How to Link Contacts in HubSpot?

If you've had the pleasure of playing around with electronic customer relationship management (CRM), the concept of a "contact" in HubSpot merge contacts might feel like an old hat. But here's the thing—contacts are more than just data placeholders. 

They're the unsung heroes of your Inbound Marketing toolkit, packing versatility and power that might surprise you. 

So, buckle up for our guide, where we'll walk you through how to link contacts in Hubspot, their pivotal role in the HubSpot CRM, and the savvy ways to make the most out of them. 

What are linked contacts?

In any CRM, contacts play a vital role as the building blocks of effective relationship management. After all, it's all about connecting with people who visit your website, engaging with your emails, and interacting across your marketing channels. How you organize and handle these crucial building blocks is key to success.

In the HubSpot CRM, contacts are central among the four standard objects. While technically labeled as "different types of relationships or processes," let's simplify it—they're essentially "groups of information" about something. In this case, that something is your 'contacts.' Read more sections below to understand how to merge contacts in HubSpot.

Benefits of Linking Contacts in HubSpot

Unified Data for Better Insights

Linking contacts in HubSpot helps bring all your information together, giving you a complete picture of how your contacts interact with your business. This consolidated data lets you understand their journey in one glance, from their visits to your website to their responses to emails. 

This understanding empowers you to make smart decisions, personalize your communication, and plan your strategies effectively. For example, looking at this combined data might show you trends highlighting what works best, helping you fine-tune your approach based on real experiences.

Improved Lead Qualification

Connecting contacts improves how you figure out which leads are the most promising. You get a bigger picture of your leads by linking contacts with related individuals or organizations. For instance, connecting a contact to a company and understanding their interactions helps sales teams see the bigger picture, making it easier to prioritize leads based on a deeper understanding of their engagement history.

Enhanced Sales and Marketing Alignment

Linking contacts helps your sales and marketing teams work together more smoothly. When both teams see the same information about contacts, they can refine their strategies and target audiences more effectively. 

This collaboration ensures that marketing efforts match the sales goals, creating a smoother customer journey. For example, marketing can shape campaigns based on the sales team's knowledge of specific contact preferences, resulting in a more coordinated and impactful overall plan.

Streamlined Communication

Connecting contacts simplifies communication by keeping all the interaction history in one place. Whether it's emails, website visits, or social media interactions, having everything in one spot ensures a smooth flow of information. 

This makes things more efficient for more personalized communication. For instance, knowing what a contact did before lets you tailor your messages, creating a more engaging and responsive way to communicate.

Efficient Contact Management

Making connections between contacts in HubSpot leads to better organization. By linking them, you create a structured and easy-to-navigate database. This organization helps with tasks like segmentation, where connected contacts make targeted and personalized communication possible. 

For example, efficiently handling contacts becomes crucial when planning specific campaigns or responding quickly to customer needs, contributing to overall operational excellence.

Steps to link contacts in HubSpot

Connecting contacts in HubSpot involves a series of straightforward steps, ensuring seamless integration of your data.

Let's dive into the details:

Integration Requirements

Before diving into linking contacts, ensure your integration requirements are in place. Verify that your data sources are accessible and compatible with HubSpot. This initial step sets the base for a smooth and effective integration process.

Connecting the Integration

Initiate the process by establishing the connection between your data sources and HubSpot. This involves authenticating access, allowing HubSpot to retrieve and sync information. Connecting the integration is the bridge that enables a continuous flow of data between platforms.

Configuring Your Sync Settings

Once connected, configure the sync settings to tailor the integration to your specific needs. Define parameters such as the frequency of data updates, ensuring the synchronization aligns with your workflow. These settings lay the groundwork for a well-coordinated and up-to-date data exchange.

Setting Up Your Sync Rules

Customize sync rules to govern how data is linked and updated. Specify criteria determining which contacts should be linked, ensuring accuracy and relevance. These rules are pivotal in automating the linking process based on predefined conditions.

Customizing Your Field Mappings

Fine-tune the integration by customizing field mappings. This involves aligning fields between different platforms to ensure a coherent transfer of information. By mapping fields accurately, you guarantee that data is correctly matched and linked, preserving the integrity of your contact information.

Advanced Mappings in Operations Hub (Starter, Professional, or Enterprise)

For users with Operations Hub at the Starter, Professional, or Enterprise level, leverage advanced mappings to enhance the precision of your integration. This feature allows for more nuanced mapping, facilitating a deeper level of customization to meet intricate business requirements. Advanced mappings empower users with greater control over the linking process, ensuring a tailored and sophisticated integration experience.

Resolving Sync Errors

To fix sync errors in HubSpot, follow these steps:

• Go to the Marketplace icon in the main navigation bar of your HubSpot account.
• Under "Manage," select "Connected apps."
• Find and click on "Salesforce" in the list of connected apps.
• Click on the "Sync Health" tab.
• Look for the section called "Sync errors." Here, you'll find cards for each type of error, showing the number of current errors and affected records.
• Click on the card corresponding to the error type you want to address.
• The right panel will display details about the errors and steps to resolve them. Follow the provided information to fix each type of error.

Why Outsource Contact Linking to a Virtual Assistant Instead?

Regarding contact linking, outsourcing to a virtual assistant brings myriad benefits that streamline your workflow and enhance overall efficiency.

Expertise and Efficiency

Virtual assistants specialize in contact management, ensuring that every link is accurately established. Their expertise in navigating CRM systems, including HubSpot, guarantees efficient linking processes, reducing the likelihood of errors and ensuring a seamless integration of your contact data.

Focus on Core Business Activities

Outsourcing contact linking tasks frees up valuable time for your team to concentrate on core business activities. Virtual assistants handle the intricacies of linking contacts, allowing your in-house team to channel their efforts toward strategic and revenue-generating tasks.

Cost-effective Solutions

Opting for virtual assistant services presents a cost-effective solution compared to dedicating internal resources. With virtual assistants, you gain access to specialized skills without the overhead costs associated with hiring and training additional staff, providing a budget-friendly alternative.

Improved Accuracy and Quality

Virtual assistants prioritize accuracy and quality in contact linking. Their dedicated focus on this specific task ensures meticulous attention to detail, resulting in higher accuracy and improved data quality. This commitment translates to a more reliable and refined database for your business.

Customized Services

Virtual assistants offer customized services tailored to your specific needs. Whether it's a one-time linking project or an ongoing maintenance task, they adapt their services to match your requirements. This flexibility allows you to scale your outsourcing efforts based on the volume and complexity of your contact linking needs, ensuring a personalized and adaptable solution.

Other Tasks to Delegate to Your Virtual Assistant

Maximize your team's efficiency by entrusting various tasks to a virtual assistant, allowing your in-house staff to focus on critical responsibilities. They are going to manage your sales like a pro!

Contact Data Entry and Management

Delegate the time-consuming task of entering and managing contact data to your virtual assistant. From updating contact details to organizing information, they ensure your CRM is always up-to-date, saving your team valuable hours for strategic initiatives.

Email and Communication Management

Efficiently handle your email correspondence and communication channels by assigning these responsibilities to a virtual assistant. They can manage your inbox, draft responses, and maintain organized communication threads, ensuring prompt and effective interactions with clients and partners.

CRM Maintenance and Cleanup

Ensure the health of your CRM by entrusting maintenance and cleanup tasks to a virtual assistant. From deduplication to data validation, they perform routine checks, guaranteeing a clean and organized CRM database that facilitates smoother operations.

Marketing Campaign Assistance

Use your virtual assistant's support in executing marketing campaigns. They can assist in tasks like content creation, scheduling posts, and tracking campaign performance, enhancing the overall effectiveness of your marketing strategies.

Lead qualification and segmentation

Delegate the intricate process of lead qualification and segmentation to your virtual assistant. With a focus on understanding and categorizing leads based on specific criteria, they contribute to refining your sales approach, ensuring that your team prioritizes high-value opportunities.

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Conclusion

Did you understand how to link contacts in HubSpot? The importance of contact linking cannot be overstated—it's the linchpin for streamlined operations and informed decision-making. When you understand what linking contacts means, you can get a holistic view of your contacts, paving the way for enhanced efficiency and strategic planning. 

Delegating contact-related tasks to a virtual assistant emerges as a game-changer, offering expertise, time savings, and precision. 

Ready to elevate your business operations? Take the next step by hiring a Wishup virtual assistant. Schedule a free consultation or contact us at [email protected], and let's transform your workflow together. Your success journey starts now!

How to link contacts in HubSpot: Frequently Asked Questions 

How do I sync my contacts with HubSpot?

To sync your contacts with HubSpot, navigate to the Marketplace icon in the main navigation bar of your HubSpot account. Under "Manage," select "Connected apps." Find and click on the app you want to sync and follow the prompts to establish the connection. Configure the sync settings to tailor to your needs, ensuring a seamless data flow between platforms.

How do I link a contact to a company in HubSpot?

To link a contact to a company in HubSpot, go to the contact record and type the company name in the "Company" section. Select the appropriate company from the dropdown menu. This establishes a connection between the contact and the company, providing a comprehensive view of their interactions within the CRM.

Can you associate contacts with each other in HubSpot?

Yes, you can associate contacts with each other in HubSpot. Go to the contact record, scroll to the "Associations" section, and click "Edit associations." Here, you can link the contact to other contacts, providing a relational view within the CRM.

How do I merge two HubSpot contacts?

To merge two HubSpot contacts, go to the contact record of one of the contacts you want to merge. In the top right corner, click the actions dropdown and select "Merge with another contact." Choose the contact you want to merge and follow the prompts to consolidate the information into a single, unified contact record.