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How To Run A B2B Inbound Marketing Campaign That Gets Results

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Posted by John Beveridge on Nov 16, 2015 7:00:00 PM

How to Run an Effective B2B Inbound Marketing Campaign


Effective inbound marketing requires an integrated approach. It's not just about creating valuable content, engaging through social media, or promoting visibility with search engine optimization. You should be doing all of those things, but it's also important to make sure each element of your inbound marketing plan works well as part of the larger system.

In other words, effective inbound doesn't happen by accident. Your SEO, for example, leads prospects to your content, which leads them to your social media. And that's just a few of the bigger items on your inbound list. The little things matter, too, and we've put together an easy guide to make sure your B2B inbound marketing campaign hits all the right notes.


Set Up the Framework of Your Inbound Marketing Campaign

Before you start cranking out content and diving into social media, it's important to establish the goals of your campaign. Who are you targeting, and what do you hope to accomplish? The end goal may be a conversion, but there are plenty of steps in between.

  • The first step is identifying your target audience. Are you looking for a niche market, or targeting more broadly? Your buyer personas should help you lock in on exactly who you plan to reach.

  • Now, what are your goals? Hubspot has some great content on setting SMART goals. The basic idea is to set goals that are challenging, attainable, and measurable.

  • The same goes for setting your benchmarks. Be ambitious, but be honest, too. Inbound marketing isn't an overnight process, but it won't take long to start seeing progress.

  • Develop your lead-generation offer, and create associated landing pages to promote it. Often, long-form content like case studies, white papers, and eBooks work well for this type of offer.


Planning the Details of Your Inbound Campaign

Now we get to the fun stuff, where you can start to flex your social and creative muscles. With an audience, goals, and benchmarks in place, it's time to focus on the marketing. There are tons of tactics to try as you learn more about what works for your business, but we'll stick with the foundation pieces that every B2B inbound marketing campaign needs.

  • Write a blog post. This might seem an intimidating prospect, but you don't need to be Shakespeare to get the job done. If you lean on your industry knowledge and keep the focus on adding value for your readers, you'll be fine.

  • When creating content, don't forget about SEO. Pick relevant keywords, but don't overuse them. If you operate in a specific locality, you'll want to weave in basic geo-targeting information, as well.

  • Promote your blog post. If you've been slacking on your company's social pages, now is the time to get up to speed. Your social pages should be at the center of the action.

  • Sharing your content in the right places is only half the battle. Take the time to engage, too, and don't wait for readers to take the initiative.

  • What about the follow-up? Once a prospect accepts your lead-generation offer, you want to have a plan for how to keep them moving through your inbound marketing funnel.


Study, Learn, and Improve

One of the best things about inbound marketing is that you'll always have a chance to learn, grow, and do better the next time. You always want to be making progress, but you don't need to worry about being perfect. The data generated by your B2B inbound marketing campaign will help you improve over time.

  • Lean on your analytics, and look beyond pageviews. Where are your site visitors coming from, how long are they staying, and which types of content resonate best with your audience? Track your URLs to learn more about your traffic.

  • Now, about those goals you set at the beginning. With your campaign winding down, it's time to get a firm grasp on what you've accomplished.

  • Don't be discouraged. While you may fall short on some goals, there's a good chance you'll find success in unexpected areas, too. It's all part of the process.

  • The last step is the best one. Take what you learned, apply it, and get to work on your next inbound marketing campaign.


The versatility of inbound marketing is one of the major reasons for its popularity. Some businesses succeed with a vibrant blogging presence, while others put more focus into social media. The best campaigns often mix in a bit of everything, even if most of the focus is on a few main channels. No matter what you hope to accomplish with your B2B inbound marketing campaign, you need an comprehensive, well-planned strategy to get the job done.


 

Topics: Inbound Marketing

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