HubSpot, a renowned CRM platform, offers a comprehensive suite of tools for businesses to streamline their inbound marketing, sales, and customer service processes. With an impressive customer base of nearly 114,000 spanning 120+ countries, HubSpot’s revenue has grown exponentially since its launch in 2006 by founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah.
If you’re here seeking information about HubSpot’s suitability for email marketing, you’re not alone. Many people opt for HubSpot as their email marketing platform due to its user-friendly features, allowing users to create stunning email campaigns that drive conversions without requiring design expertise or the need to hire a designer.
To help you make an informed decision, this HubSpot Email Marketing review will explore whether it is the right platform for your specific needs.
What is Hubspot?
HubSpot serves as an inbound sales and marketing platform, empowering companies to achieve various objectives such as attracting online marketplace visitors, converting leads into purchases, and re-engaging customers with incomplete transactions. The platform encompasses a range of tools, allowing users to host business websites and landing pages, create blogs, manage customer interactions, and establish email automation workflows.
The HubSpot platform is organized into distinct groups of tools, referred to as “hubs,” that can be individually acquired based on the specific needs of each business. When these tools are combined, they seamlessly collaborate to create a cohesive ecosystem, effectively managing marketing, sales, and customer service programs. In essence, HubSpot presents a comprehensive suite of tools that efficiently streamline a company’s marketing, sales, and customer service processes.
Is Hubspot Good for Email Marketing? Pros & Cons
HubSpot’s CRM software includes a significant emphasis on email marketing, offering a range of features that enable businesses to craft visually appealing, conversion-optimized, and extensively personalized email campaigns. Moreover, HubSpot’s extensive library of resources includes numerous e-books and courses dedicated to teaching users how to leverage the platform effectively for creating captivating email campaigns.
Now, let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing HubSpot for email marketing.
Advantages of using Hubspot for email marketing
Using HubSpot for email marketing offers numerous advantages. As an all-in-one CRM platform with a user-friendly interface and customizable email design templates, HubSpot presents a variety of pros that can significantly enhance businesses’ email marketing endeavors. Below are the key benefits worth noting.
Ease of Use
HubSpot’s email marketing interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. It offers a drag-and-drop email editor, which means you can easily create and customize email templates without needing extensive technical knowledge or coding skills.
Integration and Automation
HubSpot’s email marketing seamlessly integrates with its CRM and other hubs like Marketing Hub and Sales Hub. This integration allows you to automate email workflows, segment your audience based on various criteria, and send targeted emails, saving time and improving efficiency.
Personalization
With the integration of customer data from the CRM, you can create highly personalized and relevant email campaigns. Personalization increases engagement and conversion rates by delivering content that matches the recipients’ interests and behaviors.
Analytics and Reporting
HubSpot provides in-depth analytics and reporting on email performance. You can track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and more. This data allows you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
A/B Testing
HubSpot enables you to conduct A/B tests on various elements of your emails, such as subject lines, content, and call-to-action buttons. This feature helps you understand what resonates best with your audience and optimize your email campaigns for better results.
Email Templates
HubSpot offers a library of professionally designed email templates that you can use as a starting point for your campaigns. These templates are customizable, allowing you to match your brand’s style and create visually appealing emails quickly.
List Segmentation
Through the CRM integration, you can segment your email lists based on factors like demographics, behavior, or engagement history. Segmentation allows you to send targeted and relevant messages to specific groups, increasing the chances of engagement.
Workflow Automation
HubSpot’s marketing automation capabilities go beyond just email. You can set up complex workflows that trigger specific actions based on user behavior, such as sending follow-up emails or updating customer records.
Disadvantages of using Hubspot for email marketing
Although HubSpot boasts numerous advantages, it might not be the optimal choice for every business. Its drawbacks include high costs, limited features, and less comprehensive tech support in lower-end packages, which are noteworthy disadvantages.
Below, we’ll examine some cons of utilizing HubSpot for email marketing, helping you determine whether it aligns with your specific requirements.
Tech support is not provided on HubSpot’s free plan
Depending on your subscription level, you may have access to different customer support options. For free plan users, support is limited to the knowledge base and community forum, and direct contact through email or phone is unavailable. While the knowledge base can be helpful for troubleshooting minor issues, the lack of comprehensive customer support on the free plan may present challenges if more significant problems arise.
Paid tools are costly
HubSpot’s paid tools come with a relatively high price point. Although some basic services are available for free, they may not suffice, particularly for larger eCommerce businesses requiring a complete suite of CRM features. It’s worth noting that certain features offered at a premium price by HubSpot can be found at lower costs on other platforms. However, the expense is not solely for individual features but also for the seamless integration that HubSpot provides between its various tools.
Hubspot email marketing pricing is expensive
HubSpot’s email marketing pricing is considered expensive, especially as businesses grow and their needs expand beyond the free plan. The Starter plan, priced at $50 per month, allows for up to 1000 contacts, but for additional features and capacity, the Professional package starts at a minimum of $800 per month for another 1000 contacts. Larger contact lists will further escalate the price, with the next package beginning at $3200 and accommodating a maximum of 10,000 contacts.
A/B testing is not available in the lower packages
One significant limitation is that A/B testing, a crucial feature for optimizing email marketing strategies, is not available in the lower-tier packages. The free plan and the Starter plan lack this fundamental capability, requiring a subscription to the $800 package or higher to access A/B testing. This limitation may hinder businesses from fine-tuning their email marketing tactics for optimal results.
Selecting the ideal email marketing platform hinges on aligning with your business needs and objectives. If HubSpot fulfills most of the essential requirements on your list, it could be the suitable platform for your endeavors.
However, if you wish to consider alternative solutions, you can refer to our comprehensive guide on email marketing software for further exploration.
How to Create an Automated Marketing Email on Hubspot
Creating an automated marketing email on HubSpot involves setting up an email workflow, which is a series of automated actions triggered by specific events or criteria. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create an automated marketing email on HubSpot:
Step 1: Log in to your HubSpot Account:
Go to the HubSpot website and log in to your account using your credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to Workflows:
In the HubSpot dashboard, navigate to “Automation” in the top menu, and then click on “Workflows” in the dropdown menu.
Step 3: Create a New Workflow:
Click on the “Create workflow” button to start setting up a new automated email workflow.
Step 4: Choose a Starting Point:
In the workflow creation process, you’ll need to choose a starting point for your email automation. This can be based on specific triggers like form submissions, email opens, website visits, or any other criteria you define.
Step 5: Set up Enrollment Criteria:
Define the criteria that determine who gets enrolled in the workflow. For example, if you choose form submissions as the starting point, you can specify which form and form submissions will trigger the workflow.
Step 6: Add Actions – Send Email:
After setting up the enrollment criteria, you can add actions to the workflow. Click on the “Add action” button and select “Send email” from the dropdown menu.
Step 7: Create or Choose an Email:
Choose an existing email from your HubSpot account or create a new email specifically for the automated workflow.
Step 8: Configure Email Settings:
Configure the email settings, including the sender name, email subject, and other relevant details. You can also use personalization tokens to make the emails more personalized.
Step 9: Set a Delay (Optional):
You can set a delay before the email is sent after a contact meets the enrollment criteria. This delay can be immediate or after a specific time period.
Step 10: Review and Activate:
Review the workflow to ensure everything is set up correctly. Once you are satisfied, click on the “Review” button, and then click “Activate” to start the automated marketing email workflow.
Step 11: Monitor and Optimize:
Once the workflow is active, you can monitor its performance through the workflow analytics. Keep an eye on the email engagement metrics and conversion rates. If needed, make adjustments to the workflow to optimize its effectiveness.
Final Impressions
In conclusion, HubSpot Email Marketing offers numerous benefits as well as some drawbacks that should be carefully considered when evaluating it for your business. Its all-in-one CRM platform, user-friendly interface, and customizable email design templates make it a compelling choice for businesses seeking comprehensive email marketing solutions.
FAQ
What is HubSpot Email Marketing?
HubSpot Email Marketing is a part of HubSpot’s all-in-one inbound marketing, sales, and customer service platform. It enables businesses to create, manage, and automate email campaigns to engage with their leads and customers effectively.
How do I create an email in HubSpot?
To create an email in HubSpot, navigate to “Marketing” in the top menu, then click on “Email” and select “Create email” to access the email editor. You can choose from existing templates or start from scratch using the drag-and-drop editor to design your email content.
Can I personalize emails in HubSpot?
Yes, you can personalize emails in HubSpot. The platform allows you to use personalization tokens to dynamically insert contact information, such as the recipient’s name or company, into your emails, making them more relevant and engaging.
How do I send targeted emails to specific groups in HubSpot?
HubSpot offers list segmentation features that enable you to create specific groups based on various criteria, such as contact properties or engagement history. You can use these segments to send targeted emails to different audience segments.
Can I automate email workflows in HubSpot?
Yes, you can set up automated email workflows in HubSpot using the “Workflows” tool. Workflows are sequences of automated actions triggered by specific events or criteria, allowing you to send timely and relevant emails to your contacts.
How do I track the performance of my email campaigns in HubSpot?
HubSpot provides detailed email analytics that allow you to track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and more. You can access these performance insights to measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
Can I perform A/B testing on emails in HubSpot?
Yes, you can conduct A/B tests on various elements of your emails, such as subject lines, content, call-to-action buttons, and more. HubSpot allows you to compare different versions to determine which performs better and optimize your email campaigns accordingly.
Is HubSpot Email Marketing GDPR compliant?
HubSpot takes data protection seriously and offers tools to help users comply with data privacy regulations, including GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It provides features like consent tracking, double opt-in, and data deletion to support GDPR compliance.
Does HubSpot offer email templates?
Yes, HubSpot offers a variety of professionally designed email templates that you can customize to match your brand’s style and messaging.
Can I integrate HubSpot Email Marketing with other platforms?
Yes, HubSpot integrates with various third-party platforms, including CRMs, e-commerce tools, social media platforms, and more. This allows you to sync data and streamline your marketing efforts across different systems.
