Using Inbound Marketing for IT Companies

Inbound marketing is about attracting qualified leads to your company by creating content designed specifically for your target market. Inbound marketing focuses on being helpful and relevant over being disruptive and invasive. Once these leads find their way to your site, your content keeps them coming back for more, and they become long-term customers and brand advocates.

Inbound Marketing for IT Companies

If we break down inbound marketing even further, this is what it looks like in four simple steps:

Step 1: Attract visitors using social media, search engines, your blog, advocates, referrals and email marketing.

Step 2: Convert visitors to leads using calls to action, landing pages, sharable content, and content offers.

Step 3: Turn leads into customers using email marketing, workflows, lead scoring, and CRM and marketing automation. 

Step 4: Delight your customers so they become advocates. Stay in touch via email, content, and social media. Inbound marketing focuses more on attracting and social selling than cold calling.

For your inbound marketing strategy to work, it needs to be tailored to your audience and industry. Different markets are looking for different things, and your strategy needs to take those nuances into account.

Here are some things to keep in mind when using inbound marketing for IT companies:

1. Target the right keywords. A well-honed keyword strategy is vital to your inbound marketing success. If you’re not addressing the keywords your audience is searching for, they can’t find your content – or your company. For example, don't just target high-level keywords like "IT consultant"--focus on a range of keywords and phrases that relate to the needs of your target customers. Consider longtail keywords like "Tips for using Docker for enterprises" or "3 tips for improving your office wifi." Longtail SEO topics can attract buyers and build brand awareness, as well as generate qualified leads.

In technology marketing especially, we tend to see companies using obscure, industry-specific keywords that their audience isn’t familiar with. To avoid this, analyze the keywords your target market uses most frequently, and create content based on your findings.

We also recommend revisiting your strategy regularly. Your keywords will evolve as your company grows, new technology emerges, and the industry advances. Industry trends should shape and define your keyword strategy longterm.

2. Offer industry-specific resources and guides. Buyers of IT services are doing a ton of research before making a decision. Authoritative and trustworthy resources are a terrific way to edge out the competition and ensure that your company is the one they choose.

Ideally, these resources should be very specific and tailored to your target market’s pain points. For example, if your company specializes in cyber security, one resource could be “Cyber Security Planning Guide for the Healthcare Industry”. Then, make sure the guide is filled to the brim with rock-solid, genuinely helpful information.

Also, because in-depth resources are more comprehensive than standard blogs, consider requiring contact information for access. Once you’ve captured that information, you can nurture those leads via email.

3. Publish content regularly. In the IT services industry especially, your company needs to be positioned as an authority, a leader, and a trusted resource.

Consistent content is a terrific way to achieve that goal. We recommend posting industry-specific articles, videos, and news as often as possible. Aim to create the kind of substantial information prospects will share with their colleagues.

4. Publish your content on other channels and websites. Publishing on another company’s site, or guest blogging, is an affordable and efficient way to introduce your brand to an entirely new audience.

To begin, pitch your content to IT-specific blogs and publications. Then, consider other companies whose market might have a need for your services. For example, if your company specializes in mobility management, you could form a guest-blogging connection with virtually any company or publication that markets to executives and entrepreneurs.

Remember, Inbound marketing is about attracting not disrupting--the philosophy focuses on being helpful and earning trust in order to convert more leads with less effort. Using inbound marketing for IT companies will require meaningful content, thoughtful placement and a well-designed website to serve as a foundation for lead generation efforts.