The best inbound marketing/sales methods and strategies are always evolving as buyer behavior and technology improve. For years, it’s been all about the sales and marketing funnel. Buyer habits have changed and so business strategy to meet buyers where they are must change too. Say goodbye to the marketing funnel and hello to the growth flywheel!
Inbound marketing is a methodology we fully believe in here at LAIRE. It generates millions of dollars in new revenue for our clients every year. I mention this because our success was built off of the funnel model. So, if we’re willing to ditch the funnel, you should too.
The old, funnel concept is built around creating content that provides value and builds trust with your website visitors before they speak to a salesperson. The flywheel approach builds on the funnel concept to ensure the client’s voice is featured in every story you tell.
This isn’t a major departure from what inbound marketers have been doing. The flywheel approach puts more value in case studies, testimonials and video interviews over just simple blog posts or emails.
Put yourself in the shoes of a potential client. They’re more likely to trust what your current clients have to say about you, then what you are saying about yourself. Use the flywheel to turn your happy clients into advocates or promoters.
However, the final step isn’t represented on the funnel. In this model, when a lead turns into a closed sale, everyone’s job is done.
The flywheel picks up where the funnel leaves off. It puts the customer in the center of everything to make sure they’re not forgotten - creating an iterative cycle of continuous client delight and happiness. HubSpot launched a tool to help with the new flywheel concept.
Every interaction a client has with your company shapes how they view your brand and how they would talk about you. The happier they are, the more likely they are to say some great things about their experiences working with you. It's just like asking a friend for a restaurant recommendation. Your marketing strategy needs to be built around this concept.
We know it is marketing’s role to attract and deliver quality leads to the sales team. This can be accomplished through written and video content, a lead-generating website, and lead-nurturing campaigns. Marketing and sales work together to close those quality leads.
The service phase is focused on making sure your clients are happy after they have made a purchase. Providing the best client experience possible is more important now than ever. People expect nothing less and will go somewhere else if the client experience is anything less than ideal.
Your client service efforts will inform your marketing. If an issue keeps popping up, maybe it should be addressed early on in the education or sales process. If you’re getting 10 out of 10 feedback from your clients, use it! Utilize positive feedback in your content, on your website and anywhere else your prospects are looking.
Are you on board with the flywheel movement? Who can say no to focusing on making your customers happy? It’s ok if you’re still on the marketing funnel model. There’s no rush to make the switch, although, you should consider your competitors may do it before you. If they are leveraging their best clients to prove their company's value and you’re not, you could be missing out.
Reach out to us if you need help making the switch to the flywheel!