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HubSpot: Inbound Marketing and Web 2.0
By Ashna Bali

1) According to HubSpot, the rules of marketing have changed in the sense of the way that businesses approach or reach out to their customers. HubSpot believes in tapping into technology and Internet for marketing businesses and products by using Web 2.0 tools and methods such as blogging software, social media and search engine optimization.
The CEO of HubSpot, Brian Halligan, believes that the traditional “outward” methods of marketing are seen by potential customers as an interruption in their lives (For example, advertisements on TV while watching your favorite show) and society is getting better at blocking out such interruptions. Therefore, the impact of such marketing is obviously reducing. On the other hand, “inbound marketing” is on the rise. Google has become such an important part of our lives today and people like to read blogs and reviews online before purchasing products or services. Hence, businesses should direct their attention to social media, blogging and search engine optimization.
David Meerman Scott (2010) recommends that marketers "earn their way in" (via publishing helpful information on a blog etc.) in contrast to outbound marketing where they "buy, beg, or bug their way in" (via paid advertisements, issuing press releases, or paying commissioned sales people, respectively).
Yes, I agree that the rules of marketing have changed and that these days the internet and social media plays a very important role in helping us chose the products and services that we consume. Almost everyone before purchasing a product or service looks it up on Google, which is a strong example of how important inbound marketing is for a firm. Inbound Marketing techniques are also much cheaper and more easily accessible to small companies and therefore are becoming more and more popular. However, at the same

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