Marketing takes time, especially when you're sending emails, following up with leads, and trying to keep track of everything all at once. That’s where marketing automation comes in.
Marketing automation means using tools to do your everyday marketing tasks for you. Instead of doing things by hand, you can set up smart systems that work in the background. This saves time, helps you stay organized, and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to use HubSpot’s automation tools to make your marketing easier and more effective.
There are many marketing tools out there, but HubSpot stands out because it’s built to grow with you. Whether you're running a small business or managing a large team, HubSpot makes it easier to do more without burning out.
HubSpot’s automation tools help you:
One significant reason people choose HubSpot is that it’s easy to use, even for those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy. You can build automated workflows, set up email sequences, score leads, and more from one simple dashboard.
HubSpot holds 38.27% of the marketing automation software market, more than any other provider. That shows how many teams trust it to get the job done.
HubSpot also offers helpful features powered by CRM data, ensuring you always work with the most accurate and up-to-date information about your contacts. That means better timing, more personal messages, and smarter decisions.
Marketing takes a lot of work, especially when you’re doing the same things over and over. Sending follow-up emails, sorting leads, assigning tasks to your teams it all adds up fast. These tasks might be small, but when done by hand, they can eat up hours of your day.
That’s where HubSpot’s automation tools come in. Instead of spending your time on repetitive work, you can set up smart systems that handle it for you. This helps you move faster, stay organized, and focus on the work that needs your attention.
Here are two tools in HubSpot that can help:
Workflows in HubSpot let you build custom “if-this-then-that” systems. For example, if someone fills out a form, you can set a workflow to send them a welcome email, notify your sales team, or add them to a list.
You don’t need to code or be a tech expert. HubSpot gives you a visual editor where you can drag, drop, and connect actions based on what your leads do.
Here are some tasks you can automate with Workflows:
With these automations in place, your team won’t have to chase leads or manually move data around. HubSpot handles it in the background.
Sequences help you stay in touch with leads through a series of timed emails. You write the emails once, then HubSpot sends them out one at a time, based on your schedule.
This is especially useful when:
You can also add tasks to remind yourself to check in manually or make a phone call. And if the contact replies or books a meeting, HubSpot automatically stops the sequence.
Workflows help you get more done by taking over the tasks you do again and again. Instead of sending emails one by one or updating contact records manually, you can create a workflow in HubSpot to do those steps for you.
Think of a workflow as a set of rules. You tell HubSpot, “If someone does this, then do that.” Once it’s set up, it runs in the background, saving you time and making sure nothing gets missed.
Here’s how to set up a basic workflow in HubSpot:
Start by logging in to your HubSpot account. Then, in the top menu, click on Automation > Workflows. This is where all your workflows will live.
Click the “Create workflow” button. You’ll be asked whether you want to start from scratch or use a template. For this guide, choose “From scratch.”
You can create workflows for different types of records, like contacts, companies, deals, or tickets. This tells HubSpot what kind of data the workflow will work with.
If you’re automating something like sending a follow-up email after someone fills out a form, choose a Contact-based workflow.
If you're not sure which type to pick, think about who or what should trigger the workflow. If it’s a person (like a lead or customer), go with Contact. If it’s a deal moving through your pipeline, go with Deal. Then click Next to move on.
This is the “if” part of the workflow—what has to happen for someone to enter the workflow.
For example, you might choose: “When a contact submits the newsletter sign-up form.”
You can pick different triggers based on page views, property changes, form submissions, and more. Once you've selected your trigger, click Save.
Around 63% of marketers already use automation tools like this to handle email marketing. It’s one of the most common and effective ways to save time.
Now it’s time for the “then” part of the workflow. After your trigger happens, what do you want HubSpot to do?
Click the plus (+) button to choose your first action. Some examples:
You can add delays between actions, or even add branches (like “if the contact opened the email, do this; If they didn’t, do that.”)
Once you’ve finished building your workflow, it’s time to check your work. Click Review and publish to look over everything one last time: your trigger, your actions, the emails you’ve added, and the timing between steps.
This step is important because even a small mistake, such as sending the wrong email or missing a delay, can confuse your contacts or cause problems in the future.
For example, if you forget to stop a sequence after someone replies, they may continue to receive emails even after showing interest. Reviewing helps you catch things like that before they go live. After reviewing, click Turn on workflow.
Staying in touch with leads is key to closing deals, but doing it by hand can take too long. HubSpot’s Sequences tool helps by sending emails and reminders automatically, so you don’t have to follow up one by one.
Here’s how to create a Sequence that keeps your outreach going without the extra stress:
In your HubSpot account, go to Sales > Sequences. This is where all your sequences are saved. To make a new one, click Create sequence in the top right.
You can choose a pre-made template or start from scratch. Starting from scratch gives you full control over each step, which is helpful when you’re new and want to understand how it works.
Pick a name that tells you what the sequence is for. A clear name helps you stay organized later, especially if your team uses several sequences at once.
You can name it after the goal or audience, like “Post-Event Follow-Up” or “Inactive Leads – Q3.” When you look back later, you’ll know exactly what it’s for without guessing.
Click the plus (+) icon to add your first action. You can choose from automated emails, manual email tasks, call tasks, or general reminders.
An automated email is a good place to start. Write a helpful message—something that thanks the lead for showing interest, offers a resource, or follows up on a past action. This email sends on its own, so you can stay in touch even when you're busy.
If you want to customize your message later, choose a manual email task instead. That way, you’ll get a reminder to send the email yourself, and you can adjust it based on what the lead is doing.
After each step, set how long HubSpot should wait before doing the next one. This helps you space out your follow-ups naturally.
You can choose delays in business days, so emails won’t go out on weekends if you don’t want them to. For example, you might send your first email right away, then wait two business days before the next one.
Example schedule:
Spacing matters. It gives people time to read and respond. If your messages come too fast, they can feel overwhelming. Adding a bit of breathing room between steps keeps things feeling human.
Keep building until you’ve mapped out the full follow-up journey. You can combine automated emails, call tasks, and general reminders to match how your team works.
Some people add just two or three emails. Others build longer sequences that run for weeks. You can use up to ten automated emails, plus as many tasks as you need.
Example structure for a 4-step lead-nurturing sequence:
Think about what your lead needs to see and when. Maybe they should get a resource a few days after the first message. Maybe a call makes sense at the end if they haven’t responded. Use each step to guide them forward without repeating yourself or adding pressure.
Before saving, go through each step carefully. Read your emails again. Make sure the delays are set right and the order makes sense.
A small mistake, like missing a delay or using the wrong email, can make your sequence feel rushed or confusing. Checking everything now prevents that from happening once it’s live.
You can also decide if you want to keep this sequence just for yourself or let your teammates use it too. Saving it with clear steps and clean language helps your whole team stay consistent.
Once your sequence is ready, you can start using it. You can enroll people manually from their contact record or add them in groups based on filters.
You can also connect this with a workflow to enroll people automatically when they take a certain action, like submitting a form or becoming a lead.
When someone replies to an email or books a meeting, HubSpot will automatically remove them from the sequence. That way, they won’t keep getting messages when they’re already in touch.
Sequences are a simple way to stay consistent and organized with your outreach, without adding more work to your day.
Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Tools like Workflows and Sequences in HubSpot help you stop doing everything manually and start running campaigns that work for you.
You can automate tasks like follow-up emails, lead nurturing, and reminders. This gives you more time to focus on what matters most, like building relationships and helping your business grow.
Start with one simple automation. Test it, improve it, and then build more as you go. HubSpot makes it easier to stay organized, respond faster, and keep your team in sync.
At Origin 63, we help businesses use HubSpot in ways that save time and deliver better results. Whether you're setting things up for the first time or improving what you already have, we’ll help you use the tools more strategically.
Let’s build a system that helps your business grow with less effort and more focus.