Inbound Marketing is a lot like dating. 

Attract, Convert, Close, Delight? This inbound marketing methodology sounds an awful like snagging a significant other to me. 

The similarities are there: how you should approach a potential customer mirrors how you should be approaching a potential suitor.

Step 1: take it slow.

Steps 2-6: be interesting, present yourself as a catch, be honest and trustworthy, lock it down, delight.

Take it slow.

Don’t ask me “Will you be my girlfriend?” the moment we lock eyes at the bar. Congruently, don’t ask me to purchase your product the first time I land on your homepage. Inbound marketing is a waiting game and when done properly will follow the cardinal rule of: take it slow. Wine and dine me, baby!

I’m the customer and I need a day, or fifty, to make a decision whether or not you are the right match for me. If you try to rush me, or pressure me, I’m going to flee, highly likely never to return.

You have me engaged. Now…

Be interesting.

No one says to themselves “Wow, I would really like to date someone boring!” Never have I ever heard this trait be expressed as a desirable one and it isn’t any different when it comes to your company.

Your website needs to be interesting, your product and services need to be interesting, the person you have marketing and selling to me needs to be interesting. Differentiate yourself from the chaos and appeal to me in a way that peaks my curiosity, intrigues me, and leaves me wanting more.

Since we just met you may not have figured out what makes me tick yet, so go ahead and ask me (respectfully). Don’t come storming in asking for my full family history, earliest childhood memory, and 10-year life plan. Ask me about my interests and how I like to spend my time. If you’re grappling for a starter question, “What do you do for work?” is a safe approach. Treat your forms the same way. Slowly ask me to provide information to build out my user profile.
So you’ve proved you aren’t a dud, now you need to…

Present yourself as a catch.

There are lots of interesting people and companies in this world so just being interesting isn’t enough. What makes you better than my other suitors? Why should I move you from the rotation to the starting spot? Why should I choose you?

It’s time to position yourself as a catch, differentiating yourself from the rest of the pack and emerge as the alpha.

Make sure you make me blatantly aware of your most desirable qualities and what you bring to the table. If you think you are the best at ‘x’ by all means give me the most compelling delivery of your life.

Most importantly why are you a catch for me? How compatible are we, and how do our values and goals align? Once you’ve proved that you’re the prize-winning catch…

Be honest and trustworthy.

Now that I have focused my attention on you, it’s time to prove that you’re not just trying to get into my pocket or my pants. Whether you’re selling me on your self or your service: say what you mean and mean what you say. If you say you’re going to call, call. If you say you’re going to follow up, follow up.

Be honest with your intentions and show me the kind of person you will be 3, 6, 12 months down the road. A strong relationship is rooted in open communication and trust so make this a priority early on. And while you’re at it…

Lock it down!

You got me, don’t lose me.
At this point, I’m ready to be in a committed relationship, so take control. I’m in the sweet spot as a consumer with rose-colored glasses on. Everything you do and say at this point is the most amazing thing I’ve ever encountered so seize the freshness of our relationship and make me fall for you. LOCK IT DOWN. Then…

Delight me.

Eventually we’ll grow out of our honeymoon stage. I will be annoyed with you from time to time and parts of you that once seemed so desirable won’t seem so… desirable. Focus on delighting me. Fixing your mistakes. Striving to do better.

I’m a level-headed woman and open to persuasion. Convince me that being your long-term customer, or girlfriend, is a good idea for me and my long-term needs. Continue to prove why you are my best solution,

But, what if we break up?

Your service might disappoint me. I may decide that discontinuing my contract or working with another vendor is a more viable option right now. I might need to go out, test and compare the other offers that are available.

Don’t give up on me. I am an ever-evolving consumer, trying to capture all of the offerings that are available. I may get overwhelmed and need to take a break.

There are two ways this can go:

1. You can treat me badly, provide me with poor customer service, and make me think, “Wow, really saved myself from that train wreck. Good thing we broke up when we did.”

2. You can let me go. I’ll treat you with respect. You’ll treat me with respect. We will part ways amicably, remember the good times, and leave the door open for the next opportunity.

If the second option happens and you don’t give up on me, we can keep the road open for future engagements. You may see me coming back next quarter for an honest attempt at round 2. If this happens, repeat steps 2-6.

Struggling with your inbound marketing efforts? Treat it like dating.

Ask yourself, “Would I talk to the cute guy/girl across the room that I am actually interested in getting to know like this?”

If the answer is “no”, walk away, regroup, and give it (or take) another shot.