So many businesses have been told that they need an inbound marketing platform like HubSpot to be successful online. The fact is that this is only half true. HubSpot is a tool, and if you don’t know how to use a tool, they’re just an expensive toy. The last thing you want for your business is yet another costly tool that never pays itself off - but it doesn’t have to be that way.

With the proper guidance, you can learn how to make the most out of HubSpot and move from a reactive sales organisation to one that proactively attracts customers, nurtures, and converts them. This is why onboarding is critical to your success as a HubSpot user. In this blog, we’ll explore onboarding in more detail and how you can get started.

Why HubSpot?

HubSpot has a renowned name in the industry, and for a good reason. It is one of the most comprehensive and dynamic inbound marketing platforms available. From email marketing and social media management to complex automation and lead scoring, it has something for every digital department.

By bringing a variety of functionalities and allowing marketing and sales departments to manage all their activities in one place, HubSpot speaks to the idea of true time and resource management. Functionalities include content creation, social media sharing, workflow automation, lead capture, customer relationship management, sales pipeline mapping and performance tracking. 

As a result, companies that work with HubSpot are presented with the opportunity to manage sales and marketing activities efficiently. This also removes the issue of misaligned departments - since everything is done in one place. 

Inbound works best when everything is connected - and HubSpot is the right solution for your inbound marketing and sales needs. 

Why do you need onboarding?

Despite the potential of HubSpot, it takes a long time to set up and fine-tune to your needs. Furthermore, using the system incorrectly can give your marketing team misinformation, alienate your customers or even make your website unresponsive.

Of course, the above is the worst-case scenario. Most companies who fail to set HubSpot up correctly end up with an expensive piece of software that doesn’t contribute to any marketing or sales initiative. With HubSpot Enterprise Marketing Hub costing up to $3,200.00 every month, this is simply a cost that many companies cannot sustain without a significant return.

However, with sufficient education and onboarding, you can start to see value from your platform within as little as two days. Onboarding gives you the insight, tools and resources you need to fully embrace inbound marketing and use HubSpot the way it was intended.

Some of the things you learn in onboarding include:

• Setting up HubSpot for your company’s specific needs.
• Extending HubSpot for your sales, marketing and support teams.
• Setting up your first digital marketing campaign.
• Connecting all your channels for a full customer journey experience.
• Optimising and adapting your website for HubSpot.

In short, onboarding gives you a headstart on using HubSpot and generating immediate value.

Finding a partner to get started

Onboarding quickly and efficiently will provide you with an advantage over companies who are figuring it all out from scratch.  However, finding the right partner to help you get onboarded can be difficult. 

A few things you should look out for when finding an onboarding partner include:

They have professional experience

Training and education organisations can be helpful, but they often approach the subject from a theoretical perspective and not a practical one. You need to find a partner who regularly uses HubSpot the same way you do if you want to find success.

They’re certified

HubSpot likes to maintain its reputation and has thus certified specific agencies in their level of expertise. Finding these agencies to help you onboard will go a long way to ensuring you’re using HubSpot certified best practices and methods.

They offer helpful resources

Agencies confident in their work are not afraid to share their resources and help other companies - mostly for free! If the agency you’re looking at is sharing blog updates, whitepapers, guides and videos on how to implement or use HubSpot, you’re on the right path to finding an effective partner.

They have a proven track record

Nothing speaks louder than results, and the best way to see these results are through case studies and customer testimonials. If you can see how an onboarding partner's work is effective, you’re more likely to find the same results for yourself.

And most important

They teach you more than just the HubSpot technology

Like the HubSpot onboarding itself, many onboarding programmes are built around a standard programme of training designed to get you up and running with the technology. However, as we mentioned at the start of this post, the most important element of any onboarding is knowing how to use HubSpot to sell and market.

The best onboarding programmes include an element of sales and marketing enablement which teaches you how to design, implement and track integrated campaigns. This HubSpot centric-campaign approach gives you significantly better lead generation results than relying on traditional discreet campaign elements. Choose an option that offers personalised ongoing support such as 1:1 mentoring sessions or group workshops, that way you always have an expert on hand not only to help you with operations but to help you become a better salesperson or marketeer.

Start on the right foot

Finding an onboarding partner can take a long time and be overwhelming. We understand the frustration that arises when you don’t see the results you want and disappointment when your investment doesn’t pay off.

That’s why we’ve created a quick start guide to HubSpot. You can download it here, for free.

However, if you want a more hands-on approach, set up an onboarding review with Demodia. We will review your training needs, tailor an onboarding and mentoring programme around your requirements, and make you into the HubSpot sales and marketing expert that you deserve to be.

Contact us for a quick 30-minute meeting and we can present you with a personalised plan for converting more customers efficiently.