HubSpot

HubSpot offers B2B organisations a set of tools enabling high levels of integration with inbound marketing content says Dave Howell.
Developer: HubSpot Inc
Solution: HubSpot
URL: hubspot.com/uk
Tel: +353 1 5187500
Price: £70/month 
(Basic: 1000 contacts)

If your business has been using a number of different tools to manage its inbound marketing such as Google Analytics, MailChimp and SEOmoz for instance, HubSpot offers all of these tools and more wrapped in an integrated interface that is efficient and easy to set up. HubSpot works with new clients to ensure their existing data populates accounts accurately, making this platform one of the most efficient to get started with.

The application is divided into distinct tools offering easy creation of website landing pages, email campaigns, calls-to-action and any other forms of inbound marketing your business is using. HubSpot however, isn’t simply a content creation system. The platform is intelligent enough to identify and then track potential leads via their journey through your business’ marketing activity. Here the persona and behaviour of visitors is placed at the core of the system, delivering more in-depth analysis than the server logs you are perhaps used to viewing.

Inbound marketing
HubSpot has been carving a niche in the inbound marketing sector for a number of years, and has continued to mature since it was founded in 2006. The tiered pricing structure is highly attractive to businesses that want to future-proof their commitment to the marketing platforms they buy.

However, cost should be carefully assessed as it is based on the number of contacts your business loads onto the system, and how many new leads your activity generates.
As the number of contacts increases, so do your costs.

HubSpot uses the familiar dashboard approach to its user interface. Each of the components within the system is easily accessible from one screen. Campaigns with multiple components can be set up in a very short time thanks to the range of templates on offer. This approach is excellent for the novice that could be easily overwhelmed by the applications on offer in this suite.

ROI is an important metric to track, but HubSpot doesn’t allow any cost tracking as its focus is on the management of multiple channels of inbound marketing activity. PPC campaigns are compared to HubSpot’s own SEO tool, but the addition of cost tracking would have been a welcome feature here. In addition, search within the system needs to improve as only the titles of created content can be searched. Also, more multiuser content creation would have been welcome, as businesses will approach their inbound marketing campaigns via multiple
team members.

Marketing integration
Businesses already using Salesforce will welcome the level of integration this leading application has within HubSpot. Lead scoring is a familiar way to identify potential sales leads. HubSpot tracks customer journeys and the level of interaction they have with your company.

A minimum score can be set, which triggers an alert with the data moving to whichever CRM system is being used with HubSpot. Here the unique CTA feature offers personalised connections with potential customers. When coupled with social media activity, this is a very powerful feature to generate engagement but also real-world conversions.

Size matters when deciding whether HubSpot is right for your company. Larger organisations that need more detailed reporting and granular insight into their inbound marketing activity may find that HubSpot lacks some key features. However, smaller B2B organisations wanting to move into automation, lead nurturing and scoring for the first time will find HubSpot easy to set up and use.

How we tested
Features: The key features of the application were assessed and related to the core needs of the B2B user.
Implementation: How the system is installed and rolled out onto a B2B enterprise’s existing IT platform was evaluated.
Versatility: As no two businesses are the same, the reporting and filtering options were assessed. How much control the system gives was 

closely evaluated.
Usability: How intuitive the user interface is, and how it can be customised was assessed.
Value for money: The bottom line for any business is how the services they buy result in sales. We looked closely at the cost of installation and the level of return the platform offers to B2B users.

The Verdict
If your business spends inordinate amounts of time managing its inbound marketing channels, HubSpot is certainly a way to save time and integrate these activities together. More flexibility and depth with the search function would have been ideal, as would the ability for groups to work on content together. However, the template approach to content creation, the complete integration with Salesforce and the ability to see the complete customer journey makes HubSpot a great tool for businesses that are ready to automate their inbound marketing activity for the first time.

Features: 3/5
Implementation: 4/5
Versatility: 3/5
Usability: 4/5
Value for money: 5/5
Overall rating: 3/5

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