The primary goal of inbound marketing is to draw prospects to your website by distributing valuable content and then convert them into leads through the use of premium offers and nurturing campaigns.  Content has a part in nearly every marketing function including traditional techniques such as teleprospecting and direct mail.  The inbound process involves providing a clear path for qualified prospects through the purchasing process.  A focus on educating your audience has been the dominant trend, with the personalization of brands and connecting with your audience on a social level becoming increasingly important.  As Google and social media platforms continue to alter their newsfeed algorithms, supplementing organic efforts with paid advertising will be necessary to command the same type of reach once expected through posts to company pages.  Having a flexible and detailed plan that outlines every aspect of your inbound marketing strategy will keep your campaigns consistent and organized. 

Content:

Website:

“Beyond helping search engines interpret page content, proper on-site SEO also helps users quickly and clearly understand what a page is about and whether it addresses their search query. In essence, good on-site SEO helps search engines understand what a human would see (and what value they would get) if they visited a page, so that search engines can reliably serve up what human visitors would consider high-quality content about a particular search query (keyword).” - Moz

Your static website pages should contain the same long tailed keywords you will use throughout your campaigns.  Being careful not to “keyword stuff” and ensuring your pages all fit one central theme will be necessary for SEO.  Some other things to consider are graphics, images, whitespace, social sharing buttons, page load speed, CTAs and clear navigation.

Company Blog:

“Blogging helps boost SEO quality by positioning your website as a relevant answer to your customers' questions. Blog posts that specifically use a variety of on-page SEO tactics can give you more opportunities to rank in search engines and get customers to visit your site.” - HubSpot

Your company blog is the most forward facing aspect of your website and creating consistent, diverse content is necessary to draw in customers.  A variety of different media including written blog, videos and infographics ensure you content does not become stale and allows you to reach your audience through their preferred means.

Calls To Action:

“It’s the only element a landing page cannot exist without. No CTA button means no way to convert. And if you’re not taking the time to create an effective one (e.g. using a generic CTA like “Submit”), you might as well throw in the towel right now.” - Instapage

Call to action buttons that give clear direction for the next steps in learning about a solution are first step in converting website visitors into leads.   These buttons should be brightly colored and stand out from the rest of your website imagery and copy.  As with most aspects of inbound marketing, A/B testing will provide you with insights on the effectiveness of your designs.

Landing Pages:

“If landing page optimization and conversion funnel testing are not on the list of items that you’re currently focusing on, then you’re not getting the most out of the visitors that are coming to your site.” Search Engine Watch

Your CTAs should connect directly to an optimized landing page that includes a brief description of the offer and a form that is relative in length to the value of your offer.  Removing site navigation buttons from your landing pages will keep your potential leads from becoming distracted before filling out your form.

Premium Offers:

“Premium or gated assets are typically longer form, and/or more time-intensive pieces that don't exist on a blog. They might be used to generate leads or contacts, or for brand-building purposes.” - HubSpot

Your premium offers need to deliver on the promises made by your CTAs and landing page copy.  These offers can include PDF downloads, free services or even contest entries.  The goal of these offers is to guide your prospects through the buying process.  A focus on educating and providing value to the customer should be prioritized over self-promotion.

The First Stop On The Road Through Inbound Marketing: Research

The Second Stop On The Road Through Inbound Marketing: Content

The Third Stop On The Road Through Inbound Marketing: Distribution

The Final Stop On The Road Through Inbound Marketing: Analytics