Are you an app junkie like I am? There’s an app for everything, even things we didn’t know we needed an app for. Full disclosure, I have over 150 apps on my phone. In today’s technologically advanced environment, apps are what keep the business world turning at breakneck speeds. If you are old school and still relying on a pen, paper, file cabinets, and a Rolodex to manage your business, you might want to take a crash course in the current technologies available. Really though, I know if you’re reading this article, you aren’t old school. It was more to make a point. There’s a lot of technology out there intended to streamline your business operations, especially if you use HubSpot’s CRM platform.
HubSpot does a lot of things well. One thing it does exceptionally well is play nice with others. In order to make the lives of sales and marketing professionals easier, HubSpot offers customers the ability to integrate their HubSpot software with a myriad of solutions. Let’s start at the beginning.
What Are Integrations?
Software integrations, commonly known as application integrations, enable you to connect a group of related applications to fulfill critical business requirements. Applications are meant to enhance the functionality of your current software as your business needs grow. When integrated, the applications share information, saving you valuable time and reducing the number of errors that are inevitably part of the human factor of data entry. Let’s be honest — we all make mistakes.
Why Do you need Integrations When You Already Have HubSpot?
My dad always told me to work smarter, not harder (and still does every chance he gets). According to HubSpot, businesses that utilize three or more integrations grow faster than those with none. Not specifically because of the apps, but because innovative, successful companies know the value of an integrated stack. By integrating different tools, they can simplify and streamline processes, keeping them connected and relevant.
Enter the HubSpot App Ecosystem
HubSpot has taken the guesswork out of which apps integrate with their CRM software platform by creating the App Ecosystem – HubSpot Connect. With more than 500 apps available, you can find the right tool for your specific needs. The HubSpot App Marketplace is loaded with integrations to support all your inbound marketing initiatives. You’ll find apps built and supported by HubSpot and apps built externally by HubSpot Connect Partners. If you’re a numbers person, check out these stats about the HubSpot App Marketplace!
- 750k+ free and paid weekly active users
- 125k+ customers in over 120 countries worldwide
- The average customer installs 7+ apps
- 95% of HubSpot customers use at least one app
I highly recommend taking a look around the marketplace and seeing what apps can help streamline your processes.
Our Favorite Integrations
At the HIVE, we love everything HubSpot, but we really love technology that makes our and our client’s lives easier. Here are some of our favorites:
Zapier
Our developers like to use Zapier because it saves them a bunch of time. It opens up a ton of options to connect to 3rd party apps and create automations through an intuitive user interface rather than writing API functions from scratch. It is a middleware tool that moves information between HubSpot and 3rd party apps with automated workflows set up within the app providing the ability to look up data across multiple tools. Work can be scheduled, delayed, summarized, and parsed.
Integration ideas:
- Save new HubSpot form submissions to a Google Sheets spreadsheet.
- Create or update HubSpot contacts from new Google contacts.
- Log new Intercom users in HubSpot.
Canva
Our team LOVES Canva. Especially those of us who are not adept at the Adobe Suite of design tools. Canva is so simple to use. It takes the complexity out of building professional graphics for all your marketing initiatives like social posts, email, explainer videos, ads, and website content. The ability to sync files between HubSpot’s file manager and Canva eliminates the need to download creative from Canva to your computer and then upload it to HubSpot. If your boss doesn’t have the Pro plan from Canva, you need to put it on your wish list. That’s what we did, and we got it. I honestly think it was so we would stop bombarding him with requests to create things in the Adobe Suite for us.
Integration features:
- Access Canva directly from within HubSpot.
- Simple, user-friendly functionality.
- Sync files between HubSpot’s File Manager and Canva.
Zoom
This integration became virtually (pun intended) necessary when we were all required to work from home when COVID shut the world down. Who remembers when Zoom crashed in August of 2020, halting classes for millions of students and canceling meetings for businesses all over the world? This piece of technology was and is essential for keeping us connected in ways we never imagined. Our clients like to use the Zoom integration with HubSpot for webinars, seminars, and online courses. It’s possible to set up a workflow that sends the Zoom meeting link to customers who complete a registration form which frees up time for the team to take care of other tasks.
Integration features:
- Integrates with HubSpot meetings.
- Track Zoom webinar attendance in HubSpot CRM.
- Promote your Zoom webinars with HubSpot workflows.
- Automatically record, transcribe and analyze your calls.
Slack
At HIVE, our primary form of internal communication is Slack. We have channels dedicated to specific topics to help organize team conversations about internal and external topics. I won’t lie — our favorite is our internal team channel #buzzygang where we can let our hair down and share what’s happening outside of “the office.” It’s so much more than just a messaging app, though. Some of our team members make use of the HubSpot integrations in the app to get more done without having to navigate back and forth between HubSpot and Slack.
Integration features:
- Turn Slack messages into a HubSpot task or ticket.
- Use slash commands to search or post info from HubSpot.
- Get HubSpot notifications in Slack.
- Send Slack notifications through HubSpot workflows.
- Share HubSpot reports & dashboards.
- Manage HubSpot chat conversations directly through Slack.
The App Marketplace has so many integrations available, there are bound to be several that you didn't know you were missing in your life. If you want to learn more about HubSpot integrations, we're happy to let you bend our ear. Let's chat!
