HUG2010 - Inbound Marketing Practitioners Unite

If the energy of the first HubSpot User Group (HUG) Conference is an indication of future economic gains and customer confidence, we can foresee double-digit growth for the software company over the next year.  Currently second in growth to Salesforce.com, HubSpot may surpass the behemoth, especially if the spirited HubSpot staff and partners have anything to do with it.

Held on the University of Massachusetts, Boston campus, the warmth and affection inside belied the blistery chill of the bay winds outside.  As 500+ attendees from seven countries displayed appreciation (hugs) for Hubspotters who helped their websites grow from virtually unseen to triple-digit visitor increases, the gratitude was hard to miss.  The enthusiastic presenters shared advanced tips and secrets to rapt laptop-toting audiences.  Eager to absorb and enact more inbound marketing discipline and tactics, these early adopters may see growth predictions similar to their inbound marketing champion.

Here’s some HUG highlights from the morning session:

Keynote:

Brian Halligan, HubSpot co-founder, author

• HubSpot is the second fastest growing software as a service (SaaS) company in history, after Salesforce.com.
• Marketers who only dip their toes in the water don't get results. You must dive into the water to get results.
• HubSpot will double down on product improvements, putting marketing dollars back into R&D.
• There are 250 people working at HubSpot (all "wicked smaht," in the vernacular).
• There are 190 partners/value-added resellers (selling HubSpot and supporting other customers).
• There are 3400+ early adopter inbound marketing customers.
• Customer stats since January 2010:
  • 61,000 blog articles
  • 24,000 blog subscribers
  • 2,400,000 leads generated (what!)
  • 1.4M Twitter followers

• Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
• Are you part of the HubSpot militia?

Power Panel

Ann Hadley, MarketingProfs:

• You need to give your marketing "wings and roots"
• Focus on quality content not quantity content
• 90% of B2B companies are producing content. 38% say biggest struggle is producing compelling content

David Meerman Scott, author, speaker

• White papers aren't dead...BUT call it an e-book and increase readership 10 fold
• Negative things on people's blogs about you can ultimately be positive-if you engage
• Promote the stuff you love and tie it into the stuff you get paid for. (e.g., Marketing Secrets of the Grateful Dead)

Chris Brogan, author, speaker

• Write 1500 word blog posts to get to first page of Delicous. No one will read it, but it will be be bookmarked.
• Don’t be ashamed to deny an obvious advertising blog comment. Don't let people put signs in your yard.
• Write blog articles to leave room for comments - don't state both sides of argument - state your side and let others chime in

Dharmesh Shah, HubSpot co-founder, author

• Future HubSpot social app may include "smart tweet schedule," time + behavior + mentions, etc.
• Good karma is a marketing asset
• Every blog content post adds value to your company...Think long term (assets) not short term (leads today)

Coffee Break

Our “Inbound State of Mind” music video was premiered during the first break at the conference to great reviews. It's MLT's own homage to inbound marketing and shares our journey as a HubSpot partner. Brian Halligan later shared that the standard hazing ritual for new Hubspotters is an original Hubspot or inbound marketing lyrical representation. I guess we passed….

 

/mh

 Martine Hunter is the creative director of inbound marketing with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing. She holds the Inbound Marketing professional certification and serves the Atlanta chapter of the Business Marketing Association as a member of the board of directors. 

photo credit:  HubSpot via Flickr

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