Have a Burning Business Question? Ask the Expert: Jim Yu. Our marketing expert Jim Yu is looking to answer your questions on topics ranging from content marketing to SEO and entering the world of mobile.
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When it comes to marketing, there is no magic solution. With Google making it virtually impossible to cheat its algorithmic system and score high rankings using shady tactics like link-building and content farming, entrepreneurs are needing to make much more of an effort to stand out online. Enter Jim Yu, the CEO behind digital marketing platform BrightEdge. Combining his in-depth expertise and advanced SEO strategies, Yu touts Salesforce, Macy's, Marriott and Microsoft among his 8,500 global brands his company has assisted. But Yu isn't just looking to help the big-name companies, he is also hoping to help startups and small businesses get off the ground.
"The next Marc Benioff, Steve Jobs or Larry Ellison is currently an aspiring entrepreneur somewhere with an idea and potentially no direction," says Yu. "It can be a lonely journey and mentors can provide the strength at a time of need or help a young entrepreneur gain perspective and stay on course."
Related: Content Marketing and SEO: Proceed With Caution
And Yu not only wants to help entrepreneurs, as the co-founder of BrightEdge, he feels their pain. Having launched the company with only $5,000, Yu, along with his co-founder Lemuel Park, have now raised several rounds of funding, totaling $62 million.
"Looking back on my own experience, there were times when I learned lessons the hard way and having guidance from others who had walked a similar path would have been invaluable," says Yu. "That said, there is a lot of advice out there, so it is important for any young entrepreneur to identify what is useful and what isn't for their particular situation."
Prior to founding BrightEdge, Yu was at Salesforce.com where he led a core part of the platform products team that delivered cloud computing. He has also got his hands dirty working at Aether Systems and Mercator Software.
Related: How to Make the Most of Your Brand's Social Media Content
Besides being a business expert, Ys is considered a child prodigy. He took his first college course at age 9 and graduated from a university at age 16. So to say that he has the knowledge to help entrepreneurs may be an understatement.
For this month only, Yu is looking forward to answering your questions pertaining to the world of marketing. Free free to include queries about content marketing, SEO, mobile optimization and technology innovation. He is also open to real-world issues entrepreneurs face, such as scaling a business, advice on raising capital and working with investors. Submit your questions in the comments section below or tweet us, using the hashtag #ENTexpert. One topic will be selected by the editors of Entrepreneur and addressed by Yu in a weekly write up here.
