Why B2B Marketers Should Use Custom Campaign Tagging for HubSpot List Imports

As a B2B marketer, you're probably juggling multiple campaigns, list uploads, partner marketing efforts, and events—all while trying to prove the ROI of your efforts. HubSpot’s Campaigns tool can help track campaign performance, but it has limitations. In particular, it’s ineffective at tracking imported leads, and HubSpot does not provide any out-of-the-box properties to allow us to attribute imported leads effectively back to Campaigns.

So while HubSpot doesn’t (yet?) have an effective lead import tagging system, HubSpot's innate customization makes it easy to implement a custom property of your own using a multi-select checkbox that you call "Tags" (or another term that you like). We primarily implement these for Contacts, but they can be used for Companies and Deals as well. The associated system is the approach you use for applying these tags.

The effective use of such a tagging system can mean the difference between clear campaign reporting and guesswork for B2B marketers who deal with list uploads, offline events, and complex partner marketing strategies.

Why should you care? 

Because:

• Tags make attribution easier.
  Whether you’re uploading lists from a webinar, event, or partner marketing initiative, custom tags allow you to link contacts back to their source.
• Custom tags enable complex reporting
  You’re likely managing campaigns across multiple channels, from email to content syndication. Tags allow you to track all these touchpoints in one place, giving you a holistic view of what’s working and what isn’t.

The Real Pain Point: Lost Attribution for List Uploads

As mentioned before, one of the shortcomings of HubSpot’s native Campaigns tool is how it handles list uploads. In particular, HubSpot's Campaigns won’t count contacts from an associated list as new contacts created by that Campaign. List uploads are a common occurrence for B2B marketers, so this flaw can be a substantial limitation and eliminate critical sources of ROI from marketing activities.

List uploads ("Offline Sources" in HubSpot) can be among our most highly converting marketing activities. List import sources are typically: contacts from a trade show, a co-branded marketing event such as a webinar, or an email list from a partner. Figuring out these imported lists' contribution to a campaign (and to revenue) can be a major headache, and yet, many times, they are a significant factor in marketing expense ROI.

Custom tagging solves this problem by directly attributing offline or list-uploaded contacts to specific campaigns. This attribution is especially important when reporting to leadership or sales teams looking for clear links between marketing activities and pipeline generation. It will also come in handy for justifying your marketing budget and deciding how to deploy it by providing you with clear data as to the ROI of these often-expensive campaigns. 

How Custom Tags Can Help You Prove Campaign ROI

Proving ROI is one of the biggest challenges for B2B marketers, especially when you're dealing with multiple channels and complex buyer journeys. Tags help you track how different campaigns influence contacts and, crucially, how these interactions lead to closed deals.

Without tags, it’s nearly impossible to show how much pipeline each campaign generated or how many leads were converted. Here’s how custom tags make it easier:

• Track multi-touch journeys.
  B2B buyers don’t make decisions after a single interaction. Tags allow you to see which content or campaigns influenced a buyer across multiple touchpoints.
  
• Attribute deals to specific campaigns.
  Sales and leadership teams need to see clear connections between campaigns and pipelines. Tags ensure that every lead, deal, and closed-won opportunity can be traced back to its originating campaign.

This not only helps you show ROI but also gives you data to make informed decisions on where to invest in future campaigns.

Common Tagging Mistakes to Avoid

While custom tags are incredibly useful, they can become confusing if not properly used. As a B2B marketer, you likely have many campaigns running simultaneously, and keeping your tagging strategy organized is key to maintaining clarity.

Here are a couple of best practices:

• Make sure tag names match campaigns names.
  If your tags are disorganized or don’t reflect campaign names, you could lose valuable data. Ensure your tags are named consistently to create a one-to-one relationship between tags and campaigns.
  
  
• Append tags, don't overwrite them.
  When setting up workflows for tagging, make sure they are set to append new tags to contacts rather than overwrite previous ones. This is essential for tracking multi-touch interactions and understanding how each contact engaged with your content. Using the trade show example, you may encounter the same person at multiple shows over months or years before they decide to buy from your company.

Custom Tagging and Campaign Setup Support from a HubSpot Diamond Partner

Custom tagging is an often overlooked but essential tool for B2B marketers to track interactions, attribute deals, and prove ROI, but they’re just one component of an effective Campaign reporting system. If you're ready to streamline your campaign tagging and beyond, Orange Marketing can help.

As a HubSpot Diamond Partner, we offer services designed to elevate your marketing:

• HubSpot Demand Generation: Maximize lead attraction and nurturing with expert HubSpot strategies.
• Content Marketing: Build a foundation with blog posts, case studies, and white papers that drive engagement.
• Paid Campaigns: Boost your visibility through Google Ads, paid social, and retargeting.
• Lead Collection & Email Marketing: Optimize CTAs, landing pages, and email sequences to capture and engage leads.

Ready to optimize your marketing? Contact us to learn how we can help implement custom tagging strategies and drive demand for your business.