So you’ve made it through the HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification. You’ve explored the wealth of HubSpot Content tools. Now you’re ready to start your inbound marketing strategy. All you have to do is log in to HubSpot and then...
Wait a second… How do you turn this thing on?
HubSpot is an invaluable marketing tool. But all too often we hear the same mantra: I know where I want to be, I’m just not sure where to start. If you’ve ever had this thought yourself, then you are not alone. That’s why HubSpot Academy created HubSpot Projects.
What are HubSpot Projects?
Projects are strategic inbound marketing blueprints for you to tackle any marketing goal you have in HubSpot. Seriously – they have a project for everything. Whether it’s setting up a SMART marketing goal for the year, or nurturing your contacts through your first workflow, Academy has designed Projects with the inbound marketer in mind. Best of all, they’re available to every HubSpot user.
Below, you'll find insights into 5 ways HubSpot Projects can jumpstart your inbound marketing success!
1. Segmentation by Marketing Goal
Are you looking to attract more visitors to your website? How about close more leads into customers? With the ability to segment HubSpot Projects by your unique marketing goal, you can zero in on all the ways to build a successful inbound marketing strategy. Here are some other goals Projects can help you meet:
- Build a Campaign
- Design Better Pages
- Improve Your Business
- Delight More Customers
Within each goal category, there are projects specifically designed to help you reach that goal. Pretty neat, huh?
If you’re not sure which goal to prioritize, we recommend starting here, with Analyzing Your Marketing Strategy in Your HubSpot Portal Project. This project is specifically designed to help you evaluate how your current marketing strategy is working for you, and how to determine opportunities to improve.
2. Timing Is Everything
As a marketer wearing many hats, you don’t always have time to weed through all the details. That’s why each Project will tell you the average time it takes to complete.
Are you looking to optimize your blog? No problem. The estimated completion time for that Project is about 2 hours.
Project timelines allow you to set aside a portion of your day to set yourself up for inbound marketing success. This also provides you with targeted insight into how much time it takes to implement a content marketing strategy. Do you have 8 hours over two weeks to complete a Google AdWords Campaign? If not, you may want to consider looping in an additional resource, such as a HubSpot Partner or consultant to ensure you’re receiving the most value for your efforts.
3. Editable Templates
HubSpot knows that every business is different. That’s why they’ve made it easy for you to customize Projects to your individual goals. Every Project begins as a general outline, including itemized tasks to complete across the relevant HubSpot tools. Once you’ve reviewed the outline, you have the opportunity to insert custom notes, reorder tasks, and check off your progress.
Here’s a savvy way to use this feature for the Google AdWords Project:
- Add relevant details about the offer you’ve chosen to the Description panel, including the title, format, and length so you can plan your next steps accurately.
- Add presentations, documents, outlines, or brainstorming notes as an attachment for reference.
- Include a direct link to the buyer persona you create for this project in the Description pane so you can easily access it while working.
- Write questions for yourself about how to complete certain tasks so you can research shortcuts through HubSpot Academy or Support.
4. Assign Multiple Marketers to a Project
Projects are not just for individuals anymore. Larger projects, such as a website redesign, will include multiple users, influencers, and agencies. With Projects, marketing managers can assign several people to a single HubSpot Project. This allows the entire team to collaborate and see a task through to the end.
Better yet, you can all add custom notes, project details, new tasks, and shout-outs to each project. Simply tag members of your team using the @ key. That way no one misses an important update or task.
Have a timeline to keep? Be sure to set a due date to make sure assignments are completed on time.
What better way to help your marketers be successful in HubSpot than by giving them a custom project to complete?
5. Resources to Learn
HubSpot is an enormous tool, and even experienced users can run into hiccups. Projects are designed to set you up for success. Many tasks include a direct link to your HubSpot portal where you can complete the next step. For example, if the Project requires you to review your blog traffic results, the task will include a direct link to where you can find this information in Reports. This functionality allows new HubSpot users to learn exactly where to find the information they need and streamlines advanced users by providing you with quick access to data.
For more complicated tasks, a HubSpot Academy article is included with step-by-step instructions and helpful training videos.
HubSpot Projects are the key to setting up a thoughtful and efficient marketing strategy. Hop on over to HubSpot Academy to get started today!
