Introduction to Marcus Sheridan’s Book “They Ask, You Answer”
Marcus Sheridan, a renowned inbound marketer, and speaker, has written a book that has changed the way businesses approach inbound sales and content marketing. In his book, “They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer, Revised & Updated,” Marcus outlines a simple but effective approach to using a blog to attract and engage customers, build trust, and ultimately drive sales.
Overview of Inbound Sales and Content Marketing
Inbound sales and content marketing are all about attracting and engaging customers through valuable, relevant, and informative content. The goal is to build trust and establish a relationship with customers, so when they are ready to make a purchase, they choose your business over your competitors. Inbound sales and content marketing are a crucial aspect of today’s digital world, where customers have access to a wealth of information and are more informed than ever before.
The Importance of Understanding Today’s Digital Consumer
Today’s digital consumer is more informed, more connected, and more empowered than ever before. They research products and services online before making a purchase, and they trust the opinions of their peers more than traditional advertising. To be successful in inbound sales and content marketing, it’s crucial to understand the needs and wants of today’s digital consumer.
The Power of “They Ask, You Answer” in Blogging
“They Ask, You Answer” is a powerful approach to inbound sales and content marketing that leverages the power of a blog to respond to customer’s questions and provide valuable information. By answering the questions that your customers are asking, you can attract and engage them, build trust, and ultimately drive sales. Here are some of the key benefits of using “They Ask, You Answer” in your blog:
- Responding to customer’s questions through blog content: By answering the questions that your customers are asking, you can provide them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.
- Providing valuable information to attract and engage customers: By providing valuable information in your blog, you can attract and engage customers, build trust, and establish a relationship with them.
- Building trust with customers: By answering customer’s questions and providing valuable information, you can build trust with your customers, which is essential in today’s digital world where customers are more informed and connected than ever before.
Steps to Implement “They Ask, You Answer” in Your Blog
If you’re ready to start using “They Ask, You Answer” in your blog, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Identifying the questions your customers are asking: This is the first and most crucial step in implementing “They Ask, You Answer.” You need to identify the questions that your customers are asking so you can provide them with the answers they are looking for. You can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and Google Trends to find out what people are searching for online.
- Creating blog content that answers those questions: Once you have identified the questions that your customers are asking, you need to create blog content that answers those questions. Your blog content should be well-researched, well-written, and provide valuable information to your customers.
- Optimizing blog content for search engines: You need to make sure that your blog content is optimized for search engines so that it can be easily found by your customers. This includes using relevant keywords, creating a title that accurately describes the content, and using subheadings to break up the content into manageable sections.
- Promoting your blog content: After you’ve created your blog content, you need to promote it so that it can be seen by your customers. This can include sharing it on social media, emailing it to your subscribers, and submitting it to relevant websites and directories.
How to Measure the Success of Your “They Ask, You Answer” Approach
- To measure the success of your “They Ask, You Answer” approach, you need to track the following metrics:
- Traffic to your blog: This measures how many people are visiting your blog and reading your content.
- Time on site: This measures how long people are spending on your site, which indicates how engaged they are with your content.
- Bounce rate: This measures how many people are leaving your site after only visiting one page, which indicates how relevant and valuable your content is to your customers.
- Conversion rate: This measures how many people are taking a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form, which indicates how successful your “They Ask, You Answer” approach is at driving sales.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using “They Ask, You Answer” in Your Blog
When using “They Ask, You Answer” in your blog, it’s important to avoid the following mistakes:
- Not researching your customers’ questions: If you don’t research the questions that your customers are asking, you won’t be able to provide them with the answers they are looking for.
- Not providing valuable information: If your blog content isn’t valuable, it won’t attract or engage your customers.
- Not optimizing your blog content for search engines: If your blog content isn’t optimized for search engines, it won’t be easily found by your customers.
- Not promoting your blog content: If you don’t promote your blog content, it won’t be seen by your customers.
Best Practices for Using “They Ask, You Answer” in Your Blog
To get the most out of your “They Ask, You Answer” approach, it’s important to follow the following best practices:
- Research your customers’ questions: Make sure you research the questions that your customers are asking so you can provide them with the answers they are looking for.
- Provide valuable information: Make sure your blog content is valuable, well researched, and well-written so that it attracts and engages your customer
- Optimize your blog content for search engines: Make sure your blog content is optimized for search engines so that it can be easily found by your customers.
- Promote your blog content: Make sure you promote your blog content so that it can be seen by your customers.
- Measure your success: Make sure you track the metrics mentioned earlier to measure the success of your “They Ask, You Answer” approach.
- Continuously improve: Make sure you are continually improving your “They Ask, You Answer” approach by researching your customers’ questions, providing valuable information, optimizing your blog content for search engines, and promoting your blog content.
Real-Life Examples of Businesses that Have Successfully Used “They Ask, You Answer”
There are many businesses that have successfully used “They Ask, You Answer” in their blog to attract and engage customers, build trust, and drive sales. Here are a few examples:
- The Pool Factory: The Pool Factory is a retailer of above-ground pools, spas, and accessories. They used “They Ask, You Answer” in their blog to answer customer’s questions about above-ground pools, which helped attract and engage customers, build trust, and drive sales.
- River Pools and Spas: River Pools and Spas is a manufacturer of fiberglass pools. They used “They Ask, You Answer” in their blog to answer customer’s questions about fiberglass pools, which helped attract and engage customers, build trust, and drive sales.
- Great Waters Financial: Great Waters Financial is a financial planning firm. They used “They Ask, You Answer” in their blog to answer customer’s questions about financial planning, which helped attract and engage customers, build trust, and drive sales.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, “They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer, Revised & Updated,” by Marcus Sheridan is a powerful approach to using a blog to attract and engage customers, build trust, and drive sales. By answering the questions that your customers are asking, you can provide them with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions and establish a relationship with them. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can successfully implement “They Ask, You Answer” in your blog and start seeing results.
FAQ
How do I research the questions that my customers are asking?
You can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and Google Trends to research the questions that your customers are asking.
How do I make sure my blog content is valuable?
Make sure your blog content is well-researched, well-written, and provides valuable information to your customers.
How do I optimize my blog content for search engines?
To optimize your blog content for search engines, you need to use relevant keywords, create a title that accurately describes the content, and use subheadings to break up the content into manageable sections.
How do I measure the success of my "They Ask, You Answer" approach?
To measure the success of your “They Ask, You Answer” approach, you need to track metrics such as traffic to your blog, time on site, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
What are the common mistakes to avoid when using "They Ask, You Answer" in my blog?
Some common mistakes to avoid when using “They Ask, You Answer” in your blog include not researching your customers’ questions, not providing valuable information, not optimizing your blog content for search engines, and not promoting your blog content.
