Understanding where your prospects and customers are in their journey is crucial for success. Especially when you’re actively selling and marketing to potential customers. You are very likely throwing away your budget without the proper insight.
Lifecycle stages provide a structured approach to managing and nurturing your leads and customers. But what exactly are lifecycle stages, and why are they so important?
We’re going to dive into the significance of lifecycle stages and how they can will enhance your marketing and sales efforts and why it’s so important to implement (or perfect) this process right away.
Why Are Lifecycle Stages So Important?
We’ve seen some interesting scenarios where businesses are spending thousands in marketing and have no idea what their leads are doing. That looks something like this:
Paid Media → Form Fill → Lead (YAY) → ????
Organic Search → Form Fill → Lead (YAY) → ????
Organic Social → Form Fill → Lead (YAY) → ????
Email → Form Fill → Lead (YAY) → ????
Nobody knows anything past the lead stage. Why did this person not become a customer? Or did they? If so, where should that revenue be attributed? Paid ads, SEO, social media? And if you aren’t signaling your ads that this customer is generating revenue, how are you optimizing your ads correctly?
Now, imagine this is across all your marketing. Social media, content, paid media, SEO, etc. The amount of budget being wasted adds up really quickly.
What Are Lifecycle Stages?
Lifecycle stages in HubSpot represent the various phases a contact goes through in their journey from being a stranger to becoming a loyal customer. These stages help you categorize and track contacts based on their interactions with your brand and their readiness to make a purchase.
The primary lifecycle stages in HubSpot typically include (learn how to define each stage using lead scoring):
Subscriber: Contacts who have expressed interest by subscribing to your content.
Lead: Contacts who have shown more interest by engaging with your brand through forms, downloads, or other interactions.
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL): Leads who have met specific criteria indicating they are more likely to become customers.
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL): MQLs who have been vetted by the sales team and are considered ready for a sales conversation.
Opportunity: Contacts who are actively engaged in the sales process and have a potential deal in progress.
Customer: Contacts who have made a purchase and are now customers.
Evangelist: Customers who are enthusiastic advocates of your brand, often engaging in referrals and positive reviews.
Other: Contacts who don’t fit into the standard stages, often used for special cases or custom tracking.
What Does A Lifecycle Stage That’s Set Up Properly Look Like?
A properly set-up lifecycle stage helps track and manage the journey of leads and customers through different phases of engagement with your business. Here's what a well-defined lifecycle stage should look like:
Clear Definitions: Each lifecycle stage should have a clear definition and criteria. For example, stages might include Lead, Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), Sales Qualified Lead (SQL), Opportunity, and Customer. Define what characteristics or behaviors move a lead from one stage to the next.
Automated Transitions: Use automation tools to ensure that leads move through stages based on specific actions or criteria. For instance, when a lead fills out a demo request form, they automatically transition from Lead to SQL.
Consistent Data Tracking: Ensure that data collected at each stage is consistent and relevant. For example, capture key details like lead source, engagement history, and interaction data to inform decisions and personalize communication.
Integrated Systems: Lifecycle stages should be integrated with your CRM and marketing automation platforms. This integration ensures seamless data flow between platforms and updates, allowing for better tracking and reporting. For example, Lifecycles stage change will update the data in your Google Ads account so you can optimize with real results not guesses.
Engagement and Follow-Up: Define specific actions or follow-up tasks for each stage. For instance, for MQLs, set up a follow-up email sequence or sales call script.
Performance Metrics: Track performance metrics such as conversion rates between stages, time spent in each stage, and overall progress. This helps identify bottlenecks or areas for improvement.
Regular Review: Regularly review and update lifecycle stages to align with changes in your business processes or customer behavior. This ensures that your lifecycle management remains effective and relevant.
Clear Communication: Ensure that your team is aware of the lifecycle stages and understands how to use them. This helps maintain consistency in how leads and customers are handled.
A properly set-up lifecycle stage system provides clarity, efficiency, and insight into your lead and customer management process, ultimately improving your ability to nurture relationships and drive conversions giving you real ROI metrics.
Steps On Setting Up Functional Lifecycle Stages In HubSpot
Step 1: Define Your Lifecycle Stages
Log into HubSpot:
Access your HubSpot account.
Navigate to Settings:
Click on the gear icon in the top right corner to go to the settings.
Go to Properties:
In the left sidebar, select “Properties” under “Data Management.”
Customize Lifecycle Stages:
Look for the “Lifecycle Stage” property. Click on it to view and customize the default lifecycle stages.
You can edit the existing stages or add new ones by clicking the “Edit Options” button.
Define Stages:
Define stages that fit your business model. Common stages include Lead, MQL, SQL, Opportunity and Customer. Customize as needed.
Save Changes:
After making adjustments, save your changes.
Step 2: Create and Implement Workflows
Access Workflows:
Go to “Automation” in the top navigation bar and select “Workflows.”
Create a New Workflow:
Click “Create Workflow” and choose a type (e.g., Contact-based).
Set Enrollment Triggers:
Define triggers that will move contacts to different lifecycle stages. For example, a contact filling out a form could move from Lead to MQL.
Add Actions:
Include actions like sending emails, assigning tasks, or changing lifecycle stages based on the contact’s behavior.
Review and Activate:
Review your workflow settings and activate it to start automating your lifecycle stage transitions.
Step 3: Integrate Google & Meta Ads Accounts
**You must have the proper tracking set up in each paid media account as well as the integration with HubSpot to have the data flow between platforms accurately.
Integrating Google Ads
Access Marketing Integrations:
In HubSpot, go to “Marketing” > “Ads.”
Connect Google Ads Account:
Click “Connect Account” and choose Google Ads. Follow the prompts to log into your Google Ads account and grant permissions.
Sync Ad Data:
Once connected, HubSpot will sync your Google Ads data. You can now track ad performance and create reports directly within HubSpot.
Use Ads Data in Workflows:
Leverage the data from Google Ads in your workflows. For example, you can create workflows that adjust lifecycle stages based on ad interactions or conversions.
Integrating Meta Ads
Access Marketing Integrations:
Similar to Google Ads, go to “Marketing” > “Ads” in HubSpot.
Connect Meta Ads Account:
Click “Connect Account” and select Meta Ads. Follow the prompts to log into your Meta Ads account and authorize the connection.
Sync Ad Data:
HubSpot will sync your Meta Ads data, allowing you to track performance and create reports.
Utilize Ads Data:
Use the data from Meta Ads to enhance your workflows and lifecycle stage management. For example, you can trigger workflows based on interactions with Meta Ads.
Step 4: Monitor and Adjust
Review Reports:
Regularly check the performance of your lifecycle stages and paid media integrations by reviewing HubSpot’s reports and dashboards.
Analyze Performance:
Use the insights from your integrated paid media accounts to understand the impact of your ads on lifecycle stage progression and overall conversion rates.
Optimize Workflows:
Based on your analysis, adjust your workflows and lifecycle stages to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Update Integration Settings:
Ensure your integration settings are up-to-date with any changes in your ad accounts or marketing strategy.
Additional Tips:
Make sure all your marketing and sales efforts are being tracked in your lifecycle stage.
Make sure to cross reference your data with platforms outside of HubSpot.
Make sure your steps are automatically syncing and manual data entries are still flowing between platforms.
Make sure you are optimizing your paid campaigns based on true customer data. Don’t look at just campaign performance. Look at the revenue that should now be populated in your in platform paid media campaign dashboards.
Learn to utilize the data being reported in the lifecycle stages to your advantage. This will help you optimize your budget and stop wasting time and budget on marketing that isn’t working.
HubSpot’s lifecycle stages are more than just a framework—they’re a dynamic tool that can revolutionize how you manage and nurture your leads and customers.
By clearly defining and leveraging these stages, you can deliver more personalized and impactful communication, streamline your sales processes, and align your marketing efforts for maximum effectiveness. From guiding prospects through their journey to turning customers into enthusiastic advocates, lifecycle stages are the backbone of a successful business strategy.
Embracing HubSpot’s lifecycle stages means unlocking a more organized, data-driven approach to growth. It allows you to understand your contacts better, optimize your interactions, and drive meaningful results. So, dive in, set up your stages, and watch as your business transforms into a well-oiled machine of customer engagement and conversion. With lifecycle stages at the heart of your strategy, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your business goals and building lasting success.
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