Hubspot, the sales and marketing automation platform, has announced the launch of Hubspot Creators, a new program to invest in and support emerging content creators.
Starting with podcasts, the program will launch with an initial cohort of eight content creators. They will produce content from scratch and receive resources to expand their brands, operational support, as well as a monthly payment that increases along with the creator’s success.
But why would a SaaS platform be so dedicated to investing in a content creator program? What would be the strategy behind it?
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Understanding consumer behavior
First, we need to remember that Marketing is made for people, and people change constantly.
They change their tastes, habits, preferences and it is always necessary to understand these transformations and adjust to them.
It sounds silly, but it’s quite common to see brands that haven’t yet understood that their strategies need to constantly change as behavior changes.
Now, I want to give you extremely valuable data about new consumer behavior. Come with me!
Consumer trust in content creators
A study by Olapic and Cite Research reveals a growing distrust from consumers towards brands.
Given the vast amount of fake news being shared across the internet, these shoppers are increasingly likely to trust posts from real people over recommendations made by the brands themselves.
Changes in the ways of consuming content
Did you know that 75% of children from the new generation dream of becoming YouTubers? Well, these are just reflections of the great changes in current consumer behavior.
The new cell phones, SmartTVs and laptops have brought new possibilities to consume content over the internet. In addition, the number of content creators has been growing more and more on platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, Twitch, Instagram, among others.
With the large number of people consuming such content, it is extremely important that brands adapt to these new channels within their marketing strategies.
Podcasts are outperforming traditional media
Being able to listen (when watching) what you want and when you want is a trend of the new generation. This has led many people to migrate from mainstream media to digital platforms.
In this world of possibilities, podcasts have gained prominent positions.
Research shows that the number of podcasts around the world has already surpassed the 2 million mark, and that figure continues to grow. These same surveys indicate that 24% of the American population listens to podcasts weekly.
Studies conducted by Claritas suggest that podcasts increase brand recognition between 24% and 79%. That’s up to 30 times the channel rates from traditional TV.
Data like these has led several brands to increasingly invest in this channel, both in sponsorship and in encouraging the creation of new influencers and content creators.
What would Hubspot’s strategy be with its Creators Program?
A study by RealEyes on TikTok revealed that content creators with an average of 540,000 followers receive higher levels of attention compared to influencers with more than 50 million.
By investing in undiscovered creators, Hubspot makes a very promising bet. In addition, its strategy is perfectly aligned with new trends and consumer behaviors on the internet.
Brands need to be present in consumers’ lives and produce content that inspires and educates their audience. And this is something that many tech companies have failed at in their marketing strategies.
Many of these companies insist on talking only about their products and their advantages. Just as they do not seek to update their strategies according to the changes in their persona’s consumption habits.
Hubspot understands that its strategies need to be aligned with the behavior of the new generation. Your investment in content creators is a clear example of this.
The platform had already hit the nail on the head in acquiring The Hustle newsletter and now expands its channels to another big trend: podcasts.
What do marketers and brands need to understand from this?
As I said earlier in this article, marketing is for people. And understanding that the strategy that works today may not work tomorrow is understanding that people’s behavior changes over time.
Understand who your audience is, what they consume, where they are and adapt your strategy as these transformations happen.
Consistency is one of the main keys to the success of a marketing strategy, but “doing more of the same” could be a business’s worst decision.
