HubSpot is one of the global market-leaders for customer relationship management (CRM) systems and specialises in marketing, sales and services tools for businesses. HubSpot has been named as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for B2B Marketing Automation Platforms for two years in a row.
With lots of businesses using HubSpot to optimise their operations, there is a need for HubSpot partner agencies. These agencies are third parties that help you set up and onboard your account, maintain your account and continually optimise your HubSpot portal.
HubSpot has a certified solutions partner program that helps grow your business faster. It connects you with the right partner, and you can sleep easy knowing they have been tested and certified: all partners undertake regular training to achieve and maintain their partner status. They also have access to exclusive resources, tools and deals that can accelerate your business growth.
There are different programme types and tiers of HubSpot partner agencies. For start-up businesses, there is the HubSpot For Startups Programme, schools can access the Education Partner Programme and developers can team up with HubSpot to create custom apps.
Each programme is separated into tiers ranging from Certified Partner to Diamond.
So why should you partner with a HubSpot solutions partner instead of just HubSpot? Partners have more time. Partners can cater to your needs and fit into your schedules better than HubSpot can. With a partner, you get a dedicated resource.
What is a HubSpot certified partner?
A HubSpot certified partner is a marketing agency or consultancy that delivers the mandatory professional services required to set up HubSpot.
They can help your business grow by shaping your HubSpot portal and laying the foundation for greater success. They are accredited by HubSpot and are official partners. They have access to exclusive deals, support options and training.
You should think of your HubSpot partner similarly to your IT department and how they respond when your network drops. If you didn’t have an IT partner, you might have to wait ages for the network provider to get back to you. But, if you can quickly call on your IT department, the network is working again in no time. A HubSpot Partner Agency is the same – they can provide support quicker than HubSpot can react. They’re just more agile.
Why do I need a HubSpot Certified Partner?
Simply put: you can’t join HubSpot without HubSpot themselves or a HubSpot agency to onboard you. You won’t be able to use HubSpot without one.
A HubSpot partner will set up your portal, make it work correctly for your team and make sure it matches your branding and ambitions.
What can a HubSpot partner offer?
So you’ve chosen HubSpot as your CRM. This is a great decision by the way. You now know what a HubSpot partner is, but you’re probably wondering what partners offer compared to HubSpot.
We think partners offer the following three benefits:
- Quicker implementations
- Bespoke strategies
- Constant contact and support
HubSpot, for all their genius, has to create standardised, off-the-rack strategies and blueprints for anyone who doesn’t choose a partner. They are simply too big to offer tailored advice and you have to wait in their queues for support.
Just because a standardised method fits one company, doesn’t mean it will fit you. We’ve all seen those youtube videos of people trying on the same size jeans in different stores and seeing how some fit and some don’t. Well, HubSpot’s jeans might not be the right size for your business.
Working with a HubSpot Certified Partner gets you a tailored strategy, implementation and quick support. This way, your jeans don’t only fit nicely, but also grow with you.
HubSpot partners help you make the most of HubSpot’s CRM tools and services
There are five individual subscriptions you can choose from when considering HubSpot. Those subscriptions include Marketing, Sales, Service, Operations and CMS. Each of these subscriptions is then tiered into Starter, Professional and Enterprise.
Your HubSpot partner will guide you into choosing the right subscription and tier for you. Your chosen tier should be determined by the number of contacts you have in your database. At a glance, these tiers are:
- Starter: Under 5000 contacts
- Pro: More than 5000 contacts
- Enterprise: More than 50,000 contacts
Once you’ve decided on your tier and package, your partner will enable you to make the most of your chosen tool. They should also be able to get you a deal or discount on your subscription or bundle subscriptions together.
How your HubSpot Partner can help with Marketing Subscription
The Marketing Hub is the core pillar of HubSpot’s operations. With the marketing hub, you can send emails, build landing pages, run ads and share on social media all in one place.
You also get access to HubSpot’s famous workflows tool. This tool enables you to send automated marketing emails, update contact records in your CRM and, if you’re using an integration, register people for webinars.
Having a HubSpot marketing agency at your disposal will enable you to rest easy as they build out your emails and optimise the content according to your personas and the tools available. Smart content, A/B tests – your partner should know how to weaponise these tools for greater open & click-through rates and conversions.
How your HubSpot Partner can help with the Sales Subscription
Ever lost track of a lead? Not been able to call someone because of a bad signal? The Sales Subscription gives you a birds-eye view of your pipeline and lets you stop leads from slipping through your net.
A certified HubSpot agency will likely be able to design your deals pipeline, create email templates that drive action and even answer the question: WTF is ‘sequences’? Your groundwork for growth will be laid successfully.
How your HubSpot Partner can help with the Service Subscription
As you’ve chosen HubSpot, you’re likely getting ready to shift your whole marketing and sales strategy away from the funnel and towards the flywheel. The flywheel is a methodology where customers advocating your services – they start selling your business for you. This is a big shift that involves using customer satisfaction to drive future sales.
OK, OK, we know this sounds simple, but it requires one big ask: keeping your customers satisfied. Your chosen partner should know all about the flywheel, how it works and the right methodologies to make it spin with no friction!
Make sure your chosen certified HubSpot partner can talk you through the flywheel and how implementing the ticket pipeline, CSAT tool and knowledge base helps every strand of your business work together towards frictionless growth.
How your HubSpot Partner can help with the Operations Subscription
At this moment in time, rising interest rates aside, starting a business has never been easier. However, scaling a business has never been harder. Why? Because sales teams are using a multitude of tools and programmes that are disconnected from their fellow team members. Everyone swears by a different device or programme. There’s a disconnect.
HubSpot’s Operations Hub makes data management easier, more efficient and more revenue-generating. Your chosen HubSpot partner should be able to talk you through data management, data automation and datasets and help you use these tools for scalable growth.
HubSpot Is Expensive, How Can Startups Use It?
We get that some of the HubSpot prices are on the more expensive side. This is why the hubs are split into tiers and we recommend that you choose the right tier based on your number of contacts, not on the tools you wish you had.
Within the HubSpot Partner Programme, there is a specific strand of certified partners for startups to use. These partners are often startups themselves so they have the knowledge to get you up and running, and how to bend the system to fit your unique needs.
At a pricing level, the CRM Starter Bundle is £38 per month for all of the starter tier subscriptions at once. This is the same price as just one of the subscriptions. What a bargain.
HubSpot Partner Services
As mentioned, you have to have a HubSpot partner agency to implement your HubSpot portal.
When you’re considering which partner to choose from, you should look at their offered HubSpot Onboarding Services. The typical HubSpot partner should cover:
- HubSpot Implementation: whether you’re just starting to use HubSpot or embarking on a complex project, your chosen agency should be able to jump in and make sure you get the most out of HubSpot.
- HubSpot Management: If you know everything there is to know about HubSpot but don’t have the time to make it work for you, your HubSpot partner agency should have a service that allows them to virtually manage your HubSpot portal.
- Tasks: Make sure your partner has sales and marketing experience on their team so they can handle building emails, setting up journeys, and writing copy that meets your demands. This way, you can focus on the important, marketing strategy tasks and we can do the grunt work.
- Onboarding and Training: When you get HubSpot, an agency can set up your portal and train you on how to use it.
- Auditing: Learn more about how you are currently using HubSpot and identify where you can improve your portal for growth.
Should I get a retainer with a HubSpot certified partner agency?
In our experience, onboarding is just the beginning of your HubSpot journey. Most businesses undergo a massive transformation when they implement HubSpot. You’re going to grow, and growth requires more change. Taking out a retainer with your HubSpot partner agency supports your adoption of HubSpot and can guide you when you need to change your processes.
Find the Perfect HubSpot Service Provider
Use the HubSpot Partner Directory
HubSpot has a partner directory you can use to search and compare partner agencies. This includes splitting the agencies by partner status, location and industry. You can even read reviews about each agency. See Wave’s 5-star reviews here.
The HubSpot Partner Directory is useful if you’re looking for help with HubSpot tools, want general hands-on marketing and sales help, don’t have the time for marketing activities or just want some expert advice!
Some partner agencies are great at social media, others are great at SEO and some are even better at web design.
Using the HubSpot Partner Directory is easy and intuitive. Advanced filters help you sift through the hundreds of partners and find the right solution partner for your needs and goals.
How to use the HubSpot Partner Directory?
By default, the directory lists partners by their tier and includes reviews left by previous clients. You can filter your results by country, service and industry.
Choose based on Country and Place
There are many reasons why you would want to narrow down your search by location. Maybe you want to work with someone who speaks your native language or want to help support your local economy and local businesses. Research also shows that when making a sizable investment, business owners like to meet their potential partners face to face. It’s a long flight to New York, so it’s best to find someone within the same area as you. Wave is based in the UK and serves clients all over the country – from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Choose based on service
If you’re checking for a partner agency on HubSpot, it is likely you know the HubSpot related solution you are looking for. You know your pain paint, and maybe how to cure it, but you just don’t have the time, the personnel or expertise.
Filtering by service will let you know the HubSpot partner agencies that meet your needs. This way, you don’t waste time contacting someone about a service they don’t specialise in. You can filter by the following services:
- Web design: agencies who can plan, design and launch your new HubSpot website or optimise your current one
- Content creation: get help writing content like blog posts or landing pages, or get help putting together an inbound marketing content strategy
- Email marketing: partners can help you increase your open and click rates by writing your marketing emails and upgrading your email marketing automations
- Brand/social management: upgrade your social media accounts, or start a new ones, so that they generate revenue
- Sales enablement: make your marketing power your sales efforts with sales collateral, competitor research, consulting and enablement
- Website optimisation: partners in offering this service improve your search engine optimisation, including how to make your website more mobile friendly and user friendly
- CRM Implementation: Start using a CRM at your company or integrate your current CRM with your business technology stack
- Sales and Marketing Alignment: Align your sales and marketing efforts with workshops or retainers built around solving your issues
- Custom integrations: build tailored and detailed integrations that connect HubSpot with your other databases or software
- Sales Coaching and Training: some HubSpot partner agencies offer training services to improve your sale’s team's output
Choose based on industry
HubSpot lists 35 industries in its directory. These range from architecture to waste management.
When you’re choosing a solutions partner, it’s a good idea to make sure they have worked with companies similar to yours in the past. This way, you will know they are familiar with your sector and can hit the ground running.
Learn more about the HubSpot partner agency on their profile page
Once you’ve narrowed down your filters, you can access the profiles of each partner. If they don’t have a partner profile page, they’re not validated by HubSpot.
On the profile page, you can find out more about the agency, including their certifications, tier, pricing information and general description. You can also find a button to go through to their actual website to continue your research journey. Check out Wave's profile page as an example.
The profile also contains reviews from previous clients. This will let you know how your chosen agency is rated by their clients, how they respond to negative reviews (if they have any) and what services they excel in.
What are the HubSpot partner tiers?
HubSpot solutions providers and partners are tiered.
There are six tiers: provider, certified partner, gold, platinum, diamond and elite.
Each tier enables the partner agency to have better access to HubSpot’s tools and exclusive access to certain partner programmes. However, a higher tier level doesn’t mean they can offer you bigger discounts.
Partners move up the tiers based on the amount of revenue they generate for HubSpot, not their level of qualification or an independent qualitative assessment of their work. Basically, the more they sell, the more benefits HubSpot bestows on a partner.
Please explain how HubSpot partner tiers are assigned.
No problem. HubSpot partner tiers are assigned on the following criteria:
Monthly recurring revenue (MRR): This is how much profit a partner is providing HubSpot with per month. They base this figure on the MRR instead of how many licences are sold outright.
Retained clients: This feeds into MRR. The longer a client works with a HubSpot partner, the more likely the HubSpot partner is doing a stellar job.
Portal engagement: If a HubSpot partner has multiple clients and looks after multiple portals (which is very likely!) they will be able to see how users are engaging with their portal. For example, if a company pays for 10 users but only 1 user engages with the portal, we could determine that HubSpot is a waste of money for that company. Higher portal engagement means a partner is more likely to move up a tier.
Inbound marketing success: This is a wishy-washy metric, but if a partner is able to deliver more successful inbound marketing campaigns for their clients, this helps the partner climb the ranks. However, it is a bit more complicated than it appears.
The Tiers
OK, so what about the tiers themselves? Here’s a quick rundown.
Elite – the newest tier. Partners must create a humongous $150,000 MMR to be classified as an elite partner. Due to this figure, there are not many Elite partners out there. And those that are, you might want to be wary of. HubSpot is their business, and you might just be another cog in their machine. From a customer perspective, there is not much more that an elite or diamond partner can offer you as many of the benefits impact the partners. Elite partners get free tickets to INBOUND, HubSpot’s yearly conference, and get blogging privileges on HubSpot’s own blog.
Diamond – Diamond is the old top tier. A diamond partner has the same benefits as an elite partner minus the free Inbound tickets.
Platinum – With an MRR bar of $13,000, HubSpot Platinum partners can’t post on the HubSpot blog and get nearly the same amount of support in growing their business as Diamond partners.
Gold – To get this badge, partners need to produce an MMR of $3,000. There is limited support beyond a channel consultant and channel account manager. No free INBOUND tickets either.
Solutions Partner – A solutions partner gets the same support as a Gold partner. They just haven’t met the $3,000 MRR target yet.
Mythbusting the tiers
Diamond and Elite partners have the most experience – True-ish
This is mostly true. 99% of the time, this is correct, but as the ranking is based on revenue, all it takes is a few MASSIVE clients to get this a diamond or elite partner status. It also discounts smaller marketing agencies who’ve just started out and any freelance work or previous job experience they’ve had working with HubSpot before.
For example, at Wave, members of our team loved HubSpot when implementing it at the companies they worked for previously. They wouldn’t be classed as a partner then but racked up a decade of user experience between them.
Elite and Diamond partners provide the best service – FALSE
As mentioned, partner tier status is achieved through how much monthly revenue you bring. This is naturally capped by a partner’s capacity. The bigger your team, the bigger MMR you can create.
With larger teams, this means you could slip under the radar and your concerns ignored. A smaller team with a Gold badge or a Solutions Partner badge should be able to find more time for you and work to your time scale.
It’s also important to pay attention to the industries partners serve. You’d be wasting your time and money if your chosen Elite partner has to spend ages researching your market. A Gold partner with experience would be able to hit the ground running.
Picking an Elite or Diamond partner guarantees faster and better results – FALSE
Inbound marketing takes time. There is no way to cheat your way to more leads or higher SERPs. It’s more important that your chosen HubSpot partner has the capacity to handle the content creation workload and can respond to changes in the strategy or your objectives. They must also be a good fit with your team and culture.
HubSpot Certifications are more important than partner status – TRUE
All HubSpot partners need to pass certifications to be on the partner programme. These courses are a great way to see if a marketing partner is right for you. If you’re looking for web design services, you can see if they’ve passed the web design certification.
You should always choose a HubSpot partner based on their skills, experience and relevance instead of a shiny badge.
A few final words on a HubSpot partner… from a HubSpot partner
Choosing a HubSpot partner is the right way to grow your business. It’s important that you choose a partner that meets your expectations and clearly shows how they will help you meet your business goals.
As a HubSpot partner, Wave has a series of tools available that you can use to mark your current marketing efforts, including an SEO calculator. If you want to learn more about Wave, why not get in touch with us to see how we can help you develop your new website, optimise your content for search and onboard you onto HubSpot?
Book a meeting with a Wave team member.
