How HubSpot Custom Objects Can Make Your Job Easier

by Kim Garmon Hummel

Are you ready to learn how HubSpot can make your life easier and your business more profitable? We thought so. HubSpot is a powerful CRM that lets you build sophisticated processes, create detailed reports, and deliver delightful customer experiences.

One way HubSpot does this is through Custom Objects.

What Are Custom Objects?

Essentially, custom objects give you full control over your data. It gives you superhuman powers over data organization and makes your job easier (and who doesn’t want that, right?). From how data is categorized, formatted, and reported on—you’re in the driver’s seat.

To continue the car metaphor, let’s take a peek under the HubSpot hood. If you’ve clicked around in HubSpot at all, you know that HubSpot categorizes your data in default buckets. That bucket is where your data lands and how it is identified (think your standard categories like “contacts,” “companies,” “deals,” or “tickets”). But what if you need something less general and more specific to your business?

Good question. When you create custom objects, you’re naming and formatting the buckets your data drop into. So you can customize “contacts” into “cats” and identify attributes like “tabby, calico, or orange.” You can even control how each object is associated, creating a network of connected customized objects.

When Do You Need Custom Objects?

Custom objects are a good fit for businesses that want to get the most out of their HubSpot CRM. With custom objects, you can:

Personalize automated marketing emails
Report on custom objects
Enroll custom object records in workflows

All of this is critical to drilling into your data and delivering delightful customer experiences.

Example: a home appliance supplier wants to store their inventory in HubSpot using custom objects. To track appliance ownership and purchases, they'll associate dishwashers, refrigerators, and ice machines with contact records. They'll also track appliance maintenance using HubSpot tickets and custom properties.

In this example, custom objects are a win-win for both the customer and the business. The business has clear, well-organized data to identify their best customers and attract more people just like them. The customer receives a seamless service experience thanks to the business’s custom objects built in HubSpot that can send them automated preventative maintenance reminders.

Creating Custom Objects in HubSpot

Somehow, HubSpot has accomplished the impossible. They’ve made it so you can create customizable objects without a single keystroke of code. Now, if you have coding muscles you want to flex, be our guest. But for the rest of us, HubSpot has our back.

Before you can start assigning workflows and sending customized emails, you need to define your custom object. As of the publication of this blog, the only way to define a custom object is by API (if you’re interested in the “why,” HubSpot explains their reasoning here).

Even though creating custom objects doesn’t require lines upon lines of code, it’s not always easy to get started. It’s best to set up a game plan beforehand and know what you’re trying to identify. Keep in mind that custom objects are the filter for how your data is directed, and the wrong identifiers can lead to confusion and inaccurate reporting.

Using Custom Objects

Once your custom objects are identified and created, you’re on your way to harnessing the full power of HubSpot for your business’s growth. You can automate tasks, set workflows specific to custom object prompts, and even set enrollment triggers based on your properties. It’s a sophisticated process designed to save you time, and keep your business on track—even while you sleep.

Get The Most Out Of HubSpot with Sauce

It can take a long time to optimize your business’s HubSpot account. Sometimes you just need an expert to build out your CRM to set your business up for success quickly. At Sauce, we know businesses don’t have time to waste. You need systems that scale and processes that perform, right out of the gate. When you’re ready to harness the full power of HubSpot for your business and #GrowSmarter, let’s talk. Schedule a call today to get started.