10 Ways to Automate HubSpot with Zapier to Improve Your Business Operations, Fast

If you’re using HubSpot for your marketing CRM, you’re in a good place. The tool is one of the most popular available today and it’s got several great features and integrations. There are even free platforms and features for the small business that doesn’t need a lot, and the ways that you can use the tool are nearly endless. Now, it’s getting even better because you can pair your HubSpot CRM with Zapier to automate tons of tasks and routines that are part of your day-to-day operations. 

Zapier is a tool that’s all about automation, literally. You can use Zapier to create automated workflows, known as Zaps, that will trigger certain actions from HubSpot to the other tools and apps that you use, and vice versa. There are thousands of apps already in the Zapier library (3,000 and counting!) and there are hundreds of pre-built workflows and automations that are ready to go with no coding required. 

How does it work? Simply pick the app, pick the trigger, and then pick the resulting action and app. For example, you can set up a Zap to import all of your HubSpot leads into Mailchimp as newsletter subscribers. Perhaps you want to use Zapier to automate transferring your leads from Facebook Lead Ads and other campaigns into your HubSpot database. These are all options that you have, and we’ll discuss 10 of the best automated workflows below. 

First, though, let’s talk a little more about HubSpot and why automation is the name of today’s business game. 

Hub-Spotlight

All wordplay aside, this looks at HubSpot will help you see the primary areas where you can automate and keep things streamlined so that your business can keep going, thriving, and growing. HubSpot bills itself as a marketing and CRM software tool, but it actually has five total hubs that you can use to put your business on autopilot:

• Marketing Hub
• Sales Hub
• Service Hub
• CMS Hub
• Operations Hub

All of these areas can be optimized and streamlined, and you can create automated workflows with Zapier for each different area, making it easy for you to get things done. Plus, HubSpot allows you to pick and choose which parts of the platform you use. If you’ve already got a CMS, for example, you might just want to use the Marketing and Sales Hubs to streamline your marketing and sales pipeline, for example. 

HubSpot makes it easy for you to:

• Log and track emails and contacts more efficiently
• Create your own templates for marketing materials
• Create and share calendar events 
• Manage and modify customer and lead information
• Manage your CRM, sales, and marketing all in the same place

When you have all of these potential options for automation and total marketing and operations management, it’s going to streamline your day-to-day and drive your goal of improving business operations a lot faster than you might realize. 

HubSpot has several versions available for small businesses, solopreneurs, mid-size businesses, enterprise-level brands, and more. It is one of the most affordable marketing and CRM tools that you will find today, and it’s an essential tool if you don’t have one of them in place as of yet. 

Now, let’s take a look at what HubSpot and Zapier can do to help you find more free time. 

1. Copy leads from Facebook Lead Ads to HubSpot    

If you use Facebook Lead Ads, this is one of the best marketing integrations that are available. What’s worse than having to track down leads on social media and make sure that they end up in the right place? This integrated workflow does it all for you. Anytime a lead comes in from Facebook, you’ll see it automatically copied to your HubSpot database, either as a lead, a contact, or a task that needs to be handled. This will make sure that nothing slips through the cracks and your leads get all the attention that they need. 

2. Send HubSpot contacts to Google Contacts    

HubSpot also works with Google Contacts, allowing you to transfer information back and forth seamlessly with this automation. You can choose to select certain contacts in HubSpot to be sent to Google, or even have it set up so that every time a new contact appears in HubSpot, it’s sent over to your Google Contacts list. This makes sure that your contacts are synced, and the information is identical across the various apps. 

3. Create or update contacts in HubSpot from Mailchimp subscriber lists    

If you have subscribers in Mailchimp that might not be in your HubSpot database for any reason, this workflow can help. You can set it up so that anytime you get a subscriber in Mailchimp, they are turned into a contact in HubSpot and even categorized properly based on the subscriber list that they came from. You can also use this function to edit and update contacts. When a user changes their details in Mailchimp, it will automatically update in HubSpot so that you have the latest information on hand at all times. 

4. Send Slack notifications and messages for deals in HubSpot    

Slack is a popular tool that is used by remote teams for collaboration and communication. It makes it easy to stay in touch, stay on top of projects, and ensure that everyone knows what’s going on at all times. This app integration allows you to notify your team via Slack anytime that there is a new deal in HubSpot. You can set it up to notify specific people, post to your marketing channel, or send the notification anywhere else that you’d like. The point is that people will know it’s time to get to work and no one has to sit around and watch the deals roll in. 

5. Generate HubSpot contacts or other data from Typeform entries    

If you use Typeform to collect information or leads, this integration is going to be helpful. Like many of the Typeform integrations from Zapier, this workflow makes it easy for you to transfer data to HubSpot right from the submission without having to do the work yourself. Simply select the information that you want to be created (such as a contact) and then set the workflow so that every time a new submission comes in, the correct information is captured and transferred to HubSpot for you. Then, you are doing less busywork and getting a lot more done. 

6. Create HubSpot contacts in Google Sheets    

Google Sheets is a great tool for managing projects and leads. So many businesses use it for tracking and project management, as well as for recordkeeping, and more. It’s got so much potential and when you integrate it with Zapier, it goes even further. This particular workflow allows you to create contacts from HubSpot in any Google Sheet automatically. You can choose to set it to populate all contacts or you can select specific contacts to add to the sheet, or even turn it around and send contacts from Sheets to HubSpot. 

7. Generate HubSpot contacts from Gravity Forms    

If you use Gravity Forms to take information, you’ll love to know that there are tons of automations available to save you the work of collecting forms and transferring data manually. This particular workflow is designed so that you can simply import any contacts received through Gravity Forms right into your HubSpot marketing database. Not only will this save you a step, but it will reduce the risk of human error in data transfer and ensure that all your details are correct and synchronized across your apps. 

8. Update HubSpot with Gmail contacts (business accounts only)    

For business Gmail users, Zapier has a lot of power and potential. With this integration, you’ll be able to connect all of your Gmail contacts with your HubSpot database. This makes it easy to sync and centralize your contact information, including from different users in your company who may have their own Gmail contacts to transfer to the central system in HubSpot. You can pick and choose select contacts or just update them all based on any changes that occur. The workflow is ready to go, but it’s also able to be tweaked to deliver what you need. 

9. Add Shopify customers to HubSpot    

If you use Shopify for eCommerce, you will love working with Zapier. It's great to have this and other integrations available that help transfer information automatically between the tools that you use every single day. This workflow will allow you to set it up so that anytime a new customer is entered into Shopify, they will also be added to your HubSpot database. This saves you the trouble of inputting the details manually and can let your team know that there’s a new lead ready to cultivate. 

10. Add or update contacts in HubSpot from Acuity Scheduling appointments    

With this integration, it will be easy for you to transfer information automatically. You can simply set it up so that anytime someone schedules an appointment in Acuity, their information is sent to or checked against your HubSpot contacts. For example, if John Smith books an appointment through the schedule and his phone number has been changed, that will be automatically updated in your HubSpot contact. You can also add new contacts with this workflow. 

To automate or not: how to choose

Often, people get caught up in trying to figure out how they’re possibly going to decide which tasks need to be automated and which ones they can skip. Fortunately, if you start looking around, you’ll see that there’s a lot more that you can automate than not and it generally works out in your favor. Take the time to explore all of the integrations and automations available for HubSpot, specifically, and see just how much time you could free up for yourself. 

You should only choose automation if it is going to improve your bottom line, improve your operations, or otherwise benefit your business. If the automation that you’re considering has a sizeable cost involved, you’ll need to know that ahead of time so you don’t spend more than you can afford. Fortunately, thanks to tools like Zapier, it’s affordable and easy to integrate HubSpot with all of the tools that you already use. 

Some tasks are better left to people—customer support, for example. Think about the buyer’s journey and what they would expect, and then let your brain tell you what you should and shouldn’t bother with automating. 

Take more off your plate by partnering with Smith.ai

Automation can save a lot of time and effort for everyone, which is part of why our team loves it. The other thing we love? Helping your business run better in any way that we can. That's why when you hire our virtual receptionists, you’ll have access to after-hours call answering, live website chat, and so much more. Plus, you’ll have a team that works with you to create the perfect solution for fielding all of your needs. 

Zapier is one of our favorite apps on the market today. After all, the app makes it easy to create smart workflows between business software tools, no matter who you are or how tech-savvy you might (or might not) be. Plus, it’s Zapier that allows Smith.ai to integrate with more than 3,000 apps so all your calls, texts, and chats get logged in the right platform, from your CRM to marketing automation tools, and more. 

Check out our apps to explore how we connect to Zapier! Learn more about Smith.ai’s Answering Service app on Zapier, and explore Smith.ai’s Website Chat app on Zapier.

Schedule your consultation to learn more about our 24/7 and after-hours answering, along with our live website chat, SMS message answering, and more. You can also find us at hello@smith.ai or call (650) 727-6484.