How to Create an Inbound Marketing Campaign Step by Step?

Inbound marketing has become one of the most effective methodologies for attracting customers organically, building strong relationships and providing real value before selling. Understanding how to run an inbound marketing campaign involves not only generating content, but also designing a strategic process that connects with your customers' needs at every stage of their journey.

In this guide, you'll find a practical and up-to-date guide to planning, executing, and optimizing a successful inbound marketing campaign in 2025. We'll walk you through everything from setting goals to measuring results, with actionable tips and tools that will make a difference in your digital strategy.

What is Inbound Marketing and why does it work?

The inbound marketing It's a methodology that attracts (not interrupts) potential customers through valuable content, personalized experiences, and lead nurturing aligned with their stage of the buying journey. It works because it answers real questions, builds trust, and connects marketing and sales throughout the funnel (TOFU–MOFU–BOFU).

Objective of this guide: that you end up with a clear plan on how to create an inbound marketing campaign from scratch, avoiding common mistakes and measuring what matters.

Step 0: Business Alignment (Before You Start)

• North Star Metric: defines the main metric (e.g., qualified MQLs/month or opportunities created).
• Service/Market Fit: What offer are you going to promote, for which segment and with what value proposition.
• Sales Alignment: how marketing will deliver sales-ready leads (response SLA, quality criteria).

Deliverable: 1 page with objective, audience, value proposition, SLA and base metrics.

Step 1: Plan – Objectives, Buyer Persona and Customer Journey

1.1 SMART Goals

• Specifics: “Increase MQLs by 40% in 90 days.”
• Measurable: define baseline (traffic, CTAs, conversion rate).
• Achievable and relevant for business.
• Time-bound: with fortnightly milestones.

1.2 Buyer Persona and ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

• Key facts: role, industry, company size, pains, objections, purchasing criteria.
• Jobs-to-be-Done: What “job” do you want to solve with your solution?
• Messaging: benefits, differentiators and evidence (cases, figures, testimonials).

Still have questions about what a buyer persona is? We invite you to watch this short video: “What is a Buyer Persona – Marketing Dictionary” and resolve all your questions in minutes.

Mini-persona template (example):

• Role: B2B Marketing Manager
• Pain: Low lead volume and high CAC
• Success: Predictable pipeline and monthly SQLs
• Objection: “We don’t have the resources to produce content.”
• Test: Case study with ROI and timing

1.3 Customer Journey and Content Mapping

• TOFU: educate about the problem (blogs, guides, checklists).
• MOFU: evaluate options (webinars, comparisons, cases).
• BOFU: decide (demos, ROI calculators, trials, consultancies).

Deliverable: Journey map with questions by stage and the content format that answers them.

Step 2: Content Strategy and Topic Clusters

2.1 Content Architecture (Pillar + Clusters)

• Pillar: an extensive guide (e.g.: Inbound Marketing for B2B).
• Clusters: specific articles that link to the pillar (Technical SEO, lead magnets, lead scoring, workflows).
• Interlinking: clear internal links, descriptive anchor text and breadcrumbs.

2.2 Editorial Calendar 90 days (example)

• Week 1–2: 4 TOFU blogs + 1 lead magnet.
• Week 3–4: 3 MOFU blogs + 1 case study.
• Week 5–6: 2 comparisons + 1 webinar.
• Week 7–8: 2 BOFU (demos, ROI) + 1 optimized landing page.
• Week 9–10: content update + FAQs + outline.
• Week 11–12: new cluster + CRO on CTAs.

Step 3: On-page SEO, technical SEO, and EEAT

3.1 Keyword Research

• Primary: informational intent (e.g., how to make an inbound marketing campaign).
• Secondary/semantic: “inbound marketing step by step”, “inbound strategy 2025”, “lead nurturing”.
• SERP intent: confirms whether the intention is a guide, template, checklist or video.

3.2 On-page Checklist

• Coherent and unique Title and H1.
• H2/H3 with semantic variations and user questions.
• First paragraph with the main keyword naturally.
• Goal: includes the keyword and clear benefit.
• Images with descriptive alt text; modern compression and formatting.
• Internal linking towards pillars, services and cases.
• FAQ integrated (respond to real objections).

3.3 Quality signals (EEAT)

• Credentialed author, “last updated,” clear policies.
• Cite sources and use verifiable data where applicable.
• Real case with metrics (although anonymized).

3.4 Schema (Schema Markup)

• Article/Blog Posting for the guide.
• FAQ Page for frequently asked questions.
• BreadcrumbList for navigation.

Step 4: Conversion – Landing Pages, Offers, and CTAs

4.1 Offers by stage

• TOFU: downloadable checklist “14-day Inbound Plan”.
• MOFU: webinar + workflow template.
• BOFU: Free demo/diagnosis + ROI calculator.

4.2 Landing Page Best Practices

• Value proposition above the fold (1 sentence + 3 bullets).
• Social proof: logos, ratings, short testimonials.
• Short form (progressive profiling in subsequent offers).
• Visible and unique CTA (and alternatively via WhatsApp if applicable).
• Privacy and trust: microcopy on data usage.

Fast CRO: Test 2–3 headline, CTA, and hero image variations. Measure CVR, scroll, and time on page.

Step 5: Automation and Lead Nurturing

5.1 MOFU flow (example 5 emails, 12–14 days)

1. Delivery of the resource + next steps (day 0).
2. Educational content related + cluster article (day 3).
3. Case study with results (day 6).
4. Comparison “your solution vs alternatives” (day 9).
5. CTA BOFU: demo/diagnosis agenda (day 12).

Good practices: segment by interest, personalize by industry/role, and pause if the lead has already converted.

5.2 Lead Scoring

• Points for behavior (opens, clicks, downloads, BOFU visits).
• Points by profile (position, company size, industry).
• MQL threshold → moves to sales with context (page views, assets downloaded, notes).

Step 6: Multi-Channel Distribution and Promotion

• SEO + Blog: sustained traffic base.
• Email Marketing: newsletters and workflows.
• Social networks: blog snippets, carousels, threads with tips, short video.
• PPC/Retargeting: promote lead magnets and push BOFU to hot audiences.
• Co-marketing and PR: webinars with partners, guest posts, mentions.

Step 7: Measurement, KPIs and Continuous Optimization

7.1 Metrics by stage

• TOFU: organic sessions, % new sessions, time on page.
• MOFU: CTR to CTAs, CVR to MQL, cost per MQL.
• BOFU: opportunities created, MQL→SQL CVR, win-rate, CAC.
• Cycle: closing time, LTV/CAC.

7.2 Testing and Roadmap

• Hypothesis → Experiment → Outcome → Learning.
• Prioritize by impact vs. effort (ICE).
• Review the content map every six months and update key guides.

Interested in applying inbound marketing to your business? Read our article: “Inbound Marketing for Businesses: How to Know if It’s Right for You” and find out if this methodology is right for your company.

Example of a 14-day “1 sprint” (operational)

• Day 1–2: SERP research, brief + outline (pillar/cluster).
• Day 3–5: writing, on-page, graphic assets.
• Day 6: landing + form + thank-you.
• Day 7: delivery email + 1 nurturing email.
• Day 8–10: social snippets + TOFU guidelines (if applicable).
• Day 11–12: interlinking + FAQ + schema.
• Day 13–14: QA, publishing, UTM tracking and dashboard.

Quick Checklist: How to Run an Inbound Marketing Campaign?

• SMART Goal and North Star defined
• Person and journey mapped
• Topic cluster and 90-day calendar
• Complete on-page SEO (title, H1, H2, alt, internal links)
• Lead magnet + landing + CTA
• Nurturing and lead scoring workflow
• Organic distribution plan + payment
• KPIs by stage and dashboard
• A/B Testing Plan and Improvement Schedule

Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

• Producing content without a clear intention: validates SERP and real questions.
• Do not connect with sales: defines SLA and quality criteria.
• Eternal forms: applies progressive profiling.
• Not measuring the value of each piece: UTM attribution and cleaning.
• Forget updates: refresh pillars and statistics.

Your Clear Route to a Successful Campaign

Throughout this guide, we've covered how to create an inbound marketing campaign in seven key steps: planning, defining buyer personas, creating content, SEO optimization, generating offers, automating, and continuously measuring them. Each stage is designed to attract, convert, and retain customers with a sustainable and measurable approach.

If you want to take your strategy to the next level, at Agencia Roco we can help you implement an inbound marketing plan tailored to your goals. Schedule a consultation with our team and discover how to boost your business growth with effective, personalized campaigns.