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There’s no two ways around it: Social media is hard.

Nowadays, social media marketers are inundated daily with information on evolving trends, social platforms that are gaining or losing steam, and new types of content. 

It can be hard to keep track. As a social media marketer, you might be asking yourself: 

Which social platform is going to offer me the highest ROI in 2023? 
When is the best time to post on social?
Should I invest in micro-influencers? Should I hire creators? Should I do neither?
What’s all the fuss about social media communities? 
Do my customers care about customer service on social media, or not really? 

To help you identify which trends matter most to your business, and how you can shape your social strategy accordingly, HubSpot Blog Research polled 1,000+ social media marketers globally to learn the biggest trends, challenges, and opportunities of social in 2023. 

You’ll also hear from social media experts at G2, Dropbox, Vimeo, Aircall, Rakuten Advertising, HubSpot, and more on how you can effectively engage audiences, cultivate communities, and drive revenue on social in 2023. 

Keep reading, or skip to the section(s) that pertain to you: 

Important Findings & Takeaways for Social Media Marketers 

To start, let’s go over some of the biggest trends social media marketers will see in 2023, and how to shift your strategies accordingly. 

1. Social media communities will be critical for increasing engagement. 

A whopping 90% of social media marketers say building an active online community is crucial to a successful social media strategy in 2023. 

Social media communities enable your followers to engage and learn from each other — which helps them perceive your brand as even more valuable. 

Think of it like this: You know that one friend who is a “connector”? That friend who is the best party host, and goes out of her way to facilitate interesting conversations and forge deep connections with everyone around her? 

By cultivating social media communities, your brand can be that person — the “connector” for your prospects and customers. And that’s a brand worth investing in. 

(Hear more from Mat Cruz and other experts by reading How These 6 Social Media Marketers & Creators Built Loyal Brand Communities.)

Back in 2020, HubSpot launched a private Facebook Group, Marketer to Marketer. With just 2,000 followers, the group is much smaller than HubSpot’s Facebook Page. But it allows for unique conversations. 

As former HubSpot Social Media Community Manager Krystal Wu puts it, “The HubSpot Group gives us a more direct way to interact with a more engaged audience. The Group content gets preferential placement in followers’ news feeds, whereas our normal Page content is a different content angle … In short, we consider our Group followers as our VIPs.”

Wu adds, “The Facebook Group also gives our members an outlet for more niched conversations, providing security and privacy to open up about any struggles, techniques, opportunities, or new information they’ve discovered about their industry.”

(Hear more from Amy Porterfield and other experts by reading How These 6 Social Media Marketers & Creators Built Loyal Brand Communities.)

Corresponding Content: 

Are Brands Investing in Social Media Communities in 2022? We Asked 1,000+ Marketers
How These 6 Social Media Marketers & Creators Built Loyal Brand Communities

2. Amazon, watch out: Social media is becoming the preferred e-commerce platform for consumers. 

When was the last time you bought something on Instagram or TikTok? If you’re anything like me, I bet it was recently.

And you’re not alone. 25% of social media users age 18-44 have bought a product on a social app in the past three months, and social is the preferred product discovery platform for consumers age 18-44. 

Perhaps what is most shocking is that 80% of social media marketers believe consumers will buy products directly in social apps more often than on brands’ websites or third-party websites, like Amazon, in 2023.

 All of which is to say: If you work in the e-commerce or B2C space, you’ll want to ensure you’ve launched shopping capabilities on your social platforms so your consumers can purchase your products where and when it’s most convenient for them.

The biggest inhibitor to social shopping is a lack of trust — only 42% of social users feel comfortable making purchases on social media platforms, and a mere 21% report the products they purchase in-app are high-quality. 

To build trust with your social audiences, you’ll want to: 

Share customer reviews so they can hear from real people about your products or services. 
Work with trusted influencers who can verify that your products are high-quality to their audiences. 
Make sure your social channels don’t become pure advertisements. Instead, provide value upfront through helpful content, and let your consumers decide for themselves when they’re ready to buy. 

Or click here to listen to HubSpot Podcast Networks’ 2023 Social Media Trends playlist, or save for later.

Corresponding Content: 

How 3 Companies Grew Revenue With Social Media Shopping Tools [New Data + Case Studies]

3. Re-sharing the same content across platforms won’t fly in 2023.

In prior years, it’s been tempting to simply post a message or video to one platform, and copy-and-paste it to another. But social media platforms don’t reward re-posted content — and your audiences likely won’t prefer it, either. 

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you need to make brand-new content for each platform. You can use the same foundational content for each platform as long as you tailor the tone, language, and visuals for each social channel. 

48% of social media marketers do just that — sharing similar content across platforms with some tweaks. Another 34% make unique content from scratch for each platform, and just 17% continue to share the exact same content across platforms.

Click play above, or use this link to access HubSpot YouTube channel’s complete social media strategies playlist. 

Mat Cruz, HubSpot Social Team’s Community Management & Growth Specialist, believes reposting can be a good idea, but only when properly executed. 

As he puts it, “When creating content, especially with limited resources, it’s important we are using our time and effort efficiently. Still, having a brand in today’s social media landscape often means being on multiple platforms to reach various audience segments. With wanting to offer all of them content, reposting seems like a fair solution, but like every business decision, the “right” choice for you comes from weighing your team’s goals against the pros and cons.”

He adds, “In short, reposting content across channels can be a great way to spread valuable information while also lightening the production load, but it requires thoughtful execution to truly resonate and add value.”

If you’re considering reposting content, Cruz recommends you consider some of these questions to better inform your decision:

Does the content you want to repost fit each platform you’re on?
A simple copy and paste, while being a timesaver, can put a bad taste in an audience’s mouth if the content seems out of place. A tweet may also fit LinkedIn, but not Instagram. You have to take a step back and ask, “Does this message make sense on this platform?”
Does reposting a piece of content echo value or add noise? Users follow brands to get value from the content they post. If the content doesn’t bring value to the audience, don’t repost it. Social is a noisy place. Don’t add to it for the sake of posting.
Can reposting be a tool in production, not just publishing?

Cruz says, “If reposting content is going to be something you are incorporating into your strategy, make that decision from the start. The more consideration there is in ideation and production to fit various platform needs, the fewer ‘tweaks’ you’ll have to make. Think of it similarly to the idea of ‘measure twice, cut once’. A piece of copy for LinkedIn reposted on Twitter could have very few tweaks if done well.”

Cruz adds, “Overall, reposting can be a tool to work smarter, not harder. Still, one must be reminded it should always be seen as a tool, not a crutch. In the end, great content can carry itself when created with strong strategy and care.”

Corresponding Content: 

10 Social Media Trends Marketers Should Watch in 2023 [Data + Expert Tips]

4. SEO gives way to social search. 

When I hear about a new interesting brand, I don’t start with Google anymore: I start with Instagram. 

Perusing their social profiles helps me get a clearer and more authentic sense on their mission and products. And I’m not alone — 36% of Gen Z and 22% of millennials prefer to search for brands on social media more often than through search engines. 

This means, while SEO is still a critical component of any marketing strategy, having a social presence is increasingly vital, too. People use social media nowadays to search for content that is interesting and inspirational, as well as to find people, products/services, and brands. 

Here are three top strategies used by social media marketers to optimize your social media accounts for social search:

Include relevant keywords and hashtags in your social posts
Include relevant keywords and hashtags in your bio 
Make sure that your username is easily searchable 

Corresponding Content: 

8 Data-Backed Recommendations for Social Media Marketers in 2023 [Insights from 1,000+ Professionals]

5. Relatable and funny wins in terms of ‘most memorable’ type of content. 

Consider this: The last time you scrolled through your social feeds, what made you stop? 

For many, the answer is simple: When something seemed funny or made them laugh. 

In 2023, many social media marketers might struggle to identify the type(s) of content that performs best with their audiences — which is why we asked over one thousand social media marketers globally what type of content they post most often. 

45% of social media marketers most often post content that reflects their brand values; that’s followed by relatable content (42%), educational (39%), trendy (39%), and funny content (36%). 

However, when asked which type of content is most effective, 66% of social media marketers reported funny content to be the most effective for their brand — followed by relatable content (63%), and trendy content (59%). 

This is supported by our Consumer Trends report, as well, which found 49% of consumers reported funny content as being the most memorable, followed by relatable content as #2 (36%). 

Consider, for instance, brands like Chipotle, which currently has over 2 million followers on Chipotle’s TikTok thanks to its dedication to creating the type of content TikTok audiences crave: Short, funny, engaging clips, like the one below: 

Of course, you don’t want to adopt a tone or persona that doesn’t fit your brand voice. If your brand voice is more serious, you don’t want to start telling random jokes that don’t align with the rest of your content. However, you might be able to find subtle ways to inject humor or lightness into your social content. 

But, most importantly, it’s critical you remain authentic to your tone and your audience when creating content. 

Corresponding Content: 

Social Media Platforms Marketers Should Watch in 2023
Which Social Media Channels are Gaining and Losing Steam? [New Consumer and Platform Data]

6. 6 PM to 9 PM, along with 12 PM to 3 PM, are the best times to post across social channels. 

Every year, we survey social media marketers to figure out what time(s) they find most effective for posting on each social platform — and each year, their answers change slightly. 

The best times to post on social media in general, across all industries and platforms, are 6 PM to 9 PM and 12 PM to 3 PM. And Friday is the best day to post. 

This makes sense. Between 6 PM to 9 PM, many social users are done working, and looking for a chance to re-charge or wind down with interesting, engaging content.

And anywhere between noon to 3 PM is typically when you hit a lull in your workday. While some might use that as an opportunity to take a walk or eat lunch, others might spend a few minutes scrolling on social before returning to work. 

We also collected the best times to post on each individual channel: 

Instagram: Mid to late evening and mid to late afternoon, specifically from 6 PM – 9 PM, 12 PM – 3 PM, and 3 PM – 6 PM. The best day for Instagram is Saturdays. 
Facebook: Evening and mid-to-late afternoon, specifically between 6 and 9 PM and 12 PM – 3 PM. The best days are Friday and Saturday.
Twitter: 9 AM – 12 PM is the best time to post on the platform, followed by 12 PM – 3 PM, then 3 PM – 6 PM. The best day is Friday, followed by Wednesday. 
LinkedIn: 9 – 12 PM, 12 – 3 PM, or 3 – 6 PM. The best day is Monday, followed by Wednesday. 
Pinterest: Between 3 PM and 6 PM. The best day is Friday. 
YouTube: 6 PM and 9 PM, 3 to 6 PM, and noon to 3 PM. Fridays and Saturdays are the best days to post. 
TikTok: 6 to 9 PM, 3 to 6 PM, and 12 to 3 PM. For B2B brands, Saturdays and Thursdays are the best days to post; for B2C, its Saturdays and Sundays. 

To fully explore this data — along with the worst times to post for each channel — take a look at the full post here. 

In general, of course, you still want to do whats best for your audience. You can use your own social analytics to uncover which days and times got the most engagement on your platform. It’s important to test and iterate when it comes to your own personal audience. 

Corresponding Content: 

The Best Times to Post on Social Media in 2023 [New Data]
22 LinkedIn Hacks That’ll Make You More Productive
Will Marketers Continue to Use Twitter in 2023? [New Data]

Important Findings & Takeaways for Brands 

Next, let’s explore the social platforms on which marketing execs can expect to see the highest ROI, plus some big-picture strategy intel (like whether you should hire content creators) to help marketing execs successfully lead a social team. 

1. Investing in micro-influencers is more effective than leveraging celebrities. 

If you’re a marketing leader wondering where to invest your budget, time, and resources in 2023, it’s imperative you consider influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing has proven to be one of the most effective strategies for social media marketers. However, over the past year, we’ve seen a major shift among social professionals towards micro-influencers. 

In fact, 80% of influencer marketers work with smaller creators and influencers with under 100K followers, and just 16% work with celebrities who have over one million followers. 

Micro-influencers are less expensive, so it’s easier to work with them long-term. Equally importantly, micro-influencers have tight-knit, niche, loyal communities, and can be seen as more trustworthy compared to celebrities. Plus, 37% of social media marketers say micro-influencers see higher engagement with their content.

Social media marketers are placing big bets in 2023 on influencer marketing. In fact, a whopping 81% predict most companies will have a creator or influencer as the face of their brand in 2023, and 47% are increasing their investment in influencer marketing in 2023. 

Corresponding Content: 

Influencer Marketing Stats to Know in 2023

2. Instagram can help you achieve the highest ROI out of any platform. 

If you’re a marketing or social media leader wondering where to invest most of your time or energy to get the highest return-on-investment, Instagram is a strong contender to consider. 

Out of all social platforms, Instagram takes the winner’s spot for ROI and engagement, and social media professionals predict it will see the most growth in 2023. Social media marketers also believe that Instagram has the most accurate algorithm, and the best potential for brands to grow their audiences. 

In fact, 29% of social media marketers plan to invest the most in Instagram over any other platform and 52% plan to increase their investment in the platform in 2023, while another 39% will keep it the same.

When asked which platform social media marketers plan to invest the most in for 2023, the majority said Instagram — that’s followed by Facebook (23%), YouTube (14%), and TikTok (14%). 

If you’re unsure how to measure social media ROI, you’re in luck — I spoke with social media experts at G2 and Dropbox to explore the best ways for brands to effectively measure ROI in this post. 

(Hear more from Jenny Gardynski and other experts by reading How to Measure Social Media Marketing ROI [with Expert Advice].)

Corresponding Content: 

How to Measure Social Media Marketing ROI [with Expert Advice]
Which Channels See The Most Social Media ROI? [New Data + Expert Tips]

3. It’s a good idea to create a customer service strategy on social.

With 76% of social media marketers already offering customer service on social, it’s a good idea to consider it for your own strategy in 2023. 

Many social users already expect to be able to communicate with brands via social when it comes to their customer service queries. One in five Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X users have contacted a brand through DM for customer service in the past three months alone. 

You might even consider creating a separate channel for customer service, like Wix did with its Wix Help Twitter account, so users know where to go to get their questions or concerns resolved. 

Leveraging social media for customer service can help you meet your customers where they’re at on the channels they prefer. It can also help you minimize the amount of requests you get on a given topic: If you’re able to post an answer to a commonly-asked question to your entire community through social media, then they don’t need to reach out to a representative. 

Which leads us to the next question: Who is answering those DMs? 43% of companies that offer customer service through DMs have a customer service rep respond to the messages — but 41% leave it up to the marketer who is in charge of that platform. Another 13% use automated tools like chatbots. 

I spoke with Julie Fernandez, Aircall’s Global Senior Communications Manager, to learn how her team approaches social media as a customer service channel. 

Fernandez told me, “When it comes to customer support, we see social media platforms as a huge opportunity to proactively communicate with prospects and customers alike, whether it be Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.”

In terms of best practices when it comes to customer support on social media, Fernandez advises, “We carefully monitor our mentions, and if we notice someone needs help or is experiencing an outage, we respond as quickly as possible and connect them with our support team directly. We want to make sure they receive the best quality support, and we find that when our team can talk about the issue over the phone, it’s far more impactful than going back and forth over social media or using a text-based channel like chat or email.”

She adds, “We also monitor relevant feeds to see organic opportunities for Aircall to share product information, answer product questions, participate in industry conversations, and celebrate our partners.”

She also encourages brands to consider whether creating a community can help you facilitate conversations that help your prospects and customers grow. As she puts it, “Would it make sense to start a community of your own? If you notice an opportunity to create a shared space, it could pay off in a positive way for your brand and even your product as a whole.”

If you’re willing to invest in leveraging social media as a customer service platform, you’ll want to ensure you have the resources, time, and tools required to create a streamlined, efficient process for both your customers and your employees. 

Corresponding Content: 

Social Media Customer Service 101: The Beginner’s Guide

Important Findings & Takeaways for Content Creators and Influencers 

1. The quality of your content matters more than the amount of followers you have when it comes to getting hired. 

If you’re a creator looking to work with a brand in 2023, you’ll want to consider the factors that matter most to those looking to hire. 

Most importantly, influencer marketers want to see you can create high-quality social content. Additionally, influencer marketers are concerned with your follower/subscriber count, and whether you align with their company’s values. 

HubSpot’s Creator program was launched in 2022, and HubSpot writer Erica Santiago spoke with HubSpot’s Head of Creators Partnerships, Alanah Joseph, as well as Brandon Huang, Partnerships Lead for the Creators Program, to learn what they both look for when hiring creators. 

One of the biggest factors is your authenticity as a creator.

As Joseph told Santiago, “Authenticity is key. Authenticity builds trust, so when a creator brings their full selves to their content, their audience trusts them. This is important for a brand looking to run advertisements within the creator’s content. If the audience trusts the creator, they will be more likely to trust the creator’s recommendations.”

Additionally, when working with businesses, you’ll need to think like a business leader and come prepared with a results-driven approach. Huang says, “I take a close look at all the quantitative metrics that I can regarding a creator: their reach, their engagement, how consistent they are with posting, and how consistent the results are on the content they create.”

Corresponding Content: 

What to Look for When Hiring Creators, According to HubSpot Experts

2. The most popular influencer niches include fashion, lifestyle, and fitness/health.

If you’re interested in becoming an influencer, it can be helpful to know which industries are most popular for hiring influencers. 

Influencer marketers work with influencers/creators in fashion (41%) the most, followed by lifestyle/vlog (40%), fitness/health (37%), food (34%), travel (33%), and family (33%).

Of course, you’ll want to choose an industry that excites you. If you’re not passionate about the topic at-hand, it won’t resonate well with your audience. Plus, it will be difficult for you to create content long-term on a topic you don’t find interesting. 

3. Marketers prefer working with influencers on Instagram compared to other platforms. 

It’s important to know which platform(s) are most preferred by influencer marketers if you hope to work with businesses in 2023. 

As far as platforms, influencer marketers see the highest ROI through Instagram, with YouTube and Facebook tied for #2. These are also the three most popular platforms for influencer marketing.

If you’re interested in working with brands, then, it’s critical you can demonstrate success on Instagram in particular. Knowing how to create high-quality content that performs well with Instagram’s algorithm is vital. 

Corresponding Content: 

Influencer Marketing Strategy Checklist & Template

Social is Always Changing

Understanding trends related to social is imperative for the success of your social strategy because social media users’ preferences and expectations change — fast. 

Hopefully, this page gives you a leg-up on your competition and helps you identify the biggest opportunities for growth when it comes to your social accounts in 2023. 

Ultimately, social media is one of the most powerful opportunities for you to connect directly with your prospects and customers. It also enables you to build strong communities and increase brand value and loyalty. 

But there’s no ‘quick fix’ to social. It takes time, resources, and intention to reach and resonate with audiences. For a more comprehensive list of the data points we collected, read HubSpot’s 2023 Social Media Marketing Report [Data from 1000+ Global Marketers].

For the full Social Media Trends in 2023 report, check back on March 3, 2023. 

The Super Bowl teaches us a lot about healthy competition each year — but we don’t always see it play out on the football field.

Some of the biggest game-day face-offs occur when the commentators send us to a commercial break. While football teams compete for trophies, companies spend millions trying to get more views, leads, and revenue than other brands advertising in their industry on the same day.

You can learn much from the top Super Bowl ads, even for a small brand, if you’re a video marketer.

Although these ads have budgets we couldn’t imagine, the brands behind them still leverage creativity and cleverness, allowing them to grow mass awareness and stand out among their fiercest competition.

To help you zone in on key takeaways from the Super Bowl ads that resonated most with viewers, we asked more than 150 U.S. consumers to vote on their favorite big-game ads within four major product categories this year.

The 4 Most Popular 2023 Super Bowl Ads, According to 150+ Viewers

Below are four consumer favorites, plus takeaways that any marketer can leverage to fend off their biggest competition.

Consumers’ Favorite Food and Beverage Commercial

Dunkin’ – ‘Drive-Thru’ Starring Ben Affleck

For years Ben Affleck has jokingly been referred to as Dunkin’s unofficial spokesperson — dating back to his 1997 breakout role in Good Will Hunting.

So it makes sense the Academy Award-winning actor decided to take over a Dunkin’ drive-thru in his home state of Massachusetts for the brand’s latest Super Bowl commercial — much to the surprise of some unsuspecting customers.

According to our survey, 34% of consumers said this commercial was their favorite Super Bowl ad from a food and beverage brand.

The ad takes inspiration from a popular internet meme from numerous photos of Affleck walking around with Dunkin’ products. The commercial also includes the real-life reactions of actual Dunkin’ customers when they realize a Hollywood star is taking their order.

The ad ends with fellow megastar Jennifer Lopez making a cameo to scold her husband and demand an order.

While your brand may not have the budget to book two A-list celebrities for your next video marketing campaign, it’s still possible to recreate this strategy.

If you know of an influencer or content creator who is constantly using your products or shouting out your brand, feature them in your next campaign.

Consumers’ Favorite Technology and e-Commerce Commercial

Amazon – Saving Sawyer

31% of consumers listed Amazon’s commercial about a family trying to live with their rowdy dog as their favorite Super Bowl ad from a tech or e-commerce company.

The ad, Saving Sawyer, shows a dog who became used to constantly being around his family as they worked from home or engaged in remote learning.

What makes the commercial stand out from its competitors is relatability. More than 23 million American households adopted pets during the pandemic as people tried to cope with the loneliness of lockdowns.

And as millions of Americans return to working and learning outside their homes, many of those “pandemic pets” have become co-dependent and unruly as they adjust to being home alone for the first time.

Amazon reflects this common phenomenon in its new commercial by showing a family dog named Sawyer destroying his family’s home and belongings after they go back to the office and school.

To solve the problem, the family orders a dog crate from Amazon and uses it to bring home a new puppy that will keep Sawyer company while everyone is away.

The commercial features a common issue many people face and then presents Amazon and its services as a solution.

Think about a common problem your target audience faces. What products or services does your brand offer than can solve their problem? Use the answer as inspiration for your next video marketing campaign.

Consumers’ Favorite Automobile Commercial

Jeep – The Jeep 4xe ‘Electric Boogie’

With its upbeat soundtrack, hilarious animals, and clever showcasing of product attributes — it’s no wonder 33% of consumers listed Jeep’s 4xe commercial as their favorite automobile-related Super Bowl ad.

The commercial mainly focuses on the attributes of Jeep’s new vehicles. Audiences see the vehicles easily navigate the rough terrain while the driver uses their built-in sound systems to listen to “Electric Boogie.”

The sound system is so crisp and clear that nearby animals can’t help but dance along. And when one overzealous snake gets a little too close to the Jeep, the Jeep’s cameras turn on to alert the driver of the wiggly obstacle.

Finally, the commercial ends with the drivers stopping to charge their respective Jeeps — because they’re electric!

Find a way to showcase your product’s attributes for your next video marketing campaign.

Consumers’ Favorite Commercial Relating to Entertainment.

YouTube TV – ‘Football Cat’ NFL Sunday Ticket is Coming to YouTube TV

Sometimes it helps to keep your ad short and straightforward, like YouTube TV’s Super Bowl ad about NFL Sunday Ticket coming to the platform. 34% of consumers said the ad was their favorite Super Bowl commercial relating to entertainment.

The 30-second commercial features one of the most viral videos on YouTube — keyboard cat. The video is edited to make the cat look like he’s playing the NFL theme, and it ends with white words on a black screen that reads “A modern, simple way to watch.”

The commercial tells viewers that watching football on YouTube TV will be as simple as the ad.

If you’re not looking to break the bank with your next campaign, feel free to opt for something short, simple, and to the point.

Takeaways for Video Marketers

Celebrities, music, and cute animals aren’t why the above ads stand out among the 57 commercials aired during the Super Bowl. All four ads contained at least a few of the following elements that any brand can incorporate into its video marketing materials.

Relatability

Both Dunkin’ and Amazon feature relatable content in their respective ads. Dunkin’ showed real-life customers reacting to a celebrity taking their orders. And Amazon highlighted a real issue millions of pet owners face as they return to work.

Humor

While many Super Bowl ads in past years had heavier tones, all four of the commercials on the list above – and many of this year’s ads – won audiences over with a lighter, optimistic, and funny tone.

Relevance

Dunkin’ leaned into a popular online meme about Ben Affleck’s love for the brand. Amazon referenced a current phenomenon resulting from a pandemic we’re all still reeling from.

Jeep featured a popular song played at almost every family function and cookout. And YouTube leveraged a viral video viewed by more than 70 million people.

By leaning into relative topics and elements, these brands were able to create ads that were memorable and engaging.

Even without a million-dollar ad budget, you can keep these themes in mind and create affordable video content that caters to consumers and draws your audiences in.

Effective sales lead management is one of the core principles of any successful business. It helps the right people become your customers and makes it easy for them to buy from you again in the future.

When you get lead management correct, you can convert more prospects into customers, streamline operations, and improve the sales experience. But it’s not always clear how to create an effective lead management process. Is it about quickly responding to leads, keeping your CRM neat and tidy, or using the proper tags and lists?

The short answer is that it’s about all of the above. We’ll explore more below.

What is sales lead management?
The 5 Stages of the Lead Management System
Best Practices for Effective Sales Lead Management

The 5 Stages of the Lead Management System

Sales lead management is ultimately about data management plus relationship building. One of the best ways to view your lead management strategy is through the lens of Data Lifecycle Management (DLM).

DLM consists of five stages:

Data collection.
Data storage.
Data maintenance.
Data usage.
Data cleaning.

Every lead (and their associated data) passes through similar stages with your business, so it’s crucial to get each one right for effective lead management.

Without further ado, here are the five stages of the lead management system.

1. Lead Collection

A successful lead management system starts with having a steady stream of leads rolling in. This is the foundation on which all the other stages are built. Without leads, there is no one to market and sell to.

This step involves enticing people who visit your website, click on an ad, or attend company events, to fill out their contact details. The person can then receive a lead magnet, free trial, product demo, sales call, or sign up for your email list.

2. Lead Storage

Once a lead provides their contact details, it’s best practice to store them in a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. This allows cross-functional teams to organize and streamline lead information for easy access.

Without proper lead storage, you might overlook prospective customers or rely on inconsistent data.

The consequence? Potential revenue goes down the drain.

3. Lead Data Maintenance

Every lead is not going to become a customer. So how do you ensure that you filter through and target the right leads at the right time? By actively maintaining lead data.

This stage involves supplementing the lead data stored in a CRM to get a better understanding of each individual, disqualifying leads that aren’t the right fit, and also ranking leads based on their probability of purchase.

Time is money, and this sets the ground for sales teams to pay attention to the right leads, boosting sales efficiency.

4. Lead Data Usage

Would you buy a product from a random ad that pops up on your Facebook feed for the first time? Chances are, likely not.

But after signing up to their email list and receiving value-driven emails, reading through the company blog, seeing more relevant ads, checking out testimonials, and clarifying any queries via Instagram chat, you might be more inclined to click the “buy” button or book a sales call.

This is what this stage is all about — reaching out, cultivating a relationship, and nurturing leads through frequent touchpoints. Simply put, this stage is where the data is put into action.

5. Cleaning Lead Data

It’s essential to periodically clean and update your data to maintain a reliable and accurate database of leads. You can do this by:

Verifying all entries.
Deleting outdated data.
Correcting mistakes and inconsistencies.

Data drives decisions, and bad data will hurt you in the long run. According to a survey of 300 data engineers, 47% estimated that poor data quality affects a quarter or more of their company’s revenue.

In short, cleaning lead data is a lot like visiting the dentist. It’s not a fun task but needs to be done regularly to ensure the health of your database.

Each of the above stages plays a crucial role in sales lead management. To help you maximize your efficiency at every stage, here are some best practices to implement in your business.

Best Practices for Effective Sales Lead Management

Best Practices for Lead Collection

1. Diversify lead sources.

As mentioned earlier, a continuous flow of leads is essential to company growth. But what lead sources work best?

A survey of 1000+ sales professionals revealed that referrals from existing customers generate the highest-quality leads. That’s no surprise — word-of-mouth is a potent marketing tool.

Other sources of valuable leads according to the survey include social media, telemarketing, tradeshows and events, inbound marketing, blogs, and SEO.

Want to get more creative with your lead collection methods? Here are some other ideas to try.

2. Optimize forms for capturing leads and accurate data entry.

Imagine this: A person reads through your blog on their phone and eventually clicks on a pop-up offering an ebook, ready to sign-up to access your content.

But they’re greeted with a cluttered form with 25 mandatory input fields that appear misaligned on mobile. Do you think they’ll sign up? Likely not.

That’s a potential lead lost. So, it’s important to optimize your forms to improve lead capture. For example, the below form is clear and to the point. It has adequate whitespace and asks for only the necessary details.

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How you collect leads also determines how organized things will be further down the line. Do your future self and colleagues a favor by collecting leads in a standardized, organized, and accurate manner. This includes adjusting form fields to collect the right data in the best way.

3. Remember data protection regulations.

Data protection and privacy laws have been enacted in 137 countries globally.

Among the most famous is the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe. A core part of this legislation is data protection by design. This means building data security and ethical use into the foundations of your business.

It’s vital to ensure that every lead you add to your database has given clear consent for their data to be stored. Store it only for the time and purpose that you define in your terms and conditions.

See the product demo sign-up form below to see some recommended practices in action.

The form asks for your consent to subscribe to the marketing blog (doesn’t auto-subscribe you) and provides easy access to the privacy policy.

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Lead Storage

4. Centralize all leads in your CRM.

You can’t manage your leads effectively if they’re scattered between multiple platforms or in an outdated system that’s not designed for contact management.

To stay on top of all leads, choose a CRM system that helps your team provide great customer experiences. HubSpot’s Marketing Hub and Sales Hub are two options.

So what are the top benefits of a CRM? Here’s what salespeople have to say:

CRMs act as an organized and centralized database.
CRMs help identify valuable opportunities.
They streamline the sales cycle.
CRMs facilitate sharing of data across the organization.
You can increase productivity.
CRMs help you understand customers and their needs.

5. Create secure backups.

If all your lead data is centralized on a single platform, it’s important to conduct regular backups. One effective way to do this is with an automated sync to another cloud-based system.

Secure and reliable backups make it easier to ensure data protection and your contacts’ privacy.

Lead Data Maintenance

6. Make lead management easy for sales.

A lead management process that relies on manual input isn’t efficient. It’s a recipe for human error.

To minimize errors, make lead management as intuitive as possible for your team. You can do this with:

Automated processes.
Dedicated lead management tools. (HubSpot’s lead management software is a great place to get started for free.)
Data entry restrictions to ensure the right format is used.

7. Enrich your data.

High-quality lead data is enriched lead data.

What does this mean? It means that your sales reps aren’t just given a name and email address to work with, but rather a comprehensive and high-def view of every prospect.

This can include a lead’s industry, company size, and even goals based on previous interactions with marketing content and progressive forms. Data enrichment apps are also a handy way to include more insights into every contact record.

8. Segment your leads.

Segmentation is important for every department.

Segmentation enables marketers to send prospects the most relevant messages and advertising. Salespeople can use it to create a tailor-fit buying process. And, service teams can ensure that customers know about the most valuable features of your product or service.

With tags, labels, groups, and list memberships, you can organize your leads into the most relevant segments for your entire customer journey. Here’s an example of a segmented list in a CRM.

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9. Sync leads between apps.

Most businesses use multiple apps to manage lead data. It’s standard to have several platforms for different purposes within a single department.

Automated synchs between your apps can prevent headaches and contradictory data. With a tool like Operations Hub, you can ensure that everyone is always looking at the latest and most enriched lead data in every app.

10. Use lead scoring.

One of the quickest ways to make your sales lead management more effective is with lead scoring.

This is a common feature of advanced CRMs, although often gated behind higher plans. Lead scoring instantly assigns positive or negative points to a lead based on the information they give and the interactions they have with your company. This enables your sales team to instantly identify the most sales-ready leads at any moment.

Here are some actionable steps that can help you get started with lead scoring.

Lead Data Usage

11. Nurture your leads.

Effective sales lead management keeps leads engaged and moving through the funnel. This is where lead nurturing comes in. One way to achieve this is with timely and relevant email sequences that guide each lead toward a set goal, such as requesting a sales demo.

12. Nurture existing customers too.

In the race to generate and convert new leads, it’s essential not to forget your current customers. Strengthening the relationship with your customers can boost loyalty. This can lead to upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

Upselling contributes 11-30% of revenue for 47% of companies, according to HubSpot’s 2022 Sales Strategy & Trends Report. That’s a sizeable percentage.

Further, 86% say they’ll recommend a brand they’re loyal to, according to a KPMG International survey of 18,000+ people.

Remember the stat about referrals from existing customers producing the best source of quality leads? All this combined makes the value of nurturing your existing customers a no-brainer.

13. Use automation for the fastest outreach.

Much of the heavy lifting of lead management can be alleviated with automation. Some of the best ways to automate lead management include lead scoring, assigning leads, and syncing lead data between apps.

Automation is also excellent for nurturing leads through the sales funnel while still delivering a personalized experience. In fact, almost 80% of business leaders believe consumers spend more with a personalized experience.

This can be done through segmentation, targeted advertising, email personalization, and tailored product or content recommendations based on lead behavior.

14. Create insightful reporting dashboards.

By visualizing your lead data, you can understand exactly how your team is performing. For the best insights, create reports that break down performance by funnel stage. Here, you can understand where your team is thriving or where efficiency is breaking down.

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15. Automatically assign leads to the best owner.

Another handy way to use automation is with lead routing, which directs each new sales-ready lead to the right salesperson or support agent.

You can route leads based on their location, product requirements, business size, or other attributes.

16. Develop sales enablement content.

More than half of sales professionals who use sales enablement content say that it plays a “very to extremely important” role in making sales.

So what type of content should you invest in? Data says:

Product demos.
Market research.
Customer testimonials and reviews.
Social media content.
Call scripts and email templates.
Competitor analyses.
Case studies.

17. Bring sales and marketing on the same page.

Lead management overlaps between the marketing and sales departments. So it’s essential that each team doesn’t operate in silos.

Eighty-five percent of sales and marketing leaders believe that aligning the two provides the largest opportunity to improve business performance. But what should both teams be aligned on?

Salespeople feel that certain vital aspects include overall marketing strategy, sharing customer information and feedback, sharing market research, buyer personas, content creation, and account-based marketing.

Watch Debbie McClure, Dropbox’s VP of Sales, share tips on what sales teams want marketing to know.

Cleaning Lead Data

18. Conduct regular cleanups.

Frequent housekeeping is an essential part of managing lead data. It keeps your data fresh and reliable. Without it, decaying data can quickly get unmanageable and expensive to fix.

19. Establish data entry standards and processes.

Having set standards for CRM data entry (whether manual or automated) addresses the issue of inconsistent and missing information at the root. This helps ensure that the right data can be found in the right place in the right format.

20. Avoid duplicates.

Having duplicate contacts in your database is a barrier to effective lead management. To avoid duplicates, focus on:

Preventing duplicate contacts with a two-way contact sync between your apps. This doesn’t delete duplicates but enables you to sync the cleanest data to avoid duplicates and intelligently merge data that might overlap.
Fixing duplicate contacts with a built-in feature offered by your apps, or with a third-party solution.

Making the Most of Your Leads

Effective sales lead management depends on how you collect, store, maintain, use and clean your lead data. With the help of a great CRM, solid processes for nurturing and automation, and regular housekeeping, you should be well on your way to streamlining your funnel.

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