Is HubSpot right for you?
The popularity of HubSpot has skyrocketed in Finland. No wonder, because it offers tools and processes that vastly improve the interplay of sales and marketing and expedite successful marketing efforts.
At the same time, I’ve had the misfortune of encountering several companies with a HubSpot license that aren’t using the platform to its full potential – in which case it can hurt more than help. One of the most typical problems is not using the established buyer personas (if they have been created at all) as basis for content design and creation. As a result, the number of visitors and leads just won’t grow.
HubSpot can naturally be used just as a CRM or direct mailing tool. But there are significantly more affordable and more streamlined options for this, such as Pipedrive and MailChimp.
Many companies have adopted HubSpot without giving it much thought. To make the most of the platform, you should be aware of the commitment and resources needed to get your HubSpot wheels rolling.
Who is HubSpot right for, really?
The general basic criteria for achieving success in inbound marketing and thus HubSpot are as follows:
Your company sells products or services that involve a consideration period. Inbound is based on personalization, which isn’t profitable when you have a lot of customers who buy little. For example, people often buy groceries on a whim, when they just happen to stop by the grocery store, so the chances of being able to impact a single purchase decision are negligible.
Your sales cycle isn’t too long. It’s difficult to measure the success of the inbound method if your sales cycles are long and drawn out (for example, if they last years). Of course, inbound can be used to e.g. new acquire leads even in this case, but it’s difficult to assess its effectiveness if there won’t be any sales data to analyze for years to come.
Your company has enough revenue to cover the marketing investment. A micro-enterprise might not have the kinds of resources needed for inbound at their disposal. Startups aiming for rapid growth are the possible exception.
How much time should you invest in HubSpot?
Marketing potency is usually directly proportional to time and money spent on creating and distributing content. However, there is an absolutely direct correlation between marketing investments and results in inbound marketing: the more and better quality content you create, the more you increase sales. A talented marketer can thus get started even with a small investment. You can increase your resources as you start getting results and your business subsequently starts to flourish.
Based on our experience, running HubSpot requires a bare minimum of 40 working hours per month, or 0.25 person-years. Depending on the efficiency of your team, you can set up basic HubSpot processes and even create some content in that time.
If you can’t set that kind of time aside or aren’t willing to pay a partner to take care of inbound marketing for you, it’s worth considering what other options for increasing sales you have at your disposal.
Consultation helps you assess your needs
We’re happy to lend you a hand with any inbound-related matters, whether you are considering HubSpot or already have a license. Book a free consultation and we’ll go through your needs and give you our honest opinion on whether investing in HubSpot is right for you, as well as how to develop the processes to better suit your company.