If you’re running marketing campaigns across email, social, ads, and your website, you’ve probably felt the pain: too many tools, too much data, never a clear answer on what’s working. This guide is for anyone who wants to use Hubspot to actually organize and track multi channel marketing campaigns—without getting lost in a sea of dashboards and jargon. Whether you’re new to Hubspot or you’ve poked around but never really nailed down campaign tracking, you’ll find practical steps here.
Why Multi Channel Tracking Actually Matters (and Where It Goes Wrong)
Let’s get real: Most teams say they’re “multi channel,” but when it comes time to report, everyone’s scrambling in spreadsheets or screenshots. Tracking should answer two simple questions: - What did we do? - Did it move the needle?
With Hubspot, you’ve got one of the better all-in-one options. But it’s easy to overcomplicate things, especially with all the bells and whistles. The goal here is to tie your actual campaign activities (emails, social posts, ads, etc.) to tangible results—without losing your mind.
Step 1: Map Out Your Channels and Assets Before You Touch Hubspot
Don’t fall for the temptation to just “set things up” in the tool. Start with a plan. Grab a notepad or Google Doc and answer:
- What’s the campaign about? (Product launch, event, content push, etc.)
- Which channels are you using? (Email, social, paid ads, website, SMS...)
- What are the main assets? (Landing page, webinar, blog, downloadable guide, etc.)
- What does “success” look like? (Leads, signups, demo requests...)
Pro Tip: Keep this list handy. You’ll use it to keep Hubspot organized and to sanity-check reports later.
Step 2: Set Up a Campaign in Hubspot
Hubspot’s “Campaigns” feature is your organizing bucket. It ties together assets, activities, and results.
Here’s how to do it: 1. Go to “Marketing” > “Campaigns” in Hubspot. 2. Click “Create campaign.” 3. Give it a name that’s clear (not just “Q3 Campaign”—try “2024 Launch – Social + Email”). 4. Set a start and end date. If you’re not sure, guess and adjust later. 5. Add a description with your main channels and goals. Don’t skip this. Future You will thank you.
What works: Keeping campaign names specific. What to skip: Don’t bother filling in every optional field obsessively; focus on what you’ll actually use for reporting.
Step 3: Attach All Relevant Marketing Assets
This is where most Hubspot campaigns fall apart. If you don’t explicitly link emails, landing pages, social posts, and ads to your campaign, you won’t get the full picture later.
Attach these asset types: - Emails: All related marketing emails. - Landing Pages: Any page you drive traffic to for this campaign. - Blog Posts: Only if they’re campaign-specific (don’t link your entire blog). - Social Posts: Posts published through Hubspot. (You can’t retroactively add posts published natively on LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.—a real limitation.) - Ads: If you’ve connected your ad accounts, you can associate paid campaigns.
How to do it:
When you create or edit an asset in Hubspot, look for the “Campaign” dropdown. Always assign the right campaign. If you forget, you can edit later, but it’s easier to do it upfront.
What doesn’t work:
- Trying to track assets you published outside Hubspot (e.g., posting directly on LinkedIn, or using another email platform). Hubspot can’t see those, and you’ll have gaps.
- Over-tagging assets “just in case.” Only link what’s really tied to the campaign.
Step 4: Use Tracking URLs for Off-Platform Promotion
If you’re promoting your campaign anywhere outside of Hubspot’s publishing tools (e.g., a partner’s newsletter, podcast sponsor slot, or even a QR code at an event), you need tracking URLs.
How to set up a tracking URL in Hubspot: 1. Go to “Reports” > “Tracking URL Builder.” 2. Enter your destination URL (e.g., your landing page). 3. Pick the right UTM parameters: - Source: Where’s the link being shared? (e.g., “partner-newsletter”) - Medium: What type of channel? (e.g., “email”, “social”, “qr”) - Campaign: Use your exact Hubspot campaign name. 4. Copy the generated URL and use it wherever you’re promoting.
Pro Tip:
Don’t go crazy making unique URLs for every tiny placement. Focus on what you’ll actually want to report on.
Step 5: Connect Your Ad Accounts and Social Channels
This part’s worth doing if you want real attribution, but it’s not foolproof.
- Ads: Hubspot lets you connect Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn ad accounts. Once connected, you can associate ad campaigns with your Hubspot campaign.
- Reality check: Attribution is still tricky. If your sales happen offline or across long cycles, Hubspot’s reporting can over-simplify things.
- Social: You can schedule and publish directly from Hubspot for major platforms. Only these posts can be tracked within the campaign. Anything posted natively is invisible to Hubspot campaigns.
What works:
- Setting up connections before the campaign starts.
- Publishing as much as possible through Hubspot if you want unified reporting.
What to ignore:
- Don’t waste time connecting every random social account “just in case.” Focus on your main channels.
Step 6: Set Up Conversion Points (Forms, CTAs, and Lists)
If you want to track leads or signups, you need to know exactly where they’re coming from.
- Forms: Use Hubspot forms on your landing pages. When you build or edit a form, you can link it to your campaign.
- CTAs: If you use Hubspot’s CTA tools, associate them with your campaign.
- Lists: Create active lists for “Campaign X Leads” so you can segment and nurture these folks separately.
What works:
- Naming forms and lists clearly (e.g., “2024-Launch-Form”).
- Double-checking that forms are actually embedded on the right pages.
Step 7: Build Simple, Honest Reports
Now for the payoff. Hubspot gives you a “Campaigns” dashboard, but it can get busy fast. Here’s how to make sense of it:
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Core metrics to watch:
- Sessions (traffic to campaign assets)
- New contacts (actual leads generated)
- Influenced contacts (people who already existed but engaged)
- Conversions (form fills, signups, etc.)
- Revenue (if you use Hubspot’s CRM and deal tracking)
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What actually matters:
- Don’t obsess over vanity metrics (likes, impressions). Focus on actions that tie to your goals.
- If you see a spike, dig into which asset/channel drove it. Hubspot’s attribution is only as good as your setup.
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Exporting data:
- Sometimes, you’ll need to pull raw data into a spreadsheet for real analysis. Don’t be afraid to do this, especially if your stakeholders want to slice and dice results.
What doesn’t work:
- Relying on one “magic number.” Campaigns are messy—use reports to spot patterns, not get absolute answers.
Step 8: Post-Mortem and Learn (Without the BS)
After your campaign wraps, take a hard look at what worked and what flopped.
- Did the channels you thought would perform actually deliver?
- Were there assets you spent a ton of time on that didn’t move the needle?
- Was anything a surprise (good or bad)?
List out what you’d do differently next time. Hubspot makes it easy to clone campaigns and tweak, so don’t be precious—improve as you go.
Honest Takes: What Hubspot Does Well (and Where It Falls Short)
Where Hubspot shines: - Centralized view of campaigns if you actually attach everything properly. - Decent reporting for simple funnels (especially for digital-only campaigns). - Easy to clone and repeat campaign structures.
Where it’s weaker: - Attribution can be fuzzy, especially if your audience crosses channels or buys offline. - If your team posts directly to social or uses other email tools, you’ll have data gaps. - The Campaigns tool is only as good as your discipline in linking assets—forget to connect, and your reports will be useless.
What to ignore: - The temptation to “track everything”—just focus on the assets and metrics that matter to your goals.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Sweat Perfection
Setting up and tracking multi channel campaigns in Hubspot isn’t magic, but it’s a lot easier if you plan ahead and keep things organized. Don’t try to make everything perfect out of the gate. Choose your key channels, link your assets as you go, and focus on learning what actually works. Start small, keep your setup honest, and you’ll get real insights—without drowning in data.