HubSpot is widely used by businesses of all sizes to streamline and optimize their marketing efforts. Mostly likely, you are using it too.
From small startups to enterprise-level corporations, organizations across industries have embraced HubSpot’s suite of tools to generate leads, nurture prospects, and drive sales.
While larger businesses have ample resources to manage multiple tasks, for small teams with limited resources, harnessing its full potential can seem daunting.
I have worked with many small businesses as a Fractional Digital Marketing Head, and we have addressed these challenges. I am sharing my learnings with you today.
In this blog, I will share some game-changing hacks for optimizing HubSpot usage and boosting your efficiency.
Automation: Help your small team save hours
Automation is the key to doing more with less, and HubSpot offers robust automation capabilities that can save your team countless hours.
Top automation hacks:
• Lead Nurturing Workflows: Set up automated email sequences based on user behavior and lead scores. For example, my team would set up automated emails for whoever downloaded a whitepaper.
• Task Creation: Automatically assign tasks to team members based on lead actions or deal stages. In many instances when lead generation was the campaign goal, we would automate the task of notifying a sales rep when a lead reaches a high engagement score, ensuring immediate follow-up.
• Data Cleansing: Use workflows to standardize data formats and update contact information automatically. There are certain tools available for setting up automated processes to correct phone number formats or update job titles, ensuring cleaner data for targeting.
• Social Media Posting: Schedule and automate social media posts directly from HubSpot. Instead of struggling to find time to post content as per schedule, I ensure that we automate a week’s worth of content across multiple platforms, allowing for a consistent online presence.
Pro Tip: I have realized that it’s best to start with one or two critical processes and gradually expand your automation. This approach ensures you’re not overwhelmed and can refine each automation for maximum efficiency.
Integrated reporting: Make data-driven decisions
For small teams, time spent compiling reports is time away from strategic activities. HubSpot’s reporting tools can streamline this process significantly.
I recommend these reporting hacks for efficiency:
• Custom Dashboards: Create role-specific dashboards that give each team member the metrics they need at a glance. For example, as a marketing head, my dashboard would focus on lead generation performance, while the sales team would get a dashboard that tracks deal progression.
• Report Automation: Schedule regular report emails to stakeholders, reducing manual reporting time. For example, you can automate a weekly email to the leadership team with up-to-date metrics on campaign performance or sales pipeline health. In my experience managing the marketing of multiple businesses, this saves time!
• Multi-Touch Attribution: Use HubSpot’s attribution reporting to understand which marketing efforts are driving revenue. I employ multiple touchpoints, such as emails, ads, and webinars for marketing. This tool helps me quickly analyze which combination of channels leads to the highest conversion rates.
• Funnel Reporting: Set up funnel reports to quickly identify bottlenecks in your sales and marketing processes. For instance, if leads are stalling in the decision phase, I can adjust strategies, such as offering more targeted content or promotions, to push them through the funnel faster.
Remember, the goal is to spend less time creating reports and more time acting on the insights they provide.
Customization: Tailor HubSpot to your unique needs
Every B2B business is unique, and HubSpot’s customization options allow you to adapt the platform to your specific needs. Let’s see some customization hacks for small teams:
• Custom Properties: Create properties that capture data specific to your business for better segmentation and personalization. For instance, a marketing team could create a custom property to track “Industry Type” and use it to send targeted email campaigns with industry-specific content, ensuring more relevant messaging for each segment.
• Snippets and Templates: Develop a library of reusable content to speed up email and content creation. While working with healthcare clients, I have ensured that the marketing team develops templates for common outreach emails, such as product announcements or webinar invites, enabling them to quickly craft personalized messages for different campaigns.
• Custom Objects: For B2B companies with complex data needs, custom objects can help you manage and relate unique data sets. For example, a B2B marketing team could create a custom object to track specific campaign sponsorships or partnerships, linking them to deals and contacts to analyze the impact on lead generation.
• Integrations: Leverage HubSpot’s extensive integration marketplace to connect with other tools your team uses daily. I have seen that integrating HubSpot with marketing automation tools like Mailchimp or Google Ads can streamline email campaigns and ad performance tracking, enabling the team to manage everything from one platform.
Pro Tip: Document your customizations and create standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency as your team grows or changes.
Maximizing Efficiency with Limited Resources
As a small team, it’s crucial to focus your efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact. Here are some additional tips to maximize your HubSpot efficiency:
• Training and skill development: Invest time in regular HubSpot training. The platform frequently updates and staying current can significantly boost your team’s efficiency.
• Leverage HubSpot academy: Encourage your team to earn HubSpot certifications. They’re free and provide valuable insights into best practices.
• Use templates wisely: HubSpot offers numerous templates for emails, landing pages, and more. Customize these to your brand to save time on design and development.
• Regular audits: Conduct quarterly audits of your HubSpot portal. Clean up unused assets, optimize workflows, and ensure you’re using all relevant features.
• Community engagement: Join HubSpot community forums. They’re a great resource for problem-solving and discovering new ways to use the platform.
I know that success in HubSpot isn’t just about speeding up tasks—it’s about focusing on the strategies that truly move the needle for your B2B business. By leveraging these hacks and focusing on continuous optimization, even the smallest teams can achieve remarkable results with HubSpot.
As B2B marketing continues to transform, your ability to efficiently leverage tools like HubSpot can be a significant competitive advantage. Schedule a free consultation to learn what this will look like for your business!
