Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION: WHAT THIS EBOOK CAN DO FOR YOU… 9
CHAPTER 1: THE VISION THAT IS INBOUND MARKETING 11
JUST HOW MUCH CAN 800 DAYS OF INBOUND MARKETING CHANGE YOUR LIFE?? 11
INTERNET MARKETING, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND HOW A BIG DUMMY LIKE ME LEARNED WEB DESIGN 13
3 AMAZING WAYS CONTENT MARKETING CAN CHANGE YOU, YOUR COMPANY, AND YOUR LIFE 17
THE AGE OF DIGITAL BRANDING AND THE POWER OF PERCEPTION 19
ARE SOME INDUSTRIES JUST TOO ‘BORING’ TO BLOG ABOUT? 21
10 WAYS TO CONVINCE YOUR CEO AND MANAGEMENT TEAM TO EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA 22
CHAPTER 2: NO EXCUSES 28
HUSBAND, FATHER, BLOGGER, BUSINESS OWNER: A SALES LION CLOSE-UP 28
10 LAME EXCUSES NOT TO HAVE A BUSINESS BLOG NOW 31
WHY “I’M NOT A COMPUTER GUY” IS THE LAMEST EXCUSE IN THE WORLD FOR BUSINESS OWNERS 34
HOW TO TURN YOUR COMPUTER INTO A CONTENT CREATION MACHINE 36
THE REAL REASON YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME FOR BLOGGING AND CONTENT MARKETING 39
THE UNCOMFORTABLE ROAD TO SUCCESS: A STORY ABOUT YOU AND ME 40
THE TECHNOLOGY AGE MYTH: WHY BEING OLD IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO EMBRACE INTERNET MARKETING 42
THE LAW OF COMPOUND INFORMATION IN MARKETING: TIMING IS EVERYTHING 45
CHAPTER 3: CONTENT MARKETING TO MAKE MILLIONS 48
WHY BLOGGING IS THE GREATEST SALES TOOL IN THE WORLD TODAY 48
5 SMALL BUSINESS BLOGGING BENEFITS NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT 50
THAT AIN’T MY SHIT… THE POWER OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE IN BUSINESS 52
5 REASONS YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TALK ABOUT PRODUCT PRICING AND COSTS ON YOUR COMPANY WEBSITE 54
HOW TO COME UP WITH 100 BLOG ARTICLES FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS — GUARANTEED 58
7 CONTENT IDEAS THAT WILL BLOW UP YOUR BRAND AND BUSINESS IN 12 MONTHS OR LESS — GUARANTEED 62
Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy © 2012 by Marcus Sheridan
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7 WAYS TO BE A BLOGGING REBEL AND TURN YOUR INDUSTRY UPSIDE DOWN 65
LONG TAIL KEYWORDS: THE GREATEST KEY TO BUSINESS BLOGGING SUCCESS 70
LOW HANGING FRUIT, LONG TAIL KEYWORDS, AND HOW TO DOMINATE THE BIG BOYS 71
10 REASONS WHY YOUR BLOG WILL DIE BEFORE ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY 74
THE MOST COMMON BUSINESS BLOGGING AND SEO MISTAKE IN THE WORLD 77
13 GUARANTEED WAYS TO BLOG AND BE TOTALLY MISERABLE 82
5 SMALL BUSINESS BLOGGING MYTHS MOST “EXPERTS” DON’T UNDERSTAND 84
10 WAYS TO GET TONS OF MASSIVE COMMENTS ON YOUR BLOG EVERY TIME 87
10,862 COMMENTS LATER, I REALIZE BLOG COMMENTS ARE NOT A BUSINESS MODEL 90
7 SIGNS OTHER THAN TRAFFIC THAT TRULY INDICATE A BLOG ARTICLE’S SUCCESS 93
EVENTUALLY, MR. BLOGGER, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING 96
HOW LONG DOES IT REALLY TAKE FOR A BUSINESS BLOG TO GROW BIG? 99
WHY “COMMUNITY” IS NOT THE HOLY GRAIL OF BLOGGING AND ONLINE SUCCESS 103
THE ULTIMATE 11-STEP PLAN TO LAUNCHING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS BLOG IN 6 MONTHS OR LESS 107
WHY THE GREATEST CONTENT MARKETING COMPANIES START AND STOP WITH CEO AND MANAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT 111
DISARMAMENT: CONTENT MARKETING’S HIDDEN KEY TO PERSUASION, TRUST, AND SALES SUCCESS 116
WHY YOUR BUSINESS BLOG SHOULD TARGET KEYWORDS THAT MAKE MONEY, NOT TRAFFIC 119
8 RENEGADE METHODS OF USING CONTENT MARKETING TO DOMINATE YOUR INDUSTRY 123
A RANT ON WHY I DISAGREE WITH SO MANY BLOGGING AND CONTENT MARKETING EXPERTS 134
THE PROBLEMS WITH BLOG OUTSOURCING AND THE LAUNCH OF EASYBIZBLOGGING 139
WHY YOUR OPINION DOESN’T MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO GREAT BLOGGING 143
BLOGGING VS. PODCASTING: WHICH IS BETTER FOR BUILDING BRANDS, FOLLOWERS, AND TRUST? 146
7 REASONS WHY BLOGGING IS FAILING TO GENERATE LEADS FOR SO MANY MARKETING AGENCIES 149
CHAPTER 4: THE POWER OF VIDEO 156
6 WAYS TO CREATE POWERFUL “FEEL GOOD” YOUTUBE VIDEOS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS 156
VIDEO MARKETING AND YOUTUBE FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS: ANYONE CAN DO IT 157
YOUTUBE, SMALL BUSINESS DOMINATION, AND HOW TO REALLY DRIVE YOUR COMPETITION NUTS 160
HOW TO CREATE AN INCREDIBLE PERSONAL BRANDING VIDEO THAT SELLS YOU 163
CHAPTER 5: HOW TO BUILD AMAZING COMMUNITY 167
HOW TO BUILD AMAZING FRIENDSHIPS, NOT JUST ‘FANS’, ONLINE 167
Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy © 2012 by Marcus Sheridan
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CHAPTER 6: USING YOUR CONTENT TO SELL 169
I TEACH, THEREFORE I SELL 169
ASSIGNMENT: THE ESSENTIAL SALES TECHNIQUE OF THE INFORMATION AGE 172
WHY YOU SHOULD START WRITING, STOP HIDING, AND QUIT WORRYING ABOUT THE COMPETITION 174
CONTENT MARKETING TIPPING POINTS 176
CHAPTER 7: FINDING WRITING INSPIRATION 179
AN AUTHOR’S PERIL: HOW TO KEEP WRITING AND BLOGGING WHEN NO ONE IS READING 179
7 WAYS TO STOP STARING AT THE SCREEN AND START WRITING YOUR NEXT GREAT BLOG ARTICLE 180
THE MISCONCEPTION THAT IS INSPIRED WRITING AND BLOGGING 183
MY GREATEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT OF 2012: A PERSONAL STORY 185
CHAPTER 8: WRITING AND COMMUNICATING LIKE A CHAMPION 188
HOW TO LEARN TO LOVE WRITING, BLOGGING, AND CONTENT MARKETING 188
7 WAYS YOU CAN LEARN TO WRITE LIKE YOU TALK 190
IS THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE AND BAD VERNACULAR KILLING YOUR SALES AND MARKETING SUCCESS? 192
DUMB IT DOWN, WILL YA?!! 195
BASEBALL, PERSISTENCE, AND HOW I BECAME A “NATURAL” WRITER 197
CHAPTER 9: ALL ABOUT HUBSPOT 202
THE MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOMER REVIEW OF HUBSPOT YOU’LL EVER READ 202
TOP 5 HUBSPOT PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS 207
7 KEYS TO REMEMBER WHEN STARTING WITH HUBSPOT 210
4 REASONS WHY INTERNET COOKIES WILL ROCK YOUR BUSINESS’ WORLD 212
WHY THE INBOUND VS. CONTENT MARKETING DEBATE IS STUPID, AND WHAT GIVES HUBSPOT?? 216
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH HUBSPOT IN 2012 AND BEYOND 220
HOW TO SIGN UP WITH HUBSPOT 225
CHAPTER 10: OTHER ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 227
11 REASONS WHY YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD NOT ADVERTISE WITH YELLOW PAGES — OLD-SCHOOL VS. NEW-SCHOOL ADVERTISING COSTS… IT AIN’T EVEN CLOSE 227
Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy © 2012 by Marcus Sheridan
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5 ADVERTISING MEDIUMS THAT WILL BE EXTINCT IN 2020. 231
CHAPTER 11: WEB DESIGN THAT WINS 234
THE 8 MAJOR MISTAKES OF “NEW AND IMPROVED” WEBSITE REDESIGNS 234
WEBSITE BIO PAGES: STOP HIDING YOUR FACE! 236
10 BASIC WEBSITE DESIGN SKILLS EVERY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD KNOW RIGHT NOW 239
10 WEB DESIGN SKILLS EVERY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD KNOW RIGHT NOW 240
CHAPTER 12: A LITTLE ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA 243
TWITTER: THE GREATEST REAL-TIME FEEDBACK TOOL IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD 243
7 REASONS HAVING A TWITTER FEED IN YOUR SIDEBAR IS A REALLY DUMB IDEA 248
WHY FACEBOOK AND TWITTER DON’T MEAN A DANG THING FOR ONLINE SUCCESS IN CERTAIN INDUSTRIES 251
HOW TO CHANGE THE ENTIRE SOCIAL MEDIA CULTURE OF A COMPANY IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS 258
WHY OUR DEFINITION OF SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION IS WRONG 262
CHAPTER 13: EBOOKS AND OTHER GOOD STUFF 265
5 REASONS EVERY SMALL BUSINESS IN THE WORLD SHOULD WRITE AN EBOOK 265
5 REASONS WHY YOUR FOLLOW-UP EMAILS STINK AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT 267
ANTHOLOGIZE: HOW TO BUILD AN AWESOME EBOOK WITH EXISTING BLOG POSTS 271
CHAPTER 14: FURTHER INSPIRATION 273
GET UNCOMFORTABLE: THE BEST BUSINESS AND LIFE CHOICE YOU’LL EVER MAKE 273
20 LIFE-CHANGING HABITS THAT WILL MAKE THE NEXT YEAR YOUR BEST YEAR EVER 275
CHAPTER 14: HIRING THE SALES LION TO BUILD YOUR BRAND, BUSINESS, AND BOTTOM LINE 281
CONTENT MARKETING CONSULTING SERVICES 281
SPEAKING SERVICES THAT GET RESULTS: NO THEORY, NO FLUFF, JUST REAL-LIFE APPLICATION FOR ATTENDEES 284
HOW MUCH DOES A CONTENT MARKETING CONSULTANT COST? 287
HOW MUCH DOES AN INBOUND MARKETING AND HUBSPOT CONSULTANT COST? 290
Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy © 2012 by Marcus Sheridan
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Introduction: What this eBook can do for YOU…
Read this First!! An Introduction to Inbound Marketing Made Easy
Have you ever experienced something so great and profound that you just had to share it with others?
Well if you have, then you’ll understand well what motivated this work, which in many ways, is a labor of love.
Quick Background
As you will come to see as you read the words herein, The Sales Lion was started in November of 2009, mainly as a result of the growth and prosperity my swimming pool company received after we embraced HubSpot and the principles of inbound marketing. Because the application of these principles truly snatched our company from sure bankruptcy, I’ve now spent the last 24 months trying to help folks just like you catch the vision of what is inbound and content marketing— In a way that’s easy to understand and applicable to any business.
Why This eBook is Different
What makes this work unique is the fact that everything you’ll read here is real. It’s all personal experience. No “great ideas” without application (something that drives me nuts). So if you read it here, you can rest assured it has already been tried and tested.
Upon reading this book, you’ll learn clear and concise strategies by which you can embrace everything about content and inbound marketing, especially when it comes to blogging for business.
Inbound and Content Marketing Made Easy © 2012 by Marcus Sheridan
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How to Read this Book
Because this book consists of many blog posts I’ve written over the past couple of years, not all may apply to your situation. This is absolutely fine, which is why everything is arranged easily so you can find the chapters and subjects of most worth to you, as some will help and others will not. This being said, the more you read these pages and inspiring stories, the more you’ll catch a vision of marketing previously unimagined by you and/or your employees.
I’m Here to Help
One last thing before you get started. As you’ve probably noticed from reading The Sales Lion, I’m the type of guy that appreciates community, relationships, and helping others. This is why I love it when readers contact me with their questions, comments, etc. Feel free to email me any time at: Marcus1@thesaleslion.com.
Good luck to you in this process and may the teachings of this book help you and your family experience great financial peace and success in the years ahead.
Marcus Sheridan
The Sales Lion