A CFO and a marketing manager visiting the same page are looking for different things. An existing customer does not need the same call to action as a new visitor. With smart content in HubSpot you can show different content to different people, on your website and in email, without building separate pages.
In short: Smart content in HubSpot is content that changes depending on who is looking. You can adapt headlines, text, images and buttons by lifecycle stage, list membership, country, device, source or target account. It is included in Professional and is most often used to show the right call to action to the right person.
What can be personalized?
- Lifecycle stage: new visitors see a guide, leads see a demo and customers see support or upsell offers.
- List membership: for example industry or role.
- Country and language: local references and contact details.
- Source: visitors from a LinkedIn ad see a message that matches the ad.
- Device: shorter content on mobile.
- Target accounts: tailored content for your most important target companies.
Five examples that deliver results
- Home page call to action by lifecycle stage: "Download the guide" for new visitors, "Book a demo" for leads, "Contact support" for customers.
- Industry specific customer stories on solution pages.
- Personal greetings for target accounts. Read target accounts in HubSpot.
- Newsletters with different sections for customers and prospects.
- Forms that are hidden for known contacts and replaced with a meeting link.
How to get started
- Pick a high traffic page with a clear call to action, such as the home page.
- Choose one criterion, such as lifecycle stage.
- Create two or three variants of a single module, not of the whole page.
- Measure conversion per variant over a few weeks.
- Expand with more pages and criteria.
Prerequisites
- Clean data. Personalizing on the wrong lifecycle stage or industry gets embarrassing. Read data quality in HubSpot.
- Cookie consent. Unknown visitors who have not accepted tracking see the default content.
- Default content that works for everyone who does not match any rule.
Smart content and AI
HubSpot's AI features take personalization further, for example Nurture Agent, which tailors every email. Smart content is still a good way to control exactly what different groups see, with full control over the message.
Frequently asked questions about smart content in HubSpot
What is smart content in HubSpot?
Smart content is content on web pages, landing pages and in emails that is shown differently depending on who is looking, for example based on lifecycle stage, list, country or source.
Which edition is required for smart content?
Smart content is included in Professional and Enterprise.
Can you personalize for specific companies?
Yes. With target accounts and lists you can show tailored content to selected target companies when known contacts from them visit the page.
Does smart content affect SEO?
No, search engines see the default content. Make sure the default version is good, since that is what gets indexed.
What happens to visitors who do not match any rule?
They see the default content, so it needs to work for everyone.
Summary
Smart content makes sure the right person sees the right message, which often leads to higher conversion. Start simple with one page and one criterion and build on it when you see results.
Want help personalizing your website and emails in HubSpot? Get in touch with LeadLabs.
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