I don’t know whether to be flattered. Disturbed maybe? Like I do an excellent job with personal branding…? When my friends from completely unrelated job fields (teaching, distribution, etc…) send me breaking news about Hubspot’s new e-mail marketing solution.
Part of me chuckled. I mean, how great is that? My friends actually listed to me drone on about image rendering and the type of code one should use for font tags.
But then part of me (a larger more meaningful part) felt like I let myself down. I have sensed for quite some time that this initiative was on the horizon for Hubspot (along with several other companies) and I stopped paying attention. In a way, it feels like I gave up on something I clearly love. Really, I just took a break since here I am chanting on the interwebs.
I know, it sounds dramatic. I am totally being dramatic. But hear me out.
The “e-mail is dying” mantra is the WORST internal societal pressure that we e-mail evangelists face within the marketing industry every day. Seriously, every day. It’s part of marketing culture to form a DEATH GRIP on catch phrases and buzz words, especially ones that hint at a trend that can hurt us – our companies, our jobs, our very livelihoods – like the death of a medium.
Remember how everyone wanted social media before just about anyone knew what it was? And then everyone got skeptical? Ah! Frustrating. Even Hubspot has a reputation for capitalizing on this, coining the term “inbound marketing” to describe a new and unique approach to methods for capturing leads and generating engagement.
What’s fascinating is that this move into the e-mail space may be viewed by some – if not many – as a step backwards or as an afterthought. “Why not continue to expand our range of products?” But I am confident that this will not be just another feather in Hubspot’s cap. They are a technology company that is clearly focused on developing integrated solutions.
Be still be heart. It is refreshing to see a positive announcement about developments within the e-mail marketing industry. “A lot of people think that e-mail marketing is dead, but we think it still has a lot of power if it’s done right.” Truer words have never been spoken, Jessica Meher. Go forth and conquer Hubspot. I wish you well!