Get Found Using Google Social Media and Blogs: Inbound Marketing

19 Jan Get Found Using Google Social Media and Blogs: Inbound Marketing

Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah Pub. Date: 10/19/2009, Wisdom ISBN-9780470499313 256 Pages Buy Inbound Marketing at AmazonWhy I Read this Book: The glory goes to the one who can attract the most eyeballs. This is the best step by step guide I’ve seen to leveraging the power of social media.

Topics Covered:

• Dramatically increasing traffic to your website or blog
• Inbound marketing
• Online positioning
• LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and the future of online marketing

Review:

How many of you have web marketing down cold? Do you totally understand how to use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Digg and all the other less than intuitively-named social networking tools out there? There are few people who can answer yes to either of those questions and those of you who can, it may be the case that you might not know what you don’t know.

The space is endless and for many, overwhelming. Ever since I used what I learned in Internet Riches to launch Reading For Your Success almost four years ago I have barely kept up with all the tools that have hit the web. It’s easy to get frustrated. And generally frustration leads to demotivation, which is exactly where many of us are today (I know it’s where I’ve been). We have no idea how to use the unbelievable set of nearly-free tools available on the web. So we launch websites and write blog entries hoping they will get found. That’s just not good enough anymore. The good news is all that’s required is dedication and a fire in your belly to learn and grow–which happens to be all we’ve ever needed for success.

Armed with those two things, I highly recommend you dive into Inbound Marketing. It is the answer to your social networking and marketing prayers (or at least it seems to be for me). One of the 2010 goals I set for Reading For Your Success was to become competent and begin my journey towards mastery of web marketing and social media. Then out of nowhere this book fell into my lap. A long-time mentor recommended it to the members of his company’s board and before long I was deep into it. I could not put it down. For me, a how to book does not get any better than when it’s written in just that format–step by step explanations followed by instructions and a case study of it actually working in the field. Every chapter flows just like that. First teach, then provide an example from real life, then end with a numbered list of what you can do to put this stuff right to work. I bet you could even become an inbound consultant of your own after digesting what these guys have to teach.

Inbound Marketing is written in such a simple format. The chapters are short, there’s plenty of useful diagrams and you know exactly what to do at the end of each chapter. Sure, the authors might not win any literary awards for their work but it’s about time an author wrote directly on purpose without trying to be overly cute and eloquent and just get to the point: The world wants to understand how to get loyal visitors to their site, and this book is their teacher. The old way of outbound marketing (high-priced media ads, PR firms, direct mail and email marketing) is dead. The new way of inbound marketing (using online social networking and media tools to create and spread remarkable content and intrigue users to visit your site) is what is taking our concepts to prime time. Who knows, it might have even helped our president get the title he currently has. The tools are that powerful.

After reading it cover to cover and then going back through with a fine-toothed comb, I sketched out an action plan that is going to get my 2010 goal off to just the start I needed–for Reading For Your Success, for my investment fund and for myself.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Give your brand a top Google ranking–find your place on the first page of search results
• Become a celebrity in your extended network using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media
• Start and promote your first blog
• SEO and SEM–what they are and how to use them to multiply the eyeballs on your site
• Methods for creating remarkable content
• Test your web offering to get the highest conversion
• Youtube as a means to drive traffic and get your audience raving about your content
• Discover and leverage your most efficient online marketing channels
• Analyze your current inbound marketing effectiveness and create a game plan for getting to the next level
• Clear criteria for hiring the inbound marketers of tomorrow

Not only are these skills essential for having a chance in getting your website, blog or product seen in an evermore crowded and competitive marketplace online, but these skills are becoming table stakes for the job descriptions of the future. Whether you’re making your own as an entrepreneur or hope to bring something unique to the table at someone else’s business, you cannot ignore the social media tidal wave for much longer. It’s a new year. You likely have an idea you want to run with. And if you see the wave headed your way, I say you grab a board and paddle out. Inbound Marketing is the best way yet I’ve seen to ride that wave. Now go get found!

What have you found to be your best tools for attracting eyeballs online? What questions do you have? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

~Reading for Your Success

Buy Inbound Marketing at Amazon

Other books you might enjoy:

• Internet Riches
• Positioning
• Origin of Brands
• The Four Hour Work Week