Hubspot’s Inbound 2022 Conference: Top 10 Takeaways

It’s been a week since we touched down in Boston for the iconic Inbound 2022 Conference – and we’re still mourning how quickly the time passed.

From great food to incredible speakers, the event was *chef’s kiss* perfection. We learned, laughed, loved and are already planning our trip back next year.

Were you at Inbound this year? Did we click badges? What was your fave session?

We’re not ready to let Inbound ‘22 go – but while we (impatiently) wait for 2023, we’ll be recapping some of our favorite highlights, including our top ten takeaways.

Our Top 10 Takeaways from Hubspot’s Inbound 2022 Conference

There are a million and one things we could say about Inbound 2022, but if we had to boil it down to our top ten favorites, this is what they’d be:

1. Authenticity is Everything

If there was one overarching theme of the conference, it would be authenticity.

Authenticity popped up in nearly every single session, whether the conversation was on sales marketing, inclusion or business growth. The moral of the story? Transparency earns trust.

To make it in the biz (whatever the biz may be to you) you have to be willing to be honest and show your vulnerabilities. Remember, your audience is human, too. Those moments of transparency offer a place for emotional connection.

A great example of this we saw in real-time at the Hustle Daily Show Live, a podcast recording on day one of Inbound. Hosts Zachary Crockett, Jacob Cohen and Juliet Bennett Rylah kicked off the session with an admirable admission: they’d only chosen the day’s topics that very morning.

That off-the-cuff, improvisational format works. Authentic content with little stumbles here or there always beats out robotic, over-rehearsed content.

2. Be Known for Something

Jay Schwedelson also took to the stage last week to talk about the intersection of failure and opportunity.

The Founder and CEO of subjectline.com and Worldata had one important message to share: you have to be known for something.

While Jay’s media creation brings home the bacon, he’s actually most known as the “Subject Line Guy.” Subjectline.com is a totally free tool you can use to see how well your subject lines are. While it’s not a huge money-maker, it put Jay’s name, and his company’s, on the map.

I took this message to heart and wore my bright orange vest religiously at the conference. I’d like to be known as “Orange Vest Lady” from now on, please and thank you.

3. Stand Out From the Crowd

Inbound plays host to many vendors, each with their own booth inside the impressive convention center. While I visited each vendor at least once, there were a few that stood out and attracted more attention from passers-by.

First off: any cool, differentiating merch. Everybody loves a t-shirt (me included). But half the vendors were handing out plain black tee’s with their logo. Only one company handed out cute turtle stuffies (thanks, Turtl!). Another vendor let you customize your shirt and made it right in front of you (you go, Bizzabo!).

It’s not enough to do what everyone else is doing – you’ve got to put your own twist on it if you want to be memorable.

4. The Seller-Free Economy is Near

Did you know that studies have shown customers are 80% through their buyer’s journey before they ever speak to a salesperson?

This nugget of information is courtesy of Marcus Sheridan, pool-guy turned author and business guru.

What’s more? Thirty-three percent of all buyers prefer a totally hands-off approach – they don’t want to speak to anyone at your company at all.

To keep clients interested, it’s important to create a fully-digital experience that puts them in control. The best way to set up this low-contact, hyper-personalized experience is through an interactive website. Think of it like those old “choose your own adventure” books. Everything your buyer needs to know should be accessible on your site – services, pricing, and a step-by-step of the process. You can even include scheduling that lets them decide who they want to speak with and when.

6. Diversity is More Important Than Ever

Diversity goes hand-in-hand with authenticity. And it’s not enough to just give those minority voices a seat at the table – you have to let them speak and be willing to listen. One of the best talks on diversity at Inbound this year was delivered by TJ Adeshola and Kudzi Chikumbu in the session “What We Owe the Creators of Culture.”

The two tech execs explored how Black spaces in social media and technology drive social norms. How can marketers tune into those voices to create authentic experiences? Reaching out directly to the source.

7. B2B Marketing Requires an Emotional Connection

Authenticity and emotional connection are everything, and it’s something that B2B marketing often avoids. Most business owners have a very strong emotional attachment to their work – it’s like their baby.

When you’re marketing your product or service to another business, remember that there’s always a human on the other side.

8. Imposter Syndrome is Real – Do The Thing Anyway

Sam Parr, creator of The Hustle and host of the My First Million podcast, gave great advice for those of us struggling with imposter syndrome:

Do it anyway. 

There are people out there succeeding who aren’t any smarter or more prepared than you are. You can do big things, too. Sam and I believe in you!

9. The Keynote Speakers Were Even Better Than We Imagined

Even though the conference had a last-minute cancellation from keynote Glennon Doyle, the other V.I.P. speakers more than made up for it.

Dr. Jane Goodall took the stage to talk about how we’re not that different from the apes – building trust just takes patience.

Viola Davis reminded us to put our money where our mouth is: if you want to see diverse stories being told, you have to support those stories, physically and monetarily.

And Barack Obama reminds us that perspective is key – “things are never as good or as bad as you think they are.”

10. An Agile Mindset Can Improve Your Team’s Workflow

Look, I’m not a project manager, but our awesome team member Amber is always making sure 3C is doing the most. She’s our airport dad, our train conductor, the hostess with the mostess.

And she also brought home some great takeaways to improve our workflows, like implementing an agile mindset. Here’s her synopsis:

Team/workplace flow is usually seen like this:

1. Practices and Tools

2. Marketing Principles

3. Company Values

4. Mindset

Agile focuses more on this:

1. Mindset

2. Company Values

3. Marketing Principles

4. Practices and Tools

If you want to jump more in depth on how an agile mindset can boost your productivity and workflows, drop a line to Amber – she’d love to nerd-out with all the other PMs out here!

Want to see all the fun your Three Crowns gals had in Boston? Check out our TikTok account to see highlights of the trip and other fun office shenanigans!

Make the Most of Your Marketing

Three Crowns offers full-service marketing and content creation for financial advisors and fintech companies. Click here to explore our website and connect with a member of the Three Crowns team today.