When most 8 and 9 year olds are playing schools. My two kids are now playing "Business" thanks to Hubspot User Group (#HUGS11) and the Inbound Marketing Summit (#IMS11). Dressed up in their Hubspot visor, lanyard and #IMS11 bag - they walked out to the kitchen to inform me they are playing business. When I inquired how do you play "business" the reply was, "we talk about science and marketing, and have meetings."

If you're not familiar with the Inbound Marketing Summit (IMS) or Hubspot you may be wondering what all this means.  IMS was a 2 day event that provided solutions to the challenges marketers face today. Through compelling keynote presentations from people like Youngme Moon and Guy Kawaski to practical workshops by Visible Gains.

As I reflect on the key messages from IMS and HUGs there are 3 takeaways that stand out:

1. Differentiation, Escaping the Competitive Marketing Herd by Youngme Moon
2. How to grow and transform your business - first, love what you do by @paulroetzer
3. The next phase of Inbound Marketing is about lead nurturing, moving leads down the funnel and getting them sales ready by @bhalligan

Was this all? Oh no! Every session and keynote presentation was uniquely inspirational, meaningful and timely. At a time when marketers are looking for ways to get a bigger piece if the pie, or even grow the pie, reduce acquisition costs, improve customer retention and boost referrals IMS11 and HUGS11 provided the answers, both strategic and tactical. This event is one I'll be attending in 2012 without a doubt and if you're serious about growing your business you should seriously think about doing the same. 

To get started check out the free webinars Hubspot offers - Hubspot Marketing Webinars, Content Camp.

And check out The free Inbound Marketing Coach: 15 Day Quick Start To Inbound Marketing

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What are your frustrations with marketing your business today?
Did you attend IMS or HUG, what did you think?