The great thing about inbound marketing and optimizing the internet to generate leads is - it works!  However, now that you're getting all of these leads, how do you keep them engaged and continue developing the relationship that they have initiated?  

If this is your question, I'm guessing you've made it to the point that you understand the need for being present on the internet.  Great things are happening.  You've optimized your website, you understand how a creative Call To Action button will get a visitor engaged with you.  Suddenly, your analytics are showing you that your visitors are actually clicking that button and downloading your helpful information as a guide to their next steps.  Congratulations! 

There are many steps to a successful inbound marketing strategy.  Yes, you must start with attracting attention.  You've taken the steps to do that and are becoming a master at blogging, SEO and a variety of other tactics.  Next you learned how to provide helpful information that answers the pain points of your target audience.  Now they are engaging with you and downloading that great content for which in return you are receiving email addresses and other information that is helping you build a profile for your audience.  

What's next?  Most of you know that when a visitor comes to your website they may not be ready to pull the trigger yet.  Whether it's a B2B or B2C product or service you provide, one thing remains true.  Almost 90% of internet users are doing research on the internet before making their decision.  So you have this visitor, who then became a lead because they engaged, but now they are hanging out there like fresh laundry on a summer's day hangs outside my grandmother's kitchen door.  How do you keep their attention?  How do you maintain interest and actually develop a relationship?  Inbound marketers refer to that as lead nurturing.  Yep, there's another strategy involved....

When you develop an "advanced" piece of content such as an eBook or a tip sheet that can be downloaded by your website visitor because it answers their pain point - it should be developed using a specific sales approach that your business has already put in place.  In traditional marketing, you created sales tools for your sales team.  You created a brochure that helped answer questions about your company in addition to other specific pieces that walked people through the solutions your company could provide.  Lead nurturing campaigns are no different.  

• Design a downloadable piece with the persona of your target audience in mind.  Make sure this "advanced" content answers a specific pain point.  
• Identify what part of the sales cycle your audience is in, when they are in need of the answer this advanced content answers.  
• Create a series of specific emails that will help continue taking the lead from the pain point through the steps of understand how your company can help provide the answer. 
• LEAVE THE SALES TO THE SALES TEAM.  I put this in all caps because I want you to understand that your job with a lead nurturing campaign is to begin by being helpful.  Not to sell, sell and sell some more.  
• When a lead comes in, assign that lead to a salesperson.  Make sure that are filling in the lead nurturing campaign with personal emails.  These emails will begin by simply offering help.  By the end of the lead nurturing campaign, it's okay to flat out ask them if they are interested in your product.  However, by that time the sales person should be following up via phone call - not email.  
• As the campaign moves forward, offer opportunities for your lead to become more engaged and participate in the sales cycle by providing links to additional advanced content pieces that provide more in-depth solutions.
• Remember to use your campaign to take someone from the top of the cycle, to the middle of the cycle, to the bottom of the funnel at which point they are contacted by the salesperson. 
• Pay attention to your lead's behavior.  If they continue visiting your site, respond to emails by downloading more content and become more and more engaged - hello?  Don't wait for them to call you - reach out to them!
• Pay attention to the analytics your campaign provides.  If one particular email has a great conversion rate and another has a pitiful one, then use that information to create a BETTER lead nurturing campaign!