Only for those who want to learn how to properly market their integrations with their partners. Google and HubSpot followed 6 stages to increase in feature adoption by 232%.
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PRINCIPLES
From "marketing THROUGH" to "marketing WITH"
Think of your distribution strategy like planning a big event.
You could try to do it all yourself, but let’s be real: It’s much smoother and more impactful when you bring in others to help.
But here’s the key — you’re not just asking them to show up or do a task; you’re working with them, side by side, to make the event a success.
The same principle applies in your distribution strategy.
Sure, you could post it on your social channels or blast it out in an email campaign, but that’s like trying to cook a full Thanksgiving meal by yourself.
What if you brought in people who are already trusted by your audience to co-create and co-promote your content?
You’re not just using them as a channel; you’re teaming up as equals to make something bigger than what either of you could achieve alone — and allowing everyone involved to shine.
So next time you’re about to hit “publish,” think: How can I bring others along for the ride, not just as passengers, but as co-drivers? That’s where the real impact happens.
Take a page from Brooks Lockett, who’s turned partner collaboration into a winning distribution model by actively involving others in his content creation and promotion.
TACTICS
How Google and HubSpot more than tripled adoption of their ads integration
Google and HubSpot executed a comprehensive GTM strategy for their Ads Optimization Events tool, which resulted in a 232% increase in feature adoption just five months post launch.
HubSpot’s Christen Luciano, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Kelsey Peterson, former Manager of Strategic Partner Enablement and Operations, shared with us the 6 stages they followed to make this integration a success.
Stage one: Integration planning — almost one year before launch
Google’s channel partnerships team and HubSpot’s strategic partnerships team began discussing a potential integration.
HubSpot’s strategic partnerships, product, and customer success teams worked together to:
- Compile integration requests from their Community forum
- Analyze trends in support tickets
- Review product feedback
- Gather insights from customer surveys
They quickly identified a high demand for offline conversion tracking with Google Ads.
The teams then set regular meetings and alignment plans for the GTM process.
Stage two: Internal integration enablement — two months before launch
HubSpot’s strategic partnerships team created an internal video and a guide to help its customer success, sales, and marketing teams learn how the Ads Optimization Events tool works, how it benefits HubSpot and Google’s mutual customers, the product messaging, and how to help customers set up the integration.
Stage three: The official launch
Here’s when both brands launched several enablement materials like:
- Integration overview deck to enable Google’s sellers and HubSpot’s customer success and partner marketing teams to help them drive integration adoption — the deck included the integration demo video, benefits, use cases, etc.
- Enablement video for Google’s sellers to help them explain what the Ads Optimization Events tool is and how it will help mutual customers improve ad targeting and optimize ad performance.
- Technical training video to teach Google’s sellers how to help customers set up the integration.
- FAQ page for Ads Optimization Events tool where Google’s sellers add their questions to the doc on an ongoing basis, and the HubSpot team answers them.
- Integration announcement in HubSpot’s community forum.
- A knowledge base article to help joint customers sync ad conversion data with their Google Ads accounts.
- A joint case study of a customer who had seen early success using the integration.
Stage four: Continue launch momentum — one month after launch
HubSpot and Google announced the integration with a blog post, an integration landing page, and special promotions like offering $150 in ad credits to new Google customers integrating with HubSpot and extended 60-day free trials.
This was mainly to educate common customers on how to advance their advertising capabilities and how HubSpot x Google integration could help.
Read the full story to learn how Google and HubSpot stayed in sync throughout the GTM journey here.
LEARNING OF THE DAY
Keep it short and sweet
James Mulvey, Head of Content at Motion, wisely said:
“Sometimes, the best campaigns aren't about starting from scratch or making radical departures. They're about finding clever ways to extend or modify existing successful concepts.”
His tip: “Next time you're tempted to overcomplicate your marketing, ask yourself: What's the simplest way I can build on what already resonates with my audience?"
Thanks for your insights James.
FROM THE ECOSYSTEM
The Future of Revenue survey
For the second year, we’re partnering with Pavilion to gather insights from revenue leaders like you for the Future of Revenue survey.
We want to understand the strategies and trends shaping the industry, and your perspective would be incredibly valuable.
As a thank you, you’ll receive early access to the report before it’s officially released this fall.
Share your experience here.
UPCOMING EVENT
INBOUND 24
With Inbound 24 around the corner, here’s a preview of what we have in store:
- On Inbound’s Partner Day (September 17), our CMO Alex Poulos will be speaking on the panel “The Connected Ecosystem Approach to Reinvention”.
- You can swing by the Crossbeam booth to meet the newly merged team, grab some killer Ecosystem swag, and get the most up-to-date intel on the new merged Crossbeam x Reveal product.
- Attend the Crossbeam x Gong yacht party on Wednesday, September 18th.
- Attend Chili Piper, Sendoso, Surfe, Splash, Mobileforce, and Crossbeam after party on Wednesday, September 18th.
Book a meeting to meet our team here.
Stuff you don't want to miss!
- TODAY, August 26th — Content vs. Product Marketing vs. Demand Gen: Defining Roles, Responsibilities, and KPIs — Theresa Anderson and Pranav Piyush, Founders of Paramark, will define the roles, responsibilities, and metrics of each team. Watch it live here.
- August 28th — GTM is Better Together — Join GTM Partners, Demandbase, Clari, G2, MadKudu, ON24, TechnologyAdvice, Totango + Catalyst Software, Vidyard, ZoomInfo, and an elite group of leaders to discuss around what a modern, enterprise, GTM team and tech stack should look like and how it can be best optimized for efficiency and scalability. Get your ticket here.
- August 28th — ABM’s Value to Sales — Learn from Nate Spurgess, Demand Marketing Manager at Service Express, Nancy Naretto, Head of Global Brand and Marketing at QAD, and Mac Conn, VP Commercial Sales at 6sense, how to sell your Sales leader on ABM and why it adds value to Sales. Save your spot here.
- September 10th — RevOps Playbook for High-Growth Companies — Tessa Whittaker, VP of Revenue Operations at ZoomInfo, and Mollie Bodensteiner, VP of Operations at Sound will share how to start and identify your RevOps approach. Organized by RevGenius. Save your spot here.
You're all caught up
See you tomorrow
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