Boston is a town steeped in the spirit of revolution (bonus point if you get the “tea” reference!).

Last month, seven members of the Everbrave team traveled to the home of Paul Revere, Fenway Park, Lobster Rolls – and HubSpot – to attend INBOUND 2022. A conference dedicated to achieving growth in the rapidly changing world of digital sales & marketing.

In her opening address, HubSpot CEO, Yamini Rangan, explained, Inbound 2022 is all about “Connection.” We at Everbrave would like to share 6 connections that we made in Boston.

A Connection to… Greatness and Inspiration

If the goal of INBOUND was to inspire, then mission accomplished! You can hardly blame attendees for being more than just a little star-struck.

President Barack Obama (yes, THAT Barack Obama!) shared his message of hope, along with warnings about the need to listen to and acknowledge various viewpoints in order to preserve our fragile democracy.

Naturalist/activist Jane Goodall spoke of the importance of a balanced approach to large-scale change. She shared stories about how her lack of scholarly training helped her make unbiased observations of chimps in the field – which was instrumental to her work and understanding.

Actress/producer Viola Davis (The Help, How to Get Away with Murder) shed light on her fight to get black stories told in Hollywood – and how it led her and her husband to start their own production company to make it happen.

A Connection to… Innovation

HubSpot made several new product announcements at INBOUND 2022. The one that excited us the most was a long-awaited update and expansion to their ‘Campaigns’ tool. Everbrave took the initiative to schedule a private in-person team tutorial with HubSpot Academy Inbound Professor, Kara Susvilla. We learned the improvements will allow users to:

• Easily view tactics and strategies at each stage of the buyer’s journey
• A better understanding of how to increase engagement and campaign optimization
• Achieve full alignment from initial execution to optimization and ultimately conversion

If you’d like to know how you can use ‘Campaigns’, we’d love to tell you more.  

A Connection to… Knowledge

There were literally hundreds of sessions to choose from. Our team took a “divide and conquer” approach. We asked everyone to provide a highlight or two. Here’s what they said…

Jacky – Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist

“First, it’s better for an agency (or even an individual) to be really good at one thing versus trying to know a little bit about all things! It validates our focus on inbound marketing. Second, to zig when others zag. Don’t be afraid to explore new directions. That’s when amazing things can happen.”

Leilani – Growth Manager

“The ‘a-ha’ moment for me was the importance of meeting your customers where they are (that is, on the platforms and places where they are already using). By bringing ‘no-click’ content and brand experiences into these areas, you can make the digital experience more personalized and convenient. One example is text messaging. It’s difficult to track and measure conversational marketing tactics on asynchronous channels like SMS but these experiences are more authentic, have a higher conversion rate (82%), and are at the heart of a human-centered buyers journey.”

Kelsey – Inbound Marketing Specialist

“Not gonna lie, I’m a huge Ryan Reynolds fan. Did you know he’s the Chief Creative Officer of an advertising software agency: MNTN? They boast the world’s first and only Connected TV advertising platform optimized for direct-response marketing goals. MNTN’s VP of Marketing, Ali Haeri said there are zero excuses for B2B marketing to not be creative and compelling. B2B companies often take themselves too seriously. His advice: remember, your customers are people too. Find unique ways to capture their attention, but still deliver the message of what you’re offering.”

Jess – Growth Specialist

“Email marketing guru, Jay Schwedelson’s had some great advice: Give something to the reader instead of asking for something. Provide something of value to someone without focusing on making the sale (for example, send emails with free advice, useful stats, or trade secrets.) If you do, you’re more likely to be remembered and make an impression.”

Brianne – Partner, Account Service Director

“On the theme of Connection, during a LinkedIn session, one speaker shared a quote that resonated with me. It is from Ryan Roslansky, President of LinkedIn: We are experiencing globally, one of the biggest changes to ever play out in the world of work… as of September 2021, we see a 54% increase year over year in job transitions across the platform.

It reminds me of the importance of maintaining strong and positive relationships with your team – and with your customers. (Our team connected in Boston over karaoke!)”

Dan – Partner, Strategy Director

“HubSpot really focussed on the disconnected customer as a leading theme for this year’s event, and I think it was a sober reminder that the world has become a chaotic place, with information moving at lightspeed. While we’re all clamoring for the latest and great tool to solve whatever today’s problem is, we’re sometimes forgetting to consider the bigger picture of customer connection. Being more thoughtful about creating connected customer experiences and journeys should be a top priority for businesses that want to stay competitive by building lasting customer relationships.

Oh, and Jane Goodall is my new personal hero, a spectacular example of placing simple humanity above all else. We should all strive to be a little more like Jane.”

Dave – Content Director

“The one stat that really opened my eyes came from author, Marcus Sheridan. He revealed that in today’s world of online research, most customers are 80% of the way into their Buyer’s Journey (and decision process) before they even speak to a salesperson.

What this says is that sales teams will get far more value from contributing their key selling points to online marketing content vs. carefully guarding it for their in-person sales pitch. Because by that time, someone may have beaten you to the punch – and eaten your lunch.”

A Connection to… Insights

Speaking of stats, here are a few that stood out:

• 59% of customers feel that brands have lost touch with the human element of customer experience
• 71% of customers expect companies to deliver more personalized interactions.
• 65% of Google searches end without a click 
• 40% decline in responses to sales emails 

A Connection to… Learned Wisdom

Some of the most valuable sessions were the breakouts that provided an opportunity to discuss challenges with your peers.  It’s amazing what you can learn from the successes and failures of others. Plus, it was a chance to meet a lot of very interesting and incredibly talented people from across the globe.

A Connection to… a Wicked-Cool City

Boston is a world-class city with a super cool vibe that’s both hip and historic. A town full of big brains and even bigger local personalities. We enjoyed some fantastic seafood and Italian fare, craft beers, and even karaoke. While there wasn’t a ton of spare time, our team managed to explore Boston Common, Newberry Street, and Faneuil Hall.

INBOUND 2022 expanded our minds as a HubSpot Platinum Partner. It also gave us a small taste of this amazing city. And a hunger to come back for more!