Blogs – Short for web log, a blog is a website maintained by an individual or company where entries of commentary, descriptions of events or other material such as graphics or video, can be posted. As part of an Inbound Marketing program, blogs may serve as a teaser to a whitepaper or e-book and contain a ‘call to action’ at the end of the post that encourages the user to further engage with the organization.
Call to Action – A phrase or button that encourages audiences to further engage with an organization. Calls to action include, asking people to sign a petition, signing up for an e-newsletter, clicking to download a whitepaper or e-book.
Content – A core component of an effective inbound marketing program. Content is used to build trust between the organization and its clients and prospects with the goals of generating new leads and, ultimately, customers.
E-books – Online books that users can download in PDF format. E-books are typically longer than whitepapers and take a comprehensive look at a topic or trend.
Email Campaign – A series of electronic communications that provide frequent touchpoints between a company and its clients or prospects. Email campaigns may link to downloadable offers.
Inbound Marketing – Unlike traditional ‘push’ marketing, Inbound Marketing pulls in audiences by offering information that they are already interested in. This information is often available as a downloadable paper or e-book and these leads may be nurtured through an online marketing program that aims to convert prospects into customers.
Infographics – Web-based graphics that share data aggregated on a particular topic. Infographics may be included in blog posts, e-books, whitepapers or exist as stand-alone content.
Landing Pages – A website page that has a unique, trackable URL and contains information pertaining to a specific topic or offer. Landing pages may be accessed through websites, blogs, links on social media platforms and even via QR Code. The unique URL allows companies to see what offers resonate with their clients and prospects and adapt their messaging accordingly.
Lead Generation – The process by which companies collect information from prospective customers.
Lead Nurturing Campaign – An email marketing campaign that seeks to cultivate prospects and convert them into customers. Prospects may enroll in lead nurturing campaigns by downloading free offers such as toolkits and whitepapers.
Optimized Content – Online content that includes website keywords, geo-targeting and hyperlinks that direct users to other information from the organization, be it on their website, blog or a social media platform.
Outbound Marketing – Traditional marketing which pushes out messages pertaining to a service or brand through advertisements (online, print, broadcast) and other tools.
Sales Funnel – The process a prospect goes through from the time of the first interaction to the time they become a customer. Those at the top of the funnel are often seeking general information while those at the bottom of the funnel are closest to making a purchase decision.
Search Engine Optimization –The “art and science” of making web pages attractive and keyword-rich to improve its ranking in search engines.
Whitepapers – Long-form content that audiences can download from a blog or website or through a lead-nurturing campaign. Whitepapers are more in-depth than blog posts but typically shorter than e-books. Users may be asked to fill out a short form to receive a whitepaper, which makes it premium content.
