As an-all-in-one growth solution, HubSpot is a comprehensive platform, which includes marketing, sales and customer service tools. It can be complex to manage if you don’t know what you’re doing with it. Therefore, the first question you need to ask yourself is; “Are we getting the most out of HubSpot?”
When you work with a HubSpot Solutions Partner you get access to all of the resources needed to successfully execute tasks and meet your marketing needs. On the surface, it would seem like outsourcing your marketing to a HubSpot Solutions Partner is the clear winner. But before you decide to invest in the experience, expertise, tools and connections necessary to be successful with HubSpot, it's worth weighing up when you are better off outsourcing your marketing to a HubSpot partner and when you're better off keeping it in-house.
All too often, businesses fall into the trap of investing heavily in HubSpot, getting access to all of the enterprise-grade tools, but only using a fraction of them because they don’t have the knowledge or expertise required. Asides from not getting the most out of your investment, a lack of expertise with HubSpot means you run the risk of using the software incorrectly. This could cause significant problems further down the line. For example, if your data is a complete mess because you didn’t segment it correctly when the contact submitted a form, then you could spend days or even weeks later on enlisting the support of an agency partner to clean up your CRM.
In this case, it makes sense to outsource your marketing to a HubSpot Solutions Partner. You’ll work with a wide range of professionals who can ensure HubSpot best practices are implemented and that your portal remains fully optimised. Tasks are completed far quicker by the agency because no time is wasted on your in-house team having to learn the software as they carry out daily activities that inhibit real progress, like building web pages, optimising content and setting up workflows etc. Instead, all of this can be taken care of by the HubSpot partner. Meanwhile, your in-house team can focus on the overall strategy and objectives and how to achieve them.
Chances are, when you hired your senior marketer, their industry knowledge within your specific niche area along with their good-fit values, played a significant part in your decision to hire him/her. Over time, your senior marketer became accustomed to your internal processes, ensuring smooth and timely deliveries. Now bring into the mix a HubSpot Solutions Partner, where you essentially have an extension of your team, and everything changes.
You’ve got to be sure that you’re working with the right HubSpot partner for your business. A quick look at the HubSpot Partner Directory reveals the sheer amount of agency partners out there. 3808 and counting, to be precise! Therefore, it’s important to choose one carefully.
Opt for a HubSpot partner that specialises in your niche. For example, if you run a SaaS startUp, then seek support from a highly trusted and certified HubSpot Solutions Partner that specialises in B2B tech and software. Read customer reviews and evaluate the work they have done. If your agency reciprocates and understands what you do, this will really show in their efforts, especially if they are producing content. If you can find a highly regarded agency that aligns with your company’s core values it can save you a lot of time that otherwise would be spent educating in-house staff.
One of the most significant benefits of enlisting the support of a HubSpot agency partner to manage HubSpot for you is speed and efficiency. If you’re on a budget, a HubSpot partner can hit the ground running, accelerating your marketing efforts to get quick wins and set you up for long-term success with inbound marketing.
Once the HubSpot Solutions Partner has an understanding of your business goals and objectives, they can assign a budget based on the scope of the work and designate realistic timelines and actions for achieving targets. This kind of project-based work means you can more accurately control spend and have peace of mind that the work will be delivered within the designated time frame. It does, however, require a level of collaboration on your part. While the HubSpot partner drives much of the work, it has to be steered by you (the client) to ensure that the project stays on track and goals and objectives are considered.
If you like to be in control and have the budget and time to invest in multiple employees for long term-growth, then an in-house team could be a better option for you. This gives your team the opportunity to learn and improve. Over time, you’ll be able to rely on them to deploy strategies and campaigns as and when necessary, rather than spending a lot of money hiring a HubSpot partner. However, it’s important to consider that in-house teams will have multiple balls to juggle. Therefore, projects run the risk of frequently being delayed while attention is turned to more pressing matters that arise internally.
As HubSpot’s software continues to grow, it is regularly being updated. This can be really hard for businesses to keep up with, especially when system layouts change overnight and you’re forced to learn the new way. The software’s capability is also rapidly expanding, with additional tools frequently being added. If you’re out of touch with the latest shifts in HubSpot’s landscape, or constantly wasting time educating in-house team members on HubSpot updates and new tools, then outsourcing your HubSpot management to an agency partner will alleviate these inefficiencies.
When you work with a HubSpot Solutions Partner, you can guarantee these updates are being kept on top of and that you are getting the most out of the software. They maintain HubSpot certifications, attend conferences and workshops related to HubSpot. You can leverage this wealth of knowledge and expertise to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.
To hire or not to hire? Ultimately, the answer depends on your goals and objectives, when you plan to achieve your targets, your market and whether or not you have the resources in place to support your plans. Furthermore, every business presents its own unique circumstances and these should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
One thing's for sure though, collaboration is key with hiring a HubSpot partner. We think the combination of a HubSpot Solutions Partner and in-house marketing team strikes the perfect balance. While a HubSpot partner has the resources, tools and skills to help you succeed with HubSpot, it requires a level of management on your part to ensure that the strategy and objectives are always considered. By letting the agency operate in a consultative capacity, sharing its super-detailed knowledge that your in-house marketing team may not have (or have the time available to research), your in-house team can concentrate on the wider strategy, set business goals and objectives.