New To Inbound Marketing? Here's Where To Start [Quick Tips]

Congrats! You’ve finally realized it’s 2013 and inbound marketing is taking over the world! Cold calling, paid email lists and billboards are out - while blogging, earned social media, and relatable content is in.

Whether you’ve just landed a killer new marketing job, you’re a one man/woman marketing shop just starting out, or you're a marketing team for a well established company and just looking to improve your content and increase leads - diving into the world of inbound marketing can be a tad bit overwhelming.

So, what's the best way to start? It’s important to stay current, social, and active, but how do you find the time?  I’ve put together some quick tips on where to start out in the world of inbound marketing, and hopefully you can apply these tips to wherever you find yourself in your journey to inbound marketing success.

• Take HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Certification. This certification class introduces you to the actual methodology of inbound marketing, and is an excellent place to start. The certification process gives you a solid understanding of inbound marketing and a foundation for moving forward and applying inbound marketing to your business. Plus you get a super cool personalized certificate when you’re done!

• Check out top industry blogs. HubSpot, Moz, CopyBlogger, LyntonWeb, and Marketo all have great blogs that discuss a variety of inbound marketing knowledge. Have those blogs sent directly to your email, or setup an RSS reader through Feedly, and you can clear up your inbox and review relatable blogs all in one place.

• Attend webinars. A lot of the top inbound marketing websites and blogs also host webinars on a variety of invaluable inbound marketing information. These are great opportunities to ask questions and get involved, all without leaving the comfort of your home or office!

• Find networking events in your area. This is a great way to mix and mingle with inbound marketing professionals in your area. Networking is so important to really get your name out there, talk to other professionals, and even get leads. Joining a marketing association, such as your local chapter of AMA is a great place to start, as well as HubSpot’s local user groups.

• Attend larger conferences. HubSpot’s Inbound Conference is the largest inbound marketing conference in the world, and while it’s less than 2 weeks away, it’s still something to consider, even if it's for next year. Conferences are a great way to gain a ton of valuable information in a short period of time, network, and increase your brand awareness as well as contacts and leads.

• Stay active on social media. Join the conversations! Follow industry leaders on Twitter, even ‘like’ your competitors pages on Facebook. Stay on top of industry keywords, hashtags, and engage with those that are following you on social media.

Now that you’re on your way to being an inbound marketing expert, share your newfound wealth of information! Retweet blogs, apply what you’re learning, and share this new inbound marketing knowledge with your coworkers and leadership team. Ok your turn now - whattips for inbound marketing success do you have?