September 16, 2021
HubSpot announced the highly anticipated CRM custom objects feature at INBOUND 2020. If you’re unfamiliar with it, a custom object lets you go beyond the standard objects available in HubSpot so you can truly match your CRM data to fit your business’s needs.
Sounds exciting, right? Or does it seem a little complicated? You may think you may need special skill sets to build your custom objects, but that’s not the case. With Custom Objects HQ, you can create up to ten custom objects yourself – without the need of a developer. Since launching the app shortly after revealing custom objects, users have installed and created almost 3,000 total custom objects, with 938 unique scenarios.
Curious what those are? Here are the top ten most popular use cases so far.
Before we dive into our examples, it’s important to note that you may not need a custom object to extend your capabilities. In some cases, a standard object, custom property, CRM extension, or timeline event may do the trick. For example, let’s say you need just a tiny snippet of additional information for a record, like geographic location. A custom property would work here.
But how do you know for sure?
Ask yourself this first: Does my data already fall under the bucket of a contact, company, deal, or ticket object? If so, then it’s wise to use one of these standard objects. If your data doesn’t fit these and there isn’t another viable workaround, go for a custom object. Another reason to consider using a custom object is that you can use them to connect contacts or other objects to multiple companies.
If you’re still unsure, check out our Custom Objects Crash Course to learn everything you need to define custom objects and other use cases outside of the examples below.
Read More - How to Use Your HubSpot Custom Objects with Your External CRM or ERP
Businesses like dealerships, recruiting companies, property management firms, service companies, and education institutions are typical examples of those who benefit from custom objects. And the most popular use cases within Custom Objects HQ reflect that. Take a look at what those are and an example of what type of company is using and why:
Project – Managers in construction, architecture, or something similar oversee several specific projects. Custom objects can connect these through the one-to-many association, making it easier to control their data.
Property – Similar to the above, property managers in real estate will own different buildings, and owners will own different properties. Custom objects can ensure they’re all connected, so no critical information is misplaced.
Partner – Many businesses work with outside vendors, and that type of data is hard to create and associate with standard methods. Custom objects can help keep track of external collaborators, someone who refers your business, or a retailer for you.
Invoice – Invoices are particular entities to an individual business’s operation, and custom objects ensure the information is stored correctly.
Location - Custom objects can help connect a single contact or company to multiple locations. For example, a contact may have multiple shipping locations stored inside an eCommerce CRM.
Subscription – Subscriptions as custom objects can be used in multiple ways. They can associate a contact to numerous kinds of one entity, such as one person who has multiple subscriptions to a company’s products. Subscriptions also create an object that can represent that product.
Asset – An asset custom object is an example of a company defining something specific to their business structure, like an investment firm that needs to associate different assets with a single contact.
Contract – Contracts are an example of entities unique to a business’s operation or process. A specific instance would be companies who broker conversations between someone who needs an office space built out and various general contractors competing for that space, such as electricians, plumbers, office furniture companies, architects, and more.
Product – A product custom object is an example of yet another specific entity that a business needs that doesn’t already exist with standard objects. Products can also be associated with multiple contacts or companies, and multiple products can be associated with a single contact.
Family – Various types of businesses like dentists, doctors, or even fitness centers, may need to group multiple contacts using a single object. Creating a family custom object works well in this case.
Hopefully, our examples provided a little insight into how custom objects can work for your company. Maybe they also sparked a little inspiration? If that’s the case, download Custom Objects HQ today! We’re always here if you need a little extra help, too.
