HubSpot is a platform that helps businesses with their inbound marketing and ensures they attract the right visitors, convert leads, and close customers. Being one of the main tools for inbound professionals, HubSpot is feature-rich and offers its users many great options.
One of the most exciting features of HubSpot is the ability to automate specific processes through the use of workflows. Workflows allow you to automate repetitive tasks to focus on more important things in your business. In this article, we will look at the most critical HubSpot workflows you should know about.
What Is A HubSpot Workflow?
Imagine having to do the same task over and over again. It could be as simple as sending a follow-up email to someone who has downloaded a piece of content from your website. Or it could be something more complex, like nurturing a lead through the sales process.
Doing these tasks manually can be time-consuming and tedious.
So what are workflows in HubSpot?
Workflows are a way of automating these tasks so that they happen automatically without you having to lift a finger.
They work by taking someone from one stage in the buyer's journey to another. For example, you could create a workflow that takes someone from being a lead all the way to becoming a customer.
Whether you just finished creating a website and are now focused on getting inbound leads or about to start validating a business idea by qualifying current prospects, HubSpot workflows are a powerful tool to use in business.HubSpot Workflow Examples
HubSpot automation workflows range from very simple to very complex.
While the featured HubSpot sample workflows are a great starting point, it's important to remember that every business is different. You'll need to customize your workflows to fit your own unique needs.
Knowing how to use workflows in HubSpot depends on your comfort level with the tool. If you're just starting, it might be helpful to begin with simpler workflows and move on to the more complex ones.
Here are a few examples of HubSpot workflows that you can use
1. Deal Based Workflows HubSpot: Assigning Leads To Reps
Assigning leads to reps is a common task that needs to be done in any sales process. HubSpot's deal-based workflow makes this task easier by automatically assigning leads to agents based on specific criteria.
For example, you can create a workflow that assigns leads to reps based on the lead's location or the type of product they're interested in.
To set up this workflow, you'll need to create a few rules that specify the instances in which a lead should be assigned to a rep. For example, you could create a rule that says if a lead is located in the United States, it should be given to Rep A.
2. Workflow Actions HubSpot: Meeting Link Notification
One of the most important things you can do when setting up a meeting with a client is to ensure they have the correct meeting link. With HubSpot's meeting link notification workflow, you can automatically send your clients the correct meeting link, so there's no confusion.
If you've been about to start a meeting and realized that the client doesn't have the correct link, you'll know that this workflow will come in handy down the line.
3. HubSpot Sales Workflows: Update Lead Status Automatically
In many situations, statues allow you to track the progress of a lead through the sales process. For example, a lead might have the "new" status when entering the process. As they move through the process, their status might be updated to "contact in progress" or "disqualified".
Updating lead statuses manually can be time-consuming, especially if you have a lot of leads. HubSpot's update lead status workflow can help by automatically updating the statuses of your leads based on specific criteria.
For example, creating sales workflows HubSpot processes could entail coming up with rules that, amongst others, dictate that if a lead hasn't been contacted in 30 days, their status should be changed to "disqualified".
4. HubSpot Marketing Workflows: Funnel Check-In Workflows
To track the progress of your marketing funnel, you need to have a way to check in on it regularly. HubSpot's funnel check-in workflow allows you to do just that.
This workflow automatically sends you an email at the beginning of each week containing a list of current leads in your funnel. This information can be helpful in understanding where your leads are dropping off and what changes you need to make to your funnel.
5. HubSpot Email Workflows: Send Automated Emails To Clients
Whether it's a "Happy Birthday" email, a notification that an invoice is due, or a shipping confirmation, you can use HubSpot workflows to automate these one-off emails, so you don't have to send them manually each time.
Setting up email workflows HubSpot processes is especially useful if you have a lot of clients or customers or offer products or services that require regular follow-up emails.
6. HubSpot CRM Workflows: Contact Update From CRM
If you've ever used a CRM, you know that keeping your contact information up-to-date is essential. With the contact update from the CRM workflow, you can automatically update your contacts' information in HubSpot when it changes in the CRM.
For example, if a contact's phone number changes in the CRM, that change will be reflected in HubSpot. This way, you can be sure that you're always using the most up-to-date information for your contacts.
7. HubSpot Workflow Triggers: Create Deal After Form Submissions
If you're using HubSpot's forms, you know they're a great way to collect information from your leads. But what happens after the form is submitted?
With the "create deal after form submission" workflow, you can automatically create a deal in HubSpot when a lead submits a form. This way, you can make sure that your sales team is following up with every lead.
8. Workflow Goals HubSpot: Create Tasks For Your Sales Reps
As a sales manager, one of your main goals is to ensure that your sales reps touch base with leads as quickly as possible. With this workflow, you can automatically create and assign tasks for your sales reps when a lead submits a form.
For example, you could create a task that says, "Follow up with lead within 24 hours." This way, you can be sure that your sales reps are contacting their leads promptly.
9. HubSpot Abandoned Cart Workflow: Nurture Emails Based On Specific Activity
Abandoned carts are a common issue for eCommerce businesses. But what if there's more to the story than just an abandoned cart?
With this HubSpot workflow, you can automatically send nurture emails to leads based on their activity. For example, you could send a lead a nurture email if they've viewed a product page but didn't add the product to their cart.
This way, you can ensure that you're sending the right message to the right lead at the right time.
10. HubSpot Quote Based Workflows: Inactive Contact HubSpot Workflow Example
When a contact becomes inactive, it can be challenging to know what to do next. With the inactive contact workflow, you can automatically send an email to an inactive contact and check if there's anything you can do to help them.
For example, you could send an email that says, "We miss you! Is there anything we can do to help you?" This way, you can re-engage your inactive contacts and get them to use your product or service again.
You can even provide a custom quote that can spring into action if the customer takes the desired action.
11. HubSpot Sms Workflow: New Customer Sms Welcome
SMS campaigns are a great way to reach your customers where they are. With the new customer welcome workflow, you can automatically send a text message to new customers when they sign up for your service.
This way, you can make a great first impression and start building a relationship with your new customer immediately.
12. HubSpot Workflow Delay: Basic Asset Delivery
When you send assets to your leads, you want to ensure they receive them promptly. With the asset delivery workflow, you can automatically send an asset to a lead when they take a specific action.
For example, you could send a white paper to a lead who's expressed interest in your product or service. This way, you can be sure that your leads are receiving the information they request when they are still in the 'hot' phase.
13. HubSpot Ecommerce Workflows: Lead Routing With Rotation
Lead routing is a critical part of any sales process. With the lead routing workflow, you can automatically route leads to the appropriate sales rep.
With the lead routing workflow, you can automatically route leads to the appropriate sales rep.
For example, you could route leads based on their location or the type of product they're interested in. This way, you can be sure that your sales reps are talking to the right leads.
Updating Workflows In HubSpot
Updating workflows in HubSpot is just as easy as creating them. Following the above steps, make the changes you want to the workflow and save your changes. Your changes will be saved and applied to the workflow.
Custom Coded Workflows HubSpot Editor
HubSpot offers the ability to create custom-coded workflows. These workflows can be used to automate tasks that are not possible with out-of-the-box HubSpot workflows.
To create a custom-coded workflow, you'll need to use the HubSpot workflow API to create the workflow. The HubSpot workflow API allows you to specify your workflow's enrollment triggers, actions, and settings.
Once you've created your custom-coded workflow, you can activate it the same way as any other workflow in HubSpot.
Knowing how to test HubSpot workflows is especially important when using the API.
You want to ensure your workflows are functioning as expected before you release them to your users.
The HubSpot workflow custom code editor is available for you to use in your workflow testing. This code will help you simulate different conditions and test your workflows accordingly.
The best HubSpot workflows for your business will depend on your specific needs, so don't be afraid to experiment with different workflows to find what works best for you.
HubSpot Sequences Vs Workflows
Knowing the difference between sequences vs. workflows HubSpot processes is key to understanding how to use HubSpot automation effectively.
Available for those on the Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise users or Service Hub Professional or Enterprise users, sequences help send automated emails to a list of contacts over time.
On the other hand, workflows are available for all users. They can be used to automate tasks such as adding or removing contacts from lists, sending notifications, or changing contact properties.
Comparing sequence vs. workflow HubSpot features, we can see that sequences have more functionality when it comes to email automation.
However, workflows are more flexible and can be used to automate a broader range of tasks.
Understanding sequences vs workflows hubspot processes will help you decide which is the best option for your needs.
Biggest Workflow Mistakes
Avoiding the biggest workflow mistakes is almost as important as following the range of HubSpot workflow best practices.
Here are some of the most common workflow mistakes and how to avoid them.
Incorrectly Using Goals
When you set up a workflow in HubSpot, you can add goals to it. Goals allow you to track how well your workflow performs and make necessary changes as you go along.
However, many people incorrectly use goals when setting up their workflows. They either don't set any goals, or they set goals that are too broadly defined.
When setting goals for your workflow, ensure you are specific about what you want to achieve and that the goal is measurable.
Conflicting Workflows HubSpot Processes
Having conflicting workflows can create chaos and cause your workflows to malfunction.
When setting up workflows, be aware of other workflows running simultaneously and how they could interact with each other.
To avoid conflicting workflows, test your workflows thoroughly before activating them.
Misunderstanding Re-Enrollment
Knowing how to create a workflow in HubSpot is only half the battle. You also need to understand how re-enrollment works.
Re-enrollment is when a contact is automatically enrolled in a workflow after they've already gone through it once.
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For example, if you have a workflow that sends follow-up emails after someone downloads a piece of content, the contacts will be re-enrolled in the workflow every time they download another piece of content.
This can be beneficial if you want to ensure everyone who downloads a specific piece of content receives the follow-up email. Still, it can also be tough to set up if you don't want contacts to receive specific emails more than once.
Forgetting Delays
Many HubSpot workflows examples include delays, but for various reasons, delays are often forgotten when setting up workflows.
Delays are essential because they give contacts time to take action before receiving another email or enrolling in another workflow.
For example, if you have a workflow that sends a follow-up email after someone downloads a piece of content, you might want to include a delay, so the contact has time to read the content before receiving the follow-up email.
Editing Active Workflows
Once a workflow is active, you should avoid making any changes.
Making changes to an active workflow can cause the workflow to malfunction and can result in contacts receiving multiple emails or being enrolled in various workflows.
If you need to make changes to an active workflow, duplicate the workflow and make the changes to the copied version. Then, delete the original workflow and set the new version as the active one.
Not Using Templates
The HubSpot workflows task creation process is much easier if you use templates.
Templates give you a starting point for your workflows and can help you create workflows quickly and efficiently.
Using HubSpot workflow templates can also help you avoid previously discussed mistakes, such as forgetting delays or adding conflicting workflows.
A Note On HubSpot Workflow Goals
When creating a contact-based workflow, you can set a workflow goal to focus on your workflow's objective and measure your workflow's success in nurturing contacts.
To set a workflow goal in your contact-based workflow, go to your account, choose Automation and then click on Workflows.
In the upper left corner, click on Goal to be able to set the right one.
Then, select the criteria for your goal in the dialog box that appears, and hit done.
View Your Goal Performance
After setting your workflow goals, you can view your goal conversion rate and contact trends.
From the same menu as before, you can display goal reports, which show you how your workflow is performing and how many contacts have moved through your workflow.
Frequently going through these reports can help you fine-tune your workflow goals and contacts' journey through your nurture process.
Workflows For Ecommerce Businesses
Ecommerce businesses can use HubSpot workflows to automate order follow-up emails, shipping notifications, and more. E-commerce businesses can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty and increase sales and efficiency by automating these tasks.
Some examples of eCommerce workflows include:
How Many Workflows Can You Have In HubSpot?
As of December 2017, a limit of 500 workflows was introduced per portal.
This was created to maintain a high level of service for all customers.
HubSpot Workflows - FAQ
Using UTMs in HubSpot Workflows can greatly segment your traffic and see which marketing channels perform best. By adding UTMs to your links, you can track where your traffic is coming from and how they interact with your website.
When you create workflow HubSpot processes, you can specify UTMs as conditions that must be met before the workflow is triggered. This allows you only to target specific channels or campaigns with your workflows.
A workflow is an automated process that can be triggered by specific events, such as a contact subscribing to a newsletter or filling out a form on your website.
Workflows can automate many tasks, such as sending emails, changing contact properties, or enrolling contacts in lists.
Workflows can save you a lot of time by automating repetitive tasks that would otherwise have to be done manually. They can also help nurture your leads and keep your contacts engaged with your brand.
Creating HubSpot workflow processes can be a bit daunting initially, but many resources are available to help you get started. Once you've made a few workflows, you'll be able to use them to streamline your marketing and sales processes.
Moreover, advanced workflows HubSpot processes are an excellent way to scale your marketing and sales efforts by automating tasks that would otherwise be done manually. They can also help nurture your leads and keep your contacts engaged with your brand.
Conclusion
In conclusion, HubSpot Workflows are a powerful tool that can save you time and automate repetitive tasks. They can also help you segment your traffic and track your marketing progress. If you're not using workflows, now is the time to start.
Finally, here's my review of the best CRM software on the market today, software that can help you automate your sales and marketing processes.
Last Updated on October 19, 2022 by Hanson Cheng