by Darren Leishman - Co-founder of DXG & CEO of Spitfire Inbound
Aug 17, 2021
You need to invest in a platform that has the ability to grow with your business and has the tools to scale with your company as it evolves.
Some tools may limit your strategy as you scale and grow your business.
There are a variety of marketing automation platforms available on the market today and Pardot is certainly one of the most popular. The platform provides an email centric approach to marketing automation but this tactic only gives businesses the ability to solve one part of their overall marketing strategy. This is why many businesses have started to migrate from Pardot to HubSpot.
Why is HubSpot Better for Marketing Automation?
Rather than focusing the platform solely around email marketing, HubSpot allows for a more personalized and inbound marketing approach. This means that the platform caters to the entire funnel and helps businesses strategically and organically convert website visitors into clients.
With the above in mind, HubSpot has become the leader in marketing automation and this is why many businesses are making the move from Pardot to HubSpot. But, is this migration difficult and what does the process entail?
The Process of Migrating from Pardot to HubSpot
When you decide to make the move from Pardot to HubSpot there are certain stages you need to take into consideration, these are:
- Setup
- Pardot Export
- HubSpot Integration
- Content Migration
- Automation
- Going Live
Each of these stages can take some time if you don’t choose to work alongside a HubSpot expert. Below, we take you through some of the important stages of migration and provide you with insight into the process.
6 important steps to take when migrating from Pardot to HubSpot
STEP ONE: Migrating your Marketing Database from Pardot to HubSpot
The information you collect through your CRM, from landing pages and lead generation forms, are stored in the Pardot “prospects” section of your system. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief because this part is very easy. When migrating your data, all you have to do is select the “CSV export” option from your tools dropdown and then import the data into your HubSpot contact tool.
The process is simple and efficient; however, you need to make sure that you click the “switch to full export” option when moving your data across to your HubSpot contact tool.
STEP TWO: Migrating your Email Content from Pardot to HubSpot
As stated previously, Pardot places huge focus on email marketing and most pardot strategies are built around email in its entirety. HubSpot is also dedicated to personalized email marketing but adds this to an overall full-funnel marketing strategy. This is why email migration is vital. So, how do you successfully migrate your Pardot email content to your HubSpot platform?
Just like HubSpot, Pardot stores all your email content through an email tool. But here is the bad news. There is no easy way to export it. Essentially, you have to choose between a few options to make a successful transition. But keep in mind that some of the more simple email templates don’t have to be moved over as HubSpot provides incredible default templates that can easily take their place. However, if you have important and customized templates, you are able to migrate these by saving the HTML code of each and then get a developer to import them into your HubSpot system. There is always a way to make this happen - and some migration processes just require a few extra steps.
STEP THREE: Migrating your Landing Pages from Pardot to HubSpot
This process is similar to the process outlined above. This means that your landing page content can either be saved in HTML format or can be copied in a text file, while landing page templates can also be easily rebuilt using HubSpots landing page templates.
As stated in the email marketing migration process, you are also able to save your template as an HTML code and have it imported into HubSpot by a developer.
STEP FOUR: Migrating your Automation Campaigns from Pardot to HubSpot
Pardot marketing campaigns are mostly made up of email drip programs and automation processes. This may sound overwhelming when it comes to migrating this data over to HubSpot however, this is actually one of the easiest migration processes. All of your automation campaigns can be imported into HubSpot’s workflow tools. When implementing this migration there are two important steps you need to take into account, these are:
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1. HubSpot Trigger Criteria: These can be found under HubSpot “lists” and will lay out the actions you need to take before implementing any automation campaign.
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2. HubSpot Delays and Actions: This is where you can establish intervals between your automated campaigns.
The above highlights just how much emphasis HubSpot places on the entire marketing automation process, ensuring you get the best results. And this is why training is an important part of the migration process.
STEP FIVE: TRAINING YOUR TEAM
Once you have completed your data and asset migration, it is time to train your team in HubSpot. It is important to note that HubSpot is user friendly and will certainly create positive change to your business, but it is still a change that your team will have to get accustomed to. Your employees will require time to adjust to the new software and this is why we recommend training before you go live with complete marketing automation overhaul.
Training varies and doesn’t have to be a long, arduous process. You can even host separate customized training for teams based on how they will be using HubSpot.
STEP SIX: The Big Launch
The above steps will have prepared you to launch your HubSpot CRM and you can begin creating the ultimate HubSpot strategy to further business growth and better your bottom line.
The Wrap Up
The above steps highlight some of the easier processes for migrating from Pardot to HubSpot. However, marketing automation migration is not without its challenges.
This is why it is important to work alongside HubSpot CRM and HubSPot marketing automation specialists. A HubSpot specialist will walk you through every step of the transition to make sure you receive the greatest benefits from your marketing automation strategy.
How DXG Consultancy Can Help
As DXG, we are one of the largest HubSpot Partner Groups. Collectively, we provide the entire HubSpot product suite across CRM, Marketing, Sales, CMS, and Service. Our agencies have been recognised with Diamond or Elite Solutions Partner status which means our HubSpot knowledge, expertise and skill is unmatched.
We will help you on your journey to seamless migration, helping you minimise any costs and interruptions to your business. Our team has the expertise to move your business from legacy software such as Pardot to HubSpot with minimal disruption. Through HubSpot’s phased approach to migration, you will have both systems function while the migration process takes place, which results in zero productivity loss.
HubSpot knows that you still have a business to run and has made the process as efficient, effective and seamless as possible. And we are here to help. Our strategic approach to migration means we increase margins, reduce operating costs and drive efficiencies at every organisational level.
So, whether you have 100 employees or 10 000 employees, making the switch to HubSpot is worth it.
About DXG
Based in the UK, France, Dubai, Spain and South Africa, DXG is a Group of four leading digital agencies and HubSpot experts with an unmatched global reach.
With our combined expertise, we have the skill and scale to solve any marketing and sales problem, for any organisation, anywhere in the world. Our Mission is to enable organisations to harness the power of digital transformation.
Contact us today for all your digital transformation needs and grow your business - better.
Darren Leishman - Co-founder of DXG & CEO of Spitfire Inbound
Stay Curious. This is the statement that Darren lives by. Over the past 26 years, Darren has cultivated his skills within the advertising, digital, and design industry. Questions keep him moving forward, constantly looking for answers and growing a culture of innovation in his business - and those of his clients. It has fuelled his passion for design, photography, business, and life, and made him an avid traveler and seeker of new experiences. By striving to bridge the gap between brands, clients, and customers, along with embracing change and innovation, Darren aims to help customers identify marketing, sales, and service growth opportunities.
