When it comes to steering your business towards success, traditional marketing strategies like the sales funnel usually come to mind. Blast out your content, get a bunch of people interested, and then whittle it down to the ones who are ready to make a purchase. Then, each week, or month, or quarter, start over again. As an experienced HubSpot consultant, I can say that while this may work for big companies with even bigger budgets, it’s not really the way we do things anymore; at least, it’s not my approach to successfully growing an organization. Too much time and energy is wasted on attracting attention, and then users are often patted on the back and sent their way after making a purchase; it just doesn’t feel personal enough. Instead we should consider the HubSpot Flywheel approach.
There are three key components working together to propel your business forward: Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success teams. Each of these teams need to work together to achieve 3 main goals as part of the Hubspot Flywheel: Attract, Engage, and Delight. In a traditional funnel approach, each of these teams are working in separate boxes, each with separate goals. The HubSpot Flywheel reimagines this process, placing the customer at the center of the process, and transforming these attract, engage, and delight stages into a unified, continuous cycle.
The Flywheel approach shifts the focus from isolated transactions to long-term, all-inclusive relationships and engagements. It starts with marketing efforts attracting potential customers with good quality inbound content. If you’re unsure of what this could be, check out our piece on HubSpot Inbound Marketing Content Then, as these prospects inquire more and more about your product or service, they’ll engage to make their first purchase, and the sales engine takes over, ensuring a smooth handoff. Finally, the delighted customers generated by your marketing and sales efforts contribute to your business's growth through referrals, repeat purchases, and positive reviews.
In a sense, the HubSpot Flywheel approach means that the nurturing and selling process never really ends when a prospect becomes a customer. Instead, they’re kept into the orbit of the flywheel, the inertia and momentum keep them moving around and around to continue receiving and being attracted by that quality inbound content, feeling engaged and connected to the brand based off their previous purchase, and not only purchase again, but tell their family and friends about the delightful experience they’ve had, and that they should consider it too. In this case, the not-so-vicious cycle continues.
To drive momentum, your Flywheel needs a few key elements working in harmony: SEO/SEA, email marketing, and social media. We’ve already touched on the ideas of quality inbound content so we won’t go into too much detail here.
In summary, SEO and SEA ensure your content is discoverable when potential customers are seeking solutions. SEA takes a shortcut to the audience by using paid search advertisements to boost your content. It works a bit faster to get your content out there, even when it may not be ranking organically yet. SEO takes the longer approach of aligning your keywords and content to fit the specific searches and needs a consumer may have, to rank your content right at the organic top of the page.
Email marketing keeps your brand on their radar and at the front of their mind with relevant updates and insights at the best times you see fit for your campaigns. Social media expands your reach and sparks conversations and interest that further amplify your brand message, like having your own personal billboard for every prospect who comes across your content. When these three gears turn together, your Flywheel spins faster.
The Flywheel thrives on customer delight because delighted customers don't just make purchases; they become advocates and unofficial brand ambassadors who refer friends to make a purchase and share positive reviews on social media or wherever your customers leave reviews. We all know someone who never stops talking about their favorite brand of coffee, or the only place they’d ever buy hair products that touch their head. Not so great for dinner party conversations, but top-notch approaches to continued marketing efforts.
The best part is, you can use data from your CRM to understand specific preferences, previous interactions, and purchase histories from every delighted customer. This enables you to better address their needs with targeted content, special offers, and personalized recommendations, thereby keeping the Flywheel spinning seamlessly and smoothly.
Transitioning to the Flywheel approach may seem like a big shift for your growing organization. It may not even make any clear sense at all yet, but its rewards are substantial and much higher, more continuous, and more agile than the traditional top-down sales funnel. As customers continue to engage and advocate for your brand, their energy fuels your business's growth where traditional sales funnels thank them for their purchase, and start the hunting and acquisition process all over again. The Flywheel not only brings in new customers and keeps them in, but ensures those delighted customers promote and repurchase from your brand through pure authenticity.
Embracing the Flywheel starts with a mindset shift. It's about seeing customers not as a point of sale but as lifelong partners in your business journey, a long-term commitment. As a certified HubSpot Consultant, I specialize in guiding businesses through this transition. By partnering with me, you can navigate the intricacies of the Flywheel, craft personalized strategies, and propel your business towards sustained growth. Let's embark on a journey where customers are at the heart of every spin, propelling your business to new heights. Book a free 30-minute session with me today and let's set your Flywheel in motion!