What is HubSpot?
You’ve probably heard HubSpot’s name, even if you’re not intimately familiar with it. It’s become a staple of the marketing world since it debuted in 2006. “Are you HubSpot certified?” is a common question asked by marketing companies hiring new employees and businesses looking for an inbound marketing agency.
HubSpot is essentially a software program that manages the tasks of inbound marketing and sales. It’s a robust platform that can handle content management, social media, search engine optimization, website development, and online analytics – plus, the company also offers consulting and learning resources.
About 15,000 companies in more than 90 countries use HubSpot. For many of them, its primary benefit is marketing automation, or organizing and scheduling inbound marketing tasks for better time management. HubSpot even offers a productivity tool that ensures companies can maximize the benefits of using it.
Software for the Inbound Methodology
Inbound marketing generally follows a methodology known as Attract – Convert – Delight. In fact, HubSpot co-founder Brian Halligan coined the term “inbound marketing” and helped establish the methodology that’s widely used today.
One of the company’s mottos is, “Don’t interrupt buyers, attract them.” This phrase highlights the difference between inbound marketing and traditional outbound marketing, where “salesy” messages are pushed on reluctant consumers. HubSpot’s software offers an organized way to attract and convert customers, so companies can leave them feeling delighted.
HubSpot practices what it preaches, generating a huge amount of popular online content like blog posts, webinars, social media posts, and industry research. Actually, many people first encounter HubSpot through a blog post about something relevant to their search, like refining a social media plan or learning how to create better blog content.
The HubSpot blog is a great resource for marketers, generating 4.5 million monthly views from people seeking insights and inspiration. Among HubSpot’s most-shared blog posts, marketing strategy dominates the discussion – 38 of its 39 most-shared posts last year were about developing better techniques for inbound marketing.
Choosing and Using HubSpot
Many marketers view HubSpot as the best all-in-one solution for inbound marketing, although this is a subject of extensive debate. Some experts say HubSpot might not excel at each individual task it tackles, but as a single go-to platform, it’s at the top of the field.
Users of related products— like Salesforce, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM— are able to integrate these fairly seamlessly with HubSpot. This compatibility was a big part of the program’s early success, ensuring that a lot of companies became hooked on using it. For many small businesses, using HubSpot allows them to expand their marketing prowess without hiring additional people.
All told, HubSpot is an excellent way to organize your marketing game plan and develop a clear picture of where you stand and where you want to be. When a company uses HubSpot AND partners with a growth-focused marketing agency, it’s possible to dominate a business niche fairly quickly.
Crush My Market is a growth-focused agency that helps propel your company toward inbound marketing excellence. Learn more on the Crush My Market blog.