How to Choose the Right HubSpot Partner for Your Inbound Marketing Needs

FACT: There are over 3,000 HubSpot partners and four different tiers to choose from! And that’s a lot of companies to sift through when you're looking for the right HubSpot partner agency. 

By this time in your inbound marketing journey, you have educated yourself on the importance of inbound, you and your team have bought into the concept and the technology, and you see the need to apply the inbound methodology to complement your current marketing strategy… so what’s left? Finding an agency to help guide you (or even just do it all for you!).

Here's a checklist you can use while “grading” all of your options to help your company pick the very best agency match.

Does this Hubspot partner...

Offer solutions to your needs?

A one-size solution does not fit all. Make sure the agency you are talking with has the services/products/solutions to address your company's pain points. A good HubSpot partner agency will have an array of services and should tailor their proposal to fit your needs.

Have good references and testimonials?

There's a growing list of HubSpot partners every year, and there are no signs of it stopping. It's really important to make sure that the agency you choose has good relationships with current or past customers. Ask to see their references or view their latest testimonials to get an idea of what it's like to work with them.

Have their pricing on point?

One question to always ask is, "Do they have Champaign tastes on a beer budget?"

In other words, does this prospective client want more than what they can afford? It's crucial that you compare agency pricing and find out what budget works best for you while keeping in mind what is being provided. Sometimes you may shift some of your marketing spend to afford a HubSpot partner, but the ROI should speak for itself!

Have time to commit?

There are some cases where we have worked with clients who just want to absorb everything and learn and train as much as possible because it's always been their intention to run this program on their own.

These types of clients are super invested in the inbound methodology and spend a lot of time working with the HubSpot partner and the tool itself. Other times, we have clients who do not have the time at all to dedicate to training or reviewing. In those cases, we have acted as their marketing branch and do everything for them. Whichever path makes sense for your company, make sure the HubSpot partner has the time to commit.

Understand that marketing effectiveness is measured by revenue growth?

Anyone can implement new marketing tactics and produce slick content, but are leads being generated, and are those leads accelerating through the sales funnel. Strategy is of utmost importance and a good HubSpot partner will set goals for your business while producing quality content that will increase your leads, helping you grow your business, sales, and revenue.

Possess their certifications?

Part of being a HubSpot partner is it is required that we stay on top of the growing trends, technologies, and methodologies. HubSpot makes sure we are up to date on certain certifications, and as a bonus, they offer several dozen other certifications. It's really a way to prove that the HubSpot partner is up to date, and really knows their stuff!

Employ people you would want to work with?

There are times that no matter how educated, well-priced or available a HubSpot partner is that some people are just not compatible. I think the most successful clients we have are the ones that we would also be happy to share a beer or lunch with. The idea being - the more you like who you work with, the more likely you are to want to help each other.

Why do you need an inbound marketing partner?

A common question businesses often have is why they need to hire someone to assist with inbound marketing efforts, and there are many benefits to partnering with an inbound marketing agency. Here are a few:

• Strategic planning for both sales and marketing 

• Expertise in a specific industry or field, as well as in this particular methodology 

• Experience with inbound marketing campaigns

• Campaign execution on all tactics

• Strategic content creation

• Supplement marketing team's efforts

• Expertise in using the HubSpot platform 

Unless you have a dedicated team to tackle every element of your inbound marketing campaigns, create a consistent flow of strategic content, and ensure you are utilizing all the tools that Hubspot has to offer, partnering with a qualified inbound marketing partner may be the key to your inbound marketing success.

If you would like to talk to us about your inbound marketing goals and learn more about what it's like to work with a HubSpot partner, feel free to contact us here.

*Editor's Note: This blog has been updated with relevant information.