HubSpot Review 2021: Is It The Best Inbound Marketing Software?

As more people rely on the internet to connect, work, shop and be entertained, it's not surprising that marketing strategies have also been heavily focused on online opportunities. Aside from paid ads, online content creation has also become the norm.

TV and radio ads, telemarketing, billboards, newspaper and magazine ads, cold calling and pop-ups are considered as outbound marketing. This is based on the principle that “the more people you reach out to, the larger the return.” While it has been effective and can give immediate returns, it's more costly and very generalized. A strategy that’s more niched down can better target your ideal audience giving you the best results like through inbound marketing.

What is Inbound Marketing?

It’s a more subtle way of advertising your products and services. Instead of being out in the open, the strategy is to attract customers to your brand. Starting with the customer’s online search. Did you know that 63% of consumers start their shopping through online search? Now, this is where inbound marketing comes in through blogs, tutorials, reviews and video content. It’s non-invasive, cost-efficient and educational. Best of all, it’s also quantifiable. You can assess the results of your strategy through metrics, something that you can’t do with outbound marketing. These make such methods the best marketing tools for small businesses that can’t afford TV commercials or billboards.

For the best inbound marketing strategies, it’s wise to invest in the best inbound marketing software and HubSpot is exactly that.

What is HubSpot?

HubSpot is a CRM platform that merges software, education and community to help businesses grow smarter and better. It helps companies from marketing to sales as well as with customer service. It features a variety of software you can choose from or maximize the efficiency of your inbound marketing strategy by utilizing all of them.

HubSpot Features

HubSpot has numerous features to help your brand or business gain an organic following that translates into sales.

Marketing Automation Software

HubSpot’s marketing software lets you create marketing campaigns instantly without learning how to code. Create attractive emails to complement your marketing campaigns through its visual editor and send them out to your prospects when it is time. Its marketing analysis feature lets you review data and reports from each marketing asset, whether it’s a landing page or a blog post (email, social media account and so on) then break it down further to spot key trends. Users can access a competitor’s report to compare their progress with other companies within the same industry.

Pricing:

• $0/month (Free)
• $45/month (Starter)
• $800/month (Professional)
• $3,200/month (Enterprise)

Sales Software

HubSpot’s sales software boosts sales productivity with features like sales CRM, sales engagement tools, quote functionality, reporting and sales analytics. It’s meant to shorten deal cycles and humanize your sales process. This effective all-in-one sales tool helps your sales team close more deals, strengthen client relationships and streamline the process.

Pricing:

• $0/month (Free)
• $45/month (Starter)
• $450/month (Professional)
• $1,200/month (Enterprise)

Customer Service Software

HubSpot’s customer service software helps users connect with their customers, assist them with their concerns and turn them into loyal followers who may even promote your brand through word of mouth. It features conversational tools, help desk automation, knowledge base functionality, customer feedback surveys and reports to streamline customer interaction and your view of it. Deliver efficient end-to-end service to your customers and gain their trust.

Pricing:

• $0/month (Free)
• $45/month (Starter)
• $360/month (Professional)
• $1,200/month (Enterprise)

Content Marketing Software

HubSpot’s content marketing software is a powerful all-around tool that helps content creators and developers build beautiful and easy-to-use websites and pages using flexible themes to provide your customers a seamless, secure and personalized experience.

Pricing:

• $45/month (Starter)
• $800/month (Professional)
• $3,200/month (Enterprise)

Try the 14-day free trial here.

Operations Software

HubSpot’s operations software lets you automate your entire business process and even sync customer data to align your team with an easy-to-access and transparent source. This way, your team is alert and proactive when it comes to adapting to the changing needs of your customer base. It features data sync, programmable automation and data quality tools to provide a unified view of every customer interaction and empower everyone in your team to give seamless customer experiences.

Pricing:

• $0/month (Free)
• $50/month (Starter)
• $800/month (Professional)

HubSpot Pricing

With HubSpot, you can opt to purchase each software or “hub” for a specific aspect of your business. However, HubSpot advises that while each one is powerful and effective on its own, you will really enjoy its full-fledged effectiveness when bundled and working together. So if you purchase the entire CRM Suite, you'll get the Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub and (depending on your plan) the Operation Hub as well. See the prices for each plan below or create your bundle here.

Is HubSpot worth it?

If you want to grow your business in all aspects through an effective inbound marketing strategy, then HubSpot is a must for any small business. Its value-for-money software and CRM suite can help any business automate and streamline processes to adapt to customer needs and boost sales. It also has free tools and over 750 app integrations for ultimate productivity.

See their plans and pricing here or get started for free here.