So as a savy marketer you know about inbound marketing and  the benefits of content creation but how do you assess your competition’s use of inbound marketing techniques. Emarkable works with a lot of companies on inbound marketing and there are three tell tale signs that will demonstrate the success/lack of success that your competition is having with inbound marketing.

First, what is inbound marketing? At Emarkable we encourage (insist) clients create new and fresh content regularly and broadcast via social media platforms and email.

Create a blog/ebook/case study/product information – an asset

Publish that piece of content as a blog, on your website, on you tube, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and so on.

But before you look at all of that activity we develop a strategy for content creation that will result in sharing, engagement, conversion into sales, lead generation and  the building of trust with Google and your client.

So how do you know if your competitors are using inbound marketing successfully.

1. Have they a blog? are they creating new content regularly in terms of new pages, new blog posts and assets like ebooks? If they are you can see this on their website. The quality and quantity will allow you determine if they are doing things well. Companies that are getting help will have regular updates and quality material that is themed and focused. They will benefit from a structured process and methodiology that allows them create great content that is targeted at defined target audiences.

How do you know it is working? Lots of content created does not mean a lot unless it is seen and shared, so sharing of articles allows you determine the numbers of people who actually thinght the quality of material generated was of value.

2. You will see lots of landing pages and clear call to actions. A common activity is to develop focused pages that guide the user to a particular call to action. Have a look at their website, what is the user experience? lots of targeted pages? Do a Google search for their keyterms, are specific pages appearing in the Google results pages? if so they have developed buying processes and  unique user experiences that are focused and uncluttered.

How do you know if this approach is working? without analytics of their site it is difficult to determine the success but because you are in their industry you will know when you see the good pages.

3. Do they have a plan, is it obvious? lots of activity in blogs and content creation can be haphazard – a shotgun approach. If they are true focused marketers they will have a disciplined process, probably using an editorial calendar and a themed approach. Blog, optimise, create assets, landing pages and so on on a particular theme.

How do you know if this approach is working? You will see quality content in a disciplined way, you will see the content on Google and other social media platforms, it will annoy you because they are doing something that you are not…

 

We can help you with inbound marketing, but if you want to see what your competitors are doing we can provide you with a competitor insight report.

We are always happy to answer any questions. Contact the team by phone on (01) 808 1301, or email us at info@emarkable.ie