The 2014, Top 12 HubSpot
Partners from The Sales Lion!
***Note from Marcus: Many of you already know my feelings on HubSpot.
In 2009, when my swimming pool company was on the brink, it was their
website, teachings, and tool-set that significantly motivated me to embrace
the internet and a very different way of doing business-- something that
would ultimately have a dramatic impact not just on saving River Pools atthe
time, but catapulting my career path to where it is today with The Sales Lion.
As I’ve watched HubSpot and the Inbound Marketing movement grow over
the past 5 years, I’ve been greatly inspired by the individuals and companies
in this space that have done exceptional things with their clients and helped
make this industry what is currently is. As HubSpot partners ourselves here
at TSL, we are constantly impressed as we watch these companies find new
and better ways not only to leverage HubSpot with their clients, but also take
Inbound Marketing itself to new levels.
It is for this reason I asked Rich McElaney (VP of Business Development here
at The Sales Lion) to take on a massive project, with the charge of identifying
the best HubSpot partners in the world today. After 25+ hours of research,
interviews, and writing, what you find below is the resulting work. And
although this list (like any other) is surely not perfect or inclusive of others
that merit praise, we do hope those that read this article will be benefited.
And with that, here goes...
HubSpot and Inbound Marketing
For most of us working in and around marketing, the term inbound
marketing is synonymous with HubSpot. For those not familiar with the
term or the company, HubSpot is a leading marketing automation platform
provider that gives its users the ability to create content, publish it and
measure its effectiveness in generating incremental traffic, leads and
sales for their websites.
HubSpot sells its automation platform directly to end users and through a
network of certified resellers - officially known as Partners.
(Full disclosure: The Sales Lion is a Gold Level HubSpot Partner– more on
what that means later in this post.)
One of the most frequent questions that both potential buyers and new
users of HubSpot ask is: Who are the best Partners? It’s an extremely
important question to ask and to have answered correctly as selecting
the right Partner for your company often means the difference between
success and failure in getting inbound marketing to produce a healthy
return on investment.
Recognizing the importance of this question for thousands of businesses
worldwide, we’ve decided to write the first definitive article on this subject.
Even though we’re a HubSpot Partner, we want decision makers to have
the ability to quickly identify some of the top Inbound Marketing agencies,
in an effort to reduce the research load and shed some well-deserved light
on several exceptional agencies doing superior work for their clients and
building a good reputation for the industry as a whole. That being said,
here goes…
How the HubSpot Partner Tier Structure Works
We’re going to outline a little background on how the Partner Tier system
works because a basic understanding of this structure will get you off on
the right foot in selecting the best Partner for your needs.
The current Partner structure is comprised of three tiers: Silver, Gold and
Platinum. (Side note: A new tier - Diamond (the highest level available) will
be introduced soon.)
These Partner classifications are based on a number of factors, including
monthly recurring revenue (MRR) acquired and managed, client retention,
software engagement, and actual inbound marketing success.
Monthly recurring revenue looks at the dollar value of the number of clients
a Partner has placed on the HubSpot platform. HubSpot is offered in three
versions: Basic – which starts at $200 per month; Professional – which starts
at $800 per month and Enterprise – which starts at $2,400 per month. (We’ll
review how the particular version you’re can impact your choice of a Partner
later in this post.)
As an example, if a Partner has 3 clients on Basic, 3 on Professional and 2 on
Enterprise, their MRR would be $7,600 (2 x $200 + 3 x $800 = 2 x $2,400). The
software engagement and client success portion of the Tier ranking is based
on what HubSpot has termed “CHI” (pronounced chee) and is the Customer
Happiness Index. A CHI score is based on a number of factors related to the
successful setup and usage of HubSpot - factors including, but not limited
to, landing pages built, blog articles written, number of contacts in the
database, email campaigns delivered and monthly user log-in activity.
The length of time a Partner has worked with their client base also impacts
the Tier rating – longer relationships typically indicate that the Partner is
creating success for its clients. To sum it up, the bigger the Partner’s client
base, the longer those clients have been with the Partner and the greater
the success those clients have had, the higher the Partner will be in the
Tier structure.
• Silver requires: MRR of $2,500 and client success
• Gold requires: MRR of $4,500 and client success
• Platinum requires: MRR of $15,500 and client success
• Diamond requires: MRR of $50,000 and client success
Certifications are an Important Factor in
Partner Selection
Prior to attaining a tier classification, VARs have to achieve at least 2 levels
of certification, a process which includes testing and practical execution
showing mastery of the functional components of the HubSpot platform.
HubSpot has recently added another level of certification which signifies
proficiency with their Content Operating System (COS). This certification is
becoming more prevalent in the Partner ranks as an increasing number of
clients are having their websites built on the HubSpot COS.
The current certification levels are:
1. Inbound Certified – this certification is open to the public and
designates an understanding of the foundational aspects of
inbound methodology.
2. HubSpot Certified – you have to be an existing HubSpot customer,
pass a written test and complete a practicum designed to verify
proficiency with HubSpot’s tools.
3. Partner Certified – the is open to HubSpot Partners only and
shows that a Partner is intimately familiar with HubSpot’s software
and is capable of delivering results for clients.
4. Design Certified – this certification is open to the public (if you
aren’t a HubSpot customer you will need to create a free developer’s
account) and is primarily aimed at developers wishing to use
HubSpot’s design tools to create intelligent and responsive
websites.
The HubSpot platform offers a Partner Directory in the Resources section
in the top navigation bar (See below) where certified VARs are listed. As of
today’s date, and this changes frequently, 12 VARs are at the Platinum level,
84 are at the Gold level and 104 are at the Silver level.
As mentioned earlier in the post, HubSpot is offered in three versions:
Basic, Professional and Enterprise. As a client, which version you’re on or
considering is an important factor in choosing the appropriate Partner. If
you’re not yet using HubSpot, you want to get a firm understanding of
which version will provide the right level of support for your business. You
may already be talking to a Partner and they’re assisting you in making the
right version choice. Or, you could be talking directly to HubSpot and they’re
making a recommendation based on assessing your needs. (HubSpot
frequently refers interested parties to a Partner based on a number of
factors we’ll review later in this post – it’s called the Custom Match program)
Let’s take a high level look at the differences in versions. Basic is typically
used by smaller companies or solopreneurs with small prospect databases.
Professional straddles a wide range of industries and company sizes.
Typically, Professional users have larger organizations, bigger prospect
databases and are using CRM systems that benefit by an integration with
HubSpot in order to track prospects from lead to sale. Enterprise meets
the needs of larger organizations with large customer databases, bigger
marketing departments and more sophisticated marketing strategies.
This chart compares the functionality in each version and is very helpful
in focusing in on the right version for your business.
Choosing the Right HubSpot Partner for
YOUR Company
It’s very important to match the skill set and business focus of the VAR with
the inbound marketing needs of the client. In general, a Basic user should not
necessarily be looking for a Platinum VAR (and vice versa). Platinum
VARs tend to be larger companies working with Professional and Enterprise
users – they have the staff, structure and footprint to effectively service
bigger companies with larger marketing budgets. Although this certainly
isn’t the sole consideration, it’s something to make a note of when you
start your selection process.
Going beyond the Partner Tiers and Certification structure, you’ll want
to consider several other factors:
Partner’s proximity to your business: This is more of a personal choice
but there’s something to be said for your Partner being in the same market.
Having knowledge of the local business landscape and the ability to get
deeper into your organization by virtue of frequent on-site meetings can
make a difference in some cases. The reality is that proximity is becoming
less of an issue with the proliferation of tools enabling quality virtual support.
Here at The Sales Lion, about 25% of our clients are within a 3 hour driving
radius and the other 75% are located literally around the world. For us, the
only time proximity is a factor is during on-site training and workshops,
but with technology the way it is today and virtual meetings so prevalent,
face-to-face training isn’t always imperative for success.
Partner’s experience in your industry: A Partner with successful
experience in your industry can drastically impact the learning curve and
shorten the time in achieving a positive ROI from your inbound efforts. This
being said, the principles of great inbound marketing are consistent across all
industries and niches, and the best Partners generally adapt and apply what
they’ve successfully done with previous clients to their newest accounts.
A track record of real results: Any HubSpot Partner can make the case on
their website how they’re positioned to help your business. This, in and
of itself, by no means qualifies them as a “great Partner.” Rather, what
separates the average from the elite agencies in the world of Inbound and
Content Marketing is their willingness and ability to share the real results
from their existing client base. Key metrics such as traffic growth, lead
quality, shortened sales cycles, improved margins, incremental revenue
growth and return on marketing investment. This is critical information
that cannot be overlooked.
Partner’s business philosophy and values: This is more about chemistry
than anything else, but if a Partner’s general business approach and value
set is similar to your company’s, it can positively impact success and set the
foundation for a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
Partner’s client support structure: While titles within Partner agencies
may sound similar, the functional roles can often be quite different. Get a
clear understanding of who will be supporting your account, their roles,
responsibilities and accountabilities.
One last thing – not every HubSpot user works with, or is in need of, a
Partner. There are numerous success stories from HubSpot users who
trained staff on the platform and successfully manage it internally. River
Pools is a classic example of this as Marcus and his gang of “pool guys”
were literally self-taught on the tool and still managed to make a few
waves in their industry as well as in the inbound marketing landscape.
Some HubSpot clients will utilize the services of a Partner to consult with,
develop strategy, launch the platform and eventually develop self-sufficiency.
Other clients may bring in a Partner when they grow to a level that requires
expertise and support beyond their capability to effectively manage things
internally. Each case is different and the good news is that with the growth
of HubSpot and the Partner network, it’s easy to find the support that fits
your specific needs.
Tips for Finding Certified HubSpot Partners
The Custom Match Program
In addition to browsing through the Partner Directory in the Resources
section, HubSpot has recently initiated a new program where they
recommend a Partner for you based on certain criteria you provide.
It’s called the Custom Match program and once you provide the required
information (listed below) HubSpot will return a match based on best fit.
HubSpot Partners, in order to be eligible for this program, must have a
minimum of three HubSpot certifications : HubSpot, Partner and Design.
The information requested by HubSpot in order to start the Custom
Match process is:
• Company name
• Website
• Contact name
• Location
• HubSpot ID
• Approximate budget
• Specific needs and expectations
Once the form is completed HubSpot will contact the requestor within 3-5
business days and provide the website address of the Partner deemed the
best match. HubSpot also notifies the Partner, who will contact the requestor
typically well within 1-2 business days of receiving the notification.
Using The HubSpot Partner Directory
Navigating the Partner Directory is pretty straightforward but there are a few
things to keep in mind as you review the information. There are four ways to
filter the Partner Directory listings down for easier navigation. If you are
researching a specific Partner, you can enter their company name in the
search bar on the top right of the Partner Directory page.
If you already know you need a Partner with a specific certification, you can
select from each of four levels of certifications in this drop down section:
If you have a specific service need, you can use the Service Categories on the
left column to narrow your results:
Just be forewarned – the filtration processes still leave you with many
Partner listings to consider, which is why the Custom Match program has
been added.
The Partner listings are arranged by the number of client reviews the
Partner has obtained. (You can also filter this setting from highest number
of reviews to lowest.) Take the time to look at the reviews and get a feel for
the composition of the reviews (are there multiple reviews from the same
client?) and look at the recency of the reviews (if they’re all from two years
ago what does that mean?). Keep in mind that a low review volume does
not automatically equate with low client satisfaction.
Attend Inbound 2014
Every year, HubSpot hosts an annual gathering of Partners, end-users,
top-notch marketing speakers and various and sundry Inbound die-hards
in order to propel the Inbound movement ever forward. Last year’s
gathering topped the 5,000 attendee count and this year promises to
be so much larger that they moved the venue to the cavernous Boston
Convention Center.
This is the place to be if you are looking to improve your Inbound
Marketing skills, network with fellow Inbounders and HubSpotters, listen
to the luminaries talk about best practices and enjoy the Boston vibe.
Attend Local HUG Meetings
HubSpot User Groups (HUG) have sprouted up all over the place and
provide an excellent resource to learn more about HubSpot, meet Partners
and other end users and learn about real world uses of the tools. There are
74 HUG groups worldwide as of the most recent count –the majority of those
are in the US. Meeting frequency varies among groups – but you can find a
listing and links here. Most user groups have a LinkedIn page where you can
join, connect with other members and keep track of the group’s activity.
Top 3 Questions to Ask a HubSpot Partner
Now that you’re armed with additional information and insight on how
HubSpot Partner tiers work, it’s time to engage in a dialogue to determine
who the best fit for your needs is. Here’s a suggested list of initial
screening questions to ask a prospective Partner:
Can you show me your process for helping me assess the right approach to
inbound marketing?
What would the support team structure for my account look like? What are
the roles and responsibilities of each team member?
How long have you been a HubSpot partner and how many clients have you
put on the HubSpot platform?
12 of the Best HubSpot VARs - 2014 – Better by
the Dozen
(Note** There are many, many great HubSpot Partners. Just because
someone is not on our list, does not mean they’re not exceptional at what
they do, so please don’t allow this list to limit your desire to look beyond
these top 12. Based on the expected feedback, we may increase the list
size in subsequent reviews!)
Here’s our 2014 list of the Top Twelve HubSpot
Partners. Our criteria for including them:
•They live and breathe the best practices of Inbound in a
consistent and visible way throughout their online presence.
• These Partners readily share real life client success stories
that highlight the results they’ve achieved for clients and the
agency performance capabilities that drove client success.
• They are active in the Inbound community through involvement
in HUG groups, participation in forums and in the general
education of people new to the concepts of Inbound.
• Directly and indirectly, they are helping shape positive
perceptions of the high level of professionalism in the
tPartner community.
Square 2 Marketing - Platinum
Location: Based in the Philadelphia Metro Area with an office in London
Year Founded: 2003
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2010
Employees: 40
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 80% / 20%
Partner Services Include:
• Marketing Strategy Creation
• Inbound Marketing Planning
• Website Design
• Content Marketing
• Conversion Strategy
• Social Media Marketing
• Sales Strategy Consulting
• Metrics and Analytics
• Email Marketing
• Lead Nurturing Campaigns
Insider’s Insight: Selected by HubSpot as the 2013 Domestic Agency of
The Year. Square 2 Marketing is known as a thought leader in the inbound
marketing space. The author of two books on Inbound Marketing: Reality
Marketing Revolution and Fire Your Sales Team Today! Square 2 Marketing
has created a proven process for building inbound marketing programs that
generate results and is one of the only firms that provide a pay for performance model for clients. Industries served: Software, Professional Services,
Financial Services, Technology, Manufacturing, Distribution and Healthcare.
Kuno Creative - Platinum
Location: Headquarters in Cleveland, OH with an office in Austin, TX
Year Founded: 2000
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2009
Employees: 32
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 90% / 10%
Partner Services Include:
• Content Marketing
• Demand Generation
• Lead Nurturing
• Marketing Automation
• KPIs and Analytics
Insider’s Insight: Kuno Creative was one of the early stage HubSpot
Certified Partners. Winner of the HubSpot Happiest Customers Award – in
2012 and 2013. Widely known as leaders in creatively designed and professionally written content. Vertical areas of specialty: SAAS/Cloud, Specialty
Manufacturing and Healthcare.
Impact Branding & Design - Platinum
Location: Wallingford, CT
Year Founded: 2009
Initial HubSpot Certification: November 2011
Employees: 32
Client Mix - B2B/B2C: 75% / 25%
Partner Services Include:
• Website Design
• Graphic Design
• Website Development
• 3rd Party Platform Integrations
• SEO
• Content Creation
• Email Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
Insider’s Insight: Impact won HubSpot’s Partner Rookie of the Year award
in 2012. Impact was one of the first five Partners to achieve the Platinum
Partner designation. The company is well on its way to doubling revenues
for the past three years in a row. All team members are certified at three
levels – Inbound, HubSpot and Partner and all designers and web developers
are HubSpot Design certified. Impact just released a cool new tool on their
site – the Blog Title Generator.
Element Three - Platinum
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Year Founded: 2006
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2011
Employees: 31
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 80% / 20%
Partner Services Include:
• Brand Development
• Brand Audit
• Key Messaging
• Brand Positioning
• Identity and Naming
• Marketing Strategy
• Strategic Planning
• Email Marketing
• Lead Generation and Nurturing
• Search Engine Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Creative Execution
• Content Development
• Website Development
• Video
• Photography
• Sales Support Materials
Insider’s Insight: Element Three won HubSpot’s Agency of the Year in 2012.
Element Three is known for their strategic prowess in creating unique brands
and the integration of traditional and inbound marketing strategies.
PCR Agency - Platinum
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Year Founded: 2007
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2012
Employees: 9
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 90% / 10%
Partner Services Include:
• Website Design
• Digital Strategy Development
• SEO/ PPC
• Market Analysis
• Content Creation and Distribution
• Website Conversion
• Social Media
• Reporting and Analysis
• Marketing Automation and Lead Nurturing
Insider’s Insight: PCR reached the HubSpot Platinum Partner designation
faster than any other partner. PCR is known for developing an Agile
approach to consistently improving inbound performance for its clients
in the Real Estate, Healthcare, Legal and Home Services industries.
PR 2020 - Gold
Location: Cleveland, OH
Year Founded: 2005
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2007
Employees: 13
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 80% / 20$
Partner Services Include:
• Brand Marketing – strategy, identity and consulting
• Web Development – strategy, design and copywriting
• Search Marketing – SEO, local and paid search
• Social Media – social media consulting and enterprise social solutions
• Content Marketing
• Marketing Automation
Insider’s Insight: PR 20/20 was the very first certified HubSpot partner.
PR 2020’s founder authored The Marketing Agency Blueprint (and has a
forthcoming book: The Marketing Performance Blueprint) which led to the
development of a collaborative agency hub - Marketing Agency Insider.
PR 2020 also developed Marketing Score - a free online assessment tool
and marketing intelligence engine. PR 2020 is known for its thought
leadership on the new role agencies play today – supported by deep
experience creating success for their clients.
Precision Marketing Group - Gold
Location: Boston, MA
Year Founded: 2002
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2008
Employees: 15
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 100% B2B
Partner Services Include:
• Content Marketing
• Social Media Support
• Lead Generation
• Website Development/Redesign
• Outbound Marketing
• HubSpot Marketing Services
Insider’s Insight: Percision Marketing Group was one of the earliest HubSpot certified Partners. That early HubSpot adoption has allowed the agency to build a tight-knit, seasoned team of certified professionals. PMG has
become known as the ideal outsourced marketing department for business
clients and a trusted training resource on inbound marketing best practices
for organizations that include Harvard University.
New Breed Marketing - Gold
Location: Winooski, VT
Year Founded: 2002
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2012
Employees: 17
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 100% B2B
Partner Services Include:
• Streamlined Branding
• Digital Onboarding
• Website Redesign
• Inbound Marketing
• Sales Enablement
• Lead Management
• Digital Support
• Champion Enablement
Insider’s Insight: New Breed has built the highest number of websites on
HubSpot’s Content Operating System and specializes in the development
of sales-ready websites and integrating those websites into a full inbound
marketing strategy. New Breed has an exclusive focus on technology-based
clients – helping them unify marketing and sales through strategies and technology. Key targets are aspiring enterprise clients and emerging
growth companies. New Breed is the winner of multiple Webby Awards
from 2010-2013.
SmartBug Media - Gold
Location: Orange County, CA
Year Founded: 2007
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2010
Employees: 19
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 80% / 20%
Partner Services Include:
• Marketing strategy and planning
• Inbound marketing
• Content marketing
• Social media
• Website design
• Lead generation
• Revenue growth
• Marketing automation
• ROI enhancement
• Analytics and KPIs
• Sales processes improvement
Insider’s Insight: SmartBug Media was selected by HubSpot as one of
the top 1% of inbound marketers and owns one the highest client ROI
case studies on record for a HubSpot Partner. SmartBug’s team consists
of ex-HubSpotters (former HubSpot employees) and B2B marketing veterans
that focus on outcomes. Recommended by executives at Mattel, Intel, Social
Media Examiner and many other leading brands. SmartBug has a strong
focus on technology and healthcare.
The Whole Brain Group - Gold
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Year Founded: 2002
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2012
Employees: 13
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 100% B2B
Partner Services Include:
• Inbound Marketing Strategy and Support
• Inbound Sales Strategy
• Creative Design
• Web Design & Development
• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media Strategy & Execution
• Training & Education
• Accessible Marketing for People with Disabilities
Insider’s Insight: The Whole Brain Group takes a very technical approach
to creating inbound sales and marketing alignment and is known for their
strong strategic planning and execution process which extends beyond
marketing. The have a unique focus on website accessibility for people
with disabilities. Key target is second stage growth companies – businesses
emerging from the start-up phase.
Stream Creative - Gold
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Year Founded: 2006
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2010
Employees: 7 ( plus 2 full-time consultants)
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 85% / 15%
Partner Services Include:
• Website Design and Development
• Branding Services
• Media Planning and Buying
• PR Services
• Print Design and Packaging Design
• Interactive Services – Animation, Video Production
Insider’s Insight: Stream Creative is known for their strength in design,
branding and developing websites on the HubSpot Content Operating
System (COS). Stream Creative also provides design and development
services to other HubSpot partners – confirming their expertise in this
area. The also offer media buying and PR services in-house, bringing
Inbound methodology to traditional marketing service provisioning.
98 to Go - Silver
Location: Atlanta, GA
Year Founded: 2011
Initial HubSpot Partner Certification: 2011
Employees: 8
Client Mix – B2B/B2C: 60% / 40%
Partner Services:
• Content Creation
• Lead Generation
• Email Campaign Development
• Lead Nurturing
• Reporting and Analysis
• Customized Content Marketing Strategy Development
Insider’s Insight: The HubSpot Partner with the highest HubSpot Customer
Happiness Index (CHI) score ever, 98toGo develops detailed 26-page content
marketing game plans customized for each client’s specific needs. 98toGo
is known for having a unique culture of health, fun and fitness that powers
their clients’ marketing effectiveness. ttThey are the only HubSpot partner
known to conduct their weekly business meetings during a 7 mile run.