Inbound marketing success is all about great content.  There are several types of content that you can use to bring in customers.  Each type has its own set of guidelines that will help to optimize your messaging and garner the most response.  There are several other types of content that can be used to reach your target audience, but any great inbound campaign will need to contain these three.

1.  Blog

Your company blog is the best way to attract customers to your website.  Showing that you are an expert in your field by consistently publishing content that educates your potential customers will help you to stand out among your competitors.  There are several aspects to your blog that you need to make sure are optimized.  You want your blog title to be exciting and tell the reader exactly what to expect from your content.  Within the body of your blog, adding subheadings, numbered lists, white space and bullet points will make your content more easily digestible.  Be sure to add a ‘call to action’ to each blog post that directs the reader to premium content that will further educate them and help them to progress through their buyer’s journey.  The use of keywords related to your topic and target audience are extremely important in boosting your SEO.

2.  Email

Email can be a great way to reach a large number of prospects with the click of a mouse.  Email can be considered and used as a part of either an inbound or outbound strategy.  The content housed in your email will generally be more direct and to the point than that of your blog post.  Your subject line needs to jump off the page in order to persuade the recipient into opening your message.  Personalization is a key part of any email campaign.  You want to avoid sending emails from a ‘no reply’ address.  These are people you’re trying to draw towards your business, you want them to reply.  Make sure you provide them clear instructions on how to get in touch with you.  You also want to use the recipient name in your email greeting.  An email should also contain a ‘call to action’ that links to relevant premium content that will bring the reader closer to becoming a lead.  Email content can also be a great way to further educate and nurture current leads.

3.  Premium

Premium content is the biggest opportunity to educate your potential customers and to show off your expertise in your field.  This can consist of white papers, case studies and e-books, as well as a number of other, more detailed pieces of literature.  When a prospect downloads a piece of your premium content, this is a key indicator that they are interested in your subject matter.  You want to have content that will speak to potential buyers in the awareness, consideration and decision stages.  Depending on what piece they download, you will be able to tell what stage they are at in the buyer’s journey.  This will help you to gear future content directed at that prospects specific needs.  Make sure your premium content is easy to download and immediately available to anyone interested in your material.

Why you need all 3

Your blogs will traditionally be the most forward facing and highly read pieces of content that you produce.  They will also be the most plentiful.  It is important that you post consistently in order to gain a loyal following.  Each blog you post adds another indexed page to your website which help get you found by search engines.  Email is still a very effective tool for reaching those decision makers that may not be browsing the internet frequently.  It also allows you to track the interests of specific decision makers and gauge their interests in a variety of topics.  Premium content is what can establish you as an industry leader.  Whitepapers and Ebooks allow you to go more in depth about your chosen topics than a blog or an email piece.  This is what will cause potential customers to look at your company as a solution to their needs.  It is important to realize that all decision makers are different.  Reaching your target audience can be a challenge.  Through the use of these 3 types of content, you will greatly increase the chance of your material reaching the people it is meant for.