Gelfand Design

Inbound Marketing University, a free webinar series on inbound marketing techniques ranging from business blogging to lead nurturing, is coming to a computer terminal near you in August. Register before August 12 at http://www.inboundmarketing.com/university.

IMU is sponsored by internet marketing company Hubspot. It’s billed as “a free marketing retraining program for marketing professionals—as well as marketers between jobs—looking to gain new skills to get ahead in the competitive workforce.” However, I recommend IMU for anyone, regardless of employment status, interested in learning about social media marketing or in stepping up their social media marketing game.

IMU debuted in June with a weeklong series of webinars that culminated in an online “Certifed Inbound Marketing Professional” exam. Two new webinars will be broadcast on August 11 and 12, and all past webinars are available on-demand. New and former participants will have the opportunity to take the certification exam.

• PR for Inbound Marketing with Todd Defren (SHIFT Communications)—Tuesday, August 11, 2009, at 1:00 pm EDT
• Twitter for Business with Laura Fitton (Pistachio Consulting, author of Twitter for Dummies)—Tuesday, August 11, 2009, at 1:00 pm EDT
• See a complete listing of past IMU sessions.

I attended most of the IMU webinars in June. A few were too basic for me, but all of them contained solid, useful information. My favorite sessions included:

• Viral Marketing and World Wide Raves with David Meerman Scott, author of New Rules of Marketing and PR and World Wide Rave
• Advanced SEO Tactics: On Beyond Keyword Research with Rand Fishkin (SEOmoz)
• Social Media and Building Community with Chris Brogan (New Marketing Labs)

IMU was also valuable because of the interaction it fostered. Participants kept in touch with the presenters and one another via Twitter. I found myself asking questions, answering questions, and making new connections with marketers from all over the country. In fact, between listening to the webinars, taking notes for my blog, and following both the IMU hashtag and direct replies to myself on Twitter, the experience was stimulating bordering on manic. There was a healthy and exciting exchange of ideas going on through and around the presentations.

Also, in case anyone is wondering, yes, I took the exam and am now a Certified Inbound Marketing Professional. I suspect that and a dollar fifty will get me a McLatte, but I never turn down an opportunity for free, high-quality training. Neither should any of you, so reserve your spot soon!