HubSpot’s annual event was back earlier this month and it almost felt like pre-covid times, with 10,000 people descending on Boston and over 35,000 attending online.
DXG partners Cognition, Nexa, Spitfire and Markentive were all in attendance, as were many of our clients for the week.
Amidst the usual excitement and fanfare, the core message of this year was clear: Disconnection. Customers are disconnected, data is disconnected and because of the evolution of hybrid working, people are feeling increasingly isolated and alone.
A consequence of this is that marketers are having trouble cutting through the noise, with sales cycles slowing down and businesses suffering as a result.
Chief Executive Officer of HubSpot Yamini Rangan said: “Businesses are in a crisis of disconnection today. Their systems and data are disconnected because of cobbled point solutions. They’re disconnected from their customers, as buyers tune out saturated channels. And, they’re disconnected from their peers in a more hybrid world.
“At HubSpot, we see a path forward. We believe the businesses who will win in the future are the ones who focus on customer connection, not customer management. We’re committed to helping our customers grow in this new world by providing strategies, technology, and communities that foster deeper connections. I’m excited about the product developments we announced today at INBOUND because they empower our customers to do even more to solve this crisis with HubSpot’s connected CRM platform.”
Introducing the connected customer
How do we deal with this crisis of connection? The solution from the HubSpot leadership team was also clear: it’s time to move into the age of the connected customer.
This means that we need to move towards a different kind of solution and playbook to grow and to lead the drive from customer management to customer connection. To grow better, companies need to refocus on the only thing that truly matters: building deep, durable connections with and between customers. And HubSpot has all of the tools needed in order to achieve this.
Let’s dive into some of the updates announced at INBOUND 2022.
New CRM updates
In order to connect more effectively with customers, businesses need to look beyond the tech they are using to what their customers actually want – flexible buying experiences, ownership of the process and deeper connections with their favourite brands and each other. The focus of these CRM updates is to facilitate that connection and improve relationships between the brand and the consumer.
New payment schedules
HubSpot merchants can now customise their payments through a collection of dates and amounts and will soon be able to connect those details with HubSpot payments transactions.
The new quote-to-cash solutions will also help businesses to save significant time during the quoting, billing and contracting process. Helping to increase operational efficiency, these improvements will create an even faster, more seamless experience for customers.
New data management enhancements
New data management enhancements will help to provide customers with transparent and timely data insights through import error handling and enhanced automation.
The new data import experience will flag and resolve data errors. Leveraging the power of HubSpot AI Assistance, users of HubSpot can now set up automation to resolve issues – allow them to spend less time reacting to problems and more time on maximising their impact and value.
Customer journey analytics
In order for customers to feel valued and acknowledged by a business, the customer experience needs to be fast, connected and as customised as possible. HubSpot’s latest enhancements enable companies to attract, engage and delight customers in a more connected way.
The upcoming launch of customer journey analytics was announced at INBOUND to much excitement. Available in public beta later this year, it will provide marketers with detailed visualisations that make it easier to identify moments in the customer journey that can be optimised for better conversion, and deeper insights into customer behaviours.
HubSpot also announced enhancements to campaigns to provide marketers a consolidated view into all initiatives together.
In addition to new product updates, HubSpot also announced the launch of connect.com, a new connected community for growth professionals that helps them build strong relationships with their peers and community.
The future – and how Cognition can help
As we enter a new era — the age of the connected customer — businesses will need to shift to address the crisis of disconnection and find new ways to grow.
The companies that will win in the future will be those with a centralised system of control – a digital hub where their marketing, sales, tech and operations activities come together and build upon each other. We are entering a cookieless, privacy-first world, and with that comes a lot of responsibility. HubSpot is the key to both maximum control and exponential growth.
Cognition is a HubSpot Diamond Partner and a founding member of DXG, one of the largest HubSpot Groups in the world. If you have any enquiries about HubSpot, or wish to know more about how a leading HubSpot CRM agency can help your business, get in touch with the team today.
