Monica Caraway
So, you’re a savvy B2B marketer who’s been riding the HubSpot wave, popping CTAs and sliding in pop-ups like a digital ninja. But just when you thought you had it all figured out, HubSpot goes and shakes things up with its shiny new CTA and pop-up updates! Don’t worry—we’ve got the lowdown on all the changes, quirks, and tips to keep your marketing game on point. Let’s dive into the delightful world of HubSpot’s CTA and pop-up nonsense transformation.
1. Farewell to the Legacy CTAs: It’s Not You, It’s HubSpot
HubSpot's original CTAs, now labeled in the system as Legacy CTAs, have served us well. If you’ve been using these trusty old buttons to drive conversions, it’s time to brace yourself for a breakup (we think ... eventually ... we'll explain).
What’s the big deal? Well, the new CTAs are like upgrading from a flip phone to the latest smartphone. You’ll get enhanced options, allowing you to create CTAs that are as unique as your brand. Whether you want a beautiful banner, pop-up, or slide-in CTA, the new tool has you covered with drag-and-drop simplicity and the ability to upload custom designs. (Some examples below).
Plus, the new analytics dashboard provides a comprehensive view of your CTAs' performance—no more guessing games!
2. A CTA Makeover
You know that feeling when you walk into a store, and everything’s been moved around? That’s kind of what it’s like switching from Legacy CTAs to the new ones. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without these upgrades, which include:
- Customization Galore: The new CTA builder isn’t just a facelift; it’s a full-on transformation. You can now customize every little detail, from the design to the functionality, ensuring your CTAs are on brand and point.
- Analytics Overload: Forget the basic click-tracking of yore. With the new CTAs, you’ll get a deep dive into user behavior, engagement trends, and conversion metrics. It’s like having a crystal ball, but better (because it actually works).
- Templates for the Win: Time is money, and HubSpot’s new CTA templates are here to save you both. You can now select from pre-setup pop-ups, banners, embedded CTAs, or slide-ins. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie, these templates help you create high-converting CTAs faster than you can say “lead generation.”
🍊Orange Marketing Tip: That said, you can also create CTAs and pop-ups from scratch in the new tool for even more customization options.
3. Pop-Up Forms: The Little Forms That Could (But Sometimes Won't)
Pop-up forms have always been the marketing world’s equivalent of cilantro—some people love them, some people think they ruin everything. HubSpot has been aware of this divisiveness and has been quietly working on phasing out their old pop-up forms tool.
Out with the Old… Eventually: At first, we were told July 2024 was the day of reckoning when you would no longer be able to create or clone Legacy CTAs. That has been pushed to an unspecified time now - as per the HubSpot Developer's Changelog:
Here’s the kicker: The old and new CTA versions don’t exactly get along. We’ve been closely monitoring the changes from Beta and noticed that if you're not careful, you end up with a digital turf war on your site.
And HubSpot hasn’t been super transparent about the fact that these two pop-up systems exist simultaneously. It’s like trying to keep up with a soap opera plot—one minute, it’s all about the new pop-ups, and the next, the old ones are back in the picture, causing all kinds of drama.
🍊Orange Marketing Tip: We recommend committing to the new system going forward to avoid additional migration headaches or surprise loss of the old CTA functionality.
The CTA Two-Step Tango
Another item to note is the change with forms.
With the old CTAs, creating pop-ups was a simple one-step process—just head to the forms tab, and you were good to go. Now, with the new system, it’s a two-step process. You first have to create a form unique to a new CTA and then create the actual CTA. So no more nominating a single form on multiple CTAs. It’s a bit more work, but the benefit is you get better metrics and can trigger workflows more easily. The old pop-ups, while easy to set up, were notoriously difficult to manage in workflows.
In short, if you’re ready to dive into the new world of HubSpot CTAs and pop-ups, prepare yourself for a bit of a learning curve. But once you’re over the hump, you’ll find the new tools offer a lot more flexibility and control—just be mindful of the potential conflicts between the old and new systems.
4. Migration: The Road Less Traveled
Migrating Legacy CTAs to the new tool is—well complicated right now.
When HubSpot first announced the new CTA tool, an Action button in the Legacy CTA area allowed you to migrate/update an old button to the new type. However, this option is no longer available (and frankly, didn't work we soon discovered).
So, as of right now—timestamp 8/20/2024—it appears if you want to "shut down" a particular Legacy CTA, you have to delete it and create a new one in the new system. BUT, BUT, BUT, if you do this you lose any metrics for that button. So if you don't want that, you have two choices:
1) You remove all the places the Legacy CTA button is being used and manually replace it with a new button, or
2) You wait for HubSpot to implement a new migration process....we will absolutely keep you posted as soon as this changes!!
5. The Final Word: Embrace the Change
Change can be a right pain in the butt, especially when it involves the tools you rely on to hit those KPIs. But with HubSpot’s new CTAs and pop-up forms, you’re not just keeping up—you’re leveling up. Whether you’re excited about the enhanced customization and advanced analytics or just looking forward to ditching the old tools, there’s a lot to love about these updates.
And remember, if you ever need a helping hand—or just a shoulder to cry on when finally migrating your CTAs—Orange Marketing is here for you. Happy marketing!
