Inbound marketing success starts and ends with the creation, amplification and distribution of unique and valuable content. Great content can inspire, solve a problem, answer a question and build the foundation for consumer trust every brand seeks. So it is no surprise that business both big and small are writing, posting, tweeting and sharing more content than ever before. In a single 24-hour period there are 2 million new blog posts published, 294 billion emails sent, 864 thousand hours of video added to YouTube and 400 million posted tweets.

Bloggers and content producers often feel like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Between managing stakeholder requests and begging for team content contributions, creating fresh topics can be a constant struggle in the quest to engage readers and drive website traffic.

More and more businesses are discovering the value of using visual content and video as an inbound marketing tool to help generate leads and create loyalty. It is now apparent that marketers do not need to be turned off by the common misconception that video should be produced in a costly way. The reality is, video has an important place in your marketing workflows and it can be quite easy to do – not to mention fun. By far, it is one of the easiest tools you can use to build an emotional connection with your website visitors, prospects and customers.

Most marketers understand the link between content marketing and branding, and the power it holds in regard to staying competitive and boosting your product or service. With the right mix of content marketing strategies, businesses will experience more traffic, engagement, lead generation and sales. Nobody understands this more than Chad Pollitt, VP of Audience and Co-founder of Relevance.com, an online publication dedicated to helping marketing and communications executives solve their online content visibility challenges.

By now you’ve likely seen all of the data touting the importance and value of business blogs, statistics like: blogs on company websites result in 55 percent more visitors and blogs result in 434 percent more indexed pages. But if you find yourself struggling to find the time and resources to create exceptional blog content, you are certainly not alone.

While some marketers may have not yet recognized the profound effect content marketing is having on public relations, others are noticing the natural extension both functions form in relationship with one another. Acontent marketing strategy should be representative of your brand and voice, convey your business’ main principles, all while being entertaining, useful and relevant. If you are a PR professional, do these objectives sound much different from the work you are doing to communicate how your business is making an impact on your industry? The bottom line is, both functions of content creation and PR are built on the foundation of establishing relationships and motivating others to become ambassadors for your brand. Check out these key impressions that content marketing has made, and will continue to make on PR:

We certainly don’t live in the North Pole or drive a reindeer sleigh to work, but there are three key similarities between inbound marketers and jolly ol’ Saint Nicholas.

Here’s a short list that will convince you that inbound marketers and Santa Claus operate in similar ways.

1. You’ve Got to Believe.
   
   The spirit of Santa Claus exists in the excitement and anticipation of children at Christmas time. The rosy cheeks, the round belly and magic of Santa’s annual visit spark curiosity, wonder and merriment for the kid in all of us. Whether or not he really lives in the North Pole is moot; his spirit and the joy of the season are ingrained in all who believe.
   
   In a similar light, you have to believe in the principles of inbound marketing to be successful. Inbound marketing focuses on creating quality content that draws customers toward your business and encourages them to buy your product or service. Inbound marketing helps you build a relationship with each customer so they keep coming back.
   
   If you believe in building a loyal customer base, you have to put in the work to build the content they want to read. Believe in the power of blogs, social media, ebooks and free resource downloads that help customers understand your product or service or solve a problem. To connect with the right customers, you just have to be an inbound believer.
   
   
2. Ask, And We Shall Deliver.
   
   In the month of December, Santa’s inbox is inundated with letters: children requesting their favorite things to be wrapped in ribbons and bows and delivered under the Christmas tree. We have all heard about Santa’s famous list and hope our names fall into the ‘nice’ column.
   
   Similarly, inbound marketers focus on attracting visitors and providing them with the content they are looking for. When potential customers search for a topic in their search browser, as inbound marketers, we want to deliver that perfect blog, ebook or guide to meet their needs. We believe in the importance of delivering the right information to the right people so they become leads and eventually, customers.
   
   Using keywords in your website content, blog and social media posts is a great way to reach the right customers. Think about focusing on the main points of your target customer, what they may ask for, and deliver exactly what they need. If your customer asks a specific question about your product or service, answer that question in a blog or free ebook and promote it within all of your online channels. When your customers ask a question be sure you are top of mind and provide the appropriate answers. The best way to build a relationship with your audience is to fulfill their wish list.
   
   
3. Our Goal is To Delight You.
   
   Unless you see a screaming toddler on Santa’s lap, everything Santa touches seems to have Christmas magic. Bringing joy to children and adults, Santa Claus is associated with everything jolly and delightful.
   
   Inbound marketing, too, focuses on delighting customers. Providing quality, and at times, unexpected content to visitors, leads and customers alike; our goal it to provide a continual stream of valuable resources to keep people engaged. If we can provide the information our customer base is looking for and offer a product or service that exceeds their expectations, we too, are sure to delight.

As if inbound marketing wasn’t exceptional enough as is – it now has its own dedicated week where professionals from around the globe will unite. In partnership with HubSpot and Eventbrite, Inbound Marketing Week will take place June 2nd – 6th, 2014 with a series of events happening globally which will allow professionals to collaborate, share knowledge and ideas, best practices and trends. Whether you'll be hosting your own event or attending one in your area, here are 3 elements to help plan your Inbound Marketing Week:

Day to day, situations present themselves that make human beings naturally skeptical. From weather reports to religious beliefs, aggressive work deadlines, or if a co-workers lunch is actually edible - skepticism represents the absence of knowing all the facts. Information is what converts a skeptic into a full believer.

Like any evangelist, inbound marketing professionals face circumstances where their philosophies and beliefs will be questioned.  Thankfully, the foundation lies in the undeniable proof and statistics that show the impact inbound marketing can make for those who use it successfully. The challenge is effectively communicating facts and examples in a way that is adapted to best make an impact pertaining to the skeptic’s particular service or business. Frank the Tank (Will Ferrell) displays this style best.

If you tap into these 4 characteristics of how an individual’s brain works, you may just transform a skeptic into a believer.

We discuss quality content with our customer partners on a daily basis and most know that it is an essential component to marketing success. As our ability to target messages with dynamic content expands, so does the need to create content that provides an educational, exciting and inspiring experience for web visitors and email recipients. The best way to ensure content is relevant to both current customers and prospects is not necessarily about changing your message, but customizing it with dynamic content. In order to do this effectively, you need to know something about the preferences of those you are targeting.  You’ll be hearing a lot more about dynamic content in the future but for now, here’s an introduction and what you need to know: