Inbound leads are a fantastic way to grow your Shopify store, offering a sustainable and cost-effective path to increased sales and customer loyalty. However, getting started with inbound marketing can often feel intimidating and complex, especially if you’re more accustomed to the immediate results of online advertising.
It’s tempting to think, “Why not just go all-in with online advertising methods like Facebook ads?” After all, these platforms promise quick visibility and the potential to reach a vast audience at the click of a button.
The allure of instant clicks and rapid traffic can be hard to resist, especially when you’re under pressure to deliver immediate results.
But let’s take a moment to consider the bigger picture. While online advertising can certainly drive traffic to your store, it often comes with a hefty price tag and the uncertainty of fluctuating costs and changing algorithms.
What happens when your ad budget runs dry or when the platform alters its policies, leaving you scrambling to regain lost visibility?
Relying solely on paid ads creates a fragile foundation for your business, one that can crumble if the rules of the game change.
In contrast, inbound marketing empowers you to build meaningful relationships with your customers by delivering valuable content that addresses their needs and interests. This approach not only attracts potential buyers but also nurtures them, guiding them through the sales funnel until they’re ready to make a purchase.
Imagine having a steady stream of leads flowing into your Shopify store—leads who are genuinely interested in your products because they’ve connected with your brand on a deeper level. This kind of engagement fosters loyalty and encourages repeat business, creating a cycle of growth that extends well beyond the initial sale.
As daunting as embarking on this inbound journey may seem, remember that every successful marketer starts somewhere. By investing time in developing an inbound strategy, you’re not just building a customer base but cultivating a community around your brand.
It’s time to explore how you can harness this powerful strategy to elevate your Shopify store beyond short-term gains and lay the groundwork for enduring success.
You Need A Portfolio of Marketing Strategies, Not One-Hit Wonders
Would you be comfortable putting all of your retirement account investments into a single stock? That would expose your financial future to incredible risk! In the same way, it is risky to rely entirely on a single channel to bring you new customers.
Consider the current landscape: if Google or Facebook were to change their algorithms or ad policies tomorrow, how would your business adapt?
Relying solely on these platforms for customer acquisition can lead to significant vulnerabilities in your business strategy.
Today, you might get most of your customers through Google Ads or Meta Ads. Those are great places to acquire customers; you should continue those strategies if they produce ROI for you. However, there are two significant problems with relying exclusively on online advertising to acquire new customers.
First, online advertising does not create a long-term asset. Once you stop spending, traffic stops immediately. With inbound marketing, however, you are building an asset that continues to attract leads for months and years into the future.
Think of inbound marketing as an investment in your brand’s online presence that grows over time, drawing in customers without the continual need for ad spend.
Second, your advertising may be halted when the platforms change the rules. When you use another company’s platform, they set the rules.
For example, online advertising companies have recently changed their rules for political advertising. That’s a problem for Shopify store owners if you sell politically-themed products. Without control over these platforms, you risk sudden drops in visibility and sales.
The alternative is to build your audience organically. This strategy creates a sustainable flow of customers and establishes brand loyalty.
Your Step By Step Process To Increase Shopify Sales With Inbound Marketing
Set Your Goals
Before you start writing, you’ll need to set some high-level goals. We recommend setting a lead goal and a traffic goal, at minimum. Defining clear objectives will help you measure your success and adjust your strategies as necessary.
Traffic Goal: In the next 12 months, how many new website visitors do you want to attract to your website? Consider factors like seasonal trends and market fluctuations that may influence your traffic.
Lead Goal: How many of those website visitors do you want to convert into leads? Aim for a 1-2% conversion rate on your homepage as a benchmark. Use landing pages such as those provided by Unbounce or Leadpages for better results. With those assets, you can target 10% or more of website visitors to your email list. Setting realistic yet ambitious goals will give you something to strive for and motivate your team.
Publish Helpful Information For Your Market By Answering Questions
Do you want to know the most common failure in inbound marketing? It fails to speak directly to your audience’s needs, goals, and problems. If your Shopify store blog has company news, updates to your shipping policies, and ‘bland’ new product announcements, you are probably making this error.
As a starting point, find the questions your target market asks and start creating content around those questions. For example, here are some of the questions your market might have if you were in the marathon running apparel category:
- How do I avoid chafing when running long distances?
- How do I carry more water when running?
- How often should I replace my running shoes?
Tip: Call or email five of your recent customers this week and ask them what questions they have about your products. Alternatively, use AnswerThePublic to come up with ideas. Engaging directly with your customers provides insight into their needs and fosters a sense of community and connection.
Create Content That Answers Their Questions
Now that you have a few questions your market cares about, it is time to start creating and publishing content. We generally recommend starting with text blog posts first since they are the easiest to produce and bring in search traffic.
Tip: The days of writing 500-word posts stuffed with product keywords are gone. To win with inbound marketing, you need to publish high-quality content that provides value. Consider incorporating multimedia elements like images, infographics, and videos to make your content more engaging and shareable.
Promote Your Content To Attract Visitors
Most online business owners completely neglect content promotion. Publishing new content on your website is not enough, especially if you have a small amount of traffic. Instead, you need to promote that content online.
To get you started, here are ten places where you can promote your content and get more traffic and leads:
- Facebook: You can promote your content in several ways, such as publishing an update on your company page and in Groups. Taking the time to build a relationship with owners of Facebook Groups is an excellent way to build traffic. For example, if you offer apparel for runners, reach out to Facebook Groups dedicated to fitness and health.
- X: Use the Keyword Tool to find hashtags related to your content, increasing your chances of being discovered. Engaging with trending topics and conversations can also enhance your visibility.
- Pinterest: An excellent platform to use if you have highly visual content and want to seek out female customers. Creating eye-catching pins can lead to increased traffic and sales.
Instagram: Instagram is another excellent platform for highly visual content. Quality, curated images and reels can appeal to your target audience. - YouTube: You’ve already created a piece of content – why not make a video based on the same material? That will help you to attract traffic from one of the world’s most popular websites. Videos are highly shareable and can boost your brand’s credibility.
- Niche-Specific Forums: Specialized forums exist for nearly every interest under the sun. While some discourage promotional activities, other forums welcome contributors to share interesting content. To find forums related to your niche, use a Google search like “(NICHE) forum” (e.g., running forum).
- Paid Content Promotion: With services like Outbrain and Taboola, you can pay to distribute your content online. We recommend holding off on this strategy until you see results with free content promotion sources. Once you have organic traction, consider investing in paid promotions to expand your reach further.
Convert Website Visitors To Leads and Buyers
If someone visits your Shopify store and leaves sixty seconds later, did your company benefit?
Not really. The person may have bookmarked your website and become more familiar with your brand. However, in our distracted world, they are unlikely ever to return.
That’s why you must convert those casual website visitors into leads and buyers. If you are looking to attract buyers right now, make a direct sales pitch!
We recommend experimenting with the following offers:
- Offer a discount code for 10% off when they purchase in the next 24 hours.
- Offer a “BOGO” coupon (Buy One, Get One) promotion.
- Offer a seasonal promotion (e.g., Black Friday sale, Christmas sale, back-to-school sale).
Losing a small profit on the first sale is often worthwhile. Once a customer makes a purchase, they are much more likely to buy again. If you add personal touches—like a thank-you card in the package—the odds of them making a purchase increase even further. Building rapport with your customers encourages repeat purchases and enhances brand loyalty.
Follow Up With Leads On Your List
According to sales author Chet Holmes, only 3% of prospects are ready to buy right away. Everybody else is not quite ready yet. For example, a person visiting a Shopify store might be waiting for a birthday to splurge on a gift.
To get those prospects to buy, you need to stay in touch with them via your email list.
Building an email list of prospects is valuable for the long-term health of your business. When you have a list of prospects, you have additional revenue opportunities. You can organize joint venture promotions with partners in different fields and earn revenue. Also, you could sell advertising space in your newsletter. This creates additional income and can lead to valuable collaborations that enhance your brand’s visibility.
There Are Two Paths To Inbound Marketing Success: Which Will You Choose?
Achieving success with inbound marketing is one of the most effective ways to build your Shopify store and grow a loyal customer base. However, implementing an inbound strategy takes consistent effort and time. It’s a process of steady publishing, strategic promotion, and ongoing refinement to achieve meaningful traffic and qualified leads. These responsibilities may already be covered for those with a dedicated in-house marketing team, but for others, inbound marketing can seem daunting without the right expertise.
So, what do you do if your business lacks the time or specialized skills to manage a full inbound marketing strategy? That’s where okwrite comes in.
By contacting us, you’re not just outsourcing content creation; you’re partnering with experts who understand the nuances of inbound marketing for Shopify and other eCommerce platforms. At okwrite, we specialize in crafting tailored content marketing programs designed to align with your business goals and deliver results that matter.
With our experience, you can be confident that your inbound marketing program is in expert hands, setting you up for growth, increased visibility, and loyal customers.
Don’t go it alone. Reach out to okwrite and discover how we can help you transform your inbound marketing efforts into a growth engine for your Shopify store.
