Imagine you run a small ecommerce business selling handmade crafts online. You notice that many visitors add items to their cart but abandon their purchases before completing them. This is where HubSpot Workflows can be a game-changer. Now, you’ll want to automate a series of emails to follow up with these potential customers and encourage them to complete their purchases.

In this article, we will learn about what are HubSpot Workflows and how should one go about creating them.

What are HubSpot Workflows and their importance in B2B business?

HubSpot Workflows are robust tools in marketing automation that streamline repetitive tasks and nurture leads throughout the customer journey. They allow businesses to automate actions based on specific triggers, such as form submissions, email opens, or website visits. By automating these processes, companies can save time, maintain consistency in customer interactions, and ultimately, improve conversion rates.

Some of the benefits of HubSpot Workflows are

1. HubSpot Workflows enable personalised communication with leads, guiding them through the sales funnel with targeted messages and timely follow-ups. 

2. This automation not only enhances efficiency but also ensures that no potential opportunity falls through the cracks. 

3. You can simplify lead nurturing, enhance customer engagement, or optimise marketing campaigns.

As we know by now HubSpot workflows are a massive win for businesses of any size and type. You don’t spend much time and still keep the customers in the loop.

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Understanding HubSpot Workflow automation

Workflow automation refers to the use of technology to automate repetitive tasks and processes, eliminating the need for manual intervention. In the context of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, workflow automation streamlines business processes, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and consistently.

This is how it works -

1. You receive a new lead and the lead is captured on your website.

2. A workflow is created and automatically sends a welcome email.

3. Then, assign the lead to a sales representative, and create a follow-up task. 

This ensures that every lead receives immediate attention without any manual effort. The importance of workflow automation in CRM systems cannot be overstated. It enhances productivity by freeing up time for more strategic activities, reduces the risk of human error, and ensures a consistent experience for every customer. With tools like HubSpot automation workflows, businesses can create customised workflows tailored to their unique processes and goals.

Getting started with HubSpot Workflows

Whether you're new to HubSpot or looking to optimise your use of its features, setting up and navigating workflows, the following guide will walk you through the initial steps of creating your HubSpot account and navigating the dashboard to set up effective workflows tailored to your business needs.

Setting up your HubSpot account 

To get started with HubSpot Workflows, you first need to create a HubSpot account. If you haven't done so already, follow these simple steps.

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Sign up

Visit the HubSpot website: Go to HubSpot.com. 

Click on the "Get started free" button. 

Choose a free plan or start a free trial of the HubSpot CRM Suite.

Fill in your details

Enter your email address, company name, and other required information.

Verify your email

HubSpot will send a verification email. Click the link in the email to verify your account.

Complete the setup

Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your account preferences and import any existing data. Once your account is set up, you can start exploring HubSpot's CRM features and begin creating workflows to automate your processes.

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Navigating the HubSpot dashboard

After setting up your account, it's essential to familiarise yourself with the HubSpot dashboard, especially the sections relevant to workflows.

Dashboard overview

When you log in, you'll see the main dashboard displaying key metrics and activities. This gives you a snapshot of your current performance.

Contacts

Here, you can manage all your leads and customers. This section is crucial as workflows often involve contact-based triggers.

Marketing

This tab includes email marketing, landing pages, and campaigns. It's where you'll create and manage many of your automated workflows.

Sales

Track deals, tasks, and activities related to your sales pipeline.

Automation

Under the "Automation" tab, select "Workflows" to create, view, and manage your workflows.

Understanding the layout of the HubSpot dashboard will help you navigate easily and utilise the CRM features efficiently as you set up your workflows.

How to start creating HubSpot Workflows?

Creating a workflow in HubSpot is a straightforward process that can greatly enhance your marketing automation efforts. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a basic workflow in HubSpot.

Access the Workflow tool

Log in to HubSpot

Go to your HubSpot dashboard.

Navigate to automation

In the main navigation bar, click on “Automation” and select “Workflows.”

Create a new Workflow

Click on create Workflow

In the top right corner, click the “Create workflow” button.

Choose Workflow type

You’ll see various workflow types, such as “From scratch,” “Centered on a date,” or “Centered on a date property.” For this guide, select “Start from scratch.”

Name your Workflow

Enter a name that clearly describes the workflow’s purpose, like “Welcome Email Series.”

Set enrollment triggers

Define the trigger

Click “Set enrollment triggers” to specify what actions will start the workflow. Common triggers include form submissions, contact property changes or website page views.

Select conditions

For example, if you want the workflow to start when someone fills out a form, select “Form submission,” then choose the specific form.

Build the Workflow actions

Add actions

Click the “+” button to add actions. These can include sending an email, creating a task, or updating a contact property.

Send an email

To send a welcome email, choose “Send email,” then select the email template you want to use.

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Add delays

To space out your emails, add delays. Click “+” and select “Delay.” Set the delay duration (e.g., 1 day).

Create branches

If you want different actions based on conditions, add an “If/then branch.” For example, if a contact opens the welcome email, send a follow-up email; if not, send a reminder email.

Review and activate

Review your Workflow

Check all the steps to ensure they are correct. Make sure the sequence of actions and conditions aligns with your goals.

Turn on the Workflow

Once everything is set, switch the workflow from “Draft” to “Active” by toggling the switch in the top right corner.

Monitor and optimise

Monitor performance

After activating the workflow, monitor its performance through the analytics provided in HubSpot. Look for key metrics like email open rates and click-through rates.

Optimise as needed

Based on the performance data, make necessary adjustments to improve the workflow. This might include tweaking email content, adjusting delays, or changing triggers.

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Advanced features and customisation

As you become more familiar with HubSpot Workflows, exploring advanced features and customisation options can significantly enhance your automation strategies. These tools allow you to create more complex and personalised workflows that better align with your business goals. 

Let’s dive into some of these effective features and how you can tailor workflows to your specific needs.

Advanced Workflow features

HubSpot offers advanced features within its workflow automation tools that can help you create more sophisticated and tailored workflows. One of the key features is branching. 

1. Branching allows you to create different paths for contacts based on their actions or properties. 

For example, if a contact opens an email, you can branch them into a sequence that sends a follow-up message, while those who do not open the email can receive a different follow-up or reminder.

2. Another powerful feature is delays. Delays enable you to space out your communications, ensuring that your contacts are not overwhelmed with too many messages at once. 

You can set delays of minutes, hours, days, or even weeks, depending on your campaign's needs.

3. Conditional logic adds another layer of sophistication to your workflows. This feature lets you create if/then scenarios within your workflows. 

For instance, you can set conditions such as "If a contact’s lead score is above 50, then send a special offer email; if it’s below 50, then send a nurturing email." 

These advanced features in HubSpot automation workflows allow you to create highly personalised and effective marketing strategies.

Customising Workflows to your business needs

1. Customise Workflows 

to meet your specific business goals and scenarios is crucial for maximising the effectiveness of HubSpot's automation tools. 

Start by identifying your primary objectives such as
1. Are you looking to nurture leads?

2. Looking to onboard new customers? 

3. Or re-engage inactive users? 

Clearly defining your goals will help you tailor your workflows accordingly.

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2. Segment your customers

Next, consider segmenting your audience based on their behaviors, demographics, or lifecycle stages. 

For example, you might create separate workflows for new leads, existing customers, and inactive users. This ensures that each segment receives relevant and targeted communications.

3. Personalise 

This is the key to successful workflow automation. Using HubSpot CRM features to include personalised tokens, such as the contact’s name or company, in your emails and messages. This small touch can significantly increase engagement rates.

Also, don’t hesitate to experiment and iterate. Start with a basic workflow and gradually add more complex actions, conditions, and branches as you analyse performance data and gain insights into what works best for your audience.

Regularly review and optimise your workflows based on analytics and feedback. This will help you continuously improve your automation strategies, ensuring they align with your business goals and effectively engage your contacts.

By leveraging these customisation tips, you can create HubSpot automation workflows that perfectly align with your business needs and objectives.

Best practices for effective Workflow management

Managing workflows effectively is crucial for maximising the benefits of automation. Implementing best practices ensures your workflows are efficient, effective, and aligned with your business goals. Here are some strategies to optimise your workflow performance.

1. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your HubSpot workflows, start by clearly defining your goals for each workflow. 

2. Knowing what you aim to achieve, lead nurturing, customer retention, or sales automation, will help you design purposeful and targeted workflows.

3. Regularly review and update your workflows to ensure they remain relevant and effective. This includes analysing performance data, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, provided by HubSpot.

4. Keep your workflows simple and avoid over-complicating them. While HubSpot offers advanced features, starting with straightforward workflows can prevent errors and make it easier to manage. Gradually add complexity as needed.

5. Testing is another critical component. Before activating a new workflow, run tests to ensure that all actions and triggers work as expected. This helps catch any issues early and prevents disruptions in your automated processes.

6. Lastly, leverage workflow management tools that are available for free. These tools can help you visualise your workflows, manage tasks, and collaborate with your team more effectively.

By following these strategies, you can optimise your HubSpot workflows to be more efficient, effective, and aligned with your business objectives, ultimately enhancing your overall automation strategy.

Measuring success and iterating

Measuring the success of your workflows is essential for continuous improvement. Here's how to track and iterate on your workflows using HubSpot analytics.

1. Using HubSpot's analytics tools, you can effectively measure the impact of your workflows. 

Start by navigating to the workflow dashboard within the HubSpot CRM suite. Here, you'll find detailed reports on key metrics such as email open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.

2. Pay close attention to these metrics to understand how well your workflows are performing. 

For instance, if you notice low open rates, you might need to improve your subject lines or timing. High drop-off rates might indicate that your content isn’t engaging enough or that there are too many steps in the workflow.

3. Regularly reviewing these analytics allows you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your workflows for better performance. 

Adjust triggers, actions, and content based on the insights you gain, and continuously test new approaches to see what works best.

In this guide, we’ve explored the basics of creating and managing HubSpot Workflows, from setting up your account to advanced customisation and optimisation. With continuous improvement, your workflows will become more efficient and aligned with your business goals.

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