GREAT Guest Posts

3. Capitalize on Micro-Moments

In my extensive journey through the realms of digital marketing, founding and scaling businesses from the ground up, I've unearthed the profound impact of leveraging micro-moments in digital strategies. Micro-moments refer to those instances when consumers turn to their devices for quick answers to their immediate needs. These moments present a golden opportunity for brands to capture attention and influence decision-making.

For instance, while leading the marketing efforts for my third start-up, focusing on leveraging new technology for marketing analytics, we capitalized on micro-moments by optimizing our content and ad strategies around consumer intent. We noticed a significant uplift in engagement when our content directly addressed the “I want to buy” or “I want to know” moments. By aligning our digital assets with these specific user intents, we were not just driving traffic; we were attracting an audience ready to take action, resulting in a substantial increase in conversion rates.

Another compelling aspect often overlooked is the power of interactive content. During my tenure at my digital marketing company, we experimented with various forms of interactive content, such as quizzes, polls, and interactive infographics. This not only enhanced user engagement but also provided us with valuable insights into consumer preferences and behaviors. The data garnered from these interactions allowed us to refine our marketing strategies further and personalize our approach, leading to better-targeted campaigns and an increase in ROI.

Embedding these practices within your digital marketing strategy can be a game-changer. From my experience, understanding the nuances of consumer behavior online and leveraging technology to meet them at their point of need not only elevates brand presence but also significantly boosts conversions and customer retention.

Joe Amaral, Founder, Elevated Marketing Experts

4.  Maximize Conversion Rate Optimization

One aspect of digital marketing that companies should focus more on is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), the process of enhancing your website and content to boost conversions. CRO allows you to get more of from your existing traffic and leads (vs. entirely new traffic), which can lead to more long-term, sustainable growth. The best way to do this is to analyze the content you have available to use as gated content, or content that drives leads by asking them to fill out a form. This content must be high quality and helpful so it provides your prospects with beneficial information in exchange for their contact information. Then, review your website pages, starting with the most viewed to the least viewed, and match the best content asset that aligns with the website content on that particular page. The next step is to create calls-to-action, or CTAs, which are buttons that link the visitor to the landing page to submit their information for that helpful piece of gated content. You would be surprised with the results from this exercise to help you convert those many website visitors you're already getting into sales-qualified leads. 

Read our case study to see how we used CRO for one of our clients to generate more qualified leads to grow their sales opportunities. Some of the highlights include:

• 515% increase in organic leads
• 326% increase in paid search leads
• 144% increase in referral leads
• 85% increase in social media leads 

Rich Meyer, VP of Marketing, Prism Global Marketing Solutions

5. Embrace Multilingual SEO

In my professional experience, a frequently overlooked aspect of digital marketing that can yield impressive results is the strategic use of multilingual SEO. Many businesses focus on optimizing their content for a single language, neglecting the enormous opportunities available on a global scale. 

By tailoring content to resonate culturally as well as linguistically with international audiences, companies can engage with a broader customer base and build a greater online presence. Start by doing keyword research to target high-volume keywords in each language. These will signal to Google that your products or services are relevant internationally. Ensure a professional translator either completes the translation or thoroughly edits any AI translations. 

Ultimately, utilizing multilingual SEO is a key tool to drive substantial results in terms of market size, overall traffic, and conversions.

Katie Moakler, SEO Expert, Indigoextra Ltd

6. Personalization Drives Engagement

In my experience, one often-overlooked aspect of digital marketing that can yield significant results is personalization. Many marketers focus on reaching a wide audience and delivering a generic message, but tailoring your marketing efforts to individual users can have a profound impact on engagement and conversion rates.

Personalization allows you to deliver targeted messages and offers that resonate with your audience on a deeper level. By leveraging data and analytics, you can gain insights into user preferences, behaviors, and demographics, and use that information to create customized experiences. For example, you can send personalized emails based on previous purchases or browsing history, or display personalized product recommendations on your website.

By personalizing your marketing efforts, you show your audience that you understand their needs and preferences, which builds trust and loyalty. According to a study by Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences.

One notable example of the power of personalization is Amazon. The e-commerce giant uses sophisticated algorithms to personalize every aspect of the customer journey, from product recommendations to email marketing. As a result, Amazon has been able to significantly increase their conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, CrownTV

7.  Focus on Website Optimization

Many overlook their website's role in digital marketing, yet it's crucial. It's where all your marketing leads to, aiming to turn visitors into customers.

Your site should have useful content, blogs, and support options to meet visitors' needs. Using tools like HubSpot helps understand who's coming to your site and what they're looking for, allowing you to make smart updates.

This straightforward approach to focusing on your website can greatly boost your digital marketing results.

Marco Genaro Palma, Content Marketing Manager, PRLab

8. Cultivate a Newsletter Community

An often-underestimated powerhouse in digital marketing is the humble newsletter. Just 18 months after launching ours, we've cultivated a community of over 10,000 highly engaged readers. 

This direct line of communication has not only strengthened our relationship with our audience but has also significantly contributed to our overall marketing success. It's a testament to the fact that sometimes, traditional tools, when executed with a modern twist, can yield surprisingly powerful results.

Justin Silverman, Founder & CEO, Merchynt

9. Conduct Thorough Customer Research

As simple as it sounds, one of the most overlooked aspects of digital marketing is customer research. Constrained by budgets and timelines, I've often seen marketers try to skip the strategy, impatient to launch media and start measuring ROI. 

No matter how well you think you know your brand or your brand's audience, it's always important to consistently revisit and restate who you're trying to reach, see through their eyes, and anticipate their needs. Having that foundation will help you make the right decisions, the right investments, and yield the right results to accelerate growth.

Leila Wu, Insights and Strategy

10. Utilize Direct Customer Feedback

Many underestimate the power of customer feedback in digital marketing campaigns. In a landscape cluttered with data and metrics, direct feedback from your audience can offer invaluable insights that analytics alone might not reveal. 

Crafting campaigns that resonate not just statistically, but emotionally, leads to heightened engagement and loyalty. This connection fosters a more profound understanding of your audience's needs and preferences, enabling the creation of content and strategies that truly speak to them.

Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, SEO Specialists, Digital Signage

11. Leverage the Power of Infographics

Infographics might seem like an outdated form of digital marketing, but they can help you yield results! My biggest reason for the support of infographics is that they break down complex information into easily digestible chunks. 

In a world where attention spans are decreasing, infographics offer a quick and effective way to convey a message, making it more likely for the audience to absorb and retain the information. And for smaller businesses who might be looking for more budget- and user-friendly marketing ideas, it's a more universally easy and simple form of content to create compared to something more complex like videos. 

Infographics can also be repurposed across various platforms and formats because you can share them on your website, social media, in email newsletters, and even use them in presentations. This versatility allows you to reach your audience through different channels, therefore reaching a wider range of people. They can also include a clear call to action, driving engagement and interaction with your brand. Whether it's encouraging users to visit your website, sign up for a newsletter, or share the infographic, CTAs can enhance the effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts.

Christian Ofori-Boateng, CEO, ChristianSteven

12. Segment Your Audience

One often-overlooked aspect of digital marketing with significant potential is the power of audience segmentation. By diving deep into your audience's demographics, interests, behaviors, and preferences, you can tailor your marketing messages to resonate more effectively with specific segments.

This allows you to deliver personalized content that speaks directly to your audience's needs and interests, fostering stronger connections and driving higher conversion rates.

With advanced tools and analytics available, understanding your audience segments and crafting targeted campaigns has become more accessible. By prioritizing segmentation in your digital marketing strategy, you can unlock untapped potential and achieve remarkable results.

Usman Ul Haq, SEO Strategist, WPExperts

13. Optimize with Conversion Testing

One frequently overlooked yet potent digital marketing strategy is conversion optimization testing. Most website changes are made without testing variations. In my experience, though, the magic lies in leveraging heat maps and analytics to meticulously analyze user behavior before and after implementing website changes. 

This method underscores a critical insight: Optimizing the user experience for your current audience can be more impactful than striving to double your site's traffic. It's a testament to the power of data-driven decision-making in unlocking the full potential of your digital presence.

Jim Kreinbrink, President, Hyper Dog Media

14. Implement a Test-and-Learn Approach

A robust test-and-learn approach to all aspects of marketing is imperative to ensuring that your messages continue to connect with audiences in impactful ways. While most organizations agree that testing is important, it's often an afterthought and definitely not part of an ongoing strategy to make digital marketing more efficient. 

The most common example of this is that email subject lines are often tested, but not in a meaningful way. Instead of testing structure or something that is repeatable, the test is often two different versions of a subject line that are specific to a singular email. This leads to results that do not yield any real statistical significance but allow teams to check the testing box. 

Creating a test-and-learn plan that can take results from one channel and extend them to another channel is something that does not get the time and attention it should.

Joe Frye, Account Group Director, Nonprofit & Cause, Town Hall Agency