What Left a Mark From HubSpot’s Biggest Event of the Year
I was thrilled to make the journey to Boston last week to soak up the sights, sounds, and insight of INBOUND 2024 — HubSpot’s premier marketing and sales event in tech. After four jam-packed days and more than 40,000(!!) steps, my first visit to INBOUND is a wrap!
As the resident HubSpot admin here at NgageContent, I’m always on the hunt for creative — yet simple — strategies that provide our clients with maximum support for their inbound marketing needs. As a first-timer at INBOUND, to say I left Boston inspired is an understatement. From new processes to new tools, I was the proverbial kid in a candy store.
But portion control matters. So, if you weren’t at INBOUND, (and dealing with information overload), what’s the ONE THING you need to understand about the biggest HubSpot shindig of the year? Let’s get right to it!
INBOUND 2024: Impact Isn’t Limited by Your Team Size
My biggest takeaway from INBOUND 2024 is that small teams don’t have to be satisfied with a small impact. Or, to put it another way, small teams can deliver big results.
Let me explain.
Marketers, now more than ever, are being tasked with wearing multiple hats. They need to be proficient in multiple disciplines, understand many platforms and channels, and be nimble e
nough to adjust to a rapidly changing marketplace. Oh yeah, they also need to do all that while expectations for results continue to increase despite waning customer engagement in our always-on, always-connected world.
Simply put — do more, with less. This message is familiar to professionals across many industries and markets. But how do marketing teams pull it off?
Be ready for change. It’s time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Let’s look at some specifics.
AI — Get With It, or Get Left Behind
AI isn’t going anywhere, and as marketers of all kinds, we need to get on board or risk getting left behind. While the popular imagination may envision a Jetsons-esque future where AI replaces human workers (ah, the press-a-button future!), the reality is much more nuanced. AI should be considered a personal assistant, providing an extra brain to support the manual functions of content creation — ideation, research, reporting, and automation.
When hiring additional team members isn’t an option, AI can step in to augment your existing capabilities. However, it’s crucial to remember that people are craving genuine human connection. Soulless, AI-generated content will stick out like a sore thumb. The key is to use AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, the human touch. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, content creators can free up time and resources to focus on the elements that truly require the human touch — engaging with the audience, crafting compelling narratives, and fostering authentic relationships.
HubSpot is working to make AI easier to incorporate into your day-to-day: Enter Breeze. Breeze gives customer-facing teams all the AI tools needed to boost productivity, scale growth, and unlock actionable insights.
Focus on Quality, not Quantity
It can be tempting to use AI as a tool to crank out more content, faster. However, a focus on ‘more’ instead of ‘better’ is a dangerous trap. In today’s landscape, where AI overviews and search engine intelligence are disrupting the traditional Google search experience, leads are becoming smarter and the path to conversion is no longer a straight line. The key is to use AI as a means of creating deeper, more valuable content — not simply spreading the net wider. Using AI to save time on routine tasks can free up resources to craft truly engaging, in-depth pieces that can help stand out in the sea of generic “how-to” content.
Personalization Increases Conversion
Just as you tailor offers toward specific buyers, you should also manage your content and marketing assets with that level of personalization in mind as well. No more one-size-fits-all messaging that speaks to your audience as a whole — it’s time to get personal and customize your emails, landing pages, and other content assets with smart, relevant solutions that address the unique pain points of each distinct user. When your leads feel seen and not just like another number, you’ve won.
Humans Tend to Trust Other Humans
Additionally, your best content assets may be sitting right next to you — your team members. Leveraging internal subject matter experts as content creators for videos, podcasts, and other formats can be a quick and effective way to set your brand apart from the competition.
Here’s one quick example. ‘Sara from Pareto’ (aka Sara Uy) has branched into content creation where she showcases the exact sales skills that Pareto provides via consulting. She’s become a social media hit, created her own brand, and elevated the awareness and credibility of Pareto — helping her organization increase conversions.
Ultimately, today’s buyers are more educated on marketing and selling tactics than ever before. Humanizing your brand by featuring the genuine people behind it can serve as a powerful reminder that leads are not simply purchasing from a faceless corporation, but from a team of passionate individuals ready and willing to serve their needs.
Long Live the King (Data that is)
Of course, all of the above is only possible through collecting and managing the cleanest data possible. If garbage is going into your systems, garbage will come out — strategic forms and clean data imports are imperative to the effectiveness of your marketing and sales strategies. Even the most powerful tools, like HubSpot, are not miracle workers; they rely on high-quality data to work their magic. By prioritizing data hygiene, marketing teams can lay the foundation for personalized, AI-powered content that truly resonates with their target audience.
Fearful of Change? NgageContent Can Help
Change can be intimidating, confusing, and at times just plain scary. But allow me to quote my new friend Serena Williams (yes, you may think I’m being delusional but seeing her speak in person was — dare I say — life-changing):
“Being a champion is understanding that you’re not going to be a champion every single day.”
Your job, as a marketer, business owner, or anything else, is to show up and put your best foot forward that day. Trying new things can feel uneasy. It may bring great success; it can also lead to some setbacks. The point is that you’re doing your best and adapting to the new normal.
And you don’t have to go it alone. While INBOUND 2024 unveiled a veritable truckloadof new options, capabilities, and technology, NgageContent is always here to help you make sense of what’s new, what’s important, and what works. For more than a decade we’ve delivered easy-to-understand and helpful inbound marketing solutions to our clients — be it a new inbound website, content creation, or HubSpot training. And we can do the same for you.
Adopting new tools and strategies can be hard to wrap your mind around. But by choosing to embrace that discomfort, you give your organization the best chance of being on the winner’s podium.
