Inbound Marketing Defined in 140 Characters

My job is inbound marketing.

But what does that mean? What exactly is inbound marketing? And when push comes to shove, how do you define it in black and white?

Well, like a typical inbound marketer, I decided to ask Twitter. The question I posed was, "Can anyone explain or define "inbound marketing" in a tweet? Go." And then I cc'd a bunch of important people with lots of Twitter followers so people would actually read it.

Here's what people had to say. And I'll add the way I define inbound marketing at the end of the post -- I hope you will, too.

What Is Inbound Marketing? 10 Good Definitions in Fewer Than 140 Characters

1) Via @TheRealSunjay, a former HubSpotter, Grouponer, and current employee of Kitchensurfing.

@Corey_bos @HubSpot @Mallikarjunan @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe Get found, Convert and Analyze via thought leadership demonstration

— Sunjay Agtey (@TheRealSunjay) August 6, 2013

2) Via @Mallikarjunan, a current HubSpotter and author of How to Sell Better Than Amazon.

@TheRealSunjay @Corey_bos @HubSpot @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe create valuable, enjoyable experiences instead of interrupting them.

— Sam Mallikarjunan (@Mallikarjunan) August 6, 2013

3) Via @ranjanxroy, co-founder of Informerly and recent guest blogger on this very blog!

@Corey_bos @hubspot @mallikarjunan @impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe "Marketing that doesn't suck"

— Ranjan Roy (@ranjanxroy) August 6, 2013

4) Via @ObinnaOsobalu, strategist and inbound marketer at TodayBusiness SocialMedia.

@Corey_bos @HubSpot @Mallikarjunan @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe Bring/add value to a conversation/topic that 'pulls' consumers.

— Obinna O'sobalu (@ObinnaOsobalu) August 6, 2013

5) Via @Susanna_Larosa, social media professional.

@Corey_bos @HubSpot @Mallikarjunan @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe Create engaging content -> make it easy to find --> engage!

— Susanna LaRosa (@Susanna_Larosa) August 6, 2013

6) Via @MyNameIsB2BM, blogger and online marketing enthusiast.

Attract with content, persuade with expertise and get hired. :)@Corey_bos @HubSpot @Mallikarjunan @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe

— Oliver Fedtke (@MyNameIsB2BM) August 6, 2013

7) Via @TheBostonChow, photographer, writer, and surprisingly, also a southern puppy. True story.

@Corey_bos @HubSpot @Mallikarjunan @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar @mvolpe know your people, help your people, and make your people happy

—  TheBostonChow (@TheBostonChow) August 6, 2013

8) Via @pmbaintx, an internet marketing professional.

@Corey_bos; @HubSpot; ; @Impactbnd; "Meeting prospects WHEN they want, WHERE they want, w/ WHAT they want." BOOM.

— Paul Bain (@pmbaintx) August 7, 2013

9) Via @scottnelle, web developer and musician.

@Corey_bos Make things that make people want to work with you.

— Scott Nellé (@scottnelle) August 6, 2013

10) Via @mvolpe, HubSpot CMO and guy who has written and spoken about inbound marketing since before it was cool.

@Corey_bos @HubSpot @Mallikarjunan @Impactbnd @kuno @kippbodnar Marketing by attracting, not interrupting.

— Mike Volpe (@mvolpe) August 6, 2013

How I Define Inbound Marketing

If I have to define inbound marketing in only 140 characters -- and I think succinct definitions are a worthwhile goal -- here's what I got for ya:

Inbound marketing is the discipline of efficiently turning strangers into people that want to -- and should -- do business with you.

What do you think? Good? Bad? So-so? There's a much more descriptive definition of inbound marketing here, if you'd like something succinct yet comprehensive (aka greater than 140 characters, but not so long you fall asleep at the keyboard). Or if all else fails, just listen to my boss.

What do you think? What's your definition of inbound marketing? Try to keep it to fewer than 140 characters ... even though the comments section won't cut you off.

Image credit: Billy Rowlinson