As a HubSpot consumer, you have probably obtained an alert about an upcoming change to some essential properties. If you have not paid consideration to it but, now’s the time. HubSpot is sunsetting the “Turned a [Lifecycle Stage] Date” properties on November 20, 2024. This alteration is important and requires motion to make sure your HubSpot portal continues to perform easily.
The clock is ticking, and with the date proper across the nook, it is essential to know the implications of this variation and begin getting ready your HubSpot occasion. Whether or not you are a seasoned HubSpot veteran or comparatively new to the platform, this transition will have an effect on the way you monitor and handle your contacts’ lifecycle levels.
Let’s dive into what this implies for you and methods to put together.
What Is the “Turned a [Lifecycle Stage] Date” Property?
The “Turned a [Lifecycle Stage] Date” property has been a cornerstone of HubSpot’s contact administration system for years. It tracks when contacts enter completely different lifecycle levels, equivalent to Lead, MQL, SQL, and Buyer.
Listed below are some widespread methods companies have been utilizing this property:
- Workflow Triggers: Many customers have arrange workflows that set off when a contact “Turned a Lead” or “Turned an MQL.” As an illustration, you might need an automatic e mail sequence that begins when somebody turns into a lead, welcoming them and offering preliminary details about your organization.
- Reporting and Evaluation: The “Turned a” properties have been instrumental in creating all kinds of stories and analyses, equivalent to the next:
- Funnel Velocity: Exhibits how shortly leads progress by your gross sales funnel, equivalent to the common time from result in MQL to buyer.
- Conversion Fee Reporting: Calculates the share of contacts that transfer from one stage to a different inside a particular timeframe.
- Time-based Cohort Evaluation: Teams contacts primarily based on after they entered a particular lifecycle stage to match conduct and worth over time.
- Buyer Lifecycle Reporting: Visualizes a buyer’s full journey from result in closed deal.
- ROI and Attribution Reporting: Attributes conversions to particular advertising and marketing efforts primarily based on lifecycle stage change dates.
- Churn Evaluation: For subscription companies, this analyzes the time between changing into a buyer and being unengaged.
- Seasonal Pattern Evaluation: Identifies how conversion charges and stage progressions range all year long.
- Record Creation and Segmentation: These properties are extensively used for creating focused lists and segments. For instance, you might need used them for:
- A listing of all contacts who turned MQLs within the final 30 days for targeted nurturing campaigns
- A section of shoppers who turned clients greater than a 12 months in the past for renewal or upsell campaigns
- A listing of leads who have not progressed to MQL standing inside 90 days of changing into a lead for re-engagement efforts
- Gross sales Crew Notifications: Many gross sales groups depend on notifications which are triggered when a contact “Turned an SQL” or “Turned an Alternative.” This ensures that gross sales reps can shortly comply with up with scorching leads.
- Buyer Onboarding: When a contact “Turned a Buyer,” it’d set off a collection of onboarding emails or duties in your buyer success group.
- Re-engagement Campaigns: Some companies use the time since a contact “Turned Unengaged” to set off re-engagement campaigns at particular intervals.
These examples illustrate how deeply built-in the “Turned a” properties are in lots of HubSpot customers’ day-to-day operations. That is why this upcoming change is so important and requires cautious consideration.
Why Is HubSpot Making This Change?
HubSpot is at all times trying to enhance its platform, and this variation is a part of that ongoing effort. The choice to sundown the “Turned a” properties wasn’t made evenly — nothing HubSpot does is ever taken evenly, although! HubSpot acknowledged that whereas these properties have been helpful, additionally they had limitations that would generally result in inconsistent or complicated knowledge.
The New Lifecycle Stage Calculated Properties
This leads us to the Lifecycle stage calculated properties. The brand new “Date Entered,” “Date Exited,” “Newest Time in,” and “Cumulative Time In” properties will present extra correct and constant knowledge, addressing some key limitations of the older system. The brand new properties will deal with edge instances higher, equivalent to when a contact strikes backwards and forwards between levels a number of occasions.
It is also essential to notice that this variation impacts HubSpot accounts in a different way primarily based on after they have been created:
- Accounts created earlier than August 1, 2024, nonetheless have the legacy properties, however these will cease performing on November 20, 2024.
- Accounts created on or after August 1, 2024, do not have these legacy properties in any respect.
This staggered method permits HubSpot to progressively section out the outdated system whereas giving long-time customers ample time to adapt to the brand new one.
A Nearer Take a look at The “Date Entered/Exited/Newest time/Cumulative Time In” Properties
The brand new calculated lifecycle stage properties are HubSpot’s answer for extra dependable lifecycle stage monitoring. These properties perform equally to the legacy “Turned a” properties however supply a number of key benefits that can improve your skill to trace and analyze your contacts’ journey by your gross sales and advertising and marketing funnel.
Let’s discover among the advantages and enhancements these new properties deliver to the desk:
- Extra Correct Date and Time Monitoring: The brand new properties present exact timestamps for when a contact enters every lifecycle stage. This granular knowledge permits for extra correct reporting and evaluation.
- Higher Consistency Throughout HubSpot Instruments: These up to date properties are designed to work seamlessly with all of HubSpot’s instruments and options, making certain that you just see constant knowledge whether or not you are a contact document, a report, or a workflow.
- Improved Reliability for Filters: When creating lists, views, or stories, filters utilizing the brand new properties are extra dependable and predictable. This implies you’ll be able to belief that your segmentation is correct and up-to-date.
- Enhanced Efficiency in Automation: Workflows and e mail sequences that use these new properties will run extra effectively and with higher accuracy. This may result in better-timed communications and simpler automation total.
- Help for A number of Entries: Not like the outdated properties, the brand new system can monitor a number of entries right into a lifecycle stage. That is notably helpful for companies with complicated gross sales cycles the place contacts would possibly transfer backwards and forwards between levels.
By leveraging these new properties, you may achieve deeper insights into your contacts’ journeys and make extra knowledgeable selections about your advertising and marketing and gross sales methods.
How This Change Impacts Your HubSpot Information
The transition from “Turned a” to the lifecycle stage calculated properties will have an effect on a number of areas of your HubSpot portal. Understanding these impacts is essential for sustaining the integrity of your knowledge and the effectiveness of your advertising and marketing and gross sales processes.
Key Areas That Will Be Impacted By The Change
Workflows
Workflows are sometimes the spine of promoting and gross sales automation in HubSpot. Any workflow utilizing the “Turned a” property as a set off or inside its logic will want updating. This might embody:
- Lead nurturing sequences triggered when somebody turns into a lead
- Inside notifications despatched when a contact turns into an MQL or SQL
- Job creation workflows primarily based on lifecycle stage adjustments
To make sure they proceed functioning as supposed, you may have to assessment all of your workflows and replace them to make use of the brand new properties.
Reviews and Dashboards
Reviews and dashboards present essential insights into your corporation efficiency. These counting on the legacy properties will grow to be inaccurate with out updates. This would possibly have an effect on:
- Funnel stories exhibiting development by lifecycle levels
- Time-based stories calculating how lengthy contacts spend in every stage
- Comparative stories trying on the effectiveness of various advertising and marketing channels in producing leads or clients
Updating these stories will make sure you keep correct visibility into your advertising and marketing and gross sales efficiency.
Lists and Filters
Many HubSpot customers rely closely on lists for segmentation and focused advertising and marketing efforts. Advertising and marketing lists or views utilizing the outdated properties for filtering will want adjustment. This might impression:
- Segmented e mail lists primarily based on when contacts reached sure lifecycle levels
- Views utilized by gross sales groups to prioritize leads
- Suppression lists used to exclude sure contacts from campaigns
Reviewing and updating these lists will guarantee your segmentation stays correct and your concentrating on stays efficient.
Integrations
For a lot of companies, HubSpot is not only a standalone software — it is deeply built-in into their tech stack. In the event you’re utilizing any integrations or {custom} API calls that depend on the “Turned a” properties, it is essential to know how this variation will have an effect on these connections.
After November 20, API requests pulling knowledge from “Turned a” properties will fail. This might doubtlessly disrupt knowledge flows, break {custom} stories, or trigger points with third-party instruments that depend on this knowledge. Nevertheless, you do not want to merge any new knowledge with outdated knowledge. The brand new properties will probably be backfilled and supply historic values. The one factor it is best to do to forestall disruptions is replace these integrations to make use of the brand new v2 properties.
In the event you fastidiously tackle every of those areas, you’ll be able to guarantee a clean transition and decrease any disruption to your advertising and marketing and gross sales operations.
Step-by-Step Information to Transitioning
Navigating this transition earlier than November 20 might sound daunting, however you’ll be able to take pleasure in a clean changeover with a scientific method. Here is an in depth information that can assist you by the method:
Audit Your HubSpot Account
Totally assessment your HubSpot account for any utilization of the “Turned a” properties. This consists of:
- Analyzing all workflows for triggers or actions utilizing these properties
- Reviewing stories and dashboards for any references to the outdated properties
- Checking lists and views for filters utilizing “Turned a” dates
- Inspecting property playing cards and {custom} objects for any utilization
In the event you’re an company managing a number of purchasers, it is really useful that you just add these audits to your consumer engagements This ensures you do not miss any accounts and might plan assets accordingly.
Replace Workflows and Reviews
As soon as you have recognized the place the “Turned a” properties are getting used, it is time to replace them:
- In workflows, change all situations of “Turned a” properties with the corresponding “Date Entered” properties
- For stories, recreate them utilizing the brand new properties, making certain the logic nonetheless is sensible
- Replace any custom-calculated properties that reference the outdated properties
Doc every change as you make these updates. This will probably be invaluable for troubleshooting and coaching your group on the brand new system.
Confirm Modifications
After making updates, it is essential to check completely:
- Run take a look at contacts by your up to date workflows to make sure they set off accurately
- Examine outdated stories with new ones to confirm that the info aligns
- Verify that listing memberships have not dramatically modified because of the property change
This verification step is crucial to make sure that your HubSpot occasion continues to perform as anticipated after the transition.
In the event you comply with these steps, you may be well-prepared for the November 20 deadline, and your HubSpot occasion will proceed to help your corporation processes successfully!
Professional Ideas for a Easy Transition
Transitioning to the brand new calculated properties is a big enterprise, however it may be a clean course of with the proper method. Listed below are some professional suggestions that can assist you navigate this variation successfully:
Begin Early
The November 20 deadline might sound distant, however beginning your transition now provides you ample time to deal with any surprising points. Early preparation permits you to work by your HubSpot occasion methodically with out the strain of a looming deadline.
Collaborate with Your Crew
In the event you handle a big HubSpot account, do not attempt to deal with this transition alone. Divide the duty amongst group members by assigning completely different areas to completely different group members, holding test ins, and making a doc to log progress.
Monitor Historic Information
Whereas the legacy “Turned a” properties will retain historic knowledge, it is essential to know that new knowledge will solely be recorded within the new properties. Contemplate:
- Exporting historic knowledge in your data earlier than the transition
- Making a plan for the way you may deal with historic evaluation that spans each the outdated and new techniques
Use This as an Alternative
Whereas updating your properties, take the prospect to:
- Clear up unused or outdated workflows, lists, and stories
- Re-evaluate your lifecycle stage definitions and guarantee they nonetheless align with your corporation processes
- Practice your group on finest practices for utilizing lifecycle levels in HubSpot
Talk with Stakeholders
Hold everybody who depends on HubSpot knowledgeable about this variation. You’ll want to clarify the transition, put together your knowledge evaluation for reporting, and let any purchasers or companions know concerning the adjustments.
Attain Out to a HubSpot Associate
In the event you really feel overwhelmed or not sure about this transition, do not hesitate to contact a HubSpot accomplice like Lynton. Our experience will be invaluable in making certain a clean transition and would possibly even enable you to uncover new methods to leverage the up to date properties.
Get Prepared At present
Whereas change will be difficult, this replace to HubSpot’s lifecycle stage properties guarantees to deliver extra correct and dependable knowledge to your advertising and marketing and gross sales efforts. And by taking motion now earlier than November 20, you’ll be able to guarantee a clean transition and keep away from disruptions to your operations.
Need assistance navigating this variation? We’re right here to help! Our group might help audit your HubSpot account and information you thru the mandatory updates. Simply attain out as we speak.