Angelfish Marketing Blog

Over the years, outbound marketing methods such as cold calling and print advertising have gradually fallen to the wayside as inbound marketing methods have risen in popularity. But what is it about inbound that makes it so popular - and therefore so essential for your 2020 digital strategy?

In today’s increasingly online world, it comes as no surprise that 60% of consumers now make purchasing decisions before even speaking to a sales rep. So, knowing that your prospective customers are likely to go to your website before coming to you, it’s important that you optimise your website so it's easy to find, exciting, engaging, easy to navigate, and as enjoyable to use as possible. 

What is a target audience?

Whatever product or service you and your business provide - whether you’re a recruitment agency, shop owner, travel company, or something else entirely - you will have an ideal target audience of consumers. By definition, a target audience is “a group of people defined by certain demographics and behaviour.” These demographics could include anything from age, gender, where they live, what they do for a job, interests, relationships and so on - and it’s really important for the success and future of your business to ensure you know your target audience inside out.

If you're a business owner, you should already know that having an attractive website is essential if you want new customers and clients to find your business and purchase your products or services. But there's more to having a strong online presence than simply putting up a couple of pages about your business; you should also have a blog in your marketing plan for several reasons, including improving your SEO and the overall effectiveness of your online marketing. 

Ah, the question everybody wants to know the answer to. You’ve got a fully designed website, lots of great imagery and informative content… and yet no one is finding it. 

Google is the number one search engine across the world - 3.5 billion Google searches are made everyday - and drives the majority of search traffic to websites. In recent years, the first page of Google captured as many as 92% of search traffic clicks. Having a strong Google SEO strategy is crucial for decent ROI. 

Everyday, Google creates new algorithms that last week meant one thing, and now mean something different. It’s difficult to keep up with everything, so where do you begin? 

The challenge

Five months ago, we started working with a recruitment consultancy, M&E Global, who specialise in subcontracting work for the defence industry. Over the past 20 years, they’ve been offering a range of project solutions, supporting various global military contracts. They take a well-rounded approach to recruitment, not only finding their candidates jobs but also supporting them throughout the entirety of their contracts. This holistic approach to recruitment is what makes M&E unique, working closely with both candidates and clients so that all parties get exactly what they need.

With everyone turning digital, traditional outbound marketing methods aren’t as reliable anymore. No one wants to be pestered with cold calls and direct advertising just isn’t as effective – in fact, according to research, 30% of all internet users now use ad blockers on their internet browsers to stop the constant flow of ads flashing up on screens. As a result, the marketing funnel has shifted due to changing buyer needs. Before this change, marketers used a ‘funnel model’, which looked a bit like this: 

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do? Perhaps you’re an early riser, taking the dog out for a walk as the sun climbs over the rooftops. Or maybe you stay in bed as long as possible, hitting the snooze button until you absolutely have to get up. No matter your morning routine, it’s absolutely possible to be successful in your role as a marketing manager.

With 55% of marketers saying that blog content creation is their top marketing priority, it’s clear to see that marketing strategies are moving from traditional, ‘outbound’ techniques to more up-to-date, ‘inbound’ methods where it’s all about enticing people to engage with the business. Producing blog content is a great way to offer potential leads something valuable so that, when they’re at the point where they’re ready to make a purchase, they pick you over your competitors. Plus, the stats are pretty promising: marketers who prioritise blogging efforts are 13x more likely to see a positive return on investment (ROI) and content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising. 

There are a lot of buzzwords and industry jargon in marketing. From SEO to metadata, PPC to CPC, there’s a lot to get your head around when it comes to effective digital marketing. However, as a recruitment agency, you can’t not have a strategy in place; as we’re sure you’re well aware, the recruitment sector is getting more and more competitive. So, to help you make the most of your marketing spend, we’ve highlighted how to get the best return on investment (ROI). We’re seeing amazing results from our digital marketing for recruitment agencies, so read on to ensure you’re doing everything you can to get the most from your marketing spend.