How to Generate Leads with HubSpot Marketing Automation

Marketing automation systems can be a key resource for filling the sales pipeline, especially in the circumstances we are experiencing today. As a HubSpot Partner Agency, we’ve been managing the inbound marketing efforts of clients large and small since 2002, but nothing compares to the need for an automated marketing growth stack like HubSpot that we’re witnessing right now. We’re seeing an enormous surge in the number of businesses signing up for HubSpot’s “freemium” applications, taking advantage of the feature-rich marketing, sales, and customer service applications to generate business. So let’s discuss how you can use a system like HubSpot to find new qualified leads for your business.

Why Marketing Automation?

For many business owners, maintaining the “business as usual” efforts to drive sales in 2020 may seem virtually impossible. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with all this pandemic has created, including filing for PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), maintaining records of how that money is spent, retrofitting their businesses to safely reopen, and retaining their staff while ensuring their safety as well. 

If they are to survive though, the task remains to generate leads and convert them into paying customers. With so much to do and only so many hours in a day, there is a desperate need for ways to automate this process. It does take a bit of time up front to get set up, but then the lead generation system is able to work behind the scenes 24/7, freeing up time for you to handle more pressing matters.

Want to see how lead generation with marketing automation works?
This article from HubSpot includes a peek inside the system.

The Ins and Outs of Marketing Automation

“Marketing Automation” can be a difficult term to understand, so let’s start there. Systems like HubSpot can help you raise your visibility with prospects who are searching for answers on the web, then stay in touch with them until they are ready to become customers. For instance, posting helpful content on your website in a blog post that prospects are able to find in an internet search when they are looking for information drives them to your website. At this stage, they may not be willing to provide their contact information because they aren’t ready to establish a relationship. 

A great way to get the conversation going is to begin by using live chat, preferred by many visitors who need a bit of guidance to just answer a quick question or to be guided to where they can learn more.  HubSpot’s free live chat tool helps you be there when they need that information, before they get frustrated and skim over to your competition.

If they like what they see, they might return for more helpful information, and eventually become interested enough to give you permission to contact them. This is when you would want to take them to a landing page that offers a more valuable download, like a detailed and helpful eGuide that they would be willing to exchange their information for in order to receive. 

You could also capture information via a pop-up on a page on your website, where they can ask to be contacted or they can sign up for your enewsletter. You can also use an embedded form anywhere on your website for visitors to provide their information. These options allow you then (with their permission) to contact them and begin to build that relationship.

With HubSpot’s free CRM, this information can be retained and you can begin to learn more about their interests so you can establish a dialog and tailor your future communication with them to more specifically meet their needs. Remember: you’re building a relationship, so getting to know your visitors is what lead generation is all about. With a CRM system, you’ll be building a rich database of email addresses and names so you can handle that communication digitally.

You’ve Generated Some Leads. Now What?

Once you have acquired their information in your CRM system, you’ll want to send them helpful, relevant emails with information to learn more about their topic of interest and the services you offer that meet their needs. With resources being tight, it can be time consuming though to personally send an email to each individual who submits their information. Here is where marketing automation systems shine once again, allowing you to send an individual email based on an action that they’ve taken, or you can build a list and send an email to multiple prospects who have the same interests. You can even set up these communications in advance to be sent when a trigger event happens, such as when a form is submitted, and then create a sequence of additional emails for them to receive periodically in the future. This nurtures your lead from stranger to acquaintance to interested prospect and hopefully to customer.

The lifeblood of any business is driving sales, especially right now when our economy has been upended and buyer behavior has been put into a tailspin. Businesses owners are searching for ways to regain their footing, and many are curtailing their marketing spend in a reflexive fear response. The ones who will gain are those who have the ability and courage to show the marketplace that they are still here, carrying on. Investing in marketing automation today allows you to capture new leads, helping you to build momentum and create advantage that will be extremely difficult for competitors who went dark to rival once the marketplace has righted itself. HubSpot’s growth stack is simply in the right place with the right features at the perfect time.

For more ideas about how to market during a recession, download our free guide!

To help businesses move their operations online, HubSpot is making their paid meetings functionality, quotes, eSignature, and 1:1 video creation tools completely free until August 30, 2020.