Optimize 3.0 Inbound Marketing Blog

How HubSpot Paid Contacts Work

Marketing vs Non-marketing contacts explained

HubSpot lets you classify each record as marketing or non-marketing. Marketing contacts are the only ones eligible for marketing emails and count toward your paid tier. Non-marketing contacts can still be worked by sales, tracked in the CRM, and used in reporting without increasing your marketing contact bill.

Why Data Quality Is the Hidden CRM Problem

“Our data is a mess.”

Practically every CRM we see that’s been in use for two or more years (sometimes less) suffers from the same problem: incomplete, outdated, or inconsistent records.

When that happens, frustration sets in. Sales reps stop entering information, managers stop trusting reports, and leadership loses confidence in the system. Over time, the CRM collapses into noise instead of clarity.

That’s why one of the first things we do for our clients is set up a Data Audit Dashboard inside HubSpot.

Amidst all of the fever dream around AI assistants and agents, sometimes the most basic features of HubSpot can be ignored.  We see this is just about every portal we encounter.   HubSpot’s data back up and restore is one of the most glaring examples.  Data back up is critical.  Here’s a quick guide to do that in HubSpot.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to back up your HubSpot data, ensure continuity across your teams, and provide peace of mind for stakeholders.

You bought HubSpot, turned it on, maybe clicked around the menus, and now your sales team is grumbling that nothing makes sense. I’ve seen this movie many times before—different cast, same ending. The problem isn’t HubSpot. It’s the way it’s set up, right out of the gate. And that setup, what I call “technical onboarding,” is boring, unglamorous, and absolutely mission-critical.  If it didn’t get recorded in HubSpot it didn’t happen.

You ever open your HubSpot dashboard and just feel like it’s lying to you?

The numbers look fine. The pipeline’s "healthy." Deals are moving. Except… they’re not. Half of them are probably idle or stagnant with no recent activity, no owner follow-up, and {honestly) little chance of closing before the end of the quarter.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Sales reps don’t hate HubSpot, they hate what it represents. Admin. Clicks. Notes. Dropdowns. Another tool asking for their time instead of giving it back.

But we can fix that with a few strategic HubSpot pipeline optimization tactics.   

We’ve seen hundreds of pipelines and these basic automations work when you want a pipeline that runs efficiently.

If you’ve ever opened your HubSpot deals dashboard and felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Most pipelines fail because they’re built in ways that don’t match how sales actually works.

There are three big reasons pipelines break down. First, too many deal stages. Second, no closed lost reasons. Third, multiple pipelines that make reporting a nightmare. Fix these, and your sales team will actually use the pipeline you’ve built.

So—you're sitting in HubSpot.

Blank workflow. Cursor blinking like it’s judging you. The kind of digital silence that feels louder than it should.

You think: Okay. I’ve got a blog post. I’ll turn it into an email. Add a CTA. Toss in some “we help companies like yours” line. Done. Lead nurture, right?

Except… that’s exactly why most lead nurturing campaigns fail.

If you want better lead nurture content, don’t start with a blank page. Start with your sales team.

They already know what prospects care about. They hear the same questions, hesitations, and comparisons over and over again. The problem? That knowledge stays in their heads — and never makes it into your emails, blogs, or campaigns.

This post shows you how to fix that.

Ignoring search traffic can be extremely costly to your business.

Back in May 2018 HubSpot decided to do away with their keyword tool.  They did this for several reasons, some of them quite valid.  But by de-emphasizing such a core principle of SEO they managed to send the message to their clients that it’s no longer important.  Instead of doubling down on SEO tools they mostly ceded this side of their business to the likes of SEM Rush and Moz among others.

Optimize 3.0 announces that it is now a HubSpot as a Diamond Certified Agency Partner. HubSpot, a leading CRM, marketing, sales, and customer experience platform, works hand-in-hand with Agency Partners to grow their businesses through inbound software, services, and support.