7 Most Common Hubspot Issues

Most brands that start using Hubspot first get excited about inbound marketing. They realize having a methodical process for attracting leads is important to growing their company. Then, they learn about the personas, the buyer’s journey, segmentation, and the importance of matching valuable content to that journey.

Wanting to accelerate growth they subscribe to Hubspot, implement it as quickly as possible, and start producing content. Marketing is easy when you have creative ideas, a proven process, and the right technology. But after a few months, unease starts to set in. Everyone on the team is working hard and is busier than ever. They often wonder if the results are worth the effort.

Sound familiar?

What most brands miss when implementing Hubspot is the need for a process. Small problems start to emerge. Not in how it functions, but in how the marketing team uses it. Hubspot works as advertised, but it is not a simple system.

Here are 7 of the most common issues brands experience with managing Hubspot.

1.   They fail to develop data collection guidelines. Hubspot’s CRM function integrates directly with the marketing module. All collected data automatically accumulates within companies and contacts. But what are the most important data points to collect? It is common for large marketing departments to create dozens of different forms, all gathering different types of information without an overarching strategy or plan. 

One of the most common mistakes is not asking for enough information, like only requesting an email. A form that asks for email only is almost always a mistake. It is not enough information for a good follow-up. The argument we always hear is, “If we ask for too much information it will depress response rates.” Yes, asking for more information will depress responses, and that is ok. In fact, it is preferred. You don’t want everyone filling out your forms, Hubspot CRM charges based on your number of contacts. What’s the point of having bogus email addresses in your CRM? Plus, if leads don’t think your offer is valuable enough to provide their first name, last name, and email, you need to improve your offer or call-to-action. A database full of emails without useful information is nearly worthless. 

2.   They don’t complete quarterly Hubspot maintenance. Hubspot has a lot in common with a high-performance sports car. It is the most advanced marketing automation system on the market, and tens of thousands of companies invest in it to improve their marketing. When you buy a car, you don’t plan to drive it 100,000 miles without periodically replacing the tires, changing the oil, and having a certified mechanic perform maintenance checks. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can run Hubspot without maintenance!

Recently, we conducted a Hubspot review for a large brand who was successfully using Hubspot for years. They had more than 400 active workflows, hundreds of uncategorized lists, and tens of thousands of files in their file manager without any organizational structure. They were having numerous performance problems and difficulty troubleshooting because the backend was such a mess, and most of their issues derived from not maintaining the system in any coherent manner. 

3.   There is no written agreement with the sales department defining MQLs and SQLs. The definition of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs) varies widely from person to person depending on their perspective, understanding of the marketing process, and the brand’s sales process. Yet, it is absolutely vital that sales and marketing agree on the definitions—in writing. There is nothing more detrimental to the morale of the marketing department than thinking they are crushing lead generation only to find out later that the executive and sales teams are unhappy with the results. Definitions matter! When are leads passed to sales? How are they handled by sales? What does sales report back to marketing about the results of the leads? 

4.   There are no editorial guidelines. Editorial guidelines set the stage for developing remarkable content. If done well, a new team member, author, or agency should be able to read the guidelines and know exactly who you are marketing to, what the goals are, and what types of content should be offered at each stage of the sales funnel. Editorial guidelines inform all content development, such as social media posts, blogs, advertisements, white papers, etc. They are the guideposts that prevent poorly planned campaigns from seeing the light of day. The entire team can get behind the guidelines and understand what needs to be done. 

5.   Hubspot training and on-boarding of new team members is ad hoc. Hubspot is an awesome system. It is also very large and complex. For someone seeing it for the first time, it can be slightly overwhelming. The Hubspot Academy is a great resource to start, but it is comprised of hundreds of videos, how-to articles, and best practices. Ad hoc training is a recipe for mediocrity and frustration. The department should establish Hubspot training standards for each role. What are the 5-10 major Hubspot processes that each team member needs to understand to be able to perform their job function to its best?

6.   Fail to establish naming conventions. Each of the major Hubspot modules such as workflows, lists, and forms should have a naming convention that everyone agrees upon, understands, and uses 100% of the time. Nothing is more frustrating than looking at a workflow or form and the name doesn’t explain what it is for and why. Team members go on vacation or rotate out of the company, things change but naming should always remain the same. It is helpful to quickly review the elements of your marketing campaign and understand the who, what, and why.

7.   They don’t apply primal storytelling? to their content development process. Primal storytelling is a process for creating content that considers the human emotions, urges, and tribal tendencies—the three main factors driving human behavior. Primal storytelling? is a shortcut to creating remarkable content.

Standard Operating Procedures for Hubspot 

All the problems above can be avoided by establishing a departmental Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). A good Hubspot SOP is vital for long term success on Hubspot. It is the overarching guide that helps define what the department is trying to accomplish with the system, how they are going to do it, and who is responsible. There are dozens of elements to include in an SOP, such as naming conventions, data collection goals, and a written agreement with the sales department. Learn more by downloading our 30 Point Hubspot Checklist.