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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cision Communications Cloud

    Score8 out of 10
    N/ACIsion Communications Cloud is used for identifying key media and influencers, connecting with audiences, monitoring traditional and social media, and analyzing outcomes.N/A

    HubSpot Marketing Hub

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AHubSpot's Marketing Hub is an all-in-one inbound marketing engine that includes tools for email marketing, landing page creation, social media marketing, content management, reporting & analytics, search engine optimization (SEO), and more.

    $15

    per month per seat

    Pricing
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Marketing Hub Starter
    $15
    per month per seat
    Marketing Hub Professional
    $890
    per month Includes 3 Core Seats (Additional Core Seats start at $50)
    Marketing Hub Enterprise
    Starts at $3,600
    per month Includes 5 Core Seats (Additional Core Seats start at $75)
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Considered Both Products
    Cision
    No answer on this topic
    HubSpot
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    92%
    Would buy again
    45 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    43 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    32 Answers
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    39 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    44 Answers
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    43 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    37 Answers
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    33 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    36 Answers
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    31 Answers
    Features
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Email & Online Marketing
    Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Cision Communications Cloud and HubSpot Marketing Hub
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    HubSpot Marketing Hub
    7.8
    384 Ratings
    1% above category average
    WYSIWYG email editor00 Ratings8.0347 Ratings
    Dynamic content00 Ratings7.6347 Ratings
    Ability to test dynamic content00 Ratings7.8322 Ratings
    Landing pages00 Ratings7.3375 Ratings
    A/B testing00 Ratings6.7299 Ratings
    Mobile optimization00 Ratings7.7370 Ratings
    Email deliverability reporting00 Ratings7.9378 Ratings
    List management00 Ratings8.9379 Ratings
    Triggered drip sequences00 Ratings8.3291 Ratings
    Lead Management
    Comparison of Lead Management features of Cision Communications Cloud and HubSpot Marketing Hub
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    HubSpot Marketing Hub
    7.8
    375 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Lead nurturing automation00 Ratings7.9370 Ratings
    Lead scoring and grading00 Ratings6.9337 Ratings
    Data quality management00 Ratings7.6345 Ratings
    Automated sales alerts and tasks00 Ratings8.9314 Ratings
    Campaign Management
    Comparison of Campaign Management features of Cision Communications Cloud and HubSpot Marketing Hub
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    HubSpot Marketing Hub
    6.8
    335 Ratings
    11% below category average
    Calendaring00 Ratings6.7319 Ratings
    Event/webinar marketing00 Ratings6.9262 Ratings
    Social Media Marketing
    Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Cision Communications Cloud and HubSpot Marketing Hub
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    HubSpot Marketing Hub
    5.9
    359 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Social sharing and campaigns00 Ratings5.7355 Ratings
    Social profile integration00 Ratings6.1344 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Cision Communications Cloud and HubSpot Marketing Hub
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    HubSpot Marketing Hub
    7.8
    384 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.0381 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings7.7377 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings7.8339 Ratings
    Platform & Infrastructure
    Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Cision Communications Cloud and HubSpot Marketing Hub
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    HubSpot Marketing Hub
    7.2
    356 Ratings
    6% below category average
    API00 Ratings7.2264 Ratings
    Role-based workflow & approvals00 Ratings7.6295 Ratings
    Customizability00 Ratings7.8317 Ratings
    Integration with Salesforce.com00 Ratings6.8236 Ratings
    Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM00 Ratings7.1104 Ratings
    Integration with SugarCRM00 Ratings7.093 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Small Businesses
    Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
    Score5 out of 10
    Vbout
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Critical Mention
    Score8 out of 10
    Bloomreach
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Meltwater
    Score7.6 out of 10
    Iterable
    Score8.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (280 ratings)
    7.5
    (670 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.0
    (17 ratings)
    6.0
    (372 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (54 ratings)
    7.6
    (121 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    9.1
    (25 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    8.9
    (17 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (192 ratings)
    8.4
    (88 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (8 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    9.1
    (26 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.3
    (48 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (2 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    7.3
    (7 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cision Communications CloudHubSpot Marketing Hub
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cision
    For a small start-up, the cost-benefit to add lift to press releases [and] particular milestone accomplishments is definitely there with the Cision [Communications] Cloud. Much of what we do, by necessity, is done internally without the benefit of outsourced press folks, so the Cision [Communications] Cloud ease of use and reporting is very important.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    As I said previously, I was not a fan at the beginning because, like everyone, I don't take change so well. Once I started following leads through HubSpot Marketing Hub, I integrated it with my email and created templates for what I needed, I started to see the positives immediately. My time working was better spent as I eliminated time put in routine tasks. I was able to track all communication in HubSpot Marketing Hub, we created systems in the office assigning tasks to one another and, through HubSpot Marketing Hub, our leads were able to book meetings in my calendar automatically. To be honest, if you are in sales and marketing, I cannot think of scenarios where HubSpot Marketing Hub cannot help. All I would like to say is, when using templates, pay attention to where you send them - you may need some personalization. I would encourage the management of HubSpot Marketing Hub to create short tutorials for beginners like me who need to configure and start using various features: setting up deals, templates, and dashboards.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Cision
    • Their upgraded press release templates and ability [to] pull in an entire, completed release makes the [process] faster and easier, and allows for more graphics, such as company mastheads, [are done well].
    • The media tracking offers the ability to find relevant placements across the entire country.
    • The journalist database streamlines the process of finding relevant reporters to directly connect [to] on news releases that are relevant to their beats.
    • The process of setting up, creating, and distributing a release is seamless, easy to use, and not labor-intensive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    • All-in-one software - the main thing HubSpot does well is the breadth of functionality.
    • Easy of use - personally, I find it more intuitive than Marketo, which is the other MAP that I know well.
    • Ads - I like that we can drill down on ads by channel, ad group, campaign, and even create and see performance data at each level.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Cision
    • In the media influencer database, the classic Cision allowed us to do a zip code radius search to really drill down to the neighborhood level. That's because we do localized media advisories and press releases for events at neighborhood schools. One part of a big city like Chicago really doesn't care what's happening in another part of Chicago that's too far away. The zip code radius search was a feature in the classic Cision but not with the current Cision Communications Cloud. We've asked for this to be restored several times, but nothing's happened. In fact, we were told to use DMA — which actually goes wider in a search (bigger than a city), not more narrow as needed. This reflects a basic misunderstanding of what we need.
    • Another missing feature involves a merge field when sending out an email press release through Cision. This is the "select insert field" button in the upper right that's used to personalize a release with the media contact's name and other information. This is key for localization of the release. Many media outlets won't run a release unless it's local. While "county" is a feature in the influencer database when putting together a media list in Cision, "county" is not available to insert into a press release as a merge field. Counties are important because this is how many newspapers and health departments are organized and identify themselves. I've asked for this to be implemented, to no avail. As a workaround, we've had to use "contact city" or "outlet city."
    • After refining a media list in Cision using filters, I've had to download the list and take it offline to see the big picture, screen for duplicates, etc. While there is a button on the bottom left intended to help with this, it doesn't do the trick. That's because there may be multiple contacts with the same email address. In addition, one media contact may represent numerous media outlets, so this same contact could show up several times. It would be nice to have a better way to see the whole list online and eliminate both duplicates as well as those who previously opted out.
    Incentivized
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    HubSpot
    • While Hubspot has added some collaborative tools, I think this could improve. I'd like to see more options to comment on emails and ways of being able to share out changes as well as approval channels.
    • The ability to update ads via the calendar is pretty cumbersome. There's no good way to bulk edit or update. You have go into each one individually.
    • Real time edits would be nice. If you have multiple people working on the same thing, you'll get kicked out and your changes might not be saved.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Cision
    While I am happy with the product performance overall, TrendKite's recent merger with Cision is cause for concern. When we first signed on with TrendKite, I spoke with several users and the best response I received was that the company was a startup and we could expect there to be hiccups along the way as the company grew and the platform got more robust. That has certainly been the case. However, now that they have merged with Cision — a company that has grown too fast, has not focused on improving its product and has poor customer service — I have concerns that TrendKite will lose some of the qualities that have made it a great company and great product to work with.
    Incentivized
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    HubSpot
    Our business relies on the HubSpot platform to manage our marketing, sales and CRM processes. HubSpot marketing automation helps us define our activities and streamlines them in a cohesive and efficient way. Without HubSpot, we will have to revert to the 'old way' of doing everything with a variety of disparate systems.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Cision
    The flexibility and customization of Cision Communications Cloud (TrendKite)* is among its most important features. Changing the dashboards, using keywords in the saved searches to pull out the best stories and the integration with marketing automation tools gives me confidence that I will able to continue using this tool well into the future. The future implementation and integration of the media contact database will complete the suite, making list management and email marketing programs much smoother. *This review was written before Cision acquired TrendKite. TrendKite is now part of Cision Communications Cloud.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    While there are some frustrating things that pop up unexpectedly ("wait... I can't do X?"), I have found HubSpot to be easy to use and extremely helpful to my daily work. The documentation is really good, and when it's not helpful, the support staff have been amazing.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Cision
    Easily accessible 24/7.
    Incentivized
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    HubSpot
    They have had issues with system availability over the course of days. Sometimes the system is unusable, other times updates simply take a long time to show up. It's better now but, from a reliaibility standpoint, HubSpot is not Salesforce.com yet. Still great software though.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Cision
    Generally, Cision performs well day to day, but it's got some annoying bugs that slow down usage/require user workarounds which is inefficient. More seriously, a few months ago, as a result of a major system upgrade, certain critical functionality was not working and I was unable to use the service for more than a day when I had time-sensitive work to execute
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    With all the new features in HubSpot, the system can get a tad slow sometimes... That said, most of the time it is lightning fast and I have no problems. Because most of the integrations are API, they silently work in the background. I have not had trouble with lag due to HubSpot integration
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    Support Rating
    Cision
    For Cision TrendKite in particilar, support always responded, but it was sometimes slow. For some of our booleans and search queries, we would need help refining and excluding terms/phrases that weren't relevant to our client or campaign. This sometimes took 1-2 days just to get a response back, which sometimes was too late when a last-minute report was due. This was only with the support staff, not necessarily our customer success manager or sales rep.
    Incentivized
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    HubSpot
    During the few times I've needed it, HS support has been accessible, helpful and efficient. Often rolling up their sleeves to make changes for you as opposed to leaving you with a list of instructions to decipher on your own.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Cision
    No answers on this topic
    HubSpot
    I did the 2-day classroom at HubSpot's corporate office in Cambridge. First off, it was amazing to see their corporate office in general. They have such a cool office environment. But it was also great to have the ability to learn in a workshop format with other HubSpot users and meet my Account Manager/ Inbound Marketing Consultant in person.
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    Online Training
    Cision
    The online training sessions available for the Cision Communications Cloud are helpful and informative. There's more than one option - initially, I signed up for the live webinar classes on basic functions and that is what I recommend other new users do as well. If I have specific questions or something I want to learn more about, I can search the online database and find article or online training videos to get the information I need.
    Incentivized
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    HubSpot
    I went through Inbound Marketing University in 2006. Great training and helped my transition from traditional (outbound) marketing to inbound marketing that I've been able to apply to a number of businesses from wastewater and water reuse, to professional services and SaaS. Share information of value to build awareness and trust. Answer customers' questions in a transparent way to generate more qualified leads. Understand the difference between a marketing qualified lead and a sales qualified lead and put together a lead nurturing program. Your sales and marketing efforts will see significant ROI.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Cision
    There is no implementation at the customer's end so this doesn't really apply to my instance of Cision (possibly to all instances of it).
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    My biggest piece of advice for those who are implementing Hubspot is that you need to devote the time up front and learn how to use the product. Once you learn how to use Hubspot, it will be much more effective as well as much easier to use in the long run
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    Alternatives Considered
    Cision
    It's a similar product. I think Meltwater sells itself as being a bit more niche, but I have not found many significant differences between Meltwater and Cision. Meltwater's sales process is a very high pressure and their prices are inflated.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    Other competing software such as Zoho and Boomtown may have more bells and whistles, but it is too cumbersome and has many parts that only advanced users can operate. With HubSpot, each function is within reach of the average agent. It doesn't overpromise and then makes you feel incompetent when you can't use it all...
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Cision
    Easy to use, but still room for improvement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HubSpot
    HubSpot is addressing this more and more. Currently you can assign tasks to designated sales teams, which grow as you grow. They've added free baseline products for those just getting started. These and more contribute to the scalability of HubSpot - so I gave it an 8 and am hoping for more in the future!
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Cision
    • Cision has a net positive impact on time savings for staff so we can be quicker to market
    • Cision has a positive impact on internal savings as it is used internally across multiple accounts and with the internal PR team
    • Cision is extremely useful when it comes to resourcing and conducting outreach in those DMA's where our agency doesn't have a physical presence
    Incentivized
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    HubSpot
    • HubSpot has helped us increased our lead generation.
    • HubSpot has allowed us to continue to grow our customer base without having to spend a ton of marketing dollars on advertising.
    • HubSpot has allowed our company to standardize our process and bring the company onto one platform for sales and marketing.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    Cision Communications Cloud Screenshots

    Screenshot of Media Monitoring and Analytics are just part of the complete Comms Cloud. It combines deep data dive with a database of journalists and influencers, and a media relationship management tool.Screenshot of Track brand mentions in real time across the millions of online stories on the internet. Monitor millions of stories and breaking news happening daily across the web. Professional services consultants teams are in place to ensure best practices while setting up a monitoring account.Screenshot of Cision’s media and influencer relationship management tools include audience insights, combined with a pitchable database that enables brands to uncover the best media contacts and social influencers to reach their target audience.Screenshot of Identify the social conversations and influencers that are impacting a brand. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube monitoring capabilities track brand mentions across all major social channels. Analyze results for social mentions or campaigns on the fly with its reporting features.

    HubSpot Marketing Hub Screenshots

    Screenshot of Marketing Automation with HubSpot. Here, marketers can define workflows for highly targeted and personalized nurturing campaigns that send leads and prospects the right targeted content at the right point in their decision-making process.Screenshot of HubSpot Analytics. These help track engagement with the entire funnel through real-time reporting on website performance, traffic and marketing effectiveness.Screenshot of HubSpot Social Media. HubSpot’s social media publishing helps improve scheduling and publishing social media content.Screenshot of HubSpot Blogging and SEO. HubSpot provides an integrated set of tools for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) which makes getting found online a natural part of the inbound marketing mix. More than a simple CMS, HubSpot provides an integrated authoring view with SEO-oriented suggestions as blog posts are written.Screenshot of Marketing Automation with HubSpot. Here, marketers can define workflows for highly targeted and personalized nurturing campaigns that send leads and prospects the right targeted content at the right point in their decision-making process.Screenshot of HubSpot Contacts. Integrating with most common CRMs, HubSpot provides a view of view contacts, and allows for customized and personalized email communications.