What Are HubSpot Workflows (and How to Build Them)

Are you looking to streamline your B2B Inbound Marketing efforts and boost efficiency? We’ve got just the thing for you - HubSpot Workflows!

This powerful automation tool lets you create automated sequences of actions triggered by specific user behaviours. No coding required – as long as you have access to HubSpot’s Marketing Professional or Enterprise subscription, you can leverage workflows to nurture leads, personalize experiences, and ultimately convert website visitors into customers. 

Let’s dive into what HubSpot Workflows are in more detail.

What are Workflows in HubSpot?

HubSpot Workflows is an automated tool in which tasks, information and emails are triggered based on a set of predefined rules. This can make your marketing processes and efforts more efficient and productive.

Essentially, HubSpot Workflows are an automated tool that allows you to execute pre-defined sequences of actions based on specific user behaviours. A website visitor downloads your eBook? A workflow can instantly send them a personalized welcome email. A lead reaches a critical point in the buyer's journey? A workflow can trigger an alert for your sales team to follow up.

These automated sequences not only save you countless hours, but also ensure a seamless and personalized experience for your leads, ultimately driving conversions and boosting your marketing ROI.

Benefits of leveraging workflows include:

• Save Time: Automate repetitive tasks and free up your marketing team to focus on strategic initiatives.
• Nurture Leads More Effectively: Personalized and timely communication keeps leads engaged throughout the buyer's journey.
• Improve Conversion Rates: Automated workflows ensure leads receive relevant information at the right time, guiding them towards a specific conversion.
• Gain Valuable Data: Track workflow performance to understand user behaviour and refine your marketing strategies for optimal results.

How do HubSpot Workflows work?

1. Triggers: These are the events that kick-off a workflow. For instance, a form submission, a website visit, or even a specific property change within a contact record can be set as triggers.
2. Actions: Once a trigger is met, the workflow springs into action. You can define a series of actions to be performed, such as sending an email, creating a task for your sales team, or updating a contact's lifecycle stage.
3. Conditional Logic (optional): For even more personalization, workflows allow you to incorporate branching logic. This means the workflow can take different paths based on specific criteria, ensuring highly targeted communication and actions based on user behaviour.

How Can HubSpot Workflows be Used?

There are a wide number of opportunities in how HubSpot Workflows can be leveraged by your organization. Here are some common applications.

• Welcome New Leads: Automatically send personalized email sequences nurturing leads based on their initial interaction (e.g., downloading a specific white paper).
• Segment Leads and Contacts: Organize your audience based on their behaviour and interests, allowing for targeted marketing campaigns.
• Automate Lead Scoring: Assign points to specific actions taken by leads (e.g., visiting a pricing page), automatically qualifying them for sales outreach based on a pre-defined score.
• Trigger Internal Notifications: Alert your sales team when a high-value lead takes a specific action, ensuring prompt follow-up.
• Send Abandoned Cart Emails: Remind website visitors who leave items in their cart to complete their purchase.
• Personalize Website Content: Dynamically display website content based on visitor behaviour or demographics, creating a more relevant experience.
• Re-Engage Inactive Contacts: Craft workflows to win back inactive leads with targeted content and special offers.
• Sync Data With External Tools: Connect HubSpot with other CRMs or marketing automation platforms using workflows.

How to Build HubSpot Workflows in 5 Steps

1. Select Workflow Object and Type

The first step is to choose the object you want to automate and the specific workflow type. HubSpot Workflows can be built for various objects within your CRM, such as contacts, companies, deals, or even quotes. The workflow type will define the specific actions it can perform. For example, you might choose to create a "Contact-Based Workflow" with the type "Internal Notification."

2. Define the Enrolment Trigger

This is the event that kicks off your workflow. As mentioned earlier, HubSpot offers a variety of triggers to choose from. Here are some popular options to consider:

• Contact Properties: Trigger the workflow based on a specific value in a contact property field (e.g. lead signs up for a webinar).
• Form Submissions: Automatically initiate the workflow when a website visitor submits a form on your website. For example, trigger a welcome email sequence upon contact form submission.
• Website Visits: Trigger the workflow based on specific website visitor behaviour (e.g. visits a particular pricing page). Use this to send targeted content offers to visitors who show interest in a specific product or service.
• List Membership: Enrol contacts in the workflow when they are added to a specific marketing list. This is a great way to nurture leads who have opted-in for a particular topic or campaign.
• Email Opens or Clicks: Activate the workflow when a lead opens or clicks on a link within a specific email you sent. This allows for more personalized follow-up emails based on a lead's engagement with your initial outreach.

3. Add Your Actions

Choose the actions you want the workflow to perform after the trigger is met. Here are some commonly used actions, along with explanations for their benefits:

• Send Email: This is a powerful action for nurturing leads with personalized email sequences based on their behaviour. HubSpot's email editor allows for drag-and-drop functionality and personalization tokens for a truly customized experience.
• Create Task: Automatically generate tasks for your sales or marketing team to follow up with qualified leads. This ensures timely outreach and improves lead nurturing efficiency.
• Update Contact Record: Enrich your contact data by adding information based on the trigger (e.g., update a lead's lifecycle stage). This allows for better segmentation and personalization in future marketing efforts.
• Enrol in Another Workflow: Create multi-stage workflows by enrolling leads in a more complex nurturing sequence after completing an initial action. This allows for progressive lead nurturing tailored to their evolving needs and interests.
• Change Lifecycle Stage: Move leads through your marketing funnel based on their actions and engagement level. Automate the process of qualifying leads and ensure they receive the most relevant marketing messages at each stage.
• Internal Notifications: Trigger alerts for your sales team when high-value leads take specific actions, such as visiting a pricing page or requesting a demo. This ensures prompt follow-up and increases the chances of converting these leads into customers.
• Sync Data with External Tools: Connect HubSpot with other CRMs or marketing automation platforms using workflows. This allows for a more unified view of your customer data and facilitates seamless communication across different platforms.

4. Set Up Branching Logic (optional)

For even more personalization, workflows allow you to incorporate branching logic. This means the workflow can take different paths based on specific criteria, ensuring highly targeted communication and actions based on user behaviour. Here's how it works:

• Define conditions based on specific criteria (e.g., downloaded a specific content offer, visited a particular product page).
• Create separate workflow branches based on whether the condition is met (yes) or not met (no).
• This allows you to send targeted emails, create specific tasks, or personalize website content depending on the lead's behaviour.

5. Review and Publish

Double-check your workflow to ensure the logic flows as intended. Test your workflow thoroughly before activating it. Once satisfied, hit publish to unleash the power of automation.

Pro Tip: Leverage HubSpot Workflows Templates

HubSpot offers a library of pre-built workflow templates to jumpstart your automation efforts. These templates cover a wide range of common marketing scenarios, saving you time and ensuring you're on the right track.

Interested in making the most of HubSpot Workflows (or even HubSpot in general) and not sure how? Then let’s chat. SummitBound's team of HubSpot and Inbound Marketing experts would love to help.