Understanding lead scoring in marketing

🎯 Understanding Lead Scoring in Marketing (HubSpot Guide)

1. Navigate to Lead Scoring in HubSpot

• Go to the Marketing tab.

• Select Lead Scoring to begin configuring or reviewing your setup.

2. Clarify Your Objective

• Clearly define what you want to achieve with lead scoring:

  • Re-engagement of dormant contacts.

  • Prioritization of incoming leads.

  • Alignment with lifecycle stages (e.g., MQLs, SQLs).

• Decide whether to score engagement, fit, or both.

3. Choose Your Lead Scoring Method

• Manual Scoring (recommended for most Professional users).

• AI-Based Scoring (requires substantial historical data, available in Enterprise).

• For AI Scoring:

  • Define a stage progression (e.g., Lead → SQL).

  • Set the timeframe for evaluation.

  • HubSpot analyses existing data to identify conversion patterns.

4. Create a Manual Engagement Score

• Create a new lead score and name it (e.g., "New Engagement Score").

• Choose the object type: typically Contacts (you may also score Companies).

• Use event groups to segment scoring logic (e.g., “Web Scoring Group”, “Form Scoring Group”).

5. Allocate Point Values Across Criteria

• Use the standard 100-point scale in HubSpot Professional.

• Distribute points across groups based on importance:

  • Web engagement (e.g., 40 points).

  • Form submissions (e.g., 60 points).

6. Configure Decay or Time-Based Relevance

• Decay Scores: Reduce point values over time (e.g., 100% decay over 1 month).

• Time Frames: Score actions based on recency (e.g., visits in the last 7 days).

7. Score Based on Page Visits

• Add scoring rules by URL path:

  • Blog visits → 2 points.

  • Pricing page visits → 10–30 points.

• Assign greater weight to recent or highly valuable interactions (e.g., pricing in the last 3 days).

8. Score Based on Form Interactions

• Choose criteria like:

  • Form views without submission.

  • Form submissions for gated content.

• Adjust scores based on content type (e.g., brochure = 10 points).

9. Incorporate Additional Criteria

• Add engagement data from:

  • Marketing emails

  • Sales emails

  • Calls and tasks

  • Sequence activity

10. Customize by Audience Using Lists

• Build different scores for different audience types (e.g., Builders vs. Architects).

• Apply scoring rules to specific static or dynamic lists.

11. Review Score Property Settings

• Each lead score creates a HubSpot property.

• This property can trigger:

  • Workflows (e.g., lifecycle stage updates, task assignments).

  • Sequences, notifications, or lead routing.

12. Set Score Thresholds and Colour Coding

• Apply colour thresholds to make scores visually identifiable for sales teams.

• Helps quickly surface hot or cold leads on contact records.

13. Use Negative Scoring for Disengagement

• Subtract points for actions like:

  • Unsubscribing

  • Low-value page visits

  • Competitor identification

• Use workflows to zero out lead scores for disqualified contacts.

14. Create a Company Fit Score

• Create a new score for Companies instead of Contacts.

• Note: Fit scores do not decay (based on static firmographic data).

• Example: Company with >20 employees gets 10 points.

15. Use Company Properties for Fit Criteria

• Common criteria:

  • Industry

  • Location

  • Number of employees

  • Technology stack

• Data may be auto-appended by HubSpot based on email domain.

16. Segment Fit Score by Role Type

• Combine multiple scoring groups under one fit score:

  • One for Architects

  • One for Builders

• Still counted as one of the five allowed in Professional accounts.

17. Save and Implement

• Once scoring rules are built, save your score.

• Use scores to:

  • Segment contacts

  • Trigger workflows

  • Assign lifecycle stages

  • Improve marketing and sales alignment