Lists can be a bit of a 'Gray Man' compared to other features in HubSpot - just going about their business, unnoticed and getting on with the job. But, if used creatively, lists can be a simple yet extremely powerful tool in the armoury, used to improve data quality, shape processes, and size opportunities
Size the opportunity. Whether you're producing targeted content or considering hosting an event, a segmented list shows if the numbers add-up and make the investment worthwhile. If the numbers look widely different to the expectation you can investigate potential issues ahead of the campaign deadline.
Improve Data Quality. Create an active list to look for data gaps such as companies without a Decision Maker or contacts without a Job Title. Review any issues and investigate the current processes for capturing that data. Should it be a become required field or is it being captured in a different Object and needs a workflow to copy it across?
Investigate and improve Email bounces. Create an active list to view bounces, add the reason into the columns and you'll see why it bounced. If it's a policy issue, can your customer whitelist your email? If there's a typo in the email, can it be corrected? Or use Operations Hub templated workflows to change domains from .con to .com. You can also create static email bounce lists under 'Manage Emails' on the bottom left. Not everyone knows it's there!
Reporting. If you have a segment you frequently use, no need to recreate the filters, just use the same list in reports. Also, handy for producing ‘State of the Nation’ reports i.e. how many contacts and companies do I have by sector, by region, by lifecycle etc…
Review the 'marketing contacts'. Note that marketing contacts are different to marketing permissions, many HubSpot users in the UK mix these up! If the list doesn't look right, you can search for the contacts that should be on the list and update them before an email or campaign is due. Review the source of the contacts and if any settings or amends are needed such as a form settings etc...