Interview with Nancy Mai Harnett from HubSpot

1. AI has become an integral component of the marketing world. How do you think this tech will influence B2B affiliate marketing?

AI has already revolutionized the affiliate industry, transforming how teams like mine support our partners. We find new ways to improve the partner experience and our efficiency using AI, which helps us stay at the forefront of the industry.

We leverage several AI solutions, including Gemini, which is great for quick research and answering questions on the fly. This helps us keep up with market trends and streamline our recruitment research processes. Claude is instrumental for us when it comes to data management and analysis, allowing us to gain actionable insights within minutes. ChatGPT is our go-to for creating engaging content and drafting briefs, ensuring our communication is both effective and creative. We also use Breeze within our PRM in HubSpot, which powers our partner management processes and integrates more personalization into our communications across the board.

All these tools are great on their own, but together, you’ve got a complete system – one that makes managing partnerships much easier. We’re not merely keeping up with the competition—we’re setting the pace by creating a more dynamic and responsive marketing strategy that truly meets our partners’ evolving needs.

2. As the Head of Affiliate Marketing at HubSpot, you relaunched HubSpot’s Affiliate Program, ensuring it’s more partner-centric and integrated. What led you to wear an innovator hat- taking an existing program to a new level?

The decision to relaunch our Affiliate Program was driven by a vision to transform it from being just another option in the industry. Why settle for being one of many when we could lead the pack? I really believed we could do better and offer something special. I wanted us to be the ones others looked at and said, ‘That’s how it should be done.’

We started moving away from our traditional framework and began thinking through a new lens. It was essential to get in sync with our partners—figure out what they wanted, what was holding them back, and where they hoped to go with the program. This partner-centric approach allowed us to rethink how our program functioned and how we could better serve those who matter most to our success.

We wanted to ensure that our partners had continuous opportunities to grow, learn, and succeed within our program, so creating a clear and ambitious growth path for our partners was key to this transformation. This meant providing resources and support that empowered them to achieve more, ensuring they always had new milestones to strive for.

We also refocused our efforts to put our partners first in everything we do, focusing on building long-term relationships. By prioritizing the experience at every touchpoint, we’re able to make our interactions with partners personalized and mutually beneficial. A common mistake I hear other programs make is just setting it and forgetting it. We make a point to look back every 6-12 months to see where we can make things even better.

3. Content continues to be the king across the marketing-scape, including affiliate marketing. But content diversification isn’t merely different formats or messaging. It’s about making it resonate. How does this impact a brand’s affiliate recruitment strategies?

It all begins with our customers! Understanding where they spend their time, what they value, what they need to be successful, and how they engage with content is crucial. These insights are the foundation on which we build our recruitment. By tapping into our customers’ preferences and behaviors, we are better positioned to empower our partners with content that speaks directly to their audience’s needs and interests.

Our goal is to arm our affiliates with content that not only informs but inspires and engages. When our affiliates feel good about what they’re sharing, knowing it’s exactly what their audience wants, it shows. That genuine confidence builds trust, which is important for nurturing successful affiliate relationships.

Ultimately, it’s about creating content that not only matches the culture and the conversation of where our customers are but also adds real value to their lives. We don’t just seek partners who can mimic our style, but those who share our passion for delivering meaningful, impactful content.

4. About a year ago, your team launched the highly successful newsletter – The Affiliate Insider – accessible to HubSpot’s affiliate partners. The insider tips and exclusive resources to foster successful partnerships. What was the impetus behind this move?

That’s a great question! I had actually vetoed the idea of a newsletter for about two years. My primary concern was to avoid contributing to the clutter in our partners’ inboxes with “yet another newsletter.”

However, the turning point came when we took the time to engage deeply with our partners. It became clear there was a need across our portfolio to provide our partners with more resources to effectively promote HubSpot.

Partners who hadn’t been as active or fully engaged often perceived HubSpot as ‘just a CRM’. We launched The Affiliate Insider to fix that and show them all the extensive benefits HubSpot brings to businesses.

The newsletter has proven to be a massive success. It has become a platform through which we educate and empower our affiliates, equipping them with insider tips and exclusive resources that sharpen their promotional strategies. The biggest win was seeing partner confidence grow when promoting our products.

5. HubSpot has shown consistent success in enriching and developing a fruitful relationship with its partners and customers. What has been the guiding ethos?

At HubSpot, the core of our success with both partners and customers is centered around “growing together.” This is how we operate daily. We’re deeply committed to creating value by understanding what our customers truly need and offering solutions that make a real difference in the way they work.

With our partners, good communication is non-negotiable. We keep things open and honest to build trust and collaboration across our portfolio, with transparency at the center of everything. We’re always looking to innovate and adapt, refining what we offer to stay ahead and support our community better.

We’re here to make sure that by working with us, you feel that win/win relationship. We love celebrating successes and learning from challenges as a team. We experiment often and fail fast. It’s a core part of our success to date.

6. With the competition rising across the market- advertisers and publishers must take a synergistic approach to partnerships. How does HubSpot find the balance between the value it provides and receives from its new and existing affiliate partners?

It’s all about balance. We actively listen to our partners’ feedback and insights. This helps us understand what they need to thrive and how we can adapt to offer more value. It’s a two-way street; by understanding our partners’ perspectives, we can better align our goals and create mutually beneficial strategies.

By setting clear expectations and regularly checking in, we ensure that both parties are aligned and working towards common goals.

Ultimately, our focus is on building lasting, value-driven partnerships where both HubSpot and our affiliate partners can grow and succeed together.

7. It’s hard to make affiliate marketing a sustainable practice for many organizations- but HubSpot has found an impressive way to make it happen. Could you walk us through your sustainability practices?

Sustainability in affiliate marketing is a challenge, but at HubSpot, we’ve developed a framework that turns this challenge into an opportunity. One of our key practices is allowing data to lead our decision-making process. When we pay close attention to performance metrics, we can see exactly what’s delivering results and what needs tweaking. This approach helps us constantly fine-tune everything we do and coach our partners to do the same—which means everyone grows sustainably.

We’re also big on experimentation and innovation. At HubSpot, we understand that the affiliate marketing world never stands still, and yesterday’s winning strategy might fall flat tomorrow. That’s why we commit to running about 15-20 experiments each quarter.

We’re always encouraging both our partners and our internal team to test new ideas and approaches. This way, we can ‘fail fast’, learning swiftly from setbacks and refining our tactics in real time.

We firmly believe that sticking to the status quo simply because “we’ve always done it this way” risks missing out on what could be our next big success in the program.

8. Brands must support their affiliates. What are the potential hiccups in building long-term partnerships and how can we circumvent those?

One common issue is the misalignment between goals or expectations. When you’re not on the same page, you can end up with misunderstandings and frustration on both sides. Setting clear objectives together and checking in on them regularly keeps everyone aligned and motivated.

Another area that I’ve seen downfalls in is not giving affiliates enough support and resources. Without the proper tools and guidance, affiliates may struggle to effectively promote the brand. You need to think of your partner base as an extension of your internal teams. What do they need to succeed? Partners will need more due to being outside of the internal loop. Prioritize this in your program and you’ll see a big shift in your relationships.

One last thing—don’t fall into the trap of treating all your affiliates the same way. Affiliates are diverse with each one having different needs and strengths. When you customize your support and keep the conversation flowing, you’ll build partnerships that actually work for everyone involved.

9. Congratulations on winning the Partnerships Leader of the Year last year at the SaaS Partnerships. What’s the one piece of advice you’d want to leave our readers with?

Thank you so much! The Partnerships Leader of the Year award is a testament to the work that I get to do with my team at HubSpot. I’m incredibly lucky to work with some of the best in the industry learning from them every day.

My advice: I’m an advocate for building relationships with authenticity and purpose. In the fast-paced world of partnerships, it’s easy to get caught up in metrics and targets, but the foundation of any successful partnership is trust and genuine connection. Brands tend to think that this channel can be a ‘set and forget’, but nothing is more untrue. You cannot win without those working with you to grow better, together. Be the advocate for your partners and you’ll reap the rewards twofold.