A report from HubSpot found that new media marketing's value across industries has made the search, social and other web channels invaluable.

As part of its 2012 State of Inbound Marketing report, HubSpot found that different new media marketing channels have helped businesses across industries and sectors boost web leads and conversions. According to the report, social media and content marketing are among the most commonly cited beneficial channels.

Within the retail sector, 92 percent of companies studied have pegged Facebook marketing as the source of increased sales. Moreover, respondents say Twitter and blog content marketing have helped their organizations appeal to new customers effectively.

For B2C companies, the success of retail stores on the web should help inform campaigns moving forward.

In other sectors, the percentages weren’t as high, but success is still common. Technology companies, for example, were especially successful with timely, relevant content marketing, with 61 percent reportedly making sales as a result.

Social media marketing with LinkedIn was the greatest contributor to customer acquisition for consulting firms, as 68 percent boosted their client base with various targeted campaigns on the professional network.

Brafton recently reported that content marketing and social are especially important as consumers and B2B buyers have become increasingly reliant on friend and colleagues for shopping advice. Brand advocacy is among the most common activities on social networks and providing content can help businesses appeal to those users likely to share information.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.