Work smarter, not harder: practical automation in HubSpot for manufacturing

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The term ‘automation’ can sound complicated and big. It conjures up images of complex software and projects that take months. But in practice it comes down to something very simple: let the software do the repetitive work so you and your colleagues have more time for the things that really make a difference. This often involves smart software and even a touch of Artificial Intelligence (AI)—but used in a way that helps you right away.

Even so, automation is still used only sparingly in manufacturing. And that’s a missed opportunity.

The challenge: too much to do, too little time

Especially in SMB manufacturing, marketing and sales teams are often small. The workload is high and a large part of the day is spent on manual, recurring tasks. Think following up leads, sending standard emails, updating customer information in different systems or manually assigning a new inquiry to a colleague. These are exactly the kinds of tasks that are predictable and rule-based—which means you can hand them over to the software perfectly.

Five ways to start with smart automation today

Automation doesn’t have to be complex. Here are five practical HubSpot examples you can apply right away to save time and improve the quality of your work.

1. Automatic follow-up for new contacts

One of the most valuable and simple automations. Imagine: a visitor on your website downloads a technical white paper.

• Previously: nothing happens—or a marketer has to send an email manually.
• With automation: a workflow starts. The person immediately receives a thank-you email with the download. Three days later a second email can follow with a link to a relevant case study. This process runs fully automatically, builds the relationship and keeps you top of mind.

2. Let AI highlight your best opportunities (Lead Scoring)

Not every lead is equal. But how should a salesperson spend their valuable time? Instead of leaving this to chance or gut feeling, HubSpot can help using AI.

• How it works: this is a perfect example of practical AI. The software analyses data from past wins and learns to recognise the most promising new contacts. You set a points system, where a contact might get +10 points for the role ‘Engineer’ and +5 for visiting the pricing page.
• The result: HubSpot adds up the scores automatically. The sales team can simply open a list with the ‘hottest’ leads and focus there.

3. AI as your writing partner (Content Assistant)

A common challenge for marketers in manufacturing is writing about highly technical topics. It can be hard to find the right words and get started.

• The solution: the writing assistant in HubSpot, which uses smart AI technology, can support you. Provide a few keywords—e.g., “predictive maintenance for hydraulic pumps”—and the tool generates a first draft paragraph or blog introduction. It’s not a replacement for the human expert, but it’s an ideal way to get past a blank page.

4. Streamline internal processes

Automation isn’t just for external communication. You can also use it to improve internal processes.

• Example: when a contact fills out the ‘request a quote’ form on the website, HubSpot can automatically create a new deal in the sales pipeline, assign the right account manager based on region and create a task for that account manager to make contact within 24 hours. This ensures speed and clarity and prevents inquiries from falling through the cracks.

5. AI as your personal research assistant

A good conversation starts with good preparation. But researching a new prospect—scouring the website, checking LinkedIn profiles, looking up recent news—takes time. Recent developments in HubSpot take this work off your hands. With the arrival of AI assistants like the ‘Prospecting Agent’ you can do in-depth research with one click. The AI scans the internet and presents a clear summary of the company, the latest news and sometimes even current challenges. That way you start every conversation with a huge head start.

Marketing Guys

Whether it’s simple workflows or smart, AI-driven suggestions, automation is the key to giving your team’s creative and strategic sides room—by letting the software handle the repetitive tasks.

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