Top 6 Ways to Use HubSpot Lists for Marketing & Sales Success
Learn how to create and leverage HubSpot lists to elevate your marketing and sales strategies. Discover best practices for segmentation, lead nurturing, retargeting, and more!
Using HubSpot lists to boost marketing and sales strategies
HubSpot lists are one of the most powerful tools for marketers and sales teams. They help you segment contacts, automate workflows, and deliver hyper-personalized experiences—all of which are essential for driving conversions and boosting customer relationships.
But are you leveraging HubSpot lists to their fullest potential? In this blog, we’ll break down the 6 most effective ways to use HubSpot lists to take your marketing and sales efforts to the next level.
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How to create a HubSpot List
1. Targeted Email Campaigns
One of the biggest benefits of HubSpot lists is the ability to send tailored email campaigns to specific audience segments.
For example:
- Create a list of contacts who downloaded your eBook but didn’t register for your webinar.
- Send a follow-up email inviting them to your next event or offering additional resources related to the eBook topic.
By narrowing down your audience using Active Lists, you ensure that your messaging resonates with recipients, increasing open rates and engagement.
Pro Tip:
Use HubSpot’s email analytics to track open rates and click-through rates, and refine your lists based on performance.
2. Retargeting Ads
Retargeting is one of the most effective ways to re-engage prospects, and HubSpot lists make it easy to run targeted ad campaigns.
Here’s how:
- Sync your HubSpot lists with ad platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads.
- Create retargeting campaigns for contacts who visited your pricing page, viewed a product demo, or downloaded gated content.
These hyper-targeted ads help you stay top of mind with prospects and move them closer to conversion.
Pro Tip:
Segment your lists further by behavior or lifecycle stage to serve highly relevant ads. For example, show “free trial” ads to leads in the consideration stage and “customer stories” to leads in the decision stage.
3. Lead Scoring and Prioritization
HubSpot lists are a game-changer for sales teams when paired with lead scoring. By creating lists based on lead scores, you can prioritize outreach to the most engaged and qualified leads.
For example:
- Create a list of leads with scores above 80 who have also visited your pricing page in the past week.
- Share this list with your sales team so they can focus on high-priority prospects who are closer to purchasing.
Pro Tip:
Combine lead scoring with Active Lists to automatically update and flag leads as their activity changes.
4. Automated Lead Nurturing Workflows
HubSpot lists can serve as the backbone for powerful automated workflows that nurture leads and build relationships over time.
For instance:
- Create an Active List of contacts who signed up for a free trial.
- Set up a nurturing workflow that delivers educational emails over the next two weeks, helping them get the most out of their trial.
This kind of automation keeps your audience engaged and guides them through the buyer’s journey without overwhelming your team.
Pro Tip:
Use Static Lists for one-off nurturing campaigns (e.g., post-event follow-ups) and Active Lists for ongoing automation (e.g., trial onboarding).
5. Pipeline Tracking and Sales Enablement
Sales teams can use HubSpot lists to track and manage prospects as they move through the pipeline.
Here’s how:
- Create lists for different stages of the buyer’s journey, such as leads who’ve booked a demo, requested a quote, or are awaiting follow-up.
- Assign tasks to sales reps based on list activity, ensuring timely engagement at every stage.
With clear segmentation, your sales team will always know who to prioritize and how to tailor their outreach.
Pro Tip:
Use filters like deal stage, last activity date, and contact properties to create lists that keep your pipeline organized.
6. Customer Retention and Upselling
HubSpot lists aren’t just for prospecting—they’re also great for strengthening relationships with your existing customers.
For example:
- Create a list of customers who purchased a specific product but haven’t engaged with your support team or follow-up resources. Send them an email offering a free consultation or helpful guides.
- Use lists to identify upsell opportunities by targeting customers who recently purchased and might benefit from complementary products or services.
Pro Tip:
Segment your customer lists by lifecycle stage (e.g., New Customers, Loyal Customers) to craft personalized retention campaigns.
How to Get Started with HubSpot Lists
If you’re new to HubSpot lists or want to brush up on the basics, here’s a quick guide:
Go to Your Lists Dashboard
- Navigate to the “Contacts” tab and select “Lists.”
Create a New List
- Click “Create list” and choose between an Active List (dynamic) or a Static List (fixed).
Set Your Criteria
- Use filters like contact properties, form submissions, page views, or lead scores to refine your audience.
Save and Name Your List
- Assign a clear, descriptive name so you can easily identify and reuse it in future campaigns.
With these lists in place, you’re ready to elevate your marketing and sales strategies.
Final Thoughts
HubSpot lists are an invaluable tool for both marketing and sales teams. Whether you’re driving personalized email campaigns, automating lead nurturing, or optimizing your pipeline management, the right segmentation can transform your results.
Start experimenting with these six strategies today, and see how HubSpot lists can help you deliver more personalized experiences, engage your audience, and close more deals.
About Amy Kant
Amy Kant is a project manager and HubSpot solutions architect at The Middle Six. A long-time contractor with the company, Amy brings over 20 years of expertise in project management, data analysis, and digital marketing. As The Middle Six continues to expand its HubSpot CRM and marketing services, Amy helps drive innovation and delivers tailored client solutions.