Using Ektron’s Content Marketing Platform for Inbound Marketing

At the Synergy conference earlier this month, Ektron announced their latest product, the Content Marketing Platform (CMP). Described as a “cloud-based and on-premises digital marketing software [that] will help you create and manage high impact marketing campaigns to increase traffic, leads, and conversions,” the CMP integrates marketing automation with the Ektron CMS to encourage the use of inbound marketing to drive traffic and conversions. But what does this mean for you? If you currently use Ektron or are considering an Ektron implementation, how can the CMP make a difference for your website?

The Importance of Inbound Marketing

In 2014, inbound marketing has emerged as the most effective method of attracting website visitors and driving conversions, with statistics showing that the creation of quality content (especially visual content) and engagement with social media generates more leads than paid ads, as well as improving search rankings. The adage that “content is king” gets repeated regularly, and it’s true; creating relevant, authoritative content will engage your users, encourage them to share your content with others, drive traffic to your site, and provide the best ROI for your marketing efforts.

How CMP Fits In

Having recognized the importance of inbound marketing, Ektron’s addition of the CMP to their platform is a timely solution for businesses which utilize a CMS but have not integrated a Marketing Automation Platform (MAP) into their site. The CMP provides several tools which can help Ektron sites move toward a full implementation of an inbound marketing strategy:

• A blogging "hub" which integrates blogs from different authors (including guest authors), groups them by topic, allows for "featured" blogs, and provides tools such as RSS feeds and email subscriptions.
• A landing page creator which helps content editors and marketers implement quality landing pages with minimal effort.
• The easy creation of personalized Calls to Action (CTAs) that can be targeted to users depending on where they are in the buyer’s journey.
• Analysis of content to make sure that relevant keywords are included and important SEO metrics are being met.
• Performance metrics that allow users to track marketing campaigns in real-time.

Is CMP the Best Solution for You?

An inbound marketing strategy is essential for businesses with a web presence, but defining and implementing such a strategy can be a large-scale project. Ektron’s CMP allows businesses to get started using inbound marketing techniques, providing tools for creating content, generating leads, and engaging users. The CMP fills a gap for sites which use a CMS but have not implemented an MAP or defined a content marketing strategy, but it does not provide the robust capabilities of a full-fledged MAP like Hubspot. As an intermediate step toward creating a truly inbound site, it provides some essential tools and allows marketers to begin moving toward the creation of a truly inbound site. Do you want to learn how to use the CMP to begin developing your own inbound marketing strategy? Please contact us, or feel free to share any questions you might have in the comments below.