Pinocchio's truthfulness eventually helped him become a real boy. Similarly, authenticity in inbound marketing helps engage visitors by drawing them into a website. By providing visitors with content that is useful and honest, the transition to customer status begins.
Website Duplicity Is as Obvious as Pinocchio's Nose
Just as Pinocchio's nose made it clear he was lying, visitors to a website are aware of even the smallest dishonesty. It is obvious when a keyword search does not match the content. When the content is self-serving or skewed, visitors are quick to see the site's flagrant disregard for authenticity.
Personal Image Matters
Content Marketing Enhances Web Presence
Drawing visitors into a website using content marketing establishes trust if the content is authentic and provides information the visitor needs and can use. This enhances a company's presence as one that is an authority on a particular subject. Providing relevant information invites the visitor to come back. Presenting the content in a clear and interesting fashion helps it to be useful and appealing to the target audience.
Trust Means Everything
Knowledgeable Source
Articles that focus on a subject related to the company's products serve to show the reader the company understands its customers' needs and presents the company as an authoritative source. Well-written content presented in a down-to-earth fashion lets the reader know the site is up front and authentic. This also establishes the site as a go-to place for honest information on the subject. For instance, a company that specializes in running shoes may offer articles on the types of injuries runners experience.
Be a Professional Player
Keywords Are Key
Using keywords that link to the subject matter without being misleading, positions the website as a worthy destination in the visitor's mind. A website that utilizes a wrong or evasive keyword causes the searcher to experience frustration and disappointment. Keywords need to link to what they say they do.
The Use of Social Media
Social media helps to provide an interactive way for followers who are looking for the company's latest product update. Authenticity in this regard differs between business and personal posts. Brand content on social media needs to follow a well-demarcated path with clear meaning. This can be complex, and having a strategy in place that encompasses the parameters the company wishes to set up is important. Personal use of social media is easier since it simply requires a positive attitude that connects well with others. Guile on social media, in either case, is easy to spot and generally avoided like the plague.
"Yes, I'm Tall, Handsome and Blond"
Online Research Leads to Purchases
Statistically, inbound marketing accounts for a large share of customer loyalty. Outbound marketing, popular in the past, used ads to lure customers to a company's store. Ads are often ignored or perceived as bothersome as more individuals shop online.
In 2012, Ipsos reported that about 61 percent of customers researched products on the internet. Finding reliable information is the first step in drawing visitors to a company's website. In 2013, individuals who shopped online numbered about 191.1 million. By 2015, that number grew to 201.7 and expectations are for growth in subsequent years according to statista.com.
Keeping it real on one's website, whether putting forth well-crafted content or linking keywords to the site, makes visitors feel comfortable. This feeling of ease invites visitors to delve deeper and become customers. Without authenticity, inbound marketing potentially results in transient traffic to the site not to customers.