HubSpot’s Inbound Certification Video Class 3: “What Does Inbound Look Like?” shares how a real-world company successfully practices inbound marketing. This is a valuable class as a real-world, spot-on buyer persona case study.
This buyer persona case study proves how well-crafted buyer personas can:
Drive inbound marketing strategy and tactics
Link together content marketing and SEO choices
Support a company’s sales and revenue goals
Here’s what to expect from this blog post on these inbound marketing best practices (and future blog posts) as I prepare for the inbound marketing certification exam:
Open Sharing. I’ll publish my study notes on this blog as I review each video in the twelve (12) classes.
Detail. My notes will be very detailed. Many of the slides in the video classes state the learning or take-home-message perfectly. If I think that’s the best way to state the learning, I’ll record the learning in my notes verbatim from the respective slide.
Context. I’ll provide my context whenever it may help us better understand the inbound marketing and sales concept(s).
This post focuses on the four (4) inbound marketing best practices shared in HubSpot’s Inbound Certification Video Class 2: What Are The Fundamentals of Inbound Success?:
Use Buyer Personas
Use The Buyer’s Journey
Create Remarkable Content
Leverage Your Content Via Distribution Platforms
Here’s what to expect from this blog post on these inbound marketing best practices (and future blog posts) as I prepare for the inbound marketing certification exam:
Open Sharing. I’ll publish my study notes on this blog as I review each video in the twelve (12) classes.
Detail. My notes will be very detailed. Many of the slides in the video classes state the learning or take-home-message perfectly. If I think that’s the best way to state the learning, I’ll record the learning in my notes verbatim from the respective slide.
Context. I’ll provide my context whenever it may help us better understand the inbound marketing and sales concept(s).
HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Certification Course remains one of my favorite learning marketing resources. I remember the joy (and relief) after taking the test and earning the inbound marketing certification. Back then, it was a scrappy, privately held startup taking on the marketing world. Now, Hubspot’s a thriving public company.
It’s time to refresh my certification. Over the course of the next several weeks, here’s what to expect from the next several blog posts as I prepare for the certification exam:
Open Sharing. I’ll publish my study notes on this blog as I review each video in the twelve (12) classes.
Detail. My notes will be very detailed. Many of the slides in the video classes state the learning or take-home-message perfectly. If I think that’s the best way to state the learning, I’ll record the learning in my notes verbatim from the respective slide.
Context. I’ll provide my context whenever it may help us better understand the inbound marketing and sales concept(s).
Hi Social Media ReInvention Community! Here are your share-worthy links for your enjoyment and discussion. Thanks again for your continued support and taking time to read my work. I hope you’ll enjoy these links during your Sunday Brunch!
"A bachelor's degree on its own no longer conveys intelligence or capability."
Suggested Authors / Books to Help Undergraduate Marketing Majors Land that First Job After College
These suggested authors / books are not of the "cookie cutter" or "10 easy steps on how-to land your first job out of college / summer internship in a lousy economy" variety. They share creative ideas to show a potential employer "you're more than a resume and the grades on a college transcript". Their teachings maximize the Internet's global reach and leverage search engines to your advantage.
In my opinion, if you graduated with a marketing and/or communications degree (or are currently studying these undergraduate majors), the following authors and books are REQUIRED READING.
Note: I am not an Amazon Affiliate Program Member. I respect the following authors because of their invaluable advice on how to develop a credible and professional online presence.
David Meerman Scott is a marketing strategist, advisor to emerging companies, bestselling author of eight books including three international bestsellers, and a professional speaker on topics including marketing, leadership, and social media.
Why The New Rules of Marketing & PR Matters
The New Rules of Marketing & PR is in its 4th Edition, has sold 300,000+ copies, and is translated in 25 languages.
Marketing and communications students will learn from this book the value of:
Thinking Like a Publisher (e.g. managing and creating content as a valuable asset)
Tactfully and Skillfully Informing the World About Your Expertise
Creating Varieties of Content Demonstrating That Expertise
Building, Understanding, and Targeting Your Audience Via Buyer Persona Profiles
Commenting on Other Blogs to Build Online Credibility and Relationships
Giving Away Your Expertise by Publishing and Distributing Free E-Books
Here's David discussing the latest release of The New Rules of Marketing & PR:
"An e-book is a PDF-formatted document that identifies a market problem and supplies an answer to the problem. E-books have a bit of intrigue to them — like hip younger sibling to the nerdy white paper."
If you click on the image captions, the hyperlinks will take you to the respective, eBook PDF download pages.
If I've said it once, I've said it 43 other times. Ann Handley is the best writer and storyteller in the New Media Business. Her writing and storytelling makes you:
Ann and C.C. share clear, actionable advice built on two (2) governing principles:
Thinking and Acting Like a Publisher
Publishing Helpful, Remarkable Content
Content Defined. Words, images, videos comprise content and can take the form of:
Web Pages
Videos
Blogs
Photographs
Webinars
Whitepapers
eBooks
Podcasts
Presentations
Social Outposts (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.)
Learning Through Great Storytelling and Writing. Great writing makes reading Content Rules enjoyable. And, studying it helps you ask the right questions about content strategy execution:
Goal Setting: Who is Your Audience? What Metrics Will Determine You're Succeeding (or Failing)?
Defining: What Content Type(s) Should You Publish?
Publishing: How Often to Publish (by content type)? What are the Platform Considerations (i.e., blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, LinkedIn Group discussions, etc.)?
Promoting: How to Share Content (without the cologne of a used car salesman).
More importantly, they share practical advice for budget-constrained marketing teams wondering:
How Do We Start?
What's the RIGHT Content Strategy for US?
Pages 22 to 24 to the Rescue. The Content Rules of Why & Who (or Grab Your Colleagues, Tons of Sticky Notes, Lots of Paper, and Thrash Through the Following Questions):
Whom are you trying to reach (e.g., your audience, clients, customers)?
What does your audience crave (e.g., content that informs, entertains, something else)?
What do you want your audience to do (e.g., motivate it to do X, figure out the calls-to-action)?
What content do you already have (e.g. take a content inventory)?
Wake Up (because this is a long post, and I can hear you snoring)! How about re-imagining those boring bullets into something differentiating and remarkable:
Content Rules Video Update with C.C. Chapman and Ann Handley. C.C. and Ann made this September 2010 video before the book's release. It's a great example of practicing what they preach and seeing the human side of great content marketing.
Walk-the Walk and Talk-the-Talk.Inbound Marketing is the second book I studied about digital marketing strategy (The New Rules of Marketing & PR being the first). If you're a serious marketing and communications graduate (or current MAR-COMM undergraduate) and want to "rock it" in your interview, you have to study and learn Inbound Marketing's principles COLD. Published in 2010, Brian and Dharmesh's teachings preceded much of the current and future implications of marketing and digital strategy:
Foundation principles and relevance of inbound links, SEO, Google Authority, Page Rank so potential customers/clients find you (instead of you interrupting them)
The underlying principles behind “closed loop” marketing (CLM)
Inbound Marketing provides clues to what a genuine, 21st century digital-driven organization looks for in employees. Hubspot utilizes its DARC framework when evaluating potential hires:
D = Hire Digital Citizens
A = Hire for Analytical Chops
R = Hire for Web Reach
C = Hire Content Creators
If you can'tanswer the following HubSpot interview questions while simultaneously providing real-time "show-them-the-money" on-screen, digital evidence, YOU'RE HOSED. Here are example interview questions from pages 170-171 and page 173 of Inbound Marketing (within the context of your interviewer verifying your answers on her/his laptop, tablet, or smartphone):
Interview Questions Evalutating Depth of Digital Citizenship:
What RSS reader do you use? Can you show it to me?
What blogs do you read?
Do you rank first for your name in Google?
Do you have a blog? Can you show to me?
Do you use Facebook or LinkedIn? When was the last time you updated your profile?
Do you have a channel on YouTube? Can you show it to me?
Interview Questions Evaluating Web Reach:
How many subscribers to your blog? Do you talk about our industry on your blog or about personal stuff?
How many Facebook followers do you have? Do you talk about our industry at all on your Facebook account?
How many LinkedIn followers do you have?
How many Twitter followers do you have? Do you talk about our industry on you Twitter account?
Closing Thoughts
My apologies for not finishing / publishing this post by the originally stated timeline. My "day job" is crazy/hectic especially as the 2013 4Q ticks away. That's okay (because that's the job).
Please tune in for the this series's next post: a comprehensive list of online resources (i.e., websites, blogs, blog articles, etc) to help recent college graduates and current college students land full-time jobs or internships. The HUGE list will easily comprise "20+ Resources."
Please give me a couple weeks to consolidate this list, provide context, and hit "publish."
Your Turn: What is your opinion of the books listed here? Have you read any of them? If so, how did the book(s) content create an opportunity for differentiating yourself either before, during, or after the interview? What books did I leave off? What additional books would recommend?
Please let me know. It would be great to hear from you!
Note: This is post four in a series sharing resources to help new college graduates and current students land full-time jobs or internships. If interested, here are links to other posts in this series:
On slide 10, almost 90+% of the respondents reported that individual marketers or their teams work on writing / blogging:
Slides 14 and 15 described "What Tactics Do Marketers Employ." Of the 26 tactics measured, respondents cited these SEO tactics as the most employed:
Social: Set up / ran a Facebook business profile
Analytics: Analyzed / tracked site speed and page-load times
Competitive: Analyzed competitors' back links
Competiitive: Analyzed competitors' content
Content: Started a new blog or invested heavily in blogging
Blog Posts Are The Number One Type of Inbound Marketing Content Produced
On slide 15, "blog posts" received the highest % of responses as the type of inbound marketing content produced. Social media (e.g., tweets, statuses, etc.) ranked second:
Blogging Isn't Dead (Especially If You Love Writing)
"We've come to a place where those who were never going to stick it out with blogging for the long haul are busy on Twitter and Facebook, where they can share without the burden of having a passion for writing. So, in the end, maybe what's new for blogging is a place where the real bloggers step in and create a new type of copy for the world to consume. A place where more and more creative thinkers get to tinker with words in new and interesting ways. It's a place where you (and everyone else who wants to write and have a voice) gets to be free to try it out and see what kind of audience their words, images and even video connects with. Blogging – as a platform – may never have anything new to show for itself. Blogging – as a creative white space – is still in its early days."
Here's a direct quote and Key Conclusion #5 from the 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report:
Businesses are increasingly aware their blog is highly valuable. 81% of businesses rated their company blogs as “useful,” “important” or “critical.” An impressive 25% rated their company blog as “critical” to their business.
And, there are more fact-based conclusions in the 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report. Here are seven (7) reasons from HubSpot's data supporting the continuing relevance of blogging.
1. Blogs Are and Remain the Most Important Marketing Channel
Look Who's The #1 Social Media Channel in Terms of Importance. It's Blogs! LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter all ranked in lesser importance. The hub-and-spoke social media strategy model works with a website or your blog as the center. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are short-from outposts guiding customers back to your website or blog (the long-form hub).
3. Blogs Have the Lowest Cost-Per-Lead of Any Marketing Channel
52% of Respondents Say blogs are "Below Average" in Cost Per Lead. Blogs are the most cost efficient lead generation channel (inbound or outbound). Not surprisingly, trade shows are considered the most expensive.
Here's a direct quote from the respondent survey:
"The worst thing we did in marketing last year was attend several trade shows and events with low yield and ROI."
4. Blogs are Second Only to LinkedIn In Acquiring Customers
57% of Respondents Say Their Company Blog Acquired Customers. LinkedIn ranked first in customer acquistion. 62% of respondents validated its effectiveness. Interesting how "the two least sexy social media channels" ranked first and second respectively.
And, Speaking of Social Media Sexy – Blogs and LinkedIn Outdistanced Facebook and Twitter in Customer Acquisition. Don't believe the hype that long form content is dead. Or, consumer attention spans last only 140 characters or less.
HubSpot's 2012 Data Shows a Direct Correlation Between Post Frequency and Customer Acquisition. At a minimum, post at least once-per-week. But, increasing post frequency from weekly to twice per month provides significant benefits:
50 posts a year goes to 100 posts (that's the equivalent of 100 indexed web pages in Google)
An extra 50 posts, means double the number of keywords increasing SEO relevance
50 more web pages mean 5o more opportunities to earn inbound links (and increase Google authority)
6. Blogs Are Consistently Effective for Either B2B or B2C Companies
At a Minimum, Your Social Media Strategy MUST Include a Blog. The data shows blogs rank second in customer acquisition for either B2B or B2C companies. Number 1 for customer acquisition depended on business-type:
B2B: LinkedIn
B2C: Facebook
A Killer Social Media Strategy Incorporates at Least Three Customer Acquisition Platforms. The companies succeeding in social media are the ones who view these channels as customer acquisition weapons. Based on this data, a three-channel approach geared to customer acquistion by business-type would look like the following:
B2B: LinkedIn, Company Blog, Facebook or Twitter
B2C: Facebook, Company Blog, Twitter
7. Blogs Level the Playing Field for Small Companies
Small Companies Allocate Almost 4x the Marketing Budget to Blogs Versus Large Companies. Social media or inbound marketing channels are where small companies invest their marketing budget (i.e., social, SEO or organic search, and blogs). Large companies prefer outbound channels (i.e., trade shows, PPC or paid search, or direct mail).
Today's eMarketer article, Executives Fail to Focus on Social Media Marketing Strategy, shows how far we still have to go in convincing the C-Suite about social media marketing's importance in the overall marketing mix and overall corporate strategy.
Here's the executive summary (no pun intended):
1. Executives Think a Social Business Strategy Is Important. 78% of executives thought a social business strategy was somewhat important or very important.
2. But, Social Business Strategy Is Neither a Top Priority Nor Even Necessary). 27% listed social business as a top strategic priority. Nearly half (47%) say it's necessary but not a a strategic priority. And, 19% say social business strategy was simply not necessary.
This Surprises Me
Small Business Executives Say Social Media Is Not a Strategic Priority. 58% of C-Level respondents say social is neither a strategic priority AND 21% say it's not necessary.
Why Does This Surprise Me? Social media and inbound marketing levels the marketing playing field for small businesses lacking the marketing budget to compete with larger competitors. The small company response is similar to the large company response (i.e., 47% for not a strategic priority and 18% for not necessary.
This Is Not a Surprise
Metrics and Measurement Continue To Mystify. Accountability and metrics along with social media strategy and tactics rank very low on the 2011 and 2012 executive priority list.
The Circular Feedback Loop Between Strategy and Measurement. The social media strategy has to be linked to the overall corporate strategy (i.e., what is the objective: increase revenues, decrease costs, increase customer retention, lower customer acquisition costs).
Without those necessary links, accountability and metrics along with social media strategy and tactics will continue languishing as priorities.
Conclusion
Social Media Can Power Customer Acquisition. According to Huspot's 2011 State of Inbound Marketing Report, social media marketing (especially a company blog) can address the top priorities of the C-Suite:
Lead Generation. 57% of companies using blogs reported that they acquired customers from leads generated directly from their blog.
Operational Profitability. Blogs, social media, and organic search maintained the top slots as least expensive lead generation channels.
B2B Firms Value LinkedIn and Blogging For Acquiring Customers. 61% of B2B firms say LinkedIn is their top acquisition channel. 55% of B2B firms say the company blog is the second leading acquisition channel.
The survey respondents of various company sizes included: * Marketers * Business Owners * Entrepreneurs * Executives
76% of the companies surveyed said their business sell primarily to other businesses (e.g., B2B).
The report describes how companies are using inbound marketing (e.g., marketing strategies focused on "pulling" relevant prospects and customers towards a businesses and its products).
Inbound marketing influences purchasing decisions by leveraging the Internet and helping consumers make educated decisions on a company's products and services.
Common inbound marketing tools include:
Blogging
Content Publishing
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Social Media
Here's the complete report in HubSpot's SlideShare Page:
Three (3) of the Five (5) Key Takeaways Highlight a Blog's Unique Value. These key takeaways summarize blogs' importance in customer acquisition, increasing business use, and overall value:
* Blogs and social media channels are generating real customers: 57% of companies using blogs reported that they acquired customers from leads generated directly from their blog.
* More and more businesses are blogging: Businesses are now in the minority if they do not blog. From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of businesses with a blog increased from 48% to 65%.
* Businesses are increasingly aware their blog is highly valuable: 85% of businesses rated their company blog as "useful," "important," or "critical;" 27% rated their company blog as "critical" to their business.
Blogs are the Most Cost-Efficient Lead Generation Channel
* Blogs, social media, and organic search maintained the top slots as least expensive.
* Blogs had the highest instance of being reported as "Below Average Cost."
Companies are Allocating More Resources to Company Blogs
* Marketers are allocating more of their lead generation budgets to social media and company blogs.
* The average budget spent on company blogs and social media increased from 9% in 2009 to 17% in 2011.
Small Companies Level the Playing Field Via Blogging
* Social media and SEO (search engine optimization) garner the biggest share of small company budgets.
* And, small companies plan to spend dramatically more of their budgets on blogging (relative to larger companies).
Company Blogs Rank as the Highest Customer Acquisition Channel
* 57% of firms using company blogs have acquired customers from a blog-generated lead.
* Survey responses show an 11% increase since 2010 in blog-generated leads.
And, Customer Acquisition is Directly Correlated to Blog Post Frequency
* At a minimum, successful customer acquisition requires a weekly blog post frequency.
* 23% more blog users say a weekly blog post frequency delivers a greater return on customer acqusition versus a monthly blog post frequency.
* In addition, 71% of respondents indicated they blog at least weekly.
B2B Firms Say You Need LinkedIn and a Blog to Effectively Acquire Customers
* B2B companies say the LinkedIn is the #1 customer acquisition channel.
* The Company Blog is the #2 customer acqusition channel for B2B companies.
Blogs and LinkedIn are Top Customer Acquisition Channels for Professional Services / Consulting and Technology (Software / Biotech) Firms
* Three (3) industries had over 50% of respondents say blogging acquires customers:
Higher Education: 72% (Ranked #2)
Professional Services / Consulting: 58% (Ranked #2 barely)
Technology (Software / Biotech): 58% (Ranked #1)
Blogs are the Most Important Social Media Channel
* Blogging Experiences Significant Growth. From 2009 to 2011, the percentage of respondents with a company blog grew from 48% to 65%.
* Responents Cite Blogs as the Most Critical Social Media Channel. 27% of respondents cited blogging as "critical to their business." Blogs ranked highest among nine (9) social media channels.
Conclusion
The Death of Blogs is Grossly Exaggerated. HubSpot's conclusions support the exact opposite of mainstream media speculation (e.g., all you need to succeed in social media marketing is Facebook and Twitter activity). The data shows blogs are especially important in:
Acquiring new customers
Providing a lower expense marketing channel
Driving customer acquisition in specfic industries
Leveling the marketing playing field especially for small businesses
Demonstrating significant marketing value for B2B companies
Blogging's Importance to B2B Firms is Huge. Business-to-business companies say the two most important social media channels are LinkedIn and blogs. I don't find this surprising.
Blogs Provide Content Versatility. More importantly, management consulting firms say blogs play a significant role in customer acquisition. Consulting firms who publish content via company blogs can quickly demonstrate to future and existing clients their creativity and industry expertise in blog posts, videos, news updates, client testimonials, podcasts, and images.
Can You Afford Not to Blog? I wouldn't recommend bypassing the benefits of blogging (especially if you're a B2B company). The data clearly shows your competitors are blogging (and the future numbers are trending upward). If you're a small company (e.g., less than 50 employees), you can level the playing field against more established competitors.
The "C" in Content Represents Commitment to Customers
What do you think the "C" in Content represents?
I am inspired by Mitch Joel's blog post, My Commitment to You. In this post, he describes his personal commitment to publish the following content for his blog readers:
* 6 blog posts per week (e.g., 312 posts per year)
* 1 audio podcast per week (e.g., 52 podcasts per year)
* That's 364 pieces of content published per year — Wow!
Here's more inspiring statistics regarding Mitch's company Twist Image and the content volume they've published as of November 15, 2010:
* That's 2,608 additional pieces of content either already published online or delivered to a live audience. According to Mitch's post, the team created the blog in 2003. Therefore, the 2,300 blog posts represent the seven (7) year commitment and publication strategy of approximately 330 blog posts per year. On a weekly basis, that production equates to around 6.4 blog posts per week.
Thus, Mitch Joel honors his commitment to his customers (remember his personal commitment of 6 blog posts per year mentioned a little earlier). Here's another link to a Mitch Joel post titled, The Hardest Part of Social Media. He sums up in two (2) words the most difficult part of social media: The Commitment.
Honoring Your Commitment to Customers Drives Customer Acquisition and Loyalty
20 to 50 Blog Posts is a Magic Number. Check out this data point HubSpot conducted with a sample size of 762 customers. On slide 15 of State of Inbound Lead Generation, the data demonstrates that a company must publish at least 20 to 50 blog posts to generate a significant number of customer leads. It's safe to say that both Mitch Joel and HubSpot significantly exceed this benchmark.
Weekly HubSpot TV Podcast. Let's also not forget about HubSpot's Live TV Podcast broadcasted every Friday at 4 PM Eastern Time. So there's another, 52 pieces of customer-targeted content delivered annually. Here a link to the HubSpot TV Archives.
Integration Across Multiple Channels. And to top it off, this variety and volume of content development is carefully deployed via an integrated marketing strategy across multiple social media channels and traditional media relations (i.e., speaking engagements, news outlet interviews, television interviews, etc.).
But, that integration analysis will have to wait for another blog post …
Commitment to Customers Produces Successful and Measurable Financial Results
Here's evidence of HubSpot's commitment to customers yielding successful financial results. These recent press releases highlight its customer acquisition success and company growth in the Boston area:
Conclusion: So What Do You Think the "C" in Content Represents?
Creative content isn't enough to succeed in today's competitive marketing environment. Almost everyone has access to a computer, browser, and Internet connectivity. And many of those folks are creative content creators. But, there's hope in genuinely earning online attention and loyalty when competing with these Internet Creatives (even if they have bigger budgets and more FTEs).
Why? Because the Modern Internet permanently reinvents how to leverage personal commitment to customers as a competitive advantage. Honor your commitment to customers, and you can level the playing field.
That's why I believe the "C" in Content Represents Commitment to Customers. This is a hallmark attribute of successful businesses and individuals. You don't need to be a rocket scientist, you don't have to be a website design guru, an SEO wizard, or even The Huffington Post.
But, You Have to Have Commitment to Customers (just ask Mitch Joel or HubSpot).
So, what do you think the "C" in content stands for? Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Thank you for reading, and may you and your families have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.
