Data is the heartbeat of any successful marketing and sales strategy, but it’s not just about what data you collect—it’s about how it evolves over time. That’s where HubSpot Contact Property History becomes a game-changer. This feature allows you to track every update made to a contact’s properties, revealing trends and providing critical insights that can inform your strategy.
In this post, we’ll explore how to harness the power of HubSpot’s Contact Property History to better understand your leads and customers, refine your processes, and make data-driven decisions that drive growth.
What is Contact Property History?
In HubSpot, contact properties are fields that store information about a contact, such as their name, job title, or lifecycle stage. The Contact Property History tracks every change made to these properties, including:
- Who made the update (a team member, a workflow, or an integration).
- When the update occurred.
- What the old and new values were.
This historical data acts as a breadcrumb trail, giving you a clear picture of how a contact’s information has evolved.
Why is Contact Property History Important?
1. Understand the Customer Journey
Property history helps you see how contacts move through your funnel. For example:
- When did a contact transition from a lead to a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)?
- What actions triggered their progression to a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)?
2. Spot Trends in Behavior
Tracking property changes over time reveals patterns, such as:
- Which industries are engaging most with your campaigns.
- How long it takes for leads to convert into customers.
3. Improve Data Accuracy
Mistakes happen. Property history lets you trace and correct inaccuracies, ensuring your CRM data remains reliable.
4. Enhance Team Accountability
By tracking who made changes and why, you can maintain transparency and avoid miscommunications.
How to Access Contact Property History in HubSpot
1. Navigate to a Contact Record
- Open any contact record in HubSpot.
- Scroll down to the About This Contact section.
2. View Property Changes
- Hover over a property and click the Details icon (a clock symbol).
- A timeline will appear, showing all updates made to that property.
3. Export for Analysis
For a deeper dive, export property history for analysis in tools like Excel or Tableau.
Use Cases for Contact Property History
1. Tracking Lifecycle Stages
Use property history to understand how contacts move through your lifecycle stages. For example:
- How long does it typically take a lead to reach the MQL stage?
- Are there bottlenecks where contacts get stuck?
2. Monitoring Engagement Levels
If you’re tracking engagement scores or lead scoring, property history helps you see how a contact’s score changes over time. This can inform when to initiate follow-ups or hand-offs to sales.
3. Analyzing Campaign Impact
When running a new campaign, monitor changes in properties like:
- Source: See if the campaign is driving new leads.
- Interests: Track shifts in what content resonates with your audience.
4. Managing Data Hygiene
Spotting unexpected changes—like a contact suddenly losing their email address—can help you identify data sync issues or errors.
Advanced Tips for Leveraging Contact Property History
1. Use Workflows to Trigger Alerts
Set up workflows to notify your team when critical property changes occur, such as:
- A contact’s lifecycle stage advancing to SQL.
- A property value being cleared unexpectedly.
2. Combine with Reports
Use property history in your reporting to identify trends. For example:
- How many contacts moved to the MQL stage last quarter compared to this quarter?
- What’s the average time a deal stays in a specific stage?
3. Align with Lead Scoring
Track how changes in lead score properties align with engagement trends. For instance:
- Did a spike in lead score correspond with a high-performing campaign?
- How does lead score progression correlate with conversion rates?
4. Audit Workflow Effectiveness
If workflows update contact properties, use property history to verify they’re working as intended. Look for gaps, delays, or unintended changes.
Best Practices for Managing Contact Property History
1. Establish Clear Naming Conventions
Avoid confusion by naming properties intuitively (e.g., “Lifecycle Stage Transition Date”).
2. Limit Manual Updates
Whenever possible, use workflows to update properties. This minimizes human error and ensures consistent data.
3. Regularly Review Key Properties
Schedule periodic reviews of important properties like lead source, lifecycle stage, or industry to ensure accuracy.
4. Document Processes
Maintain a record of how and why certain properties are updated, especially if multiple teams interact with the same contacts.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Ignoring History for Key Decisions Property history provides context. Skipping it can lead to incomplete or inaccurate conclusions.
- Overloading with Unnecessary Properties Too many properties can make tracking and analysis cumbersome. Focus on what’s truly actionable.
- Relying Solely on Manual Updates Manual changes are prone to error. Use workflows and automation wherever possible.
Final Thoughts: Turning History into Insights
HubSpot’s Contact Property History isn’t just a log of changes—it’s a treasure trove of insights. By understanding how contact data evolves, you can optimize your processes, improve engagement, and create a more data-driven strategy.
At Brainiac Consulting, we specialize in helping businesses unlock the full potential of HubSpot’s features, including mastering property history. If you’re ready to turn data trends into actionable insights, let’s talk.
