Step 1: Log into Your HubSpot Account
- Go to the HubSpot login page.
- Enter your credentials and click "Log in".
Step 2: Navigate to Contacts Database
- From your HubSpot dashboard, click on “Contacts” in the top menu.
- Select “Lists” from the dropdown.
Step 3: Identify Stale Contacts
- Create a new list by clicking on “Create list”.
- Name the list “Stale Contacts” or something similar.
- Set the list type to “Active list”.
- Use filters to identify contacts who haven’t engaged in a specific period. For example, use the “Last Contacted Date” and set it to more than 6 months ago.
Step 4: Create a List for Bounced Emails
- Repeat the process of creating a new list.
- This time, set filters for contacts whose emails have bounced. HubSpot typically marks these contacts automatically based on email deliverability results.
Step 5: Automate the Cleaning Process
- Once you've identified stale or bounced contacts, you can decide to either remove them or segment them for a re-engagement campaign.
- For automatic removal, navigate to “Workflows” from the top menu.
- Click on “Create workflow”.
- Select “Start from scratch”.
- Choose “List membership” as the enrollment trigger and select the stale contacts or bounced emails list.
- Set an action to “Unenroll contact” after a certain period or after specific criteria are met.
Step 6: Schedule Regular Checks
- Consistency is key for list hygiene.
- Schedule monthly or quarterly reminders to check and clean your lists. This ensures that your database remains healthy and up-to-date.
Step 7: Implement Re-engagement Campaigns (Optional)
- Instead of immediately removing unengaged contacts, consider setting up re-engagement campaigns.
- Create email campaigns specifically tailored to reignite interest or verify the contact's interest in staying on your list.
Step 8: Monitor and Adjust
- Regularly monitor the results of your list cleaning.
- Adjust your criteria if needed. For instance, if you find many contacts re-engaging after 8 months of inactivity, consider extending the duration in your stale contacts list criteria.
Step 9: Maintain Email Deliverability
- Regular list cleaning helps maintain your sender reputation and email deliverability rates.
- Periodically review your email deliverability metrics in HubSpot to ensure your emails are reaching your contacts' inboxes.
Step 10: Document and Educate Your Team
- Make sure to document your list cleaning process.
- Educate your team about its importance, ensuring everyone understands and respects the process for maintaining a healthy contact database.
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