HubSpot
What are five free resources to learn digital marketing without expensive courses?
The five free resources include the Neil Patel Training Center, which offers comprehensive lessons on SEO, social media platforms, and email marketing with actionable worksheets and assignments. HubSpot Academy provides free certifications in digital marketing disciplines that can enhance your LinkedIn profile and job prospects. Backlinko delivers data-driven guides based on analysis of billions of articles, providing insights on evolving Google algorithms and effective content strategies. Search Engine Roundtable compiles major algorithm updates by analyzing patterns across websites, helping marketers adapt to Google's frequent changes. Finally, the Mailchimp Marketing Library covers all essential marketing aspects including email strategies, which remain highly effective with over 306 billion emails sent daily.
Watch clip answer (03:26m)
Neil Patel
00:00 - 03:26
How has the role of digital marketers changed over the years?
According to Brian Halligan, the marketer's role has dramatically transformed from being arts-and-craftsy 20 years ago (focused on PR, trade shows, and advertising) to becoming far more technology-driven with greater influence on the business process. Today's digital marketers must manage multiple layers of the funnel, working both on and off their website. They need to build communities across platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram to attract strangers, convert them to visitors, and guide them through increasingly complex buying journeys. The modern marketer has become more crucial to companies than even five years ago, as they now orchestrate the entire customer journey from acquisition through engagement to repeat purchases.
Watch clip answer (01:26m)
Avidly HubSpot Solutions
10:25 - 11:51
What should you do first when starting with content marketing?
When starting with content marketing, the first step should be defining your goals. You need to clarify what you want to achieve - whether it's driving traffic, building brand awareness, or engaging your audiences. Once these goals are established, you can then select the appropriate platforms that align with your objectives, such as YouTube, blogs, or social media channels. A good example of this approach is HubSpot, whose goal was to educate business owners on inbound marketing. By clearly defining their objective first, they could develop a focused strategy that delivered value to their target audience while achieving their marketing aims.
Watch clip answer (00:20m)
Simplilearn
03:53 - 04:14
Why is content marketing considered a long-term strategy rather than a quick-win solution?
Content marketing is a long-term game that requires patience and consistency. Unlike tactics that deliver immediate results, most brands only see significant growth after months or even years of steady content creation. For example, HubSpot didn't experience immediate success but saw exponential traffic and lead growth after months of consistent blogging and content creation. The key is to maintain focus on delivering valuable, authentic content that aligns with your brand's mission, rather than chasing viral trends. With persistence, these efforts will build meaningful audience relationships and establish trust that ultimately pays off in sustainable growth.
Watch clip answer (01:08m)
Simplilearn
08:56 - 10:05
What are the best practices for successful social media advertising?
Successful social media advertising begins with choosing the right platform for your audience - for example, B2C products typically perform well on Instagram, while B2B services are better suited for LinkedIn or Twitter. Next, clearly define your business goals to determine whether you're focusing on direct sales or content marketing promotion. Implement platform-native content tools to boost engagement, such as Twitter polls or Instagram stickers, and always direct users to custom landing pages relevant to your offer. Finally, test multiple ad variations and promote your top-performing content (the 'unicorn' content that delivers 70% of your results) to maximize ROI. HubSpot's free tools can help manage these campaigns effectively.
Watch clip answer (07:34m)
HubSpot Marketing
00:10 - 07:45
What is Brian Halligan's advice for effective Facebook and Instagram marketing?
Brian Halligan emphasizes the critical importance of establishing a strong presence on both Facebook and Instagram. He advises marketers to build large, engaged communities on Facebook, where 'people live their whole lives,' and to extend that presence to Instagram, where you need thousands of followers rather than hundreds. Halligan stresses that success comes through focus and excellence rather than spreading efforts too thin. His key recommendation is to not just be good at social media marketing but to 'get great at it' by focusing deeply on these platforms and mastering the hard aspects of digital community building. This focused approach aligns with his broader philosophy that the most successful people say 'no' more often and excel at difficult tasks.
Watch clip answer (00:49m)
Avidly HubSpot Solutions
24:58 - 25:47