Should Printing Companies Use HubSpot?

A Strategic Breakdown on HubSpot Usage for PSPs

If you run a commercial print company, you've probably asked or been asked this question: "Should we be using HubSpot?" It’s a common inquiry from print service providers (PSPs) aiming to scale their marketing, automate follow-up, and better manage customer relationships. The short answer is: It depends.

HubSpot is often praised as a robust, all-in-one marketing, sales, and customer service platform. But is it the best fit for every printing business? This blog lays out exactly when HubSpot makes sense for print companies, and when it doesn't, while comparing alternatives and offering practical guidance based on budget, team size, and business objectives.

What Is HubSpot and What Does It Actually Do?

Before making a decision, it’s important to understand what HubSpot really is, and what it isn’t.

HubSpot includes several core modules:

• Marketing Hub - Create and automate email campaigns, run lead scoring, build landing pages, and manage forms.
• Sales Hub - Track deals, automate follow-up tasks, and manage pipelines with CRM features.
• Customer Service Hub - Support tickets, customer feedback tools, and knowledge base management.
• CMS Hub & Operations Hub - Web content management and automation at a more technical level.

HubSpot was built to help businesses attract, convert, close, and delight leads by streamlining every step of the customer journey in one ecosystem.

Why Print Companies Consider It:

Its appeal lies in its clean interface, visual workflow builders, and 360-degree visibility into prospect and customer activity, something many PSPs currently lack.

HubSpot’s Sweet Spot Is When It Works Best for PSPs

1. You’re Ready to Invest in Full Funnel Automation
   If you're generating traffic and leads already, through SEO, ads, or trade events, and you’re struggling to nurture them consistently, HubSpot becomes highly valuable. It helps you:

• Automate email follow-ups and drip sequences.
• Track visitor activity and engagement history.
• Tie email, web, and sales activity to a single contact record.

2. Your Team Lacks Technical Marketing Skills
   HubSpot’s biggest differentiator is ease of use. Its drag-and-drop builders and visual automation tools make it accessible to users without heavy marketing automation experience.
3. You Want Everything in One System
   No more stitching together Mailchimp, Salesforce, Zoho, and a separate ticketing platform. HubSpot integrates everything from lead gen to sales CRM to customer support.
4. You’re Willing to Invest
   Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room, cost. HubSpot can get expensive. However, if used correctly, the ROI from increased conversions and sales efficiency can offset those costs.

When HubSpot Might NOT Be Right for Your Print Business

1. You’re Early in Digital Marketing Maturity
   If you’re not yet generating consistent traffic or leads, HubSpot won’t magically fill your pipeline. You’ll still need SEO, ads, or social media to generate traffic. HubSpot supports those efforts, but it’s not a traffic engine itself.
2. Budget Constraints Are Tight
   While there are startup plans and partner discounts, HubSpot is still pricier than tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or Zoho. If your goal is simply email automation or contact management, cheaper options may suffice.
3. You Don’t Have Time or Team Bandwidth
   HubSpot works best when a company actively uses and customizes it. If you’re not able to dedicate internal resources or a marketing partner to manage it, you may underutilize the platform, and overpay.

HubSpot vs. Other Platforms for Print Companies

Let’s compare HubSpot to its closest alternatives in the PSP space.

Click to enlarge.

Use HubSpot If:

• You want an all-in-one solution.
• You have marketing and sales teams that need full visibility.
• You value ease of use and clean integration.

Use an Alternative If:

• You mainly need email automation or list segmentation.
• Budget is a top concern.
• You’re not using CRM or sales pipelines yet.

Don’t Overestimate What HubSpot Can Do

One of the biggest misconceptions about HubSpot is that it will automatically bring you more leads. This is false.

HubSpot does NOT:

• Drive traffic to your site.
• Improve SEO rankings.
• Create content or run ads for you.

These elements still require strategic digital marketing: SEO, paid media, social campaigns, and lead magnets. Once that work generates traffic and leads, HubSpot becomes a powerful tool for nurturing and converting those leads.

Real-World Example: How PSPs Can Use HubSpot Effectively

Let’s say you offer wide-format print services and you’ve built a library of gated resources (like buyer guides or quote calculators). With HubSpot, you could:

• Trigger automated follow-ups when someone downloads a guide.
• Assign leads to the right sales rep based on service interest.
• Track email opens, clicks, and website return visits.
• Use behavior data to prioritize hot leads.
• Email customers about new substrates or services based on past behavior.

This type of behavior-driven automation can significantly shorten sales cycles and improve close rates, if you have the right systems in place.

Final Advice for Print Companies Considering HubSpot

Ask yourself these 5 questions before making the leap:

1. Are we already generating traffic and leads consistently?
2. Do we have a marketing or sales team that can actively use this platform?
3. Are we willing to invest $500–$3,000/month depending on features and scale?
4. Do we want an all-in-one system or are we okay piecing tools together?
5. Will we leverage sales CRM, email, automation, and service tools, or just one part?

If you answer yes to most of these, HubSpot could be a game-changer for your print business. If not, you may be better off with a simpler, more affordable alternative until you grow into the need.

Either way, the tool is only as good as the strategy behind it. Marketing automation is the vehicle, you still need to fuel it with content, traffic, and conversion tactics.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.