Creating and Sending a Marketing Email in HubSpot

Step 1

Prepare your message

Decide the purpose, audience and main call to action—the one next step you want the reader to take. Gather approved copy, images and destination links before editing.

Step 2

Create a marketing email

Click More, then go to Marketing → Email. If More is not shown, go directly to Marketing → Email. Click Create email. For a one-time community update or announcement, select Regular.

Automated emails are intended for automation, such as workflow sends, and are not the focus of this SOP. Your subscription and permissions determine which types and controls you see.

Step 3

Select a template

Choose an existing approved eQ template where available: hover over the template and click Choose template. If you are unsure which template to use, ask your manager or CRM administrator.

Preserve branding, the footer and required subscription-management links. Do not remove unsubscribe links or required sender information.

Step 4

Edit the content

Use the editor’s content modules to add a clear heading, short message, relevant image and clear call to action. Use descriptive link text and image alt text so the message remains understandable when images do not load.

Check community names, pricing, dates and every destination link.

A personalization token inserts a value from a contact’s record, such as their first name. A fallback is the replacement used when that value is missing. Choose natural wording, set a suitable fallback where supported, and preview contacts with and without a value.

Step 5

Review sender and subject details

Click the inbox content module at the top of the editor to open the sender, subject and preview-text controls. Select an appropriate authorized From name and From address. Check the reply-to address so responses reach the intended monitored inbox.

Write the subject line and preview text—the short text some inboxes show beside the subject. Check spelling and consistency with the message. The From address must be on a connected domain or verified. Replies default to the From address; to use another authorized inbox, clear Use as reply-to address and select the Reply-to address. This guide does not prescribe an eQ address.

Step 6

Select recipients

Click the send icon in the editor’s left sidebar to open recipient settings (older editors may show a Send to tab). Keep the sending method set to To a segment of contacts. Select the intended segment under Send to and review Don’t send to exclusion segments where applicable.

Select the appropriate subscription type for this message from the types configured in the portal. Ask your CRM administrator if you are unsure which applies; do not guess.

Segment membership alone does not establish consent or sending eligibility. HubSpot may exclude contacts because of subscription status, marketing-contact status where applicable, bounces, quarantine or other sending restrictions.

If Don’t send to unengaged contacts is available, it suppresses contacts who have not engaged with previous marketing emails, helping protect deliverability. Some accounts instead show Optimize open rate options that vary the audience by engagement. Review the displayed setting intentionally; do not disable suppression or choose maximum reach by default. In Audience, use Review reasons where available to understand contacts who will not be sent the email.

The final eligible recipient count can be lower than the segment count. Review the reasons rather than bypassing restrictions.

Step 7

Preview and test

Open Preview and test → Preview as contact, then select a contact with Preview as to check personalization, including records with missing values. Review desktop and mobile layouts using the available display or email-client previews.

Choose Preview and test → Send test email and send an internal test. Click every link and check images, spelling, dates, footer and contact details in the received message.

A test email does not prove the final audience is eligible to receive the marketing email.

Step 8

Complete the final review

Review recipients, exclusions, subscription type, sender, reply-to, subject, preview text and content. Resolve HubSpot warnings before proceeding.

Follow any existing eQ approval process. If you do not know whether approval is required or who can give it, ask your manager. This guide does not establish an approval procedure.

Sending is a final action. Complete the content, audience and approval review before confirming a send.

Step 9

Schedule or send

Click the schedule icon in the editor’s left sidebar (or the Schedule tab in an older editor). Choose Send now for immediate delivery or Schedule for later for a future send.

For a scheduled send, choose the date and time, then review What time zone do you want to use? Available options may include Account default, My time zone and Recipient’s time zone (varied). Account default uses the portal’s time zone; My time zone uses your HubSpot user preference. Recipient-time-zone sending depends on subscription and uses the account time zone for contacts without time-zone data. Check the displayed zone—do not assume it is your computer’s local time.

Click Review and send or Review and schedule, inspect the required fields, warnings, recipients and send time, then click Send or Schedule only when everything is ready. Review any existing post-send automation shown in the summary without changing it as part of this SOP.

Step 10

Review performance

Return to Marketing → Email and open the sent email to review Performance and Recipients. Delivered emails were accepted by recipient mail servers; that does not guarantee inbox placement or that a person read them.

Clicks show tracked link engagement. Bounces are failed deliveries; review their reasons. Unsubscribes mean contacts opted out of the relevant email subscription and should not be re-added to bypass their choice.

Opens are directional because privacy features and automated activity can affect tracking. Use engagement to inform follow-up without assuming that an open proves buying intent.