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Setting Up Custom Properties In HubSpot

Oh, HubSpot. We’ve wrestled mightily with this digital beast, haven't we? There was that fateful autumn afternoon where setting up custom properties felt less like configuring software and more like navigating an intricate labyrinth laid out by an especially capricious minotaur. My colleague Lisa—bless her industrious soul—sat beside me, her brow furrowed like a map of our confusion.

The First Step: Understanding Why We Even Care About Custom Properties​

Picture this: it's a sunny Tuesday morning, and we're sipping our coffees, happy to dive into the day's workflow. Suddenly, it hits us. Our HubSpot data is as generic as store-brand cereal. We needed to track unique customer information beyond the default fields. We shared an 'aha!' moment, the proverbial light bulb flickering on. It was time to explore custom properties.

To embark on this adventure, we knew our first task was, well, deciding what information we needed to store. Custom properties allow us to tailor data fields exactly to our needs. Lisa suggested, “How about tracking our clients’ favorite coffee types? It might come in handy for personalized gifts.” Quirky but practical—just the way we roll.

Rolling Up Our Sleeves: Navigating to Custom Properties​

After defining what data we wanted, the first step was to navigate HubSpot’s dashboard. It’s a cacophony of icons and menus. But no worries—we’ve got this. First, click on the gear icon (yes, the tiny one that’s easy to miss), which leads to the Settings page. Then, in the left sidebar, locate "Properties" under the "Data Management" section.

Feeling a bit like digital Indiana Jones, we plunged forward. “Here it is!” Lisa exclaimed. The Properties section was like stumbling upon secret manuscripts in a dusty library.

Step Two: Picking the Object and Adding New Property​

Next, we decided on the object type. We had Contacts, Companies, Deals, and Tickets to choose from. “Which one for coffee preferences?” we debated. Contacts made the most sense. Facepalms were avoided.

Here’s where we found the Create Property button. A big, inviting orange button. We clicked it eagerly, filled in the "Label" with Favorite Coffee, picked Dropdown Select for the field type (because specificity matters), and we couldn’t resist adding quirky options. Latte, Espresso, Cold Brew - even a comical ‘Mystery Brew’ for the adventurous.

The Final Countdown: Adding Choices and Applying Properties​

Reaching the final step was akin to seeing the climax of a well-loved movie. Now, we added choices: customizing our dropdown list options felt like painting a masterpiece. Each choice carefully typed, each click was setting the stage for our data-driven future.

Once done, we hit Create and basked in the glory of our newly minted property. A few test entries later—our HubSpot was now as unique as each of our clients’ caffeinated preferences.

Using Custom Properties: The Icing on the Cake​

Our journey didn't end there. With our new custom property in place, we began utilizing it in lists, workflows, and even personalized emails. “Dear [Client’s Name], we hope you enjoy your next [Favorite Coffee]!” The data now sang in harmony with our personalization strategy.

Seeing our work pay off with grateful client responses was the reward we were waiting for. The labyrinth was conquered, and Lisa and I high-fived like two victorious gladiators. Now, customizing properties in HubSpot seemed less Herculean and more like second nature.

In essence, setting up custom properties in HubSpot is about more than input fields—it's about knowing our clients in imaginative, intimate ways and scaling mountains of potential. We encourage you to dive in, make mistakes, and laugh as you discover. Because, at the end of the day, it's not just about the destination, but also the caffeinated—and entirely rewarding—journey.