HubSpot: Friendly Marketing That Doesn’t Feel Icky

Are you tired of impersonal marketing blasts that get lost in the noise? Do you want to build real connections with your audience and foster long-term loyalty? Then it’s time to start always aiming for a friendly approach in your marketing efforts. In this tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to implement a “Friendly First” strategy using HubSpot’s powerful email marketing tools, and I guarantee you’ll see a difference in engagement and conversions.

Step 1: Setting Up Your “Friendly First” Campaign in HubSpot

Navigating to the Email Creation Tool

First, you’ll need to access HubSpot’s email marketing platform. Log in to your HubSpot account. In the top navigation bar, hover over “Marketing” and click “Email”. This will take you to the email dashboard. From there, click the blue “Create email” button in the upper right corner. You’ll be prompted to choose an email type. Select “Regular email” for a standard campaign. I find that this is the most versatile option for getting started with a new initiative.

Selecting the “Friendly First” Template

HubSpot offers a variety of email templates, but for this strategy, we’ll use a template designed for a personal touch. In the template selection screen, search for “Friendly First” in the search bar. If you don’t see a pre-built template with that name, choose a simple, clean template with a single column layout. This will allow you to easily customize the content to fit your brand and messaging. For example, I often start with the “Basic – 1 Column” template and modify it extensively.

Pro Tip: Don’t get bogged down in design at this stage. The key is the message, not the bells and whistles.

Expected Outcome: You should now have a new email draft open in HubSpot’s email editor, ready for customization.

Step 2: Customizing Your “Friendly First” Email

Personalizing the Sender Information

This is where the “friendly” aspect really comes into play. In the email editor, click on “Settings” at the top. Here, you can customize the sender name and email address. Instead of using a generic company name, use a real person’s name and email. For example, use “John Smith” instead of “Acme Corp”. The sender email address should also be a real address monitored by that person (john.smith@acmecorp.com). This makes the email feel more personal and less like a mass marketing blast.

Common Mistake: Using a “no-reply@” email address. This screams “don’t engage with us” and defeats the purpose of a friendly approach.

Crafting a Compelling Subject Line

The subject line is your first (and often only) chance to grab the recipient’s attention. Avoid generic phrases like “Newsletter” or “Update”. Instead, create a subject line that is personalized, intriguing, or offers value. For example, “John, a quick question about your marketing strategy” or “Exclusive offer just for you, John!”. Personalization tokens can be added by clicking the “Personalize” button in the subject line field. A report by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) found that personalized subject lines increase open rates by 26%, so it’s well worth the effort.

Pro Tip: Keep your subject lines short (under 50 characters) to ensure they display properly on mobile devices.

Writing Engaging Body Content

The body of your email should continue the friendly tone established in the sender information and subject line. Start with a personalized greeting (“Hi John,”). Avoid overly formal language or salesy jargon. Instead, write as if you’re talking to a friend or colleague. Focus on providing value, offering help, or asking a question. For example, “I noticed you’re running ads in the Metro Atlanta area, and I wanted to share a few tips that have worked well for our other clients in the Fulton County area.” Share a relevant case study or success story. For instance: “I had a client last year, a local bakery near the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont, who saw a 20% increase in website traffic after implementing a similar strategy.”

We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. We were sending out these dry, corporate emails, and nobody was responding. Then, one of our team members suggested we try a more personal approach, and it made all the difference. Open rates went up, click-through rates went up, and we started getting actual responses. Here’s what nobody tells you: people buy from people they like and trust.

Expected Outcome: You have crafted an email that feels personal, engaging, and provides value to the recipient.

Step 3: Setting Up Automation and Personalization

Using Contact Properties for Personalization

HubSpot’s real power lies in its ability to personalize emails based on contact properties. Ensure you’re collecting relevant information about your contacts, such as their name, company, industry, and job title. Then, use these properties to dynamically populate your email content. For example, you can personalize the email greeting, mention the recipient’s company name, or tailor the content to their specific industry. To do this, in the email editor, click “Personalize” within any text module. You can then select a contact property to insert into the email.

Creating Smart Content Based on Lifecycle Stage

Segment your audience based on their lifecycle stage (e.g., lead, marketing qualified lead, sales qualified lead, customer). Then, create smart content that changes based on the recipient’s lifecycle stage. For example, a lead might receive an email that introduces your company and its services, while a sales qualified lead might receive an email that offers a free consultation or product demo. To set up smart content, click the “Smart content” toggle within a module and define the criteria for displaying different content versions.

Implementing Behavioral Triggers

Set up behavioral triggers to send automated “Friendly First” emails based on specific actions taken by your contacts. For example, if someone visits a particular page on your website or downloads a specific piece of content, trigger an email that provides them with additional information or resources. To set up a workflow based on behavioral triggers, navigate to Automation > Workflows and create a new workflow. Then, define the enrollment triggers and add the “Send email” action to send your “Friendly First” email.

Common Mistake: Over-personalization. Avoid using too many personalization tokens or making assumptions about the recipient’s needs or interests. A little personalization goes a long way. According to Nielsen, consumers are more likely to trust brands that respect their privacy and data.

Step 4: Sending and Analyzing Your “Friendly First” Campaign

If you’re looking to turn insights into real ROI, it’s crucial to analyze your campaign data thoroughly.

Previewing and Testing Your Email

Before sending your email, always preview it to ensure it looks correct on both desktop and mobile devices. Click the “Preview” button in the upper right corner of the email editor. You can also send a test email to yourself and a colleague to catch any errors or typos. I always send a test email to my own Gmail and Outlook accounts to see how it renders in different email clients.

Pro Tip: Use HubSpot’s email rendering tool to see how your email will look in various email clients and devices. This can help you identify and fix any rendering issues before sending.

Scheduling Your Email for Optimal Delivery

Consider the time of day and day of the week when scheduling your email. HubSpot’s email scheduling tool allows you to send your email at a specific time or optimize for send time based on past engagement data. A eMarketer study found that emails sent between 10 AM and 12 PM tend to have the highest open rates, but this can vary depending on your industry and target audience.

Analyzing Your Campaign Performance

After sending your email, track its performance using HubSpot’s email analytics dashboard. Pay attention to metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribe rate. These metrics will give you valuable insights into the effectiveness of your “Friendly First” approach. To access your email analytics, navigate to Marketing > Email and click on the name of the email you want to analyze. On the performance page, you’ll see key metrics and visualizations of your email’s performance.

Pro Tip: A/B test different subject lines, sender names, and email content to optimize your “Friendly First” approach over time. For instance, try testing two different subject lines and see which one generates a higher open rate.

Expected Outcome: You are able to track the performance of your “Friendly First” campaign and identify areas for improvement.

Step 5: Refining Your Strategy Based on Results

Remember, marketing ROI is the ultimate goal.

Iterating on Your Messaging

Based on the data you collect, refine your messaging to better resonate with your audience. If your open rates are low, experiment with different subject lines. If your click-through rates are low, review your email content and ensure it’s providing value and clear calls to action. If your unsubscribe rates are high, consider segmenting your audience further or reducing the frequency of your emails.

For instance, if you find that emails with a question in the subject line have higher open rates, try incorporating more questions into your subject lines. I had a client who was struggling with low engagement on their email campaigns. After analyzing their data, we discovered that their audience responded well to emails that offered personalized advice or solutions. We shifted their messaging to focus on providing helpful tips and resources, and their engagement rates skyrocketed.

Adjusting Your Segmentation

If you’re not seeing the results you want, consider adjusting your segmentation strategy. Are you targeting the right audience with your “Friendly First” emails? Are you segmenting your audience based on the right criteria? Experiment with different segmentation strategies to find the ones that work best for your business. For example, you might try segmenting your audience based on industry, company size, job title, or behavior on your website.

Continuously Testing and Optimizing

The key to success with a “Friendly First” marketing strategy is to continuously test and optimize your approach. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas and strategies. Track your results and make adjustments as needed. Marketing is not a set-it-and-forget-it endeavor. It requires ongoing effort and attention to detail. By consistently refining your approach, you can build stronger relationships with your audience and drive better results for your business.

This also means smart marketing, even if you’re an entrepreneur!

Ultimately, always aiming for a friendly approach in your marketing is about building genuine relationships. By focusing on providing value, personalizing your messaging, and engaging with your audience on a human level, you can create a loyal following and drive long-term success. So, ditch the impersonal blasts and start crafting emails that people actually want to read. The ROI of kindness is higher than you think.