Top Take-Aways from the HubSpot Inbound Certification

HubSpot Inbound CertificationLast month, I successfully achieved my Hubspot Inbound Certification. With videos, quizzes and other resources, it covers everything you need to know about Inbound Sales and Marketing. Inbound is all about crafting content that is customer centric, which naturally attracts and retains traffic.

Here are my biggest take-aways from the Hubspot Inbound Certification:

Smarketing

This idea explains the closely linked relationship between sales and marketing. Smarketing is ensuring that the sales and marketing teams are always on the same page. This can include the use of terminology, the roles of each team, and what the overall sales and marketing process is. You cannot underestimate the impact a co-ordinated sales and marketing team can have in reaching company goals.

The Buyer’s Persona

Creating buyer’s personas are crucial for developing strong marketing campaigns. To build your buyers persona think about your ideal customer or client. Consider what types of companies they work for, what roles they play, what values they have and what problems and questions they may encounter. When you craft you marketing campaigns, keep these personas in mind to ensure your messages reaches the right audience.

The Buyer’s Journey

Another aspect to keep in mind is the buyer’s journey. There are three stages that a buyer generally follows: Awareness Stage, Consideration State and Decision stage. Take the time to create content that helps prospects in every stage of the customers buying process. Determine what kinds of questions each type of buyer may have to help craft your marketing resources.

The CAT Formula

This is all about delivering the right CONTENT to the right AUDIENCE at the right TIME. In the course, this principle was discussed in relation to email marketing. However, this formula can be applied to any number of marketing initiatives. Before launching any marketing strategy, making sure that it passes the CAT test can positively affect the success of the project.

Content Presentation

The quality of content is equally as important as how it’s presented.  Your reader immediately creates an impression of you and your company just by how your content looks. Choose a medium that most effectively communicates your ideas (blog post, video, white paper). Include white spaces in a blog post and position your call to action button in a clear location. These small changes in the presentation of your content can be a determining factor in how your audience understands, discusses and shares your content.

I have outlined few of the high-level insights from the Inbound course. It’s jam-packed with a lot more valuable information and resources on Inbound Marketing. It’s a perfect refresher for those who are already practicing Inbound Marketing, but also for beginners.

If you need help getting started, check-out our Introduction to Inbound Marketing white paper.

Top Take-Aways from the HubSpot Inbound Certification