Inbound marketing strategies focus on generating quality content that answers user questions and encourages further engagement. Content should be optimized for search engines through effective keyword usage. Prospects now get information from search engines and social media rather than just from sales and marketing teams. Companies need to be active in search and social media if they want to be involved in prospects' decision making. Every blog post and piece of content should have a clear call to action that leads prospects further down the conversion funnel. Marketers should test different content formats and lead generation tactics to see what drives the most qualified leads.

1. Inbound Marketing Strategies

2. Compelling content is what generates conversions. Great content is a combination of effective keyword usage and content that answers the visitors question – and encourages them to the next step in the sales process. Your blog is optimized for search engines.

3. Back in the day, Sales and Marketing were the source of information for prospects. Prospects relied on them.

4. Now Search Engines often offer the information that prospects are seeking.

5. Social Media now impacts both search and influences the decision maker. The prospect is now getting information from Search Engines and from their Social Network

6. If your Sales and Marketing teams want to be involved in the prospect’s decision making, they need to be leading in search and involved in social networks. No longer can a company simply wait to have prospects ‘come to them’.

7. You need to be everywhere!

8. Utilizing syndication and other integration tools can save you time and keep you in front where you need to be!

9. Additionally, there are other tools on the market to simplify your integration needs.

10. Every single blog post should have a path to engagement. Typically, this is a call to action, to a landing page, to a conversion!

11. The customer lands on your blog post, and sees a relevant call to action. That call to action will lead them to a landing page and into the conversion funnel.

12. Most people don’t read. Repeat: MOST PEOPLE DON’T READ! Use whitespace effectively, symbolize with images and add video and audio. Feed the senses: visual, audible, kinesthetic.

13. Downloads, Events, Questions and Answers, Emails, Whitepapers, Prizes…. All of these options should require a data form to collect the lead information. Your blog is free – trade everything else for data!

14. Build compelling landing pages that capture a minimal amount of data and that even prequalify leads. Make it simple.

15. Measure how your leads are arriving… through syndication, social media, email newsletters, events, etc. This will allow you to figure out where you should be investing the most time!

16. Watch referring domains, set goals, and monitor your conversion funnels!

17. Marketing Technology Blog: http://marketingtechblog.com I’m Douglas Karr (Twitter: @douglaskarr) http://www.dknewmedia.com If you need help, contact me at http://www.dknewmedia.com