Choosing Your System of Record for Your HubSpot Integration

About to start a HubSpot integration? Already have one in place? No matter your circumstances, when it comes to integrating your HubSpot marketing account with another system, like a CRM or ERP, it's vital to recognize it's a lengthy process. And part of that timeline involves deciding on one imperative factor: Choosing your system of record.

What is a System of Record? 

Before your integration can enter any development phase, you must choose your system of record. Your system of record should be one of the two systems you're integrating that will be your authoritative data source. In other words, it should be your "single source of truth." When you use a system of record method for an integration project, the other platform will simply sync with the other. Your system of record will do all the heavy lifting. That means no more manual data entry, too!

Similarly, this method of your syncing your data ensures that the quality of that data remains in place, while simultaneously updating all records in multiple directions. When you select one system to be your record, it can prevent the other from overwriting or dirtying your files. In the unlikely scenario that your integration project goes awry, the data in your system of record will be safe.

Additionally, in certain integration projects, a bi-directional sync is available. These do not require a system of record, but they're typically more complex. Even though bi-directional syncs are possible, knowing which system is the principal may prove more beneficial. That's because it helps define rules for which one should have the final data.

What Should be Your System of Record?

When selecting your system of record, consider your lowest denominator of data entry – i.e., where the most critical data for your company goes first, and where losing it may pose the most significant risk to your business processes. In most situations, like a HubSpot CRM integration, your system of record should be your CRM. Choosing your CRM prevents your customer data from being lost during your integration's syncing while maintaining consistent record keeping. Other reasons to pick your CRM include:

• No duplicate records, so your integration moves smoother
• No overwritten or dirty data, leading to a higher quality overall
• No loss of significant lead and customer contact information (including any of your data from custom field mappings)
• Data in HubSpot Marketing Hub can be easier to regain (visits to a website, blogs, open rates, clickthrough rates)
• More challenging to gather contact information again (people generally fill out a form once)

However, the above situations are only feasible if your CRM data is clean to begin with. Before starting an integration project, it's best to eliminate duplicate and old records to maintain quality data. The cleaner it is from the beginning, the smoother the integration will be.

What Are the Benefits of a HubSpot Integration?

An integration can keep your marketing and sales teams and their databases aligned through the system of record method. This ensures changes in one system automatically sync to the other. So, when you change contacts from MQLs to an SQLs in HubSpot, your CRM (and thus, your sales team) will receive that information too. Data input into your CRM, like first name and company, will show up in your HubSpot. Through this integration, your marketing will have more information to:

• Personalize campaigns
• Create better quality sales enablement and other marketing material
• Launch stronger nurturing campaigns
• Automate certain marketing communication
• Track a contact's entire buyers' journey and document it through closed-loop reporting

Your sales team will also benefit. Specifically, they will enjoy: 

• Increased communication between sales and marketing
• Automated task assignments and lead scoring
• More details about leads and prospects' online activity
• Better customer nurturing
• Re-engagement of cold contacts

Get Help

Not having a system of record can make your HubSpot integration project weak from the beginning. If you're still unsure which system to select, or want more information on integrations, contact us today. We've launched hundreds of successful integration projects and are happy to help.