I’m not a good cook. I’m a terrible singer but all of these don’t really matter now because I am now an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional.

My Inbound Marketing Certificate

What is Inbound Marketing?

Basically what you do is that you;

Position yourself to be found, and you will no longer be looking – Jim Stroud

The certification was given by the Inbound Marketing University is an educational program powered by HubSpot, a software company that helps marketers and small businesses grow their business online through inbound marketing. The program includes 16 one-hour classes, 10 reading assignments, and optional homework assignments for each class walking each student to the basics of inbound marketing. Below is a list of topics discussed in the class and the name of the professors:

1: How to Blog Effectively for Business

Ann Handley &  Mack Collier, MarketingProfs

2: SEO Crash Course to Get Found

Lee Odden, TopRank Online Marketing
3: Social Media & Building Community

Chris Brogan, New Marketing Labs
4: Business Uses for Facebook & LinkedIn

Elyse Tager, SVAMA
5: Viral Marketing & World Wide Raves

David Meerman Scott, New Rules of Marketing & PR
6: Advanced SEO Tactics

Rand Fishkin, SEOmoz
7: Calls to Action & Landing Page Best Practices

Jeanne Hopkins, HubSpot
8: Inbound Lead Nurturing

Brian Carroll, MECLABS, InTouch
9: Successful Email Marketing

Eric Groves, Constant Contact
10: PR for Inbound Marketing

Todd Defren, SHIFT Communications
11: Twitter for Business

Laura Fitton, co-author of Twitter for Dummies
12: Advanced Marketing Analytics

Avinash Kaushik, Google, author of Web Analytics 2.0
13: Passion-Inspired Video & Other Creative Content

Gary Vaynerchuk, Wine Library TV, and Crush It!
14: Social Media for Big Business

Paula Berg, Southwest Airlines,  Linhart PR
15: Internet Marketing Comprehensive Review

Mitch Joel, author of Six Pixels of Separation
16: Inbound Marketing Exam Review

Mike Volpe, HubSpot

What will you be getting in the classes?

Below is a brief overview of every classes you could get a feel of what will be discussed when you enroll.

The classes were exciting and interesting because each professor shared their expertise during their presentations and while I was doing my tasks at work, I was listening to the podcasts on my iPod and it was a fun experience listening to the professors who obviously have drawn their presentations from their vast experiences in inbound marketing. While Chris Brogan and Gary Vaynerchuck were already my favorites, I learned about two new favorites such as David Meerman Scott who presented about viral marketing and world wide raves. He gave excellent examples of how can marketers use the internet in promoting their businesses without spending so much. He also related a story about how surprised he was when the US Armed Forces followed him on Twitter and you could really hear the excitement in his voice and taught everyone about the importance of getting online presence for your business and even the non-profits.

Another favorite is Paula Berg who used to work with Southwest Airlines. She was very inspirational and you could really hear the enthusiasm in her voice. She was very inspiring in way that she made everyone listening to her feel that even someone who handles the Social Media for such a big corporation also has the doubts and fears that anyone handling the social media for a company has but she has given a very good example of how one could gracefully and effectively manage crisis and actually turn them into opportunities.

Over-all, the Inbound Marketing university class was packed with great learning experiences, success stories from interesting individuals. If you wish to be an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional too, simply go to their website, download the study kit and once you’re ready, you could take the certification exam.

Who needs the Inbound Marketing Certification?

Everyone who handles the lead generation, social media for their small business, big corporations and anyone who wish to expand their knowledge when it comes to inbound marketing strategies. Really, it was a fun learning experience that you could actually add on your resumes. But above the certification, it’s really the enjoyment and enlightenment that you could get during the class that matters. Getting certified doesn’t cost you anything but will actually add up to your learning so why not enroll in the Inbound Marketing University today?

You’re an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional…Now What?

Learning doesn’t end the moment you get certified – in anything. It’s not like the feeling you had when you received your diploma in college wherein you would jump in excitement because you would no longer have to attend classes. Once certified, you could embed a code on your blog Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals and Inbound Marketing University Alumni groups on LinkedIn and continue learning by sharing ideas and resources with other members. Continue the journey, there’s still more to learn – you just need to keep that open and eager mindset. Also, you can always be on the look out for the latest marketing tips and tools from Hubspot. Trust me, these guys rock big time!