Everyone loves coffee. Whether you prefer it black, or with plenty of cream and sugar, there's just something about it that draws you in. The smell, the comforting warmth, and how it seems to accessorize any meeting or conversation you have. Some places do it well, and some places do it exceptionally well, but coffee is something you can find nearly anywhere.
In a lot of ways it's like inbound marketing.
The Similarities Between Coffee And Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is when you create content other people value. Content separating you from others and designating you as an expert in the field. For example, if you run a law practice and decide to start a weekly advice blog for those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, then that blog will make other people view you as an expert on the subjects you're talking about. You don't need to sell yourself. By providing free content that has value to those looking for it you establish yourself as someone your audience wants to come to for the services you offer.
How is that similar to a good cup of Joe?
Well, good coffee will attract people to your business the same way inbound marketing will; by offering something they want. As soon as you prove you have a product people want, whether it's a perfectly blended latte or a blog about investing your money, you are going to get customers to come back time and time again.
The metaphor keeps going, though. If you bring people into a cafe or a restaurant with your coffee, then chances are good they'll try out some of the other things you offer. For example, if someone stops in on his lunch break for a cappuccino then he'll also want to try a sandwich. If someone comes in for a morning cup of wake-up, it's possible she might get a muffin to go with it. The same is true of inbound marketing. If you run a YouTube channel all about photography, then your viewers will come to trust your expertise. If someone needs a photographer they're more likely to contact you than they are to reach out to someone who's an unknown quantity.
The quality of your coffee means, in your customer's minds, you must be able to do other things at least as well. The same is true of inbound marketing; if you can make good, actionable content then you must be able to provide an even better product for those who are paying for it.
Provide People What They Want, And They'll Come To You
Imagine, for a moment, that you were a restaurant who offered free high quality coffee to everyone who walked in your door. Not free with a meal, or free with a certain purchase, but just a free cup of coffee with no questions asked. Customers are going to pay attention to that, and they're going to beat a path to your door. Some of them will just take a cup of coffee and head back out, but others will stay a spell. Some might come back day after day, and they'll likely start ordering things to go with their coffee. At the very least they'll tell their friends about it, and before long you'll have a big audience who knows you, likes you, and who values you.
That's what inbound marketing does. You give away a free cup of coffee in the form of a blog post, YouTube video, eBook, White Paper, or some other piece of content people want. That one, little thing can transform you from a place no one's ever heard of to that favorite local spot that everyone just has to check out.
For more on the ins and outs of inbound marketing, simply contact us today!
