Introduction:

Selecting the right HubSpot package is a pivotal decision that can greatly benefit your business. It empowers you with an all-in-one platform designed to enhance your marketing, sales, and services. 

This means you can streamline your efforts, reach more customers, and provide better service – all from a single, powerful tool. 

It’s like having a toolbox that’s perfectly suited to help you build and grow your business effectively.

Whether you’re considering HubSpot or have already decided to adopt it, this article will guide you through the decision-making process and help you make an informed choice.

A. Setting the Foundation: Defining Your Challenges and Needs

Before delving into the features and costs of various HubSpot packages, take some time to define the challenges and the needs you want HubSpot to address. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself as a starting point:

1. What are the key goals you’d like to achieve by using HubSpot to streamline marketing, sales, and customer service processes?

•  Reflect on where your processes may feel inefficient, time-consuming, or unclear.
•  Are there bottlenecks or areas where leads are being lost or not effectively nurtured?
•  Are you seeking automation features such as email marketing, lead nurturing, appointment scheduling, tracking, and monitoring?
• Are you encountering challenges in increasing lead generation, improving customer engagement, or enhancing conversion rates?

2. Where do you experience gaps in customer data and insights?

• Consider whether you are obtaining a comprehensive view of your customers’ behaviors, preferences, and interactions.
•  Are there difficulties in personalizing communications and understanding customer journeys?
•  Perhaps you need lead scoring to facilitate prioritization.
• How are you managing customer feedback, including surveys and knowledge base management?

3. How effectively are you managing and analyzing your data?

•  Evaluate how well you’re tracking and interpreting data related to campaigns and sales performance.
•  Are you struggling with data accuracy, integration, or reporting?

4. What tools or features would streamline your processes and improve overall efficiency?

• Envision the functionalities that would simplify your workflows, enhance collaboration, and save time.
• Are there aspects of automation, analytics, or communication that you feel are lacking in your current approach?

B. HubSpot Free vs. Paid: Find the right package for your business

The free version of HubSpot is a good starting point for small businesses and individuals, but it has limitations. 

It offers only basic features, limits the number of contacts you can store, provides basic support, has few integrations with other tools, and doesn’t allow team collaboration.

Note: While it’s a great entry point, Many businesses eventually find these limitations restrictive and choose to upgrade to a paid version that better suits their needs.

Is HubSpot worth it for a small business?

HubSpot offers a wide range of features and tools for marketing, sales, and customer service, which can benefit small businesses looking to improve their online presence and customer engagement. 

However, it can also be a significant investment, so it’s essential to carefully consider if the features and tools align with your specific business needs and goals. 

Note: It’s always a good idea to try the free version of the software and test it before committing to a paid plan.

C. Learning the Core of HubSpot Packages: Hubs vs. Plans

HubSpot has separated a set of features into specific categories called Hubs, based on their usage in various departments.

HubSpot offers five hubs, each tailored to specific business functions:

Marketing Hub:

Drive revenue by connecting with leads at the right place and time across email, landing pages, forms, and more. Manage your contacts and campaigns in one place and use automation tools to scale your efficiency.

Measure the success of your campaigns using powerful reporting tools. All are powered by the data in your CRM to enable customer connection at scale.

Sales Hub:

Powerful sales software to help teams close more deals, deepen relationships, and manage their pipeline more effectively — all on one connected platform.

Includes a fully featured sales CRM, sales engagement tools, quotes, reporting and analytics, and more — plus the ability to seamlessly integrate with more than 1,400 tools in HubSpot’s app marketplace.

Service Hub:

Customer service software that helps you deepen customer relationships, connect to the front office, and drive team efficiency. Service Hub is easy to use and connected to HubSpot’s full CRM platform.

Includes conversational tools, a shared inbox, help desk automation, a knowledge base, customer feedback and surveys, reporting, a customer portal, and playbooks.

Operations Hub:

Operations software that lets your team easily sync, clean, and curate customer data, and automate business processes. Includes programmable automation, data sync, data curation, and data quality tools — all powered by HubSpot.

Operations software empowers your business with a unified view of every customer interaction, enabling you to deliver friction-free customer experiences.

CMS Hub:

Content management software that’s flexible for marketers, powerful for developers, and gives your customers a personalized, secure experience.

Includes hosting, flexible themes, dynamic content, drag-and-drop page editing, memberships, and more — all powered by a CRM platform that allows you to build seamless digital experiences for your customers.

*For each Hub, HubSpot offers four subscription plans. 

Free and Starter are the most easygoing and suitable for small businesses. Professional is the most common choice and is suitable for small- to medium-sized businesses looking to access additional valuable features and customization, including automation options. Enterprise is the most advanced plan HubSpot offers, It’s suitable for large businesses and enterprises.

D. Key Considerations for Package Selection:

When choosing a HubSpot package, keep the following factors in mind:

a. Contacts: Evaluate the number of actively engaged contacts in your database, as pricing often depends on the number of marketing contacts. 

*Marketing contacts-  all the contacts within your database that you plan to market to with digital content, such as emails, newsletters, workflows, blogs, ads, etc.

• You will get 2,000 marketing contacts with Marketing Hub Starter (you can always add additional contacts in increments of 1000).
• You will get 2,000 marketing contacts with Marketing Hub Professional (you can always add additional contacts in increments of 5000).
• You will get 10,000 marketing contacts with Marketing Hub Enterprise (you can always add additional contacts in increments of 10,000).

b. Customization: Identify the level of customization required for personalized experiences. Each subscription plan offers different limits and a range of customization options.

c. Automation: Determine the kind of automation your business needs, whether it’s through workflows or sequences.

Workflows allow you to automate your marketing emails as well as your internal processes, while Sequences are designed to automate one-to-one personalized outreach. 

• Workflows – available on all professional packages and above.
• Sequences – available with sales or service professionals and above.

d. Team Size: The number of paid seats required depends on the size of your sales or service team and the features needed for each member.

e. Reporting: Assess the level of reporting necessary for data-driven decision-making and choose the package that aligns with your reporting needs.

So, How much does HubSpot cost?

	Starter	Professional	Enterprise
Sales Hub	$20	$500	$1200
Marketing Hub	$40	$890	$3600
Service Hub	$20	$500	$1200
CMS Hub	$25	$400	$1200
Operations Hub	$20	$800	$2000

Note: HubSpot’s pricing may vary based on different variables. 

To ensure you get the best value for your investment and select a package that suits your specific needs, we highly recommend seeking advice from an expert. This will help you avoid overpaying or choosing a plan that does not align with your requirements.

Conclusion:

Selecting the right HubSpot package is a crucial step in optimizing your marketing, sales, and service efforts.
Take the time to understand your business requirements, and carefully consider the features and limitations of each package. 

With the right approach, HubSpot can become a powerful ally in driving your business’s success. 

As a trusted HubSpot Gold partner, SAGE Marketing HubSpot experts are here to guide you through your journey and keep you updated on all the latest HubSpot developments.

Get in touch with our HubSpot experts, and let us help you make the right decision 🙂

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Imagine stepping into a new job, filled with anticipation and excitement, only to be met with confusion, administrative tasks, and a lack of understanding about the company’s culture and mission. It’s an experience that can leave new hires feeling overwhelmed and disconnected. As CEOs, you might wonder why should this matter to you? After all, isn’t onboarding HR’s responsibility? 

You are about to discover why the first-day experience should be a CEO’s concern and how creating a comprehensive onboarding plan can lead to a “soft landing” for new employees, benefitting both the individual and the organization.

The Power of First Impressions

First impressions matter, and there’s no exception when it comes to a new employee’s first day. This initial encounter with the company sets the tone for their entire journey. If they feel lost or disconnected, it can be challenging to change their perception later. That’s why the first day is a pivotal moment for establishing the company’s image.

When employees connect with a company’s mission and culture from day one, it sparks genuine commitment. This commitment translates into tangible benefits like increased engagement, higher retention rates, and improved performance. These are outcomes that extend far beyond the scope of HR alone and have a direct impact on the bottom line.

In essence, providing a “soft landing” for new employees is not just a nicety; it’s a strategic move that can translate into a tangible return on investment.

Crafting the Soft Landing: Creating an Onboarding Plan

Now that we understand the significance of a soft landing, how can CEOs ensure their organization achieves this? The answer lies in creating a comprehensive onboarding plan that covers all aspects of a new hire’s experience.

1. Start with Research:

Begin by asking hard questions and diving deep into what makes your company unique. Interview current employees to understand why they chose your organization over others and what they tell their friends about working here. If you’ve embarked on employer branding efforts before, revisit those insights.

2. Identify Core Values, Mission, and Story: 

Identifying these components is a critical step in creating a soft landing for new hires. These elements provide the foundation upon which your company’s culture is built and offer a roadmap for employees to understand not just what they do but why they do it. 

3. Logistical Details and Tasks:

Compile a list of all the logistical details and tasks that new employees need to navigate. This includes everything from the Wi-Fi password to recommended restaurants near the office and the necessary paperwork and forms.

4. Designing the Soft Landing Booklet:

Create a user-friendly, informative resource that guides new hires through their first day and beyond. This can take various forms, such as a presentation, a mini-site, or even a printed magazine. The key is to make it engaging and comprehensive.

Taking Action: From Concept to Execution

Creating a soft landing for new employees doesn’t stop at planning; it’s about execution. Here are some steps to take:

1. Engage Experts:

Consider enlisting the help of professionals who specialize in employee onboarding. They can assist in the research, design, and execution phases to ensure a seamless transition for new hires.

2. Continuous Improvement:

Onboarding isn’t a one-time event but an ongoing process. Regularly gather feedback from new employees and adjust your onboarding plan accordingly. This will help you stay aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of your workforce.

3. Curate and Elevate:

Once you’ve created an onboarding plan that works, go all the way with it and curate the information to create additional brand-supportive digital (and non) assets such as content for your company career page, branding around the office, social media content, and any other touch point employees have while working. 

In conclusion, CEOs play a vital role in shaping the employee experience from day one. Creating a soft landing for new hires through a comprehensive onboarding plan not only fosters a positive workplace culture but also drives tangible results. It’s an investment that pays dividends in the form of engaged, committed, and high-performing employees.

At SAGE, we have long ago recognized the need for such a service and have become experienced experts in crafting compelling employer branding processes from research to tangible execution that are already revolutionizing the onboarding experiences of numerous organizations. So, why leave it solely to HR? Take the lead in ensuring your company’s newest additions embark on a journey of success from the very beginning with our guidance.

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In today’s fast-paced business landscape, B2B marketers are constantly seeking ways to enhance efficiency and deliver personalized communication at scale. B2B email automation emerges as a powerful tool to streamline marketing processes, nurture leads, and drive conversions. 

In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of B2B email automation and provide valuable tips to help you leverage its potential for your business.

Benefits of B2B Email Automation: 

Implementing B2B email automation offers several advantages. 

Firstly, it enhances efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time for marketers to focus on strategy and creativity. 

Additionally, automation allows for scalability, enabling you to reach a larger audience without compromising personalization. 

By automating email workflows, you can deliver timely and relevant content to prospects and customers, resulting in increased engagement, improved lead nurturing, and ultimately, higher conversion rates.

Identifying Automation Opportunities: 

To maximize the benefits of B2B email automation, it’s crucial to identify the touchpoints in the buyer’s journey where automation can make a significant impact. Common scenarios include lead nurturing sequences, onboarding processes, event follow-ups, and customer retention campaigns. By pinpointing these opportunities, you can strategically implement automation to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Building a Solid Email Automation Strategy:

 To ensure success with B2B email automation, it’s essential to build a solid strategy. Begin by defining clear goals and objectives for your campaigns. Whether it’s generating leads, increasing engagement, or driving conversions, clearly outline what you aim to achieve. 

Next, segment your email list based on demographics, behavior, buyer personas, or lifecycle stages. This allows for personalized and targeted communication, significantly improving your campaign’s effectiveness.

Crafting Engaging Email Content: 

Compelling email content is vital for capturing your audience’s attention. Craft concise and clear messaging, highlighting the value proposition and benefits of your offering. Strong subject lines are essential to entice recipients to open your emails, while relevant and persuasive calls-to-action (CTAs) encourage them to take the desired action. By investing time and effort in creating engaging email content, you can increase open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

Automating Workflows and Sequences: 

Email workflows are the backbone of successful B2B email automation. These workflows allow you to create a series of automated emails triggered by specific actions or events. For example, a welcome sequence for new subscribers, an abandoned cart reminder for potential customers, or a re-engagement campaign for dormant leads. By automating these sequences, you can provide consistent and timely communication, nurturing leads through their journey and guiding them towards conversion.

Testing and Optimization: 

Continuous testing and optimization are essential to improve the performance of your email automation campaigns. Conduct A/B tests to compare different elements such as subject lines, email content, CTAs, and timing. By analyzing the results, you can identify the most effective strategies and make data-driven decisions. This iterative approach ensures your campaigns are optimized to deliver the best possible results.

Monitoring and Analytics:

Tracking and analyzing key metrics is critical for measuring the success of your automated email campaigns. Monitor metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and overall engagement. Leverage the analytics features provided by email automation platforms to gain insights into your campaigns’ performance. These insights allow you to refine your strategies, identify areas for improvement, and optimize future campaigns.

Best Practices and Tips:

In addition to the strategies discussed, here are some best practices and tips to enhance your B2B email automation efforts:

• Avoid spam filters by optimizing your email content and adhering to email deliverability best practices.
• Maintain a clean email list by regularly removing inactive contacts and managing bounce rates.
• Ensure compliance with data protection and privacy regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA, by obtaining proper consent and providing clear unsubscribe options.
• Don’t be Shy – send emails to your Database

Conclusion: 

B2B email automation is a game-changer for modern marketers. By streamlining marketing processes, delivering personalized communication, and nurturing leads at scale, it empowers businesses to achieve remarkable results. 

Small thing regarding AI and Automation

By combining AI algorithms with automation, businesses can achieve new levels of efficiency and personalization. AI empowers marketers to analyze data, uncover insights, and automate decision-making. With AI-driven tools, marketers can achieve advanced segmentation, predictive analytics, dynamic content personalization, and automated optimization. This integration revolutionizes B2B email automation, enabling tailored experiences that drive exceptional results.

Boom ! 

A few months ago, during a field trip in northern Israel, I had the opportunity to explore “The House of Colors”, a creation by Sam Halabi. True to its name, the house exhibits an astonishing array of colors both on its exterior and interior.

Every aspect, from the walls and ceilings to the furniture, dishes, air conditioning, stairs, toilets, and even a piano, has been meticulously painted. For Sam, the act of painting the house served as a therapeutic journey to honor his parents’ memory, resulting in a vibrant spectacle that must be witnessed firsthand to truly grasp its magnificence. 

Colors play a significant role in marketing and can have a profound impact on customer perceptions and purchasing behavior. Also, same as colors, marketing can be creative; just as colors evoke emotions, attract attention, and create visual interest, creative marketing strategies can capture the attention of your audience, engage them, and leave a lasting impression. Here are some ways in which marketing can be creative, similar to colors:

Emotional storytelling:

Colors can stimulate emotions, and storytelling in marketing can do the same. Creative marketing often tells compelling stories that connect with the audience on an emotional level. By weaving narratives that resonate with people’s experiences, aspirations, or values, marketers can create a memorable and impactful brand message.

Symbolism and Storytelling:

Colors have symbolic meanings and can be used to convey specific messages or narratives. A diverse color palette can leverage creative marketing messaging and the company’s core advantages. Different colors can be employed to communicate different aspects of a brand story or highlight specific attributes or values associated with the products or services being marketed.

Unique branding:

Colors are an integral part of branding, and creative marketing involves developing a unique and recognizable brand identity. This includes choosing a distinctive color palette, logo, tagline, and overall visual style that reflects the essence of your brand. Consistency in branding across different marketing channels helps build brand recognition and strengthens your message. 

Innovative campaigns:

Just as colors can be combined in unique and unexpected ways, creative marketing campaigns often strive to be innovative and stand out from the competition. This can involve implementing progressing and sometimes unusual strategies, using emerging technologies, or creating interactive experiences that engage customers in new and exciting ways. The goal is to leave a lasting impression and generate a buzz around your brand. 

Personalization and customization:

Same as colors can be adjusted to suit individual preferences, creative marketing embraces personalization and customization as well. Marketing messaging can be tailored to specific target audiences, using customer data, related pain points to deliver personalized recommendations or experiences. Using personalized marketing can create a sense of individuality and make customers interact with your brand and feel valued.

Experimentation and flexibility:

Just as colors can be mixed and matched to create new palettes, creative marketing involves experimentation and flexibility. It’s important to try different strategies, test new ideas, and adapt to new trends and customer preferences. This allows marketers to find innovative approaches that resonate with their audience and keep their campaigns contemporary and exciting. 

Target Audience and Cultural Considerations:

When conducting global marketing campaigns, it’s essential to know the target audience’s cultural associations with colors and words. For example, red is often associated with luck and prosperity in Asian cultures, white represents purity and innocence in Western cultures, warm colors like red and orange can create a sense of urgency or excitement, while cool colors like blue and green can evoke feelings of calmness and trust. Same as in marketing messaging, words can sometimes be perceived differently in different cultures. While color psychology provides some general insights, it’s important to investigate and consider multiple factors when incorporating colors and messaging into marketing strategies. 

Brand Identity and Recognition:

The use of colors, taglines, and slogans are often used to create a unique and recognizable brand identity. Consistently using specific colors and messaging in marketing materials, logos, and packaging helps consumers associate with a particular brand. Additionally, it can help differentiate your brand from the competition and can make a brand stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Captivating visuals:

Just as vibrant colors catch the eye, creative marketing incorporates various elements such as imagery, graphics, videos, and typography to create a strong visual impact. These visuals are used in advertisements, social media campaigns, websites, or any marketing materials to capture attention and make your brand memorable.

Aesthetic Appeal:

Diversity in colors adds aesthetic appeal to creative marketing efforts. By using the right combination of colors, marketers can create visually aesthetically balanced designs. This can contribute to the overall positive perception of the brand and its marketing materials.

To summarize:

creativity in marketing involves thinking outside the box, taking risks, and finding unique ways to engage and connect with your target audience. By incorporating captivating visuals, emotional storytelling, unique branding, innovation, personalization, and flexibility, marketers can create campaigns that are as creative and impactful as a Pantone fan of colors. 

We all know that B2B webinars are a hell of a marketing channel. They revolutionize trust- and relationship-building for marketing teams. They break free from traditional channels, offering personalized content and interactive experiences. By sharing industry insights, thought leadership, and product knowledge, webinars establish marketing teams as trusted authorities, inspiring confidence in customers. These virtual rendezvous embody professionalism and innovation, propelling businesses toward success.

Are you tired of attending webinars that are as exciting as watching paint dry?
Well, it’s time to shake things up! In this blog post, we’re going to break down the traditional webinar strategy and provide you with a foolproof B2B webinar checklist for success.

Get ready for some tips that will make your webinars stand out from the crowd!

Know Your Audience

Before diving into the world of B2B marketing webinars, it’s crucial to understand your target audience inside out. What challenges do they face? What keeps them up at night? By knowing their pain points, you can tailor your webinar content to address their specific needs and capture their attention. Remember, nobody wants to attend a webinar that doesn’t speak directly to their problems.

Pick an Engaging Topic

Let’s face it – B2B webinars often suffer from boring topics that seem to hardly provide any real value. Break the mould! Choose a disruptive and thought-provoking topic that will pique the interest of your audience. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries and challenge conventional wisdom. Remember, in the world of webinars, being vanilla won’t get you anywhere.

Which would sound more appealing to you:
“Introduction to Sales Techniques”,
OR
“Mastering the Art of Persuasive Selling: Techniques to Close B2B Deals with Confidence”

Spice it up and watch your attendance rates soar!

Killer Content Creation

Now that you have your topic, it’s time to create killer content that will keep your audience glued to their screens. Ditch the dry PowerPoint slides and opt for interactive elements like live polls, Q&A sessions, and engaging visuals. Make your webinar a memorable experience by injecting gifs, humour and storytelling into your presentation. After all, who said B2B webinars have to be dull?

Promote, Promote, Promote

Even the most captivating webinar won’t succeed if nobody knows about it. Promote your webinar through various channels, such as email marketing, social media, and industry forums. Use attention-grabbing headlines and teasers that create a sense of urgency. And don’t forget to leverage the power of influencers and industry experts to help spread the word. Moreover, the company’s employees hold the power to drive the promotion of the webinar, by leveraging their social media accounts. Get creative and disruptive with your promotional tactics!

Practice Makes Perfect

Don’t wait until the day of the webinar to run through your presentation. Practice, practice, practice! Familiarise yourself with the platform, rehearse your content, and ensure everything runs smoothly. You will find special dry run tools on all webinar platforms for this purpose. Take the time to do a dry run with your team or trusted colleagues to gather feedback and make improvements. Remember, a well-rehearsed webinar is a successful webinar.

Engage and Interact

During the webinar, engagement is key! According to Demio, while 2021 boasted an average 77% focus rate for webinar sessions, we see that number dip slightly to 75% in 2022, and in 2023 it stays the same. Why does this matter? Unengaged prospects don’t buy! Encourage your audience to participate by asking questions, conducting live polls, and encouraging discussions in the chat. Show genuine interest in their thoughts and opinions, read them out loud. Remember, a webinar should be a two-way conversation, not a monologue. By fostering interaction, you’ll create a memorable experience and build stronger connections with your audience.

Unleash the Power of Guest Speakers

Want to add an extra punch to your webinar? Invite guest speakers who are thought leaders in your industry. Their expertise and unique perspectives will bring credibility and diversity to your webinar. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and invite disruptors who challenge the status quo. Remember, the right guest speaker can turn an ordinary webinar into an extraordinary one!

Embrace Short and Snappy Sessions

Long webinars can often lead to viewer fatigue. Instead, consider shorter, bite-sized sessions. Focus on delivering valuable insights in a concise and engaging manner. If you have a lot of content to cover, consider breaking it into a series of webinars. This approach will not only keep your audience hooked but also make it easier for them to digest and retain information.
And, by the way, use online stats to set up your webinar on the most successful day of the week – it’s Thursday for 2023 for the US audience.

Surprise and Delight Your Attendees

Want to make your webinar an unforgettable experience? Surprise your attendees with unexpected elements throughout the session. It could be a spontaneous giveaway, an interactive quiz with prizes, or even a live demonstration that leaves them in awe. These surprises will create buzz and excitement, making your webinar a hot topic of conversation long after it’s over.

Experiment with Different Formats

Who says webinars have to follow a rigid format? You don’t have to stick to the conventional and (oh so) boring slides and the speaker face in that upper right square. Break free from the norm and experiment with different formats to keep your audience engaged. Consider panel discussions, fireside chats, or live debates. Play with visuals, incorporate multimedia elements, and leverage the power of storytelling. By mixing things up, you’ll create an immersive experience that keeps your audience on their toes.

Follow-Up and Keep the Momentum

Once the webinar is over, don’t let the momentum die. Follow up with your attendees by sending them a thank-you email, sharing the webinar recording, and offering additional resources. Keep the conversation going by engaging with them on social media or through a dedicated post-webinar community. By nurturing these relationships, you’ll establish trust and credibility, paving the way for future collaborations.

Analyse and Learn from Data

Don’t let your webinars be a shot in the dark. Leverage the power of data and analytics to understand what worked and what didn’t. Analyse attendance rates, engagement metrics, and audience feedback to the polls and Q&A. Use this information to refine your webinar strategy and continuously improve. Data is your best friend, and it will guide you on the path to webinar success.

Embrace the Power of Repurposing

Don’t let your webinar content gather dust after the live session. Repurpose it across different channels to maximise its reach and impact. Transform your webinar into blog posts, social media snippets, infographics, or even an ebook. This allows you to reach a wider audience and provides valuable content that can be consumed at their convenience.

Congratulations! You now have a comprehensive arsenal of tips to take your B2B webinars to the next level. With these tips in your toolkit, your B2B webinars will be unstoppable. Get out there and make some waves in the webinar world. Happy webinar-ring!

Want more practical tips? Contact us today, and get ready to elevate your B2B webinars and make a lasting impact.

During my day-to-day, I meet with many CEOs and entrepreneurs who think that marketing comes down to running social media channels, or deciding what color the company’s logo will be.

But in fact, marketing is much more than that – choosing the company’s marketing strategy is going to determine the future of your startup.

No pressure, huh?????

Hiring a marketer for your startup is always a big decision.

But when it comes to early-stage start-ups, it’s a strategic one. There is no room for mistakes – you must maximize every Dollar and show investors profitability.

So you have 2 options: in-house or outsourced:

• The first option is to hire someone in-house to manage your marketing.

• The second option is to hire the services of an outsourced marketing agency.

Both options have their pros and cons, but in order to make an informed decision for your business, you need to understand the bigger picture, so there won’t be any surprises along the way.

Not what you thought!

Many startup leaders believe that having an in-house marketing team will save them money in the long run. They think that by hiring their own employees, they can avoid the high costs associated with hiring vendors or agencies. 

But is this the reality? And is it the right thing for your organization?

Let’s talk about hidden costs that the in-house team can have:

An in-house marketer, no matter how talented and experienced, can’t master all the aspects of marketing (from strategy and branding to SEO, PR, lead generation, channel marketing, content and messaging, social media to PPC.)

You may find that your in-house team does not have the expertise or experience needed to effectively execute your full marketing strategy.

Marketing is like a rainbow – you need all the colors to make it work!

At the end of the day,  it may be necessary to hire external vendors to fill any gaps and ensure that your marketing strategy is comprehensive and effective. The result? 

The decision to go in-house ends up being way more expensive than you thought.

In addition, you need to take into consideration costs associated with the recruiting process, equipment and training, salaries, and benefits.

Not to mention the most expensive resource you have – time.

The price of choosing the wrong person can be expensive, especially in the early stages, when it is extremely important to build a smart GTM strategy and to deliver it as quickly as possible.

The consequences of choosing the wrong strategy or the wrong person can be devastating, delaying the time to market.

An in-house marketing person has held in their career two or three company positions on average. Agency-managed marketing has under its belt at least 80 different companies, verticals, personas, knowledge of best practices, and a real benchmarks, that take the guesswork out.

When you weigh all these factors together with the time it will take the marketer to deliver, it is no longer certain that the in-house option is the most profitable.

Let’s talk about outsourcing.

Hiring a marketing agency gives you the ability to scale quickly since agencies always have more employees ready to jump aboard and ramp up marketing efforts.

You get access to a diverse team with a full range of skills, including creative, design, performance marketing, content development, data analysis, marketing automation, and growth tactics. This can be more advantageous than hiring a single marketing professional who may not have expertise in all areas. In cases where you do need vendors, the agency will connect you with good service providers so you won’t have to waste time on trial and error.

Since outsource marketing companies have a lot of experience, they can deliver from day one and cut the learning curve.

Don’t leave your outsourcing out of the loop.

When you start working with an outsourcing company, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• When choosing an outsourcing company, you must be vigilant and constantly check that they’re delivering results.
• They need to be constantly connected to what is happening inside the organization – from hallway conversations to the KPIs and priorities.

This is why we come to work from our client’s offices – and function as part of the company.

Adjusting the plan for your needs:

An outsourcing company can provide the flexibility of services based on your budget and your needs. They can offer you a customized marketing package that maximizes your budget, and they are experienced working with limited resources.

When you sum it up, an outsourcing company not only gives you the best practices but also saves you time and money. Let’s look at the table below – 

Features	In-house	Outsource
Payment	Salary + compensation + benefits + holidays	Only the marketing hours + extra vendors if you need
Delivery	Delivery from Day 1	Delivery from day 1
Marketing Skills	2,3 marketing skills	360 holistic marketing skills
vendors	Paying many different vendors	Many services are included in the package
Experience	A few fields from their last previous jobs	A wide range of fields from the agency portfolio
Flexibility	May take time to adjust strategies and tactics	Can adapt quickly to changing marketing needs
Scalability	May require hiring or reallocating resources for scalability	Can easily scale up or down based on business needs

In conclusion, while bringing your marketing efforts in-house may seem like a cost-effective option, the reality is that it can often be more expensive in the long run.

By outsourcing your marketing to a professional agency, you can benefit from their experience, expertise, and resources, while also enjoying better costs, greater flexibility, and scalability. Don’t let hidden expenses drain your marketing budget; consider outsourcing your marketing.

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In the fast-paced world of B2B startups, marketing plays a crucial role in driving growth and success. However, allocating the necessary funds to develop and execute an effective marketing strategy is often a challenging endeavor. With tightening budgets and increased pressure from management to demonstrate performance, finding the right balance becomes even more critical.

When it comes to B2B startups, budget allocation is crucial. While product development and operations are vital, effective marketing is equally essential. Without a strong marketing strategy, even the most innovative product won’t sustain a company.
In this blog post, I will outline how to plan your marketing budget based on your company’s strategy and goals.

Think Big!

When I started working as a marketer for a B2B SaaS company, a wise mentor shared an invaluable piece of advice with me: think big! Don’t let budget constraints limit your vision. Instead, develop a marketing plan that incorporates all the elements you believe will help your company reach its goals. Remember, the management team will review your plan and make the necessary adjustments. So, embrace this advice and stay true to the guiding principles as you plan your B2B SaaS marketing budget.

Planning your B2B startup marketing budget: Key Aspects to Consider

To create a successful marketing budget for your B2B startup, there are several key aspects you need to consider. Let’s explore them:

1.      Company Goals: Begin by defining your marketing objectives. These goals should align with your overall business objectives and go-to-market plan. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, generating leads, driving website traffic, boosting sales, or launching a new product, your objectives will serve as a compass throughout the budget planning process. 

2.     Company Maturity: Consider your company’s stage of maturity, whether it’s at the seed stage, has received round A or B financing, or is ready to launch its product. The level of maturity will influence your marketing budget allocation and the strategies you employ.

3.     Marketing Strategy: Determine your marketing strategy based on your company’s needs. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, educate the market, or generate leads? Clearly defining your strategy will help you make informed budgeting decisions.

General outline for budget planning
Now that we’ve covered the essential aspects let’s outline a general framework to help you get started:

Start from the Top

Define your marketing objectives: Identify specific marketing goals aligned with your business goals and go-to-market plan. These objectives will serve as the foundation for your budget planning.

Understand your target audience: Gain a deep understanding of your target audience’s demographics, preferences, behavior, pain points, motivations, and decision-making criteria. This knowledge will enable you to identify the most effective marketing channels and allocate your budget accordingly. Remember, the user of your product or technology may not necessarily be the decision-maker or budget owner, so tailor your marketing efforts to reach all relevant stakeholders. 

Conduct competitive analysis: Analyze your competitors’ marketing efforts to gain insights into their strategies and tactics. This analysis will help you identify opportunities, benchmark your budget against industry standards, and determine where to invest more or less. 

Focus on targeted marketing channels: B2B startups often benefit from focused and targeted marketing channels. Evaluate options such as content marketing, thought leadership, email marketing, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertising, exhibitions and conferences, webinars, and public relations. Allocate an initial budget for testing each new channel to assess its effectiveness in reaching key decision-makers and influencers in your target industry. 

Build industry partnerships: Collaborate with industry partners, influencers, or complementary businesses to expand your reach and generate leads. Allocate a portion of your budget to building and nurturing these partnerships through co-marketing activities, joint events, partner portals, and referral programs. 

Lead generation and account-based marketing (ABM): Generating leads and driving growth are key objectives for any B2B startup. If you’ve already built awareness and demand for your product or service, it’s time to focus on converting prospects into customers. This is where lead nurturing activities and guerilla outreach campaigns come into play. By implementing a CRM tool like HubSpot, you can automate your marketing efforts and closely monitor your progress, ensuring optimal results. 

Aligning your budget with sales goals: To allocate your marketing budget effectively, it’s crucial to align it with your company’s sales goals. If you have data from the previous year, you have an advantage. For instance, if your sales revenue was $1,000,000 last year, with 10 new deals out of 150 marketing qualified leads (MQLs), and this year’s sales revenue target is $2,000,000 with a goal of bringing in at least 300 MQLs, you can calculate your marketing budget accordingly.

Consider investing more in the tools and strategies that have proven effective, and don’t be afraid to request an increased marketing budget for these activities. If you lack previous years’ data, you’ll need to estimate costs based on expected revenue. Experts at Gartner recommend allocating approximately 11% of your gross revenue (or gross projected revenue) to marketing for new companies. 

Harnessing the power of referrals and testimonials: In the B2B space, word-of-mouth and social proof are game changers. Allocate resources to encourage satisfied customers to provide referrals and testimonials. Utilize case studies, success stories, and customer testimonials as part of your content marketing strategy to build credibility and trust with potential customers. And don’t forget about your colleagues in the office—they are your most valuable ambassadors. Set a separate budget to ensure their well-being and encourage their engagement on social media. 

Crafting the perfect marketing mix: Your target audience, objectives, and competitive analysis will guide you in determining the optimal marketing mix for your business. It’s important to strike a balance between different channels and tactics to maximize your effectiveness. Allocate your budget accordingly, considering factors such as advertising costs, branding and design, content and video creation, technology and software platforms, personnel, and any additional expenses specific to your strategies. 

Setting a realistic and ambitious budget: Once you have your marketing mix and associated costs, it’s time to set your budget. Consider your business’s financial capabilities, revenue projections, and expected return on investment (ROI). Be both realistic and ambitious in your budgeting to achieve your marketing goals. 

 Monitoring and measuring success: Implement a system like HubSpot to track and measure the effectiveness of your key performance indicators (KPIs) and marketing efforts. Allocate a portion of your budget for experimentation and testing and ensure that you measure the ROI of each campaign. This data will provide valuable insights for future decision-making, allowing you to adjust your budget allocation accordingly. Collaborate closely with your sales team to understand the quality of incoming leads and the feedback received from prospects. 

Last but not least – Be creative.

In conclusion, as marketers, our creativity is a priceless asset.
B2B marketing budget planning is a vital aspect of our role, demanding agility, and adaptability. Embrace your creative instincts, be open to adjustments as you gather more insights, and stay updated on emerging tools and industry trends.

Remember, there’s no universal template for a B2B startup marketing budget. Each startup is distinct, and not all marketing channels fit every company. Keep a vigilant eye on industry dynamics and tailor your budget to meet the unique needs of your business. By doing so, you’ll maximize the impact of your marketing efforts and propel your B2B startup toward success. 

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The rise and significance of generative AI platforms 

Generative AI technology has experienced a remarkable rise in recent years, revolutionizing various industries and pushing the boundaries of what machines can achieve. Generative AI refers to the use of artificial intelligence algorithms to create new and original content, such as images, videos, music, and text, that closely mimic human creativity. Unlike traditional AI models that rely on pre-existing data, generative AI has the remarkable ability to generate entirely new and unique content, often surpassing human capabilities.

The significance of generative AI lies in its potential to transform numerous sectors. In the field of art and design, generative AI enables artists to explore new creative possibilities, producing stunning visual and auditory experiences. In healthcare, generative AI can assist in drug discovery, designing personalized treatment plans, and analyzing medical images.

Moreover, in the gaming industry, generative AI enhances virtual worlds, generating lifelike characters, landscapes, and narratives. Its impact also extends to business applications, with generative AI being utilized for content generation, customer personalization, and predictive analytics. As generative AI continues to advance, its potential to drive innovation, automate complex tasks, and push creative boundaries is expected to grow exponentially.

Israel – A hub for innovation and cutting-edge AI-based startups

Israel boasts a vibrant startup ecosystem, with a high concentration of tech companies and a thriving entrepreneurial culture.
Israeli companies have consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible, developing cutting-edge solutions that address real-world challenges and revolutionize industries.
And now they are also taking on the generative AI scene by storm.

We’ve decided to showcase our top 11 top generative AI startups from Israel and their contributions to their fields. Time to be inspired!

Israeli Generative AI startups to look out for in 2023

1. Bria

“Instantly create and customize limitless visuals at scale through generative AI for businesses”
Founded: 2022
Founders: Yair Adato,Assa Eldar

Bria’s advanced AI technology enables businesses to quickly generate and edit top-notch visual material for social media posts, ads, and eCommerce pictures. Instead of searching the internet for images, Bria’s algorithms are trained using authorized data. This guarantees full compliance with copyright regulations and ensures that the images utilized and created meet the strictest standards for quality and safety.

2. One View

“To provide freedom, independence, and self-sufficiency to those who teach machines how to better understand data.”
Founded: 2019
Founders: Omri Greenberg , Oren Katzir, Dor Herman

OneView is a platform designed to generate virtual synthetic datasets, specifically catered to the analysis of earth observation imagery using machine learning algorithms.
Replacing the slow and manual data preparation up until now required for generating with automated and swift creation of ready-for-training data.

3. Skeep

“Generating magical eCommerce experiences, automatically”
Founded: 2020
Founders: Daniel Nemeth, Omer Cohen

Skeep’s AI-based system generates dynamic and personalized shoppable quizzes that guide shoppers toward the most suitable products. Unlike traditional manual approaches, Skeep eliminates the need for extensive setup, making it easy for businesses to implement and benefit from right away. Through these interactive quizzes, businesses gain insights into the preferences, interests, and motivations of each consumer. Skeep empowers businesses to provide an interactive and personalized shopping experience, enhancing customer satisfaction and driving success in the competitive market.

4. HourOne

“Create AI video content in less than 15 minutes”

Founded: 2019

Founders: Lior Hakim, Oren Aharon

Hour One AI specializes in creating and managing a cutting-edge platform designed specifically for professional use. Their innovative solution leverages computer-generated AI individuals, crafted to appear as photo-realistic characters, to revolutionize the traditional video production workflow. With Hour One, businesses can seamlessly digitize and enhance their video creation process. What sets Hour One apart is its cloud-based infrastructure, allowing any organization to effortlessly generate top-notch presenter videos at a significantly reduced cost. These videos can be created in just minutes, available in multiple languages, and accessible on a self-serve basis. Moreover, Hour One’s platform ensures scalability, enabling businesses to meet their video production needs efficiently and effectively.

5. Ask-AI

“The one sentence answer you need”

Founded: 2021
Founder: Alon Talmor


ASK aggregates text-heavy company knowledge & customer communications to reveal ChatGPT-like answers and actionable insights.

Ask-AI has created a revolutionary internal search engine that harnesses the power of natural language processing (NLP) and a profound comprehension of human queries and speech. This advanced technology enables the engine to automatically analyze lengthy texts and condense them into concise and comprehensible summaries. Beyond delivering direct answers, the system also facilitates inquiry, promoting continual improvement in product development, customer experience, knowledge, management, and organizational efficiency.

6. CodiumAI

“Enable developers to build faster with zero bugs.”

Founded: 2022
Founders: Dedy Kredo, Itamar Friedman

CodiumAI empowers developers with a game-changing solution for enhanced code integrity and faster, bug-free development. By merging artificial and human intelligence, they revolutionize the coding experience. Through their IDE extension, developers receive invaluable assistance within their coding environment, including intelligent suggestions for both non-trivial and trivial tests. CodiumAI understands developers’ needs as fellow developers and aims to provide tailored tools and solutions.

7. SPIRITT

“How to Start a Start-Up Without an Investment”

Founded: 2021

Founders: Tamir Magen , Or Kliger

SPIRITT is an innovative AI platform that offers assistance to help entrepreneurs create stunning, feature-rich applications without technical expertise. SPIRITT brings any app idea to life without the need for extensive technical skills.

SPIRITT has developed a platform that allows for the development of complex applications by describing them only verbally, with the help of a conversational AI chatbot. 

8. TheGist

“A more fulfilling and productive employee experience”

Founded: 2022

Founders: Itay Dressler, Itzik Ben Bassat, Nir Zohar

The Gist revolutionizes collaboration by providing personalized summaries of Slack discussions. Their tools streamline teamwork, task management, project coordination, and information consumption. With insightful summaries from supported Slack bots, The Gist saves valuable time and tackles the challenge of information overload caused by the extensive use of organizational tools and SaaS services. Their platform enhances organizational efficiency by delivering tailored information consumption, effectively cutting through the noise and enabling easy access to the necessary information.

9. Protai

“Combat complex diseases and create a healthier world”

Founded: 2021

Founders: Eran Seger,  Kirill Pevzner

In the realm of drug discovery and development, comprehending the molecular mechanisms underlying intricate diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions poses a significant challenge. However, Protai has successfully addressed this hurdle through the creation of an advanced platform that expedites independent drug development. By facilitating precise mapping of diseases at the protein level across various activity states, this platform significantly enhances the capacity to observe cellular function, leading to improved methods for discovering and developing new drugs. As a result, development processes are optimized, leading to substantial time and cost savings.

10. Ginzi

Founded: 2021
Founders: Ben Jacobs , Kobi Agi

Support leaders no longer have to create template responses from scratch with Ginzi. By integrating with the chat channel and accessing historic data from platforms like Zendesk, Intercom, Salesforce, and others, Ginzi’s AI learns from past conversations and develops business-specific AI models. The AI system identifies recurring questions and generates suggested template answers. Agents benefit from receiving AI-generated answers, enabling them to resolve tickets within seconds. With Ginzi’s assistance, support leaders can verify and edit the AI-generated answers to ensure accuracy and efficiency in their support operations.

11. Alison.ai

“Stop the guesswork. Produce smarter results-driven creatives”

Founded: 2021
Founders: Asaf Yanai, Koby Berkovich 

Alison transforms creative development by leveraging data-driven insights. With full-funnel data analysis, Alison identifies key elements that impact creative success, allowing marketers to streamline production and focus on what resonates with each audience. This intelligent platform combines smart algorithms and human insights to provide superior quality data, eliminating guesswork and empowering brands to build high-performing creatives based on real-time information.

To sum up:

As generative AI platforms continue to advance, they hold immense potential for driving innovation, automating complex tasks, and unlocking unprecedented opportunities for human creativity and problem-solving. When used as an extension of our lives to overcome challenges it has the power to propel humanity forward.

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