Inbound marketing practices are consistently in a state of rapid movement forward.
Because everything is changing a lot, it can be easy for CEOs (or executive staff) to lose touch with the pulse of their inbound marketing endeavors - possibly even failing to see the benefit it is providing for their business.
For marketing directors or managers, it's vital that CEOs aren't left in the dark about practical inbound marketing practices that can offer big payoffs in the end. So, here is a list of the four things that every CEO should know about their Inbound Marketing campaign.
1. The Team
With all the various, and complex, aspects of inbound marketing and SEO, you need a team of people who specialize in each niche area of your marketing endeavors in order to have the big payoffs you're hoping for. This means your team needs to have a senior marketer involved in executing each area of the inbound marketing strategy - content, PPC, CRO, web design, and SEO.
The most basic of teams requires, first and foremost, a project manager. The project manager is responsible for maintaining all the facets of the marketing strategy to make sure every part has what it needs, and every area is working together.
In addition to this, you'll need to have a web designer to create, maintain, and update a company website. Having a graphic designer to develop images, web content, ebooks, and infographics can really help you reach your marketing goals. A content marketer is necessary for generating specialized content posted for your business. An SEO expert will also be necessary to handle the technical elements of your marketing campaign. This includes optimizing your websites for local or broad reach, developing out your ranking strategy, and quality controlling other processes that are going on - like content.
You want to make sure that your CEO is in the know in regard to all your team members. Everyone can appreciate someone who is truly excellent in their field of work, and your CEO will be glad to know that each team member is doing great work.
2. The Strategy
Increasing clientele and revenue, as well as successfully optimizing your SEO campaign, requires strategic planning and preparation. You must begin by analyzing your business's values and goals, the voice, the culture, and what is currently being accomplished.
After this, move forward by designing a unique strategy based on your company and unique corporate goals. This will help you to create a specialized inbound marketing plan to accomplish what your business needs and help align your SEO campaign with your existing goals.
This strategy needs to be communicated to your CEO. You may not need all the intricate details that an SEO expert might want to report on, but you do need to make sure that your CEO knows your strategies, the voice you're leading with, and your target personas.
Successful marketing strategies don't just happen. They are developed and created over time through careful analysis and proper preparation. By doing what is necessary to complete this step, you will save yourself a lot of wasted time and energy in the future.
3. The Time Frames
Successfully walking out a pre-planned marketing and SEO strategy is not easy. It takes consistent amounts of work over long periods of time. CEOs need to know that campaigns won't yield staggering results with minimal effort in a short amount of time. To help keep expectations on track, communicate expected time frames for specific goals (such as increased ROI, conversions, lead volume, etc.).
It is important that CEOs be willing to communicate with their marketing team, learn what they need, and be willing to participate when possible. The process of enhancing SEO and marketing results is not simple, so an awareness of the effort and time necessary to make it successful will help CEOs know how to best be a support.
4. The Payoffs
While preparing, strategizing, organizing, and walking out your marketing game plan can be tiresome, the end results can be well worth the wait. Consistency and patience will leave you with great payoffs - and these payoffs need to be communicated to your CEO. If a CEO isn't aware of the benefits coming from your inbound marketing strategies, it will be difficult for them to be able to give credit where it's due when you ask for a budget increase.
Here are some examples of payoffs that the CEO should know about:
- Ranking improvements in the SERPs (search engine results page)
- More leads
- More conversions
- Wider brand awareness
- Increased ROI
The investment of time, energy, and resources can take quite a commitment, but with intentional planning based on buyer history and what your business can offer, you will end up seeing great results in the long run.
Our team here at Fannit would love to help you achieve those great payoffs. Our goal is to partner with businesses to develop the strategies that make them successful. To learn more about how we can help you reach your marketing goals, give us a call, or fill out our Inbound Analysis for a free consultation.