Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs (New Rules Social Media Series) [Hardcover]

Brian Halligan (Author), Dharmesh Shah (Author), David Meerman Scott (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0470499311 | ISBN-13: 978-0470499313 | Edition: 1

Stop pushing your message out and start pulling your customers in

Traditional "outbound" marketing methods like cold-calling, email blasts, advertising, and direct mail are increasingly less effective. People are getting better at blocking these interruptions out using Caller ID, spam protection, TiVo, etc. People are now increasingly turning to Google, social media, and blogs to find products and services. Inbound Marketing helps you take advantage of this change by showing you how to get found by customers online.

Inbound Marketing is a how-to guide to getting found via Google, the blogosphere, and social media sites.

    • Improve your rankings in Google to get more traffic
    • Build and promote a blog for your business
    • Grow and nurture a community in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
    • Measure what matters and do more of what works online

The rules of marketing have changed, and your business can benefit from this change. Inbound Marketing shows you how to get found by more prospects already looking for what you have to sell.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you've been looking for a trustworthy primer on getting found online, here's a great place to start. Buy one for your clueless colleague too."—Seth Godin, author of Meatball Sundae

"If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing by reading this book."—Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop, and author of Reality Check

From the Back Cover

To connect with today's buyer, you need to stop pushing your message out and start pulling your customers in. The rules of marketing have changed and the key to winning is to use this change to your advantage.

If you've wondered how to get found in Google or why blogs and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are important, Inbound Marketing is the book for you. HubSpot founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah give you the tools and strategies you need to improve your Google search rankings; build a blog to promote your business; grow and nurture a community on social media sites; and analyze which of your online marketing efforts are working.

Stop wasting money blasting the world with marketing messages that nobody cares about. Instead, learn to get found with Inbound Marketing.

"If you've been looking for a trustworthy primer on getting found online, here's a great place to start. Buy one for your clueless colleague too." --Seth Godin, author of Meatball Sundae

"If you have more money than brains, you should focus on outbound marketing. If you have more brains than money, you should focus on inbound marketing by reading this book." --Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Alltop, and author of Reality Check

www.InboundMarketingBook.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470499311
• ISBN-13: 978-0470499313
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.9 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (173 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Retailing
  • #22 in Books > Computers & Technology > Internet & Web Culture > Blogging & Blogs

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners March 29, 2010

By Jeanne Yocum

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you're brand new to the world of Internet marketing and social media, this is the book for you. The authors cover the essential topics in clear prose that is quick and easy to read. For someone who already has Facebook and Twitter accounts and knows about Digg and other bookmarking sites and perhaps even has a blog already, there is probably not much here that you don't already know. I would assume given their business that the authors know much more indepth information than they shared in this first book; I hope they get around to writing a second one for people with more social media experience.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great mainstream book about new marketing November 9, 2009

By Neil Davidson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This excellent book is aimed at the 99% of the business world who are faintly befuddled by the strange world of youtube and delicious that they find themselves living in. It's aimed at plumbers, hairdressers, lawyers and oil company executives; at people in large corporations and small businesses alike who are dimly aware that their working lives are about to change - indeed, have already started to change in disconcerting ways - and who don't know what to do.

The premise of the book is that the old marketing is dead or dying. Gone are the days where simply throwing money at print or radio advertising guaranteed succees. Instead, you need to engage your customers. Give them reasons to come to visit your web site, and once they are there give them reasons to come back again and again. Turn your web site into a hub, stuffed with remarkable blog posts, videos and interviews. As the authors put it (they have a pleasing way with words) "ten years ago, your marketing effectiveness was a function of the width of your wallet. Today, your marketing effectiveness is a function of the width of your brain."

"Inbound marketing" is clearly - and explicitly - inspired by authors such as Seth Godin and David Meerman Scott. But where this book differs is in its emphasis on hands-on advice. Not only is it inspirational, but it's also brimming with practical wisdom. Sure, it talks about the power of Twitter. But then it gives you advice on how to choose a twitter handle. Sure, it talks about the rise of the superstar blogger and the death of the press release. But then it talks about how to decide whether you need a PR agency and, if you do, then how you should hire one. Sure, it stresses that your employees will need to learn new skills if they are to survive in this new world. But then it talks about what those skills are, what steps your employees need to take to get them and how you can track how they're doing. Each chapter contains a checklist of things you should do, right now, to start improving your inbound marketing.

This is no dry textbook. It's full of anecdotes, some from the usual suspects (Whole Foods, Zappos and Barack Obama) but from others too: accounting software, a shutter manufacturer and a PR firm among others. It's well written, and there are cartoons too.

Inbound marketing - get found using Google, social media and blogs is an excellent, mainstream introduction to new marketing. If you want to dip your toes into the cold water of social media then buy a copy. If you know all about social media then you almost certainly know people who need this book. Buy them a copy from Amazon. They'll love you for it.

62 of 74 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Remarkable" book October 10, 2009

By Bhavana Musuluri

Format:Hardcover

I'm stealing one of the often used words in the book to define the book itself - remarkable. This book is fantastic and easy to read. As you read each chapter, the authors take you through each step in successfully marketing your products. This book is not filled with theories, but it rather cleverly explains each winning strategy which is relevant in this day and age, and then sums up each chapter with a list of things to do to implement the strategy. The best part is that anybody who is willing to invest time and brains can use this book as a reference and start creating value to their company immediately and of course build on it overtime. The book shows new techniques that doesn't require an old-school marketing guru with tens of years of experience. In fact, a person with a little bit of creativity can use this book to REALLY get customers and sell their products.

Couple of other things that I liked about the book are the particular examples (other organizations/blog articles/etc) that were provided and the cartoons - who doesn't enjoy a chuckle every few pages? :-)

Absolute bang for your buck and once you pick up the book, you will finish it!