Building Confidence with HubSpot Reporting

When I applied for marketing roles, one platform kept coming up again and again: HubSpot. It keeps showing up in job descriptions, and I realised it was a gap in my knowledge. I'd heard of HubSpot and even took a few courses from their academy, but I didn't feel confident navigating the marketing platform side of it, and I didn't feel able to explain how I'd use it in a role.

So, I decided to change that.

I recently completed HubSpot's Reporting course, a deep dive into attribution models, analytics, UTM tracking, and more. It turned out to be more technical than I expected and empowering.

I also feel much more confident navigating the HubSpot platform. The course clearly covered the different tools, showing how reports are created and what they can tell you. If I had to jump into the Hubspot dashboard tomorrow, I wouldn't panic; I'd explore.

Demystifying UTM Links

One of the biggest things I learned was how to use UTM links. Before this, I had a vague understanding of them and had briefly used them through PR. But now I know how to build them, track them, and use them to measure campaign performance. Hubspot broke it down, allowing me to understand everything clearly, and now I have a skill I can take into almost any digital marketing role.

The key parameters of UTM links are:

• Source: where the traffic is coming from (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, newsletter, magazine)

• Medium: the type of channel (e.g., email, social, CPC)

• Campaign: the specific campaign name you want to track

• Term: mainly used for paid search to identify keywords

• Content: to differentiate between similar content (like two links in the same email)

When I build UTM links, I know how to structure them and where to view the results inside Hubspot's reports. This small step makes a big difference in understanding which campaigns are actually performing.

Understanding Attribution Models

The attribution models section was the most technical part. Still, it gave me a clearer view of how businesses credit different marketing efforts, whether first-touch, last-touch, linear, or time decay. I now understand what each model is best used for and why it matters.

Here's a quick breakdown of the different attribution models:

• First-touch: gives all the credit to the first interaction. Best for understanding how people initially discover your brand.

• Last-touch: gives all the credit to the final interaction. Ideal for understanding what closes the deal.

• Linear: This model spreads credit evenly across all touchpoints. It felt like the most balanced model and the easiest to explain.

• Time decay: Gives more credit to recent interactions, which is especially useful for longer buying cycles.

• U-shaped: This approach prioritises the first and last interactions while giving some credit to those in between. It's great if you're focused on lead generation.

• W-shaped and full path: These models give weighted credit to significant moments, such as lead creation, deal creation, and close.

Before this course, I would've found those terms confusing. Now, I feel confident discussing which model to use based on business goals or sales cycle.

The Future

This course has already helped me with job applications and interviews and'll definitely help me once I land my next role. It's given me practical knowledge, a confidence boost, and proof that I'm actively growing my marketing skills.

Are you thinking of trying the Hubspot Reporting course? I recommend it. It gives you a clear overview of all the key areas in Hubspot and teaches you a lot about broader marketing practices. Even if you're not using Hubspot, it's a great way to build transferrable skills that apply across digital marketing tools.