HubSpot is Dope - Dig It
Updated June 16, 2015
HubSpot is Dope - Dig It
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
Professional
Modules Used
- Dashboard Reports/Goals
- Blogging
- Calls-to-Action
- Calender
- Design Tool & Templates
- Social Media Monitoring & Publishing
- Contacts
- Smart Lists
- Forms
- API Integration with Website
- Reports - Sources, SEO Score, & Competeitors
Overall Satisfaction with HubSpot
HubSpot is currently used in our company to manage all of our inbound digital marketing. I am the director of marketing at the corporate office of a multi-location company - 200 locations in 38 states. One of the primary challeneges with marketing for multiple locations is consistent message and branding in social media. HubSpot has allowed me to connect over 200 social media accounts - Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ - in one spot. This allows me to manage PR issues and post blogs across of network that reaches over 50,000 social media users.
The contacts database is very robust. Custom contact attributes allowed us to capture information that is relevant to our digital B2C marketing efforts. Every form submitted on our website was integrated with HubSpot's API (thanks to a ton of help from their outrageously supportive tech team). This allows me to segment based on store id, geo region, or customer type, for more segmented emailing. The contact reports aren't just email addresses like you would find on Constant Contact or Mail Chimp, every touch is recorded whether it was on the website, email, or social media.
The contacts database is very robust. Custom contact attributes allowed us to capture information that is relevant to our digital B2C marketing efforts. Every form submitted on our website was integrated with HubSpot's API (thanks to a ton of help from their outrageously supportive tech team). This allows me to segment based on store id, geo region, or customer type, for more segmented emailing. The contact reports aren't just email addresses like you would find on Constant Contact or Mail Chimp, every touch is recorded whether it was on the website, email, or social media.
- Content Calendar - Combines all of the content generating tools into a simply laid out calendar. Plan and assign blog posts, social media updates, email blasts, and see it all in one large view. Then click into each content creating app and begin working. Summarizes the swiss-army knife ease of HubSpot's assorted marketing tools.
- Customer Support - Personalized inbound training goes above and beyond what you would expect. Reps are very attentive to all of the details of your account, and find innovative ways to apply the inbound methodology to your specific company. The HubSpot Academy is AMAZING - providing hours of video on the philosophy and practice of inbound marketing with HubSpot. If you pay enough attention, you can get HubSpot certified like me!
- Social Media - Publish to 200 accounts in a few clicks. Monitor Twitter for prospects and engage with users talking about your product or industry. Create reports to show your boss the traffic is worth the time.
- Location Management - Would love to see a way to manage search engine listings like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc... Publishing store information to business directories is a big part of inbound marketing missing from this software suite.
- Managing images and uploaded files is difficult and time consuming. Wish there was a way to integrate with my Dropbox so renaming and organizing doesn't absorb hours.
- Design Manager for email templates, forms, and landing pages still has a lot of room for improvement. Difficult tool to learn for someone without a background in HTML/CSS and little support from reps or academy.
- Increased efficiency - I manage all of our social media publishing with HubSpot. Often I assemble batches of posts to go out over a two-week period, allowing me to focus on other aspects of our marketing instead. Huge upgrade over the clumsy Hootesuite interface. Our traffic from social media is up 1,000% since implementing HubSpot.
- Customer Service - Our customer service has improved dramatically with HubSpot by utilizing personalization tokens and workflows.
- Blog - Company had no blog or authoritative presence in our industry online, despite the fact we are a leader and innovator in our sector. Not only does the blogging tool deliver SEO suggestions and best practices as you work on the post, the training tools and HubSpot blog constantly challenge and inform you as a customer to maximize the power of blogging. Went from not having a blog to generating 1,000 hits/month very quickly.
- LocalVox,HooteSuite,Vocus Marketing Suite
HubSpot beat these companies based on their robust power, interface, and value. Other companies wanted to charge outrageous enterprise rates for each of our locations. HubSpot worked with me to prune our contacts database and agree on a reasonable pricing package. Their sales team does not put you on the spot or in awkward pressure moments. We've all been solicited, and had that skanky sales rep try to slide around you to the decision-maker/check-signer, as if he is going to use the marketing software. I consider that a huge insult, and Vocus did just that. HubSpot on the other hand used respect, humor, and their amazing blog to slowly build trust with me, offering to answer any questions along my long evaluation process.
25,000 to 100,000
- Email marketing
- Lead nurturing
- Landing pages
- List segmentation
- Integration with CRM system
- Social marketing
- SEO
Using HubSpot
1 - Inbound team of one. I manage the entire account including blog content, social post scheduling, contact/list management, workflows, keyword research, reporting, landing page content and design, email content and design, campaigns, forms, and call-to-action buttons.
I am an adaptive learner and spent my initial few months immersed in the Academy training - I not only knew the inbound marketing strategy, but I had a vast understanding of the software. Since then I have gradually incorporated every tool in the HubSpot software suite.
I have no background in programming or design, but managed to work pretty well with the Design Manager for the landing pages and emails. It took a few hours of CSS tweaking to get the layouts where I wanted them, but once they were set I haven't had to touch them. What I lack in trained skills I make up for with an insatiable curiosity and determination for excellence. If I had to hire any help for my HubSpot system, I would be looking for a similar personality type.
I am an adaptive learner and spent my initial few months immersed in the Academy training - I not only knew the inbound marketing strategy, but I had a vast understanding of the software. Since then I have gradually incorporated every tool in the HubSpot software suite.
I have no background in programming or design, but managed to work pretty well with the Design Manager for the landing pages and emails. It took a few hours of CSS tweaking to get the layouts where I wanted them, but once they were set I haven't had to touch them. What I lack in trained skills I make up for with an insatiable curiosity and determination for excellence. If I had to hire any help for my HubSpot system, I would be looking for a similar personality type.