Managing leads, nurturing prospects, and automating marketing tasks are crucial for efficient business operations. 

HubSpot, a leading CRM and marketing platform, provides powerful workflow tools to streamline these processes. 

In this guide, we'll walk you through creating a workflow in HubSpot, helping you leverage this feature for better productivity and more personalised interactions.

What is a HubSpot workflow?

A workflow in HubSpot is an automated process that performs tasks like sending emails, updating contact properties, and creating task reminders based on user-defined triggers and actions. 

This tool is essential for marketing automation, lead nurturing, and internal task management, simplifying processes and reducing manual work.

If you're looking to streamline your automation setup, our HubSpot implementation agency offers tailored solutions for your business needs.

Why use workflows in HubSpot?

HubSpot workflow automation can drastically improve efficiency. By automating repetitive tasks, your team can focus more on strategic planning and creative work. 

HubSpot’s workflows can,

• Nurture leads automatically by sending personalised emails.
• Streamline internal processes like task assignments and notifications.
• Ensure timely follow-ups, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
• Integrate with other tools, enhancing your marketing stack with added capabilities.

For an in-depth tutorial on setting up and optimising workflows in HubSpot, check out this beginner's guide to creating workflows.

Step-by-step guide to creating a workflow in HubSpot

Here’s a straightforward process for creating automated workflows in HubSpot,

1. Navigate to the workflow tool

• Go to your HubSpot dashboard.
• Click on the "Automation" tab and select "Workflows."
• If you're starting fresh, click "Create workflow."

2. Choose the type of workflow

HubSpot offers several types of workflows,

• Contact-based workflows

Used to trigger actions based on contact properties.

• Company-based workflows

Ideal for managing accounts and B2B interactions.

• Deal-based workflows

Great for automating processes in your sales pipeline.

• Ticket-based workflows

Perfect for customer service automation.

For this guide, we’ll focus on contact-based workflows, which are popular for marketing automation.

3. Select a starting condition

The starting condition is the trigger that sets the workflow in motion. Some common triggers include,

• Form submissions

When a contact fills out a specific form.

• Page views

When a contact visits a certain webpage.

• Contact property changes

For example, when a lead’s lifecycle stage changes.

Choose the appropriate trigger based on your goal. For instance, if you're nurturing leads, you might set the starting condition to “Contact filled out a demo request form.”

4. Add actions to your workflow

Once you’ve set the trigger, you can add actions. HubSpot provides a wide range of actions:

• Send an email

Ideal for following up with leads.

• Update contact properties

Adjust properties to keep information up-to-date.

• Create tasks

Notify your sales team to follow up.

• Trigger another workflow

Combine workflows for more complex automation.

• Add contacts to a list

Automatically include them in segmented lists for targeted campaigns.

For a simple lead nurturing process, you could set up actions such as,

1. Send a welcome email thanking the contact for their interest.
2. Wait for 2 days, then send a follow-up with additional resources.
3. Notify the sales team when a contact shows significant engagement.
4. Send a final reminder if there is no interaction after a set period.

5. Add delays and conditions

Delays and if/then branches help control the flow of your workflow. Delays pause the workflow for a set time before proceeding, while conditions allow you to create personalised paths based on contact behavior.

Example:

• Delay

Wait for 3 days after sending an email.

• Condition

If the contact opens the email, follow up; if not, send a reminder email after 5 days.

These elements are crucial for HubSpot workflow best practices, ensuring your automation feels organic and human-like.

6. Review and test your workflow

Before you activate your workflow, it’s important to review and test it,

• Ensure triggers and actions flow smoothly.
• Run a test contact through to simulate the process and see how it works.
• Preview emails and notifications to confirm everything looks correct.

Testing helps identify potential pitfalls and ensures that your workflow delivers the desired experience to your contacts.

Need assistance fine-tuning your workflows? Our HubSpot consulting agency can help you implement the best practices for optimal results.

7. Activate the workflow

Once you've tested and reviewed, activate your workflow. Remember that any adjustments can be made later if needed. Monitoring your workflows periodically allows you to optimise them for better results and make tweaks as your marketing strategy evolves.

Tips for creating effective workflows in HubSpot

1. For those new to HubSpot workflow automation, it’s best to start with simple workflows, like a welcome email series.

2. Assure that contact properties and segmentation criteria are accurate. This step is essential for workflows that rely on contact-based triggers.

3. Personalise your emails and notifications by including tokens like the contact’s name or company. This feature enhances engagement.

4. After activating your workflow, track its performance. Based on metrics, adjust email timing, messaging, or triggers to increase effectiveness.

5. For more complex operations, create automated workflows in HubSpot that trigger additional workflows. This strategy is especially useful for HubSpot marketing automation and nurturing campaigns.

6. Tailor your workflows to different audience segments. Use triggers based on specific properties like job title or company size to create more targeted communication.

Use case: Lead nurturing workflow

Imagine a SaaS company that offers free software trials. They want to follow up with leads who register for the trial to ensure conversion into paid customers. Here’s a simplified workflow,

Trigger: Contact submits the free trial form. Actions:

1. Send a “Welcome to Your Free Trial” email.
2. Wait for 3 days, then send a “Getting Started” guide.
3. If the contact engages with the guide, send an offer for a product demo.
4. If no engagement, send a reminder email after 7 days.

Outcome: 

The workflow ensures each lead receives relevant information without manual intervention, guiding them smoothly from trial to conversion.

Advanced features for workflows

HubSpot also offers tools for more sophisticated workflows, such as,

• Connect your workflow with third-party apps like Slack or Zoom for seamless notifications and task management.
  Pair your automated workflows with a seamless user experience. Our web design and development services can help enhance your site's engagement.
• Assign points to leads based on their actions, qualifying them for sales.
• Tailor your workflow paths based on specific criteria, creating a highly personalised experience.
• Utilise HubSpot’s pre-built templates to get started faster. These templates can be customised for different use cases like onboarding or re-engagement.

To maximise the efficiency of your sales pipeline with tailored workflows, explore our guide on optimising your sales pipeline in HubSpot.

Creating a workflow in HubSpot is an invaluable step toward automating processes and enhancing customer interactions. Whether it’s sending personalised emails, automating follow-ups, or managing internal tasks, workflows streamline tasks and boost productivity.

By following HubSpot workflow best practices, businesses can ensure their workflows are efficient and impactful. Start with simple workflows, test frequently, and optimise based on results to create seamless automation that supports your business goals.

Need help setting up workflows in HubSpot? 

Book a free 30-minute consultation call with our expert assistance to optimise your marketing automation strategy and drive business growth.