If you’re familiar with HubSpot Marketing Hub, you've likely encountered its pricing structure, which hinges on the features you intend to leverage and the number of "Marketing Contacts" you engage with.

Previously, HubSpot used to charge based on the entire database size. However, with the introduction of the CRM and the growing need for teams to store contacts not directly targeted for marketing, the concept of Marketing Contacts evolved.

Essentially, every contact in the HubSpot database is assigned a Marketing Contact Status. You have the flexibility to designate contacts as either marketing or non-marketing. Marketing contacts count towards your limit and incur charges if exceeding the threshold, while non-marketing contacts can still be stored in the database but are restricted from receiving marketing emails via the hub.

For an in-depth understanding of this concept, you can refer to HubSpot's detailed definition.

However, effective management is essential to ensure contacts are appropriately categorized, ideally before encountering contact overages. Here are some rules we recommend implementing:

1. Opted-Out: Contacts who have opted out of all marketing emails.

2. Hard Bounced: Contacts for whom emails have repeatedly bounced back.

3. Never Opted-In: Typically, cold prospects from sales who have never opted in to any marketing-related communication.

4. No Engagement: Contacts who haven’t interacted with any marketing materials (website, forms, emails, etc.) in over 12 months.

While these are fundamental rules, you can customize further based on your specific needs. Fortunately, HubSpot facilitates the configuration of these rules within workflows, simplifying the process of moving contacts between marketing and non-marketing categories as their engagement status evolves. Keep in mind that marketing emails cannot be sent to non-marketing contacts.

Transitioning may be straightforward for existing HubSpot users, but during a HubSpot migration, it's crucial to apply a similar approach to legacy data. Segmenting and categorizing the database accordingly can prevent a chaotic start with your new system.

If you require assistance with your current HubSpot setup or are considering migrating to HubSpot, feel free to reach out to us. We're here to help streamline your processes and optimize your marketing efforts.