Re-Engage Dormant Contacts: A HubSpot Workflow for Ignited Growth

Are you leaving money on the table by neglecting contacts in your HubSpot CRM who aren't receiving your marketing emails? Many HubSpot users face this challenge: valuable contacts exist in their database, but their 'Non-marketing contact' status prevents them from engaging with crucial content. The solution? Building a targeted re-engagement workflow to reignite these dormant relationships and convert them into loyal customers.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to building a HubSpot workflow that identifies and re-engages these 'lost' contacts, transforming them into active, engaged leads who contribute to your bottom line. We'll draw inspiration from a recent HubSpot Community discussion and provide a step-by-step approach to building an effective solution.

The Untapped Potential of Non-Marketing Contacts

Imagine the possibilities: Contacts who have previously interacted with your website, downloaded resources, or even made past purchases, but are now excluded from your marketing communications. These individuals represent a pool of untapped potential, and with the right strategy, you can reignite their interest and drive significant revenue growth.

A member of the HubSpot Community recently highlighted this exact problem. They sought to create a workflow that would identify and re-engage contacts who met the following criteria:

• Were previously part of a marketing email distribution list.
• Did NOT receive specific emails due to their 'Non-marketing contact' status at the time of sending.
• Possess a valid email address.
• Have not explicitly opted out of email communications.
• Do not have any hard bounce issues associated with their email address.

The primary objective was clear: to convert these contacts to marketing contact status and re-engage them with the valuable content they had previously missed. However, the original poster encountered difficulties in establishing the precise enrollment filters required to identify these contacts effectively.

Crafting Your Re-Engagement Workflow: A Practical Approach

While directly filtering for contacts who should have received a particular email can be complex, a community expert offered a robust and practical alternative. This approach focuses on identifying contacts who meet a broader set of criteria, indicating their potential for re-engagement. Here's a breakdown of the recommended criteria:

• Last Marketing Email Send Date: Is unknown OR occurred more than a specified period ago (e.g., 365 days).
• Email Subscription Status: Are NOT unsubscribed from all email communications.
• Email Validity: Do NOT have an invalid email address.
• Email Availability: Have a known and valid email address.
• Email Deliverability: Do NOT have a hard bounce reason associated with their email address.
• Marketing Contact Status: Currently have a 'Non-marketing contact' status.
• Marketing Information Opt-In: Have NOT explicitly opted out of receiving marketing information.

Let's translate these criteria into a step-by-step guide for building your HubSpot workflow:

1. Create a New Workflow: Start by creating a new contact-based workflow in HubSpot. Choose a blank workflow to have full control over its configuration.
2. Set Enrollment Triggers: This is where you'll define the criteria for contacts to enter the workflow. Use the criteria outlined above, combining them with 'AND' logic to ensure accuracy. For example, you'll need to create a filter group that includes:
   • "Marketing contact status is Non-marketing contact"
   • "Email is known"
   • "Opted out of email: Marketing information is not equal to True"
   • "Email hard bounce reason is unknown"
   • "Unsubscribed from all email is not equal to True"

   And so on, for all the criteria. This ensures that only contacts meeting all the specified conditions are enrolled in the workflow.

3. Add a Delay: Before taking any action, consider adding a short delay (e.g., 1-2 days). This allows for any potential data updates or changes in contact status to be reflected before the workflow proceeds.
4. Update Contact Property: The core of this workflow is changing the "Marketing contact status" from "Non-marketing contact" to "Marketing contact". This will allow the contact to receive marketing emails.
5. Send a Re-Engagement Email: Craft a personalized email sequence designed to re-engage these contacts. Consider offering exclusive content, discounts, or invitations to upcoming events. Highlight the value they'll receive by re-subscribing to your marketing communications. This is your chance to make a strong first impression (again!).
6. Monitor and Analyze: Track the performance of your re-engagement workflow closely. Monitor key metrics such as email open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Use this data to optimize your workflow and email content for maximum impact.

Important Considerations

Before launching your re-engagement workflow, keep these crucial points in mind:

• Legal Compliance: Ensure that your re-engagement efforts comply with all applicable data privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CAN-SPAM. Always obtain explicit consent before sending marketing emails to contacts. The absence of negative criteria doesn't automatically grant a legal basis for sending emails.
• Segmentation: Consider segmenting your non-marketing contacts based on their past interactions with your business. This allows you to tailor your re-engagement messaging for greater relevance and impact. For example, you might create separate segments for contacts who previously made purchases, downloaded specific resources, or attended webinars.
• Value Proposition: Clearly communicate the value that contacts will receive by opting back into your marketing communications. Highlight the benefits of staying informed about your latest products, services, and promotions.

Beyond the Basics: Integrating with ESHOPMAN

For HubSpot users leveraging ESHOPMAN's built-in storefront and e-commerce capabilities, this re-engagement workflow becomes even more powerful. Imagine automatically re-engaging contacts who abandoned their shopping carts or expressed interest in specific products. By integrating your workflow with ESHOPMAN, you can create highly personalized and targeted re-engagement campaigns that drive sales and boost revenue.

For example, you could create a workflow that enrolls contacts who added items to their cart but didn't complete the purchase. The workflow could then send a series of automated emails reminding them about their abandoned cart and offering a discount to encourage them to complete the purchase. This level of personalization can significantly increase conversion rates and drive revenue growth.

Conclusion: Unlock Your HubSpot CRM's Full Potential

By implementing a well-designed re-engagement workflow, you can unlock the hidden potential within your HubSpot CRM and transform dormant contacts into active, engaged leads. Remember to prioritize legal compliance, personalize your messaging, and continuously monitor and optimize your workflow for maximum impact. With a strategic approach, you can reignite those lost connections and drive significant growth for your business.