Get Savvy! IMU is Back

Image via CrunchBase

Last month I had the opportunity to take 10 hours of classes through Inbound Marketing University (IMU). These online classes (details below) were taught by leaders in the field and covered a wide range of timely topics. By passing an exam on the material, I became eligible to be called an 'Inbound Marketing Certified Professional.' You can see the official badge on the upper left of this blog.

What is an 'Inbound Marketing Certified Professional?'

The certification is administered by Hubspot and "acknowledges the recipients proficiency in Inbound Marketing principals and best practices. These principles include: blogging, social media, lead conversion, lead nurturing, and closed-loop analysis. In order to receive the Inbound Marketing Certification, the recipient must pass a comprehensive certification exam with a score of 75% or higher. "

The great news is that IMU is back! The original ten classes are being offered again next month and there are two new classes available. The courses are free but you must register by August 12. The link to register is at the end of this article.

The original 10 classes are:

Class 1: How to Blog Effectively for Business Professors: Ann Handley & Mack Collier, MarketingProfs

Class 2: SEO Crash Course to Get Found Professor: Lee Odden, TopRank Online Marketing

Class 3: Social Media and Building Community Professor: Chris Brogan, New Marketing Labs

Class 4: Successful Business Uses for Facebook and LinkedIn Professor: Elyse Tager, Silicon Valley American Marketing Association

Class 5: Viral Marketing and World Wide Raves Professor: David Meerman Scott, author of New Rules of Marketing & PR andWorld Wide Rave

Class 6: Advanced SEO Tactics: On Beyond Keyword Research Professor: Rand Fishkin, SEOmoz

Class 7: Calls to Action and Landing Page Best Practices Professor: Jeanne Hopkins, MECLABS, Marketing Experiments

Class 8: Inbound Lead Nurturing Professor: Brian Carroll, MECLABS, InTouch

Class 9: Successful Email Marketing Professor: Eric Groves, Constant Contact

Class 10: Analyzing Inbound Marketing Professor: Marshall Sponder, Monster.com, Web Analytics Association for Social Media

The 2 new classes are:

1)PR for Inbound Marketing

Professor: Todd Defren, SHIFT Communications

2)Twitter for Business

Professor: Laura Fitton, Pistachio Consulting, Twitter For Dummies

To register for the live webinar classes and the Certification Exam, go to the IMU home page.

Today's Tip: Google Image Search

You may already use Google's Image Search to find graphics, clip art & photographs but did you know this is also a great way to find additional information on a topic?

Recently I've been doing research for a couple of projects (a powerpoint for a class presentation & articles for the Examiner.com). I did the usual Google search to find information on the topics.

Then, since both projects needed some graphics to jazz them up, I went to Google search, clicked on 'Images' and typed in my keywords. The results that came up were the graphics I was looking for.

However, I found that the images that showed up with my keywords were usually attached to articles that hadn't come up when I put the same keywords into a regular Google search.

So here's 'Today's Tip': if you're looking for additional information on a topic, do a search of Google Images and you may discover some excellent, new articles.

Keywords: Are You Losing Money by Using the Wrong Ones?

Keywords are the specific words that buyers use to find the items that you sell.

To be successful, a seller must use the same keywords their buyers are using AND they must place those keywords correctly on their site so the search engine 'spiders' will find them.

How do you find the keywords your buyers are using? There are a number of online tools that provide the information whether you sell on eBay or elsewhere. Some are free and some are subscription services. Use the sites most relevant to your business to create a comprehensive list of at least 50-75 words. Remember to go back to these tools several times a year to keep your keywords up-to-date.

Now that you've compiled your list, add the keywords to the places where search engine 'spiders' will find them. If you sell on eBay, start by including them in your Store description, as Store categories and in your custom pages. If you have a website, begin by including them in your metatags.

Your keyword list provides additional benefits by using it in other ways. Since the keywords are what your buyers are searching for, use the words to give you ideas for new items to add to your product line or as topics to write about in a blog or squidoo lens.

To learn more about finding the right 'profitable' keywords for your business, join us for a Free Podcast on Mon Jan 26th - 3:00pm EST (noon PT). Our guest instructor for this training is Janelle Elms.

Janelle is a best-selling author, speaker, Visionaire of OSI Rock Stars and creator of the Profitable Keyword CD - a 4-hr step-by-step training on using Keywords for a more profitable business.

Our information-packed podcast will cover:

• what keywords are
• why keywords are essential to your business
• how to set up your keyword list
• keyword tools
• where to use your keywords
• and more!

You're welcome to join us in the chat room where you can 'talk' with others and type in any questions you have for Janelle.