The first and second sections of our Inbound Marketing Glossary provided a look at the key terms in play when utilizing the inbound marketing approach.
But to put those in play, you need the right tools and technology.
Which brings us to the third and final installment of our Inbound Marketing Glossary:
HubSpot: We like to call Hubspot “the inbound marketing mecca.” First of all, it offers a ton of resources to those interested in inbound marketing and its best practices, such as their well-received marketing blog, various free training tools, and informative videos. But more than that, HubSpot’s software allows for the most efficient and effective execution of inbound marketing strategies. The software has features for social media monitoring and publishing, email marketing and automation, content creation and management, web analytics, search engine optimization, landing page creation and management, tracking tools for every step of the process, and more.
CRM: Customer relationship management software. Think Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, and so many others. A CRM is how you organize and categorize all of the quality leads coming in from your inbound marketing. The importance of this is to take your marketing all the way through the funnel--don't stop when lead comes in; see it through to a close.
COS: Also known as a Content Optimization System. Hubspot released their COS in 2013, and it was designed to simplify inbound and content marketing into an all-in one platform. A COS is an integrated website, blog, and landing page system--fully optimized for mobile--that adapts to each viewer’s unique context. It encompassess all components of digital and inbonud marketing, and is personalized to engage directly with customers through personalized content. Bottom line--it’s the easiest, most efficient way to do inbound.
CMS (Content Management System). Hubspot’s COS was designed to improve something--specifically, the functionality of the widely used CMS. CMS is the original content software; it’s a computer application that allows for publishing, editing, and organizing content. It’s the most common form of content management, but many CMS’s require additional coding for mobile optimization, they remain isolated from other components of your website which makes it hard to track data, and they’re slow to load. Ergo, the COS.
Inbound Marketing Agency: While HubSpot’s wonderful, it requires someone to turn its wheels. If you’re looking for an agency that will cover all components of your inbound marketing strategy, then be sure they offer: web redesign; SEO; content creation, development, and management; social media engagement; targeted, actionable strategies; tracking data and metrics--and the know-how to use those analytics to change your approach when necessary; built-out inbound campaigns and the creation of all relevant components; email marketing and workflows; and more. See also “The Brand Builders” :)
