If you follow my updates on
Twitter, you probably know that I teach a course at Ohio University on Thursday nights that I call Inbound Habits.
Teaching the course allows me to experiment with various techniques that we then adapt for training our clients to adopt and execute inbound marketing strategies using HubSpot's marketing platform.
It's a great way to build a lab, but what gets me really excited is have the opportunity to help about 50 students each semester to successfully complete their Inbound Marketing Certification.
Should My Staff Complete the Inbound Marketing Certification?
As you can guess, my recommendation is a resounding yes.
You and your team's success is rooted in not simply being familiar with the philosophy and methodology of Inbound Marketing, but truly internalizing it to the degree that alters the culture of your marketing organization.
Before ever investing into HubSpot or any other marketing automation platform, you should start by engaging in basic (and free) training that will help you avoid multiple pitfalls and mistakes that are commonplace when companies are just getting started.
Learn how to be successful inbound marketers with an Inbound Readiness Workshop.
Understanding the importance of elements like buyer personas and lifecycle marketing, as well as where they fit in terms of your overall marketing strategy and execution can save dozens if not hundreds of wasted hours and human attention.
Working through the Inbound Marketing Certification with your team also helps build understanding and executive buy in that will minimize your ramp up time and the costs associated with the learning curve of getting your inbound marketing program running and deliver leads and customers.
Why is the Inbound Marketing Certification Critical to Your Success?
The learning resources provided by HubSpot Academy in the Inbound Marketing Certification course are the critical first step in helping my students and clients begin to bridge the marketing skills gap. This recent research shows that today's marketing students are simply not graduating with the knowledge and skills that agencies and brands are seeking.
The same is true for more traditional marketers currently employed in companies who've not followed the path towards digital marketing or marketing automation. To put this in perspective, VenturBeat estimates that the marketing automation market is currently driven by about 70 technology platforms and is has accrued less than 5% penetration across the overall business landscape.
Make no mistake, the marketing skills gap is real, and it's a wide chasm.
Skills lacking from today's marketing workforce can include any or all of the following:
- How to conduct the buyer persona research process
- How to leverage lifecycle marketing (The Buyer's Journey)
- How to create personalized content offers that drive lead generation
- Blogging and SEO techniques
- Social media management
- Email marketing and automated workflows
- Conversion path design
- Online media production
- Closed loop analytics and attribution reporting
If any of those previous bullet points aren't familiar to you, earning your Inbound Marketing Certification should be your very next step.
You can tap into HubSpot Academy and all of the media assets and learning materials provided in the course for no cost, other then your time invested in watching videos, reading resources and studying for your final exam.
Try the Flipped Classroom Approach with Your Team
Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach where direct instruction (the theory) moves from the classroom space to the individual learning space via learning resources.
The classroom is then transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter.
In class and with clients, I use HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Certification materials as the homework, supplementing the course materials with additional reading from books, research reports, blog posts and various content offers that support quick compression of the concepts.
Class sessions are dedicated to active working time in small teams on various content projects and challenges that help the students put the theory they are learning into immediate action. Immediate application is a critical factor in building adoption and proficiency of new skills.
It's during these working sessions where, as the instructor, I get to see the light bulbs start to go off.
After spending the majority of my consulting career coaching corporate marketers and teaching at the university-level, I'm a vocal advocate of the Flipped Classroom approach and how quickly it drives learning and adoption.
6 Quick Tips for Earning Your Inbound Marketing Certification
Whether your are studying on your own or leading your marketing department toward closing your own skills gap, here are some tips and lessons I have learned along the way. Feel free to reach out via email or leave any questions in the comments below and I'll be sure to respond quickly.
- Read the book along with the video training modules. I have found that different people learn things in different ways. Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah co-authored Inbound Marketing: Attract, Engage and Delight Customers online. Order your copy and use it as a study resource to supplement the other materials.
- Involve your leadership team. If you are working to build buy-in for Inbound Marketing at your company or even the adoption of HubSpot's marketing platform, educating your leadership on how the methodology works and what to expect will put them in a better spot to be able to support and invest this strategic move.
- Take the quizzes in the training. Each module now is accompanied by a short quiz that will test your comprehension of different concepts. It's a great way to get feedback that will help ensure that you pass the final Inbound Marketing Certification exam.
- Start a trial of HubSpot. If nothing else, a trial account will give you a lab for experimentation where you can take concepts and act upon them in a safe environment that won't impact your current marketing program. You can sign up for a free trial here, but it's only good for 30 days. Make sure to time your coursework accordingly so that you can complete the certification before it expires. If you pass your certification successfully, you can also knock out your HubSpot certification while you have it.
- Hang your Inbound Marketing Certification where your co-workers can see it. Publicly displaying your certification can often spark the curiosity and subsequent conversations needed to build momentum toward becoming an inbound marketing driven organization. Where your badge proudly -- it may just help change your company culture.
- Become an Inbound Marketing teacher. “While we teach, we learn,” said the Roman philosopher Seneca. I truly believe this and it's one of the main drivers of my work at Ohio University. To fully embrace and understand the concepts of inbound marketing, put yourself in a position to teach them. Whether it's inside your own marketing department or in a classroom setting, solidify your training by training others.
