HubSpot’s free users get a premium upgrade

Users of HubSpot’s free CRM tools will now be able to send targeted emails and manage social ad spending, according to an announcement from the marketing software provider. The newly accessible capabilities are designed to help HubSpot’s’ small- to medium-size customers save time by integrating the solutions into a single platform for execution.

Users will be able to send up to 2,000 emails per month as part of the free offering. Additionally, they will be able to manage up to $1,000 in monthly ad spend on Facebook, Google and LinkedIn.

Why we should care

Many small and growing businesses are still adjusting to the digital-first reality when it comes to their marketing. Marketers often find themselves fighting for budgets, and it can be challenging to justify investments in multiple platforms. HubSpot’s strategy of bringing this martech together into one platform could help marketers grow their reach without breaking their budgets.

“We believe that email and CRM belong together, and that every marketer, no matter the size of their budget, should be able to see how their efforts are impacting their customers and, ultimately, their bottom line,” said HubSpot CMO Kipp Bodnar. “We’re offering email as part of our free CRM to enable growing businesses to finally see how their efforts impact their customers’ experience beyond just a single email or interaction.”

By including these free solutions in part of its free offering, HubSpot is positioning itself to serve as the primary CRM, email and social provider for small businesses when they outgrow the free services and need to expand their digital capabilities.

More on the news

• The company also announced the expansion of its free tier of ads tools, which previously only support Facebook lead ads.
• The new capability allows users to connect to two social accounts to manage, but limits users to Facebook, Google and LinkedIn ads
• The tool also includes conversion-level reports which are also integrated with HubSpot’s free CRM