Introducing the NEW 4 P’s of Inbound Marketing

Remember the 4 P’s of Marketing from your Marketing 101 class?

Product: What you’re selling

Place: Your distribution channel to get your product to people

Price: Your product cost

Promotion: Pushing your product to the masses

These 4 P’s are fi ne; however, note how product-centric they are. Their focus is on pushing a product rather than on engaging in a meaningful dialogue with likely customers.

Inbound marketing, on the other hand, is about connecting through attraction. Your aim as an inbound marketer is to pull in prospective customers rather than push products.

So, while the original “4 P’s of Marketing” do still serve a purpose, let’s talk about evolving your marketing into the inbound realm.

Here are the new 4 P’s of Inbound Marketing

Profi

le / P

ersona Place

Product Purchase

PathP4

A profile is an overview of your target customer group, while a persona is an individual portrait of a buyer that you develop over time. Knowing about your key target customer groups is essential. The more you know about who your buyers, shoppers, and non-buyers are, the better you can communicate to their individual needs.

1 Profile / Persona

2 ProductOf course, your product is still important; it’s how you satisfy customers and make money. If you view each product as an inverted pyramid, you can see the product as a purchase process, each with its own unique path to purchase.

AI

DA

wareness

nterest

esire

ction

Connecting with people is easiest when you greet them on their terms. That means providing multiple points for visitors to enter your site. These could be onsite pages or landing pages offering entry at each of the four stages of the buying cycle. These shortcuts allow customers to access their desired content quickly, increasing conversion.

3 Place in the Purchase Cycle

Every customer takes a unique path to purchase. Mapping these paths helps in connecting to customers at multiple points in the buying cycle. Too often, encouragement only comes at the end of the journey. In reality, a majority of your visitors aren’t ready to buy yet because they’re only researching or shopping.

4 Purchase Path to Conversion

Consumers research, shop, and purchase when and where they want, on their own schedules. Inbound Marketing can help you connect and engage with customers when and where they want to be reached.

Learn more with Inbound Marketing For Dummies by Scott Anderson Miller

Cover photo © Yuri_ArcursTeamwork photo © lafl or / Getty ImagesBlue arrow art © zirui01 / Getty ImagesShopping mobile © Anna Zielinska / iStockphotoFunnel © olm26250 / iStockphotoDoors © maroznc / Getty Images Card purchase © shirhan / iStockphotoProfessor © zhang bo / iStockphotoWiley is a registered trademark of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Learn more with by Scott Anderson MillerLearn more with Inbound Marketing For Dummiesby Scott Anderson Miller