HubSpot for nonprofits: is it worth the investment?
HubSpot has a lot of benefits for nonprofits. In one case study, HubSpot explained how The American Association of Sleep Technologists revived their declining membership by 12% in their first year using the platform. The study also showed a 100% increase in leads during that year as well.
With the right tactics, an investment in HubSpot can pay off big for nonprofit organizations. But, if you're looking to buy HubSpot, don't jump just yet. Read this article to find out how to get to positive ROI as fast as possible, and when you buy is critical.
Accelerating ROI When Using HubSpot for Nonprofits
Create a Site Strategy Before Buying
A lot of nonprofits (and for-profit businesses) buy HubSpot, and then seek out an agency to build their website. Then, they spend weeks on site strategy and design mockups before the site is ever coded into HubSpot.
There's no reason to pay for HubSpot while your site strategy is being completed. Do all that work before buying HubSpot, so that once you start paying, you can get right to work on taking your website live.
Create an Inbound Strategy Before Buying
The most common problems with HubSpot stem from a lack of strategy.
It's a common mistake to buy HubSpot and launch a new website, and only then turn to considering an inbound marketing or lead nurturing strategy. Again, months are wasted not using the program you're paying for.
Before buying HubSpot, get your marketing strategy in place. You can make your first 90-day publishing calendar, build lead magnets, and write nurturing emails before you ever purchase the platform.
Doing this means, once you sign the dotted line, you can upload your work and immediately start using the platform without waiting.
Don't Pay for What You Don't Need
HubSpot offers various pricing tiers to fit the budget and needs of most organizations. However, companies still choose to over-invest in HubSpot to get more features that look productive. But, if they don't have the manpower or bandwidth to take advantage of those tools, it becomes a waste of resources.
Match your SMART goals, or Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant and Time-Bound goals to whatever function you will require to meet or exceed them. Then, check out which HubSpot pricing package will make the most sense for what you need.
Focus On Marketing Activities That Drive the Highest ROI
Once you’ve figured out which features will support your goals the most, laser focus on those goals. Period. If you waste time upfront by obsessing over vanity metrics or using features that have little to nothing to do with your goals, you’ll won't drive a higher ROI.
Going back to the American Association of Sleep Technologists or AAST and HubSpot case study, you can see the potential of focusing on improving a few specific goals with higher value, instead of trying to work on everything. AAST knew they had a membership problem, with a projected 5% decline in their annual membership.
They focused on content, building up a content library, developing educational materials, and frequently publishing blog posts with better, more strategic messaging tailored to their audience. As a result, they saw a 5.5x increase in blog traffic, as well as a 224% increase in their social following leveraging HubSpot’s social publishing tools.
The Benefits Of HubSpot for Nonprofits
With smaller budgets and more constraints, non-profits are already adapting leaner methods. It's crucial to get ROI from every marketing investment and show it. HubSpot gives Nonprofits the tools to nurture leads, increase engagement and raise brand awareness. Nonprofits can get their message out there.
HubSpot is only expensive when you don't know how to use it. In the long-term, scrappy, strategic uses of HubSpot helps Nonprofits reach their goals faster.
To see how you can save up to 60% during your first year on the platform, download our HubSpot savings guide.
As an Inbound Writer for Lean Labs, Melissa writes about high-converting websites and customer-centric marketing. She's an avid traveler, with trips to Iceland, Ukraine, and Portugal under her belt. She currently resides in Wilmington, North Carolina with her dog, Morrie.
