HubSpot's 2012 State of Inbound Marketing report found that businesses are increasing their use of inbound marketing because of the success they've experienced with it.

As part of its 2012 State of Inbound Marketing report, HubSpot found that success with inbound marketing is driving businesses to increase their focus on certain channels. Meanwhile, 62 percent of companies point to the economy as a reason for moving away from outbound marketing campaigns.

Fifty-four percent of businesses told HubSpot that their increased spending and attention on inbound marketing is driven by the success they have experienced with social media marketing, SEO and other channels.

Moreover, businesses with new management are moving toward search, social and content campaigns as these new leaders view inbound marketing on the web as a critical initiative for their futures. As more consumers and B2B buyers turn to the web to research purchase decisions, providing custom content and building a presence on these channels can help organizations develop a user base and compete.

Brafton recently reported that the inbound channels companies cite as most successful include content-driven SEO and social media. Each of these helps a business organically reach its prospects while also building a brand as a thought leader within its industry.

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.