Posted by Doug Kirk on Tue, Oct 09, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
Exactly
what is inbound marketing and inbound marketing software. Answering that can be a significant challenge. However, once
understood it will open remarkable
online business possibilities. In this post and accompanying e-book and automated decision engine, I will explain the strategies that will assist you to put into action your inbound marketing resources. First, let’s examine several features of inbound marketing and what makes it such a powerful online marketing strategy. After that I will discuss how inbound marketing software enables seamless execution of your inbound marketing plan.
Inbound Marketing is Educational & HelpfulEducational marketing supplies solutions to a question, need or concern that a potential
client will often have. This is the marketing that's most useful when a potential customer is in research mode and seeking specific info to get nearer to a buying decision. How-to blog posts as well as step-by-step online videos, for instance, would certainly represent this sort of inbound marketing. The
overall tone of this content material borders on the role of consulting and even customer support - and it is definitely not a sales message.
Inbound Marketing is Timely & CustomizedTo ensure that inbound marketing to be genuinely valuable, however, it needs to delivered at the right time. Consider this: If you're struggling with a particular problem and are actively hunting for a answer, wouldn’t it be amazing to discover it right in your inbox at the moment you needed it most? Let’s say you're organizing a party and looking for the appropriate locale. In your investigation, you may visit some websites, however your heart will probably be won by the business that follows up with you, recognizing what you're searching for and offering to help. Amazon stands out as the great example of a web site that customizes viewing in line with the needs and likes of its customers.
Inbound Marketing has Consistent Language and Message
To help make efficient inbound marketing people react to, you must take into account the experience of the consumer throughout their various lifecycle phases: from the first time they experience your brand or company, to their interaction with your site and information, to begin converting into a buyer, as well as their long-term success as one. By making this movement throughout distinct lifecycle phases regular and fluid, you eliminate obstacles and inspire your target audience to evangelize for your company.
Inbound Marketing Leverages Inbound Marketing Software
Each of these strategies sits on top of a powerful inbound marketing software such as Hubspot. This is an all-in-one marketing system that provides marketing automation with integrated tools such as an SEO keyword database tied to a blog platform. These components and other unique elements are what really set Hubspot apart as an inbound software. Using this software allows you to craft campaigns to attract visits to your site. Most other marketing software platforms only start to work once someone arrives at your site. This is an important and meaningful difference.
Now that we’ve covered the key characteristics of what is inbound marketing, how can you adopt these features to your own marketing practices. In this
ebook, I walk through the process of running a holistic inbound marketing campaign and show you ways in which you can make each part of this campaign educational, helpful, timely, customized, consistent--in other words, effective!
From industry best practices and our own experience at Optimize 3.0, there are six key components of inbound marketing strategy success:
• Produce a compelling marketing offer
• Place the offer on your website
• Attach the offer to automated workflows
• Promote it via email
• Promote via blog & social media channels
• Measure results
Download this free e-book and find out exactly what is inbound marketing :
Try the inbound marketing software recommendation engine:
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Tue, Sep 18, 2012 @ 11:22 AM
I had the opportunity to appear on Blog Talk Radio today. Everything Entrepreneur hosts teh weekly show and invited me to come on and discuss Optimize 3.0. I used this opportunity describe inbound marketing and how we use that process on behalf of our clients. I was the first one up so it comes up fast. Have a listen:
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 @ 09:00 AM
Optimize 3.0 (http://www.optimize3point0.com) an Inbound Marketing Agency based in Larchmont, NY, is now a Gold Level HubSpot Agency. Only 5% of certified Hubspot partners hold such a distinction. Optimize 3.0 has been a Hubspot partner since May 2011.
HubSpot software is a suite of web based tools that enable inbound marketing through blogging, SEO, social media publishing, email, content management system, customer relationship management, landing page development and analytics. Optimize 3.0’s Inbound Marketing services includes B2B content creation, on-page and off-page SEO, email marketing, lead generation and onsite conversion strategies and tactics that leverage the HubSpot platform.
"It’s exciting to be part of the growth of inbound marketing," said Doug Kirk, Optimize 3.0’s President. "The evolution of the Hubspot, now Hubspot 3, directly correlates to more success for our clients. There’s really no better feeling than seeing the difference we can make for our cleints and their websites.”
“Optimize 3.0 is one of the fastest growing Hubspot partners. In just a short time they have attained Hubspot Gold Agency status. Doug’s work has been recognized not only by Hubspot but his clients as well. Optimize 3.0 has developed expertise handling complex marketing initiatives for his clients and the results have been impressive. We highly recommend Optimize 3.0 for strategic inbound marketing services” said Chris Johnson, Agency Partner Manager, Hubspot.
About Optimze 3.0
Optimize 3.0 specializes in inbound marketing development and management for B2B companies offering technology products and services. Optimize 3.0 is a Gold Level HubSpot Partner based in Larchmont, NY and serves businesses throughout the United States and internationally The Optimize 3.0 site is home to the Inbound Marketing Blog Value Calculator: http://www.optimize3point0.com/blog-value-calculator/.
http://www.optimize3point0.com.
About HubSpot
HubSpot, Inc. provides Internet marketing software that helps businesses get found online, generate more inbound leads and convert a higher percentage of those leads into paying customers. HubSpot's software platform includes tools that allow professional marketers and small business owners to manage search engine optimization, blogging and social media, as well as landing pages, lead intelligence and marketing analytics. Based in Cambridge, MA, HubSpot can be found at http://www.hubspot.com.
For more information contact:
Doug Kirk, CEO
doug@optimize3point0.com
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
Let's Connect on Google+
Posted by Doug Kirk on Tue, Sep 04, 2012 @ 01:20 PM
What comprises effective internet marketing packages? The components available from Hubspot 3.0 enable the most important elements for an effective internet marketing package. Once you’ve identified your marketing campaign topic, the process can be broken down into the following steps. Each greatly assisted with Husbpot 3.0:
Step 1) Create an SEO infused blog post
Step 2) Create a call to action (CTAs) and an optimized landing page
Step 3) Attach your offer to a lead nurturing campaign
Step 4) Promote your offer via email, blog & social media channels
Step 5) Measure results
What better way to see how Hubspot 3.0 can create an effective Internet marketing package than by example. Here goes:
Step 1) SEO infused blogging means you’re taking advantage of Hubspot 3.0’s SEO tools to identify terms people are searching on. Since “Hubspot 3.0” is a relatively new term that will be my secondary term. For this post I’ve targeting the keyword “Internet Marketing Packages.” That fits nicely as a primary term. I found this term using Hubspot 3.0’s Keyword tool that shows me there are a fair amount of searches and a low “Difficulty to rank” score (1=Easy, 100=Hard)
Next I want to put Internet Marketing Packages in the title of my blog post. A good blog platform such as Hubspot 3.0 will automatically put my blog post title in the Title tag, H1 and URL. This is critically important to let Google know what your blog is about. Next, I want to be sure to repeat the keywords (internet marketing packages and Hubspot 3.0) several times in the body of the text. Finally, I need to put images in the blog post and make sure the Alt Text “Internet Marketing Packages” is linked to the image.
Step 2) Build a button that links to a landing page. Now, using Hubspot 3.0, this is pretty easy since there’s a tool that does just that. No designer involved and no coding whatsoever. Plus, in Hubspot 3.0 you can create A/B versions to optimize results. Below is an example. Refresh your browser (may take a couple of tries) and you’ll see the button alternate.
Link the button to a landing page. A landing page contains an offer that attempts to capture lead information from your site visitor. An optimized landing page removes the site nav to keep your reader focused. Hubspot 3.0, not surprisingly, has a tool to build landing pages as well. Again, no coding or design work required. You can certainly design your own, but you can build an amazing one simply by choosing the template and dropping in the image. Next, drag in the form fields – these are what info you want from your leads including name, address, email, company. These are also customizable in Hubspot 3.0.
Step 3) Attach a lead nurturing campaign to your lead conversions. These automated emails continue to engage your lead. In Hubspot 3.0 you can attach a lead nurturing campaign to any conversion event. The best way to do this is to further engage with more content such as a whitepaper or blog post that is relevant to the first conversion. Further bringing your lead down the sales funnel. Important: The last automated email should include a sales call to action such as a free demo or evaluation.
Step 4) Promote your content. This part actually has 3 steps. a) Post your blog post to your blog. If you have subscription attached your followers will be notified; b) Share your blog to your social media followers. Hubspot 3.0’s new social media publishing tool allows you to queue these Tweets to go out throughout the day. Tip: Use the Linkedin share button to publish your blog post to your Linkedin groups; c) Send an email to your database of contacts notifying them of the new content. Below is an example of Hubspot 3.0’s new list building tool.
This list building example in Hubspot 3.0 shows how I built a list from leads that have filled out a specific form and have Twitter followers over 100.
Step 5) Measure your results. Analytics should identify CTA conversions, landing page conversions (should be 15% or better), what sources are you getting traffic – social, email, direct, organic search. Use these tools to further optimize your campaigns.
If you are looking for a complete internet marketing package, Hubspot 3.0 offers a full array of tools to fully engage website visitors.
Or, check out how Hubspot 3 compares with other Internet marketing software packages:
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Tue, Jun 12, 2012 @ 11:36 AM
I wanted to share my 12 month efforts at Internet marketing optimization. I became a Hubspot certified partner back in May 2011. Soon after that I became a certified value added re-seller (Silver VAR). Starting slowly I have built my Inbound Marketing business and website traffic by blogging. Specifically, I focus on the concerns small to medium businesses have regarding Internet marketing optimization. My blog posts are about SEO help such as link strategies and advice, Hubspot reviews with end-users and social media optimization techniques such as finding targeted Twitter followers. When I blog I try to adhere to the principles of optimization and diligently incorporate metadata into my blog posts (Title tags, URLs, Alt Tags, etc). I even delve into back linking techniques (be sure to check out www.DropMyLinks.com – a great resource for identifying SEO-friendly commenting blogs). It was slow going at first, but today I have almost 70 terms in the top 3 of Google and 160 in the top 10. I’ve saved over thousands of dollars in equivalent PPC ad spending. Moreover, these organic results are far, far more effective. Some of the keywords terms I rank highly for include “inbound marketing agency” and “inbound marketing consultant.”
Here are the two overriding principles that I share with clients and others looking for Internet marketing optimization advice:
1) Blogging & SEO: First, this takes time. But without a doubt blogging is the key. Optimizing the existing pages of your website for SEO is a first step, but the real value is in your blog posts. Of all the pages on the Internet, blogs are clearly favored and indexed more frequently by Google. They value timeliness and relevancy. As a business, you need to think of each blog post as a marketing “annuity.” If optimized correctly the page will continue to send traffic for quite some time. Second, and this is not immediately obvious when you start out, there is real benefit from related and long tail traffic. These are the derivations of the keywords you target that end up as site visits. Nobody types in the same search term exactly. Close to 80% of Google searches do not have an exact match. What happens then? They return the next closest organic match. This means more qualified traffic to your site. This is particularly evident from my own results. I’ve targeted approximately 30 to 40 specific keywords. Yet I rank in the top 3 for close to 70. Moreover, in looking at my blog analytics you can see the growth in pageviews (almost 20,000 now!) that can be directly attributable to the 267 keywords in the top 100. These are the close-match keywords not specifically targeted but generate site traffic.
Keywords:
1 Year Blog Analytics:
2) Download Content Creation: By this I mean valuable content that will get users to share their contact information. Something they must download in order to read. Why? Because this is how to get an interested buyer's contact info. These are typically whitepapers. However, I’ve found that specific tools and charts are equally valuable (and easier to create). Some examples I’ve used include a Hubspot Competitor Chart and an Inbound Marketing Flow Chart. You don’t necessarily have to focus on the esoteric 2,000 word whitepaper. Create something that helps potential clients save time and make decisions. How about a simple Excel spreadsheet calculator with embedded formulas? Every industry needs to make calculations. Use this as a means of sharing your knowledge and helping your audience. What about a simple tip sheet for making a purchase decision? These work extremely well.
When I work with clients interested in Internet marketing optimization I always start with these concepts. Advice I’ve followed myself with pretty good results.
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Sun, May 06, 2012 @ 10:41 AM
I had a very successful blog post related to internet marketing help. This was an interview with one of Hubspot’s top rated users. I’ve wanted to follow up on that and recently came across the perfect opportunity: Larry Berezin, EVP www.newyorkparkingtickets.com. Larry came to Optimize 3.0 and downloaded a piece of content. Like a good inbound marketer, I reached out and we quickly realized we are Hubspot users. Larry’s one of the very first in fact. Moreover, having grown up in NYC, Larry is something of a hero for the common man besieged by parking tickets in NYC. His site is the go-to resource if you’ve ever received a ticket here. For anyone looking for internet marketing help, Larrry’s experience with Hubspot’s online marketing platform is telling.
Optimize 3.0: How did you find Hubspot?
Larry Berezin: About 5 years ago I was looking on the web for internet marketing help and I came across Mike Volpe (Hubspot’s CMO). I started following him online and reading all of the internet marketing info and assistance he was putting out. It made sense and I signed on with Hubspot.
Optimize 3.0: Why Hubspot?
Larry Berezin: When I joined newyorkparkingtickets.com we wanted to grow the business online and online seemed like the most likely place. I had become something of an expert in website design and building. When I saw how Hubspot put all of the website management and marketing under one roof – all in one place, it made perfect sense. I had to cobble these things together myself previously. Also, as a lawyer, I work on providing advice. The internet marketing philosophy espoused by Hubspotis to create great and helpful content and your clients they will come made perfect sense.
Optimize 3.0: What impact has Hubspot had on your business?
Larry Berezin: Hubspot changed my life! This tool provided a means to build a bridge between my law practice and the web. In the first years the platform really provided a means to become known. Today I have site visits from all over the world looking for my advice: China, Russia and Islamabad to name just a few. Shows how prevalent parking tickets are!!
When we first started we had something like 35 visits per day. Today we do easily 1,000 visits per day Monday to Fri and approximately 23,000 per month.
Optimize 3.0: What do you like least?
Larry Berezin: Well, right now I wish that the they had more template choices for landing pages. I typically go to Unbounce.com and use their landing page templates. This requires some manipulation on my part.
Optimize 3.0: What do you like most about Hubspot?
Larry Berezin: That’s easy. Lead nurturing and List Segmentation. By using these tools I can identify my target buyer persona – the commercial business accounts. We bring people into the site and when they convert by downloading a piece of content on the site we can see who they are immediately and then customize how we interact with them going forward. This has been amazingly successful building out our commercial account business – our true bread and butter.
Optimize 3.0: Final thoughts you’d like to share?
Larry Berezin: If you’re at a loss finding internet marketing help I strongly suggest looking into Hubspot. This is a powerful and affordable solution for small to medium businesses. I can imagine that most businesses are experts at what they do – but that is not enough. You need to give that information to interested buyers and develop a relationship with them in that manner first. From there, you’re in a much easier place to turn them into clients. This is exactly what Hubspot allowed me to do with www.newyorkparkingtickets.com.
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Fri, Apr 20, 2012 @ 05:10 PM
There are many choices for marketing automation software. But not all are created equal. In order to make the right marketing automation comparison you need to first establish your site’s objectives. The biggest decision is what do you want to accomplish? When it comes to marketing automation software reviews and vendors it boils down whether you want to attract new clients vs. nurturing existing leads. This is where the big divide exists in marketing automation software. If you’re looking for more site visits then focus on a automation software that provides the best tools to acquire new leads. However, if you’ve got tons of traffic and have many, many leads you may want to consider a marketing automation vendor that specializes in lead nurturing.
Hubspot’s marketing automation software is positioned as an “all-in-one” marketing system. That is, their service not only includes lead nurturing but also tools and importantly a process to acquire new leads. This is accomplished through a sophisticated set of SEO (search engine optimization) tools and incorporating a content strategy to capture new business. The content creation strategy Hubspot promotes is to consistently create blog content and thought leadership content. The latter is information that can be positioned as a download – how you capture leads.
Example of Hubspot's smart SEO tools tied to blogging:
Beyond the SEO and blog tools, Hubspot offers landing page creation, lead nurturing, email platform, social media and analytics. Easily the most comprehensive suite of marketing automation software services available in one package. One particular note regarding Hubspot: Be prepared to create content (#1 reason why hubspot doesn’t work) because without it you are not taking advantage of the investment.
Other marketing software automation services of note include Pardot, Marketo and Eloqua. The primary focus of these marketing automation services is to “nurture” existing leads. Another term for this is “drip campaign.” All of these services are quite sophisticated in this capacity. They excel at creating something I refer to as “lead flow.” This is the ability to dynamically customize emails to a lead based on their specific action on your site. For example, if Visitor A looks at a certain set of pages and then downloads a whitepaper off your site they can be targeted to receive a specific set of following emails after conversion. Whereas, Visitor B that looks at a completely different set of pages and downloads a case study can be assigned a different drip campaign. This behavior based lead flow is how these automation services differ from Hubspot. As of today Hubspot can only send a nurturing campaign based off one action – a conversion download off your site.
Marketing automation software reviews is an effort. When reviewing one of these automation software vendors there are many decisions that come into play such as price, ease of use and functionality. To help you make your decision easier be sure to download the Optimize 3.0 marketing automation comparison chart this free and easy to follow chart reviews the leading marketing automation software vendors across 10 critical features.
Interested in finding the right software. Optimize 3.0's decision engine can assist:
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Mon, Apr 02, 2012 @ 03:39 PM
Curious about Hubspot competitors and how internet marketing systems compare? What about Hubsot vs. Eloqua, Marketo and Pardot? What are the key differences between these internet marketing systems? This comparison chart analyzes each across 10 key features including blogging, CMS, SEO, lead nurturing, price, ease of use and analytics. Each feature is ranked (0 = Not at All to 4 = Awesome) for a best possible score of 40 points. Quick summary points below:
- Lead nurturing. While Hubspot has lead nurturing capabilities it’s not as sophisticated as its competitors. Marketo, Eloqua and Pardot almost exclusively specialize on lead nurturing. This is what happens once someone converts on your website. Eloqua has a slick social sign on tool for landing pages. For Hubspot, everyone who submits a form receives a set "nurturing sequence" – there’s not much customizing for a specific lead. Eloqua, Marketo and Pardot can dynamically lead nurture based on an end user’s onsite actions. This is an area where Hubspot is investing heavily to catch up.
- SEO and lead acquisition. Eloqua, Marketo and Pardot, Hubspot’s main competitors, have basically no solution for acquiring leads. Their focus is strictly on what happens once a user converts into a lead. Hubspot is really an “all in one” marketing system that aims to provide a complete end to end internet marketing system. This means tools to find leads and convert them to sales. They do this primarily through nifty integration of SEO tools and a blogging platform.
- Price. Hubspot is far less expensive than its competitors. Marketo, Eloqua and to a lesser extent Pardot primarily target larger enterprises with significant marketing budgets than can afford $15,000 to $25,000 per year on marketing software.
- Integration. All of the Hubspot competitors integrate with an existing CMS. Hubspot, however, goes a step further and has a full CMS solution for any website. Eloqua, Marketo and Pardot do not have this option. As a result everything must co- exist with existing technologies. This can cause more “hidden cost” development expense.
- Ease of use. Nothing is ever “easy” when it comes to web development and online marketing systems as a whole. However, Hubspot’s interface, learning and support exceed the competition. As full scale enterprise solutions, Eloqua and Marketo are slightly more postioned for an end-user to have marketing and technology teams that can work to successfully implement the technology and ongoing management. Hubspot aims to be, and to some extent accomplishes, a much easier solution that requires less technological expertise.
Dharmesh Shah, one of the founders of Hubspot, made an apt analogy relative to Hubspot and its competitors. In his opinion Hubspot basically “competes” with these other internet marketing systems only in the manner an iPhone competes with a digital camera. He opines “sure the iPhone has a camera, but that's not the only reason someone buys an iPhone. If you’re a serious photographer you go for a "pro" option and buy a camera with specific functionality such as SLR technology. Yet for many people, the camera in the iPhone works just fine and they appreciate the “other” things an iPhone can do.” That sums up Hubspot relative to its competitors.
Download the all-in-one internet marketing system software reviews and Hubspot competitor chart (updated as of January 2013) from Optimize 3.0.
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Sat, Mar 24, 2012 @ 12:10 PM
What exactly are the differences of inbound vs outbound marketing? Here’s an explanation that I trust will help your understanding and help improve your own marketing efforts.
Inbound marketing is based on attracting potential clients and customers during the research phase of their buying cycle. Put another way, inbound marketing is all about getting in front of buyers when they are looking for answers. Essentially, as the inbound theory goes, the best way to capture anyone’s attention is if when they happen to be looking for you! Not when you are actively looking for them.
Conversely, outbound marketing represents old school intrusive marketing tactics. These include interruption style advertising such as TV ads, newspaper and magazine ads, radio and the most intrusive of all – direct marketing (telemarketing, direct mail, etc). Each of these is designed to get your attention while you’re doing something else – checking the mail, cooking dinner, taking a nap, etc. Overtime we’ve refined our senses to tune these messages out. We ignore practically all outbound media. Yet this doesn’t mean we aren’t going to buy those products or services, it just means our purchase process has changed.
Inbound marketing practices puts your products and services inside the new purchasing methodology. That starts with creating content about the service you offer that is not simply a direct sale. It means if you happen to sell fences you create content about the best fences to install if you have a dog or typical cost per foot one should pay for a fence. All of the information that goes into making a decision about a fence is exactly what potential buyers are searching for during their info gathering prior to purchase.
The trick is how you go about it. You do this by creating a blog. A blog is an ideal place to discuss and explain to your buyers all of the considerations that go into buying that fence. As they research they find you – and guess what, you’re the expert in their mind. They trust your experience and knowledge. A much better place to initiate a sale if you ask me.
Inbound vs outbound marketing distinctions are profound. In fact, they are diametrically opposed concepts. The evolution of inbound is a natural progression of the technology (search, social media) that has changed buyer behavior. Shouting from the rooftops that you have a great product to sell is lost on the modern purchaser. Quietly explaining what one needs to consider when buying your product or service is the new methodology. One that is ever more effective in fact.
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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Posted by Doug Kirk on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 @ 08:55 AM
During one of my periodic reviews of my full SEO traffic (this is a great source of material for a blog), something jumped out at me that relates to the darker side of Hubspot – Does it work? Some terms in my SEO results include Hubspot Sucks, Hubspot Not for Me, Hubspot Bad, Hubspot Fail, Hubspot Negative Reviews, Hubspot Overrated, Hubspot any good and Hubspot Termination. Some choice stuff and this generates traffic for me. Interesting. This can’t be a complete surprise since there are undoubtedly people who feel that way about Apple. But I’d like to use this as a jumping off point to shine a light on Hubspot and give the #1 reason Hubspot doesn’t work.
It’s not the technology. Nope. They’ve evolved the product considerably over the last 12 
months and continue to do so. They offer a full automated marketing suite that in my opinion far exceeds that of other players in automated marketing such as Eloqua and Marketo . It’s not the price. Hubspot is favorably priced to their competitors. It’s not customer service. Those guys are rock stars. So helpful, nice and smart. It certainly isn’t the advice their marketers pass along. No way. These guys pump out practical and beneficial information every single hour of the day. Whitepapers, forums, webinars - these guys kill it. They de-mystify things not even on their platform such as Twitter and Facebook. Everyone at Hubspot has only one mission: Help you succeed. So what’s the big problem with Hubspot?
Here it is: The number one reason Hubspot doesn’t work: Content creation. While I’m not privy to why people terminate Hubspot or question how good is Hubspot, I’m pretty certain it’s those that don’t properly “feed the content beast.” This means they don’t blog consistently, 
don’t create whitepapers and don’t invest the time to make use of Hubspot’s bountiful tools. So who’s at fault here? Well, the blame needs to be shared equally. Certainly, those who purchase Hubspot need to understand what it takes to make inbound marketing work. Blogging is the key. More importantly, it’s blogging as Hubspot instructs. That means analyzing your clients and building buyer personas and make appealing content for all level of the sales cycle. Sourcing favorable keywords and structuring the blog properly right down to Title tags, URLs, Alt Text and Meta Description. Hubspot makes the process super easy. But it can’t force their users to commit time and resources to blog. So, possible Hubspot buyer (or those looking to terminate), go in with your eyes open. Build a content plan. Do not buy the service and expect to see visits, leads and sales flock in the door without a meaningful content commitment. Expect the process to take at least 4 to 6 months to see results.
Hubspot must share blame as well. They position their product as a bit too “automatic.” Almost like an amazing marketing diet pill. It’s not. It’s more akin to the best gym membership you’ll ever purchase. But it’s no good unless you actually go and use all of the equipment regularly. Without smart, insightful content for your potential customers you’re basically doomed. Yet, Hubspot can’t take on the content creation for their clients. They have created partnerships with companies that can blog on any topic (for a surprisingly small price). One of Hubspot’s founders, Dharmesh Shah, has even invested his own money in one such company. Pretty cool. But I’ve heard more than one Hubspot subscriber complain that the content piece is the most difficult.
All is not lost. There are folks who are practitioners of the “art of Hubspot” (Optimize 3.0 is one of those). Our job is to assist and leverage the Hubspot tool for the best results. The good ones know where Hubspot breaks down and can provide content planning and creation services to feed the ‘content beast.’ The good news is that if you feed that beast, you will see some really, really great returns on your investment in Hubspot.
Optimize 3.0 is an Inbound Marketing Agency and a Hubspot certified partner that builds leads and sales for websites large and small.
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