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In other words: a website must be seen as a machine for making incoming contacts.

However, sometimes this objective is not achieved. Because the profile of visitors is not within the target. Because the site does not succeed in getting users to interact. Because the content does not meet expectations. Becauseit is too static. Becauseit doesn't build loyalty... and if this is the case, you need to quickly rethink your copy: it's business that's evaporating!

First of all, it is necessary to keep in mind two key principles in order to understand how digital has reversed the way of seeing:

Demand VS Supply

It is important to understand that digital media are first and foremost media that respond to demand, whereas traditional media (TV, radio, press, etc.), as well as commercial and outgoing communication actions, remain supply-side media.

"I need a new CRM tool, I am looking on the web for the best solution": the internet will answer my request.

"I receive an incoming call or an e-mail offering me a CRM tool, I will eventually study it if I have time, even though it is not my initial request": I am subject to an offer .

Between these two approaches, it is clear that the process is reversed and that it is essential today to be attractive enough to be identified in the first example. Consequently, two prerequisites are essential to exist on the Internet: firstly, to be seen by those who are looking for my product or service, and secondly, to be attractive enough for them to choose my offer.

Content Vs Design

Today, although graphic quality and design deserve a minimum of attention, they are not differentiating elements. Firstly, because the standards available on the market make it possible to develop navigable sites, and secondly, because Internet users no longer come to admire technical achievements: they are looking for real content! Once the minimum requirements have been met, it is better to concentrate on the content and animation of the site to develop its attractiveness and make it an effective tool.

Attractiveness: What are we talking about?

There are two important concepts for a site: traffic and conversion. Traffic is a quantitative indicator that measures the volume of visitors. Conversion is more of a qualitative indicator, indicating the number of actions carried out by an Internet user on the site.

The quantitative and qualitative aspects are measured thanks to the site's navigation indicators which make it possible to identify the most relevant content, both in terms of content and form. For referencing, an easy test consists in checking the results on certain keywords.

A site with a lot of traffic but few conversions will be considered ineffective: its publisher will not get any return, very few leads. On the other hand, a site with little traffic but a lot of conversions will not develop a large figure due to a lack of visitors.

Attractiveness that is useful for the sales strategyThe attractiveness that is useful for the marketing strategy, the one that generates inbound leads for the sales teams, is therefore at the crossroads of these two indicators, and there are four steps to achieve it!

4 steps to a winning attractiveness strategy

1. Define the target, describe the personas

If you don't know who you are looking for, you are unlikely to find them! Therefore, in order to have an effective site, it is necessary first of all to qualify the target, to describe the typical profiles of customers (the term "persona" is often used). By specifying the personas, we answer the question of their needs, their expectations and their demands. We describe the core target by reviewing everything that may be characteristic: age, sex, social class, location, interests, etc. One of the keys is therefore to ensure that the target and the site's content/form mix are appropriate.

2. Using the customer journey to purchase

The customer's buying journey is divided into 4 main phases:

- Awareness
- Consideration
- The purchase
- The use

It is necessary to define precisely the content and channels used for each interaction. Indeed, the objective differs at each stage and to be effective, it is necessary to adapt. For example, for awareness, a short but impactful piece of information on the homepage or landing page will leave a lasting impression on the future customer!

3. Create content

The attractiveness of a site is directly linked to the quality of the content that is proposed. Thus, inbound marketing consists of distributing quality, targeted and regular editorial production, with an added value perceived by the Internet user. This value builds loyalty and contributes to lead generation. Of course, this strategy requires resources in terms of time and editorial skills.

4. Disseminate the content

Once the content has been written, the personas and the buying journey defined, the last step is to distribute the web content. Far from being trivial, this step is important because even quality content that is poorly distributed will have a considerably reduced reach and impact. Therefore, for each content to be distributed, it is necessary to define :

the best channel to reach the persona at the right moment in the buying cycle.
secondary channels to increase the visibility of content (e.g. social networks)

5. Combining marketing and sales

To better visualise the issues at stake, we can imagine the website as a stand at a trade fair. If we want to make the investment in the stand profitable, it must be well placed (referencing), relevant (with a coherent and readable offer for visitors), attractive (with a design that attracts), interesting (with relevant information for visitors) with animators, salespeople who make the stand dynamic (site animation). The possibilities offered by digital technology are so wide and complex that many professions have developed around the internet. And to a certain extent, you can no longer do everything yourself.

The first step to ensure the success of this approach is to have a sales organisation that fully integrates the developments and specificities of digital. Is this the case for you?

Is optimisation your watchword? Then find out in this webinar how to maximise the performance of your sales staff by saving them 50% of their time:

The efficiency of the old methods of obtaining information and appointments has been reduced by a factor of three in less than ten years. In the 2000s, a day's worth of calls would result in a minimum of two to three appointments.

Today, most salespeople who call in the hard way barely get one!

Why? Because the Internet has changed behaviour in depth! With search engines, the prospect does his or her own initial search for information and has access to almost all the available offers. They no longer need sales representatives to obtain information.

But the challenges of sales management for the company remain the same: how to get enough contacts with prospects? How to keep sales costs reasonable in order to continue to grow profitably?

To answer these questions a new approach has been developed: with "lead generation".

Literally "lead" means " track ". It is a term originally used in CRM software and is now commonly used to describe a sales lead. Lead generation is the set of actions toidentify potential customers.

Your market today is made up of hundreds or thousands of buyers who, once they have identified their problems and needs, will start searching for information using the most practical and profitable tool: the Internet. All these Internet users, as long as they have not clicked on your site, are unknown to you, invisible. You know that they exist, that at some point they will have a need that you will be able to meet, but for the moment you don't know them! The challenge is to get in front of their radar during their research phase and to make them switch from anonymous visitors to active visitors on your site. For this, two prerequisites are necessary:

first of all, you must be well referenced and identified so that, whatever the search methods of the Internet user, he will end up on your site (see our article on the attractiveness of Internet sites on this subject),

secondly, to offer attractive content so as to multiply the opportunities to obtain information from the visitor and invite him to interact.

To generate leads, you should therefore focus on quality and targeted content which positions you as a key player in your sector of activity and your geographical area. By doing so, you will increase the chances of multiple visits, as the Internet user will have associated you with their "favourites". You will generate leads that will follow varying levels of progress. The first is the "unknown lead", which is simply a location or even an IP address, but has too few qualifications to be exploited. The second is the "identified lead", for which we know the email address or telephone number, for example. The third is the "qualified lead", who has multiplied his actions: number of pages visited upwards, several articles read, visits that multiply... and has communicated usable information. At this stage, if this lead is entrusted to a sales representative, it can become a prospect.

To encourage the visitor to act, it is therefore necessary create triggers so that they leave their contact details, or even express their need. White papers, webinars, video conferences, online questionnaires to carry out a free audit... the solutions are numerous and must be defined according to your market and the specificities of your customers. After several visits, reassured by the quality of the content and the match between the offer and their needs, the Internet user will become an active visitor.

Generating a lead means taking a contact from unknown to qualified.

The problem for companies today revolves around the management of three strategic phases.

It is clear from this new approach that the upstream work of capturing contacts mobilises significant resources (technical expertise, available time, follow-up, information sharing, etc.).

Lead generation does not end with the qualification of a lead. There are three key phases of this business strategy that companies must master.

Lead acquisition", which consists of qualifying the lead through a scenario, specific targeted actions, and which was described above.
Lead nurturing, where we try to create and develop a strong link, by feeding the lead, getting them to react, offering content, inviting them to offline events, etc. The challenge is to make the right adjustments, not to be too pushy or too little. The link is a dynamic thread, but not too tight.
The lead conversion is the critical moment, when the salesperson comes into play. It is a delicate stage because you enter into direct interaction and it requires the right sales skills and the right posture, the right distance not to do.

Steering and monitoring

Of course, all of these steps are taking place at the same time. A company at a given moment has before it leads, prospects, customers, a whole volume of contacts at different levels of progress, with numerous data to manage. All of this creates a complex, constantly changing situation that requires new skills and a different approach, a new way of looking at things.

Kestio LiveWith its pragmatic and tailor-made approach, we help SMEs to structure a tailor-made lead generation strategy and to be effective in the three key phases. We first help to describe the buyers personas, then to elaborate the most efficient interaction scenarios, and finally to help to pilot the whole, with regular contact, which favours long-term follow-up and performance.

Adopt a tool adapted to your activity and your expectations: choose the CRM... In order to better understand the usefulness of the latter and to choose an adapted CRM, watch this webinar:

But Inbound Marketing is not limited to the content production stage: an effective strategy requires the implementation of rigorous tools and processes to attract people seeking information on your subjects of expertise, to demonstrate your expert status, and above all to make them want to take action (contact form, reservation, order).

Here are the key points and steps to follow to develop a lead generation strategy around content production:

1. Define specific targets for your content

The first step before embarking on content production, and even before defining which topics you want to speak about, is to define targets. Simple? Not always. You know your customers thanks to your CRM software and databases, but a content strategy may not be aimed at the same type of people. You need to take this opportunity to rethink your targets, or if you keep the same ones, refine them.

Inbound marketing can help you reach a different customer base. You can deliberately choose to address certain functions of the company or certain sectors of activity that are neglected on offline channels. Define your priorities. In the light of the target profiles identified, you must then devise suitable content and make it coincide with the interests of these targets. The questions you need to ask at this stage are: what topics are your targets interested in? How will you "keep them" on the site? What are their preferred communication tools? What social networks are they on?

2. Have a publication schedule and an editorial charter

You have drawn up a typical portrait of your targets. The main themes to be presented to them have also been determined. Now you need to define an editorial charter and a publication schedule:

- Who is the expert on which topic? Who can (should) speak on a topic? Define your experts and their fields of action, and how they will pass on their knowledge. Will they write the content themselves? Will it be written by an external web editor, an agency, by one person in-house?
- What tone will you adopt? What is the chronology of topics? What will be your publication rhythm? You need a battle plan with a "tunnel" view of your publications. The clearer you can see the weeks ahead, the smoother the creative process will be.

Be careful, defining a publication schedule and an editorial charter does not mean setting a strategy in stone and then never returning to it. Keep in mind that current events, unforeseen events, or even a major fact in your sector can impact your content. Therefore, a very precise vision beyond three months is not necessary.

3. Optimise your referencing

Of course, producing quality content on your favourite subjects will contribute positively to your natural referencing. But this is not enough! Behind the websites that have a good referencing hides a thorough technical optimisation: the choice of a server, a domain name, the hierarchy of contents or the writing of meta tags... A referencing audit of your site can help you to optimise these technical elements. It is necessary to follow the evolution of your referencing in a regular way since the algorithms of positioning change constantly.

This technical optimisation of your site is essential to the long-term success of your Inbound Marketing strategy. There is no point in producing quality content that no one will find. In fact, if you don't have visibility, your desire to produce content will wane because of the lack of results.

4. Bring your content to life with a communication process

Once content is published on your website, its digital life begins. Define your communication process around this content: how to promote it? Which channel will be the most effective in reaching the targets defined above? Mailing, newsletter, sharing on social networks?

Should an article be revealed in full or in pieces? Using certain platforms for teasing? It is essential to think about this process of relaying articles, as it will determine the success of your Inbound Marketing strategy.

5. Be interesting... but above all, be engaging!

If you think that a topic is not captivating enough or that it will not keep the readers' attention, change the angle and try to find a relevant entry key. The titles and illustrations of articles are the first levers of engagement for your readers.

Secondly, always keep information "under your belt". Provide useful material without delivering everything. Deal with specific and circumscribed subjects that respond to the concerns of your targets in a logical progression. Always give them the opportunity to find out more, either by subscribing to your newsletter or your company page on social networks, or by taking part in a webinar... Or by contacting you directly by email or telephone. In short, make sure you create a relationship with your readers and generate interactions with them so that they enter your funnel: only then will your (quality) content become a real lead generator!

The webinar is an essential inbound communication tool: through its audience and its content, it can generate many leads. Find out how in this webinar:

KESTIO a eu le plaisir d’être sollicité par Les ECHOS Start, nouveau média du groupe les ECHOS destiné à accompagner les futurs Decision Makers dans leurs différents projets – notamment dans leur volonté d’entreprendre ou de monter une start-up – pour leur apporter régulièrement des conseils sur la façon de vendre et les bonnes pratiques business. Premier né de cette toute nouvelle collaboration, voici donc un article à destination des start-uppers proposé par Dominique SEGUIN, associé KESTIO, sur les fondamentaux du social selling.

Rechercher un emploi, entretenir les relations avec votre réseau professionnel ou avec des “influenceurs” dans votre secteur d’activité, recruter des collaborateurs, faire une veille sur les sujets en lien avec votre expertise professionnelle… Ces usages des réseaux sont bien connus de tous. Ils peuvent aussi s’avérer extrêmement efficaces dans le domaine commercial et vous aider très concrètement à développer l’activité de votre entreprise, en vous permettant de tisser un lien fort avec vos clients ou prospects. Alors comment activer et développer efficacement ce potentiel commercial des réseaux sociaux « pro » ? Mode d’emploi.

1.   Construisez-vous un “bon profil” et développez votre personal branding
2.   Développez votre réseau, c’est votre actif le plus précieux
3.   Misez sur la recommandation : les amis de mes amis sont mes amis !
4.   Soyez actif et réactif

Pour lire l’article “4 étapes clés pour (se) vendre sur les réseaux sociaux” dans son intégralité sur le site Les ECHOS Start:

Read also other articles related to this topic published on our blog:

Cet article vous a été utile ? vous voulez en savoir plus, téléchargez gratuitement notre livre blanc « Comment passer à la vente conseil à l’ère digitale » pour découvrir de nouvelles méthodes commerciales et à utiliser à l’ère du digital!

A preliminary reminder: Inbound Marketing consists of attracting leads and nurturing their interest and reflection throughout their decision-making process, in order to convert them into qualified leads, prospects and then customers, and even ideally into convinced ambassadors of your brand and your offers!

It is based on the change in attitude observed among buyers, who now carry out most of their purchasing process independently, relying in particular on the tools offered by digital technology (websites, forums, social networks, etc.) to develop their selection criteria and make their purchasing decisions.

It is opposed in nature to outbound marketing, which is based on more "push" strategies (advertising and mass emailing, in particular) that have now lost their effectiveness.

The funnel logic of Inbound Marketing and the steps towards conversion can be summarised as follows:

The evening's programme covered the 3 main stages of the Inbound process:

1- Attracting :

It's about attracting a relevant audience - potential prospects - to your website by offering content that appeals to them and interests them, in line with your expertise. Several ingredients contribute to this:

- Storytelling (Nathalie Grynbaum, IDRAC): producing content (that can be distributed on the web) in an Inbound logic means above all knowing how to "tell a relevant story" that will attract and convince your audience. It is certainly a question of demonstrating your expertise, but above all of responding in a concrete and useful way to the concerns and questions of your prospects, by providing them with elements that will at least enable them to fuel their thinking, and sometimes even to do some of the work themselves. You will then be identified as an expert partner of reference, to whom they will naturally turn when they need it.
- S.E.O. - Search Engine Optimization (Eric Guillermain, IDRAC): publishing rich and relevant content online for your targets also means working on the visibility of your site : producing this content is often a long-term job, so it has real value, in your eyes as well as for your targets... It would be a shame if it did not reach its audience! This means generating traffic to your site, preferably qualified traffic. One of the levers to achieve this is the SEO(or "natural" referencing) of your website and your digital content : this means making it easier for search engines to identify your pages and their content, by working on the meta-tags, titles and descriptions, page URLs, image titles, lexical fields of texts, etc., according to their reading criteria. This optimisation work is based on the study and analysis of the keywords used by your prospects during their online searches.

2- Engage

Being able to produce interesting content (for your target) and representative of your expertise allows you to attract strangers and turn them into visitors to your website. Once this first objective has been achieved, however, the main thing remains to be done in order to really reach your goal: in the end, it is still a question of selling your product or your service offers! To do this, you need to work on engaging this audience.

- Engagement and social networks (Fabian Innocenti, PUBLIC ACTIF): This crucial step consists of getting your visitors to go further in the relationship with you. To achieve this, you need to provoke interactions with your prospects that will lead them to invest (time, energy... and above all, affection!) in a process that links them to your brand. One of the most effective current vectors in this area is the animation of social networks: the animation of a community by the diffusion of viral images, gaming, services and products with direct online access, a capacity for personalisation or even co-design of products... All this plays a key role in engagement. This allows you to expand your audience, to get to know them better and, above all, to really "meet" their interests, expectations and purchasing behaviour.

3- Transforming

If you already have a qualified audience engaged in a relationship with you, you've come a long way. However, your entire audience represents a mass of contacts that is too large to be handled effectively by your sales staff. What's more, not all visitors to your site or your social network pages are necessarily in the buying phase! It is therefore up to you to bring them there, or to identify those who are already at a "usable" level of maturity for your sales force...

- Lead nurturing and lead scoring (Olivier Prost, KESTIO): the objective of this patient work and its outcome is to generate qualified and mature leads that can be passed on to the sales teams ! This involves a "nurturing" process that consists of "feeding" your visitors' thoughts and getting them to mature their purchasing project (for example, by offering them white papers, providing them with benchmarks, or inviting them to take advantage of a free trial, etc.). The design and delivery of this rich content is the subject ofa close collaboration between Marketing and Sales, in order to align and coordinate the objectives and tempo of the operations. The interactions offered to prospects and their reactions make it possible to establish a "scoring" system to identify "mature" and interesting prospects. The score is established according to criteria such as the prospect's characteristics (scale, sector, etc.) and his or her level of progress in the pre-purchase process (general information, definition of choice criteria, etc.). At the end of the process, only the leads that have reached the necessary score are passed on to the sales staff, in order to efficiently feed their pipeline and maximise their chances of success (optimisation of transformation rates and allocation of sales effort).

This conference demonstrated the effectiveness of this new marketing approach, and the need to master all its different facets in order to implement it effectively. It was well received by the participants: entrepreneurs, managers, marketing and sales professionals, and students.

How far have you got? How do you approach the implementation of Inbound Marketing in your company?

To stay competitive and maximise your chances of converting leads into future customers, it is important to optimise the return on your sales assets. Find out how by watching this webinar:

The generation and exploitation of qualified incoming leads is our business. For 10 years, KESTIO has been helping companies (from SMEs to large groups) to acquire and retain customers.

Demand VS Supply

Content Vs Design