Currently I am putting together a call heavy sequence which includes 3 emails. I have already written the first to emails, but would like to change the third email next week as it is still in draft.
I have experience using Yesware and it is super simple to change a future email, as long as you do it before the send date the entire sequence/contact list will get the updated version. From reading the Hubspot documentation it doesn´t seem to be the case here?
Are the following steps correct, and/or is there a simpler solution?
1. add all 49 contacts to the sequence (first email will be sent out today)
2. carry out phone tasks
3. (once I have finished my third email). Unenroll all 49 contacts from the sequence.
4. Add 3rd email to the last template.
5. reenroll all contacts
6. press start.
If I am understanding it correctly, the sequence should now pick up from my second scheduled email and since I have kept to the timelines, nothing would have changed in terms of send out date.
so the rest of the sequence will follow as planned but the last email which I wanted to change is changed.
Is this the easiest/correct way to do it? Thanks in advance!
If it’s a matter of one week, you might want to consider holding back on starting the sequence. Waiting until you’ve finalized the sequence is going to make your life a lot easier here.
If that’s not an option, keep in mind that re-enrolling contacts into a sequence will not automatically have them skip steps they already completed. The default is to start at the beginning again.
You would have to manually specify where a contact should re-enter:
I had a feeling this would be the answer.
If I decide on the hard path: re-enrolling doesn´t seem too crazy difficult from your screenshot, as long as select the right step again, I´m assuming I could also do this in bulk, is that correct?
I also read on some forums that some people are noting that if templates are updated then it messes with the sequence… in my case this is actually exactly what I want. I want to update the existing 3rd template to a new one. If I did it this way, by updating the template, will it then send the updated template? Or am I still stuck with it sending the template I had originally written - hope that question makes sense.
As far as the templates go, I’m fairly certain that HubSpot will send the email that matches the template at the time of scheduling. By scheduling it, you’re telling HubSpot to send that version. HubSpot is not referring to the template from that point on anymore.
Thanks Karsten,
I just tested out updating the templates and it does update in the sequence. But due to time delays I haven´t actually seen the email get sent out yet.
I think the trick is to update the original version/template that you are sending out, rather than to replace it with a new version. That way Hubspot doesn´t have a backed up version that it can reference
I’m curious @EBruyns4 as this was the same question I had and I wonder what you found out… is one able to edit a template further down the sequence and have those changes take effect on thos already enrolled?
Surely if you edit the ‘one and only’ template what else can it refer to?
Or is it creating some shadow copy that is preserved so you absolutley have to go through this un-enroll / re-enroll business?
Thanks
(from someone who wanted to edit next weeks’ email becuase he left a placeolder there to add a video when it was ready and now has to unenroll the lot!)
For me, the updated template does not reflect in a previously scheduled email.
While it might update within the sequence (for new contacts to be enrolled), the emails already scheduled for contacts within this sequence did not change in my test.
The way you can think of this is like a letter template that you’re printing and putting into an envelope. If you’re changing the letter template on your PC after printing and putting it into an envelope, the changed file on your PC does not affect anymore what’s in the envelope.
Ah I see. That is a really good explanation. Unfortunate, but a good explanation and it stopped me from doing something silly!
I think what I will do instead, is just create a shorter sequence with only two emails and then next week I´ll create a new one later with the new email. Thank you for the help and the amazing explanation!!
I ended up, setting up sequences and not touching them afterwards. It is not the ideal way, because it would be nice to edit them, exactly like the case you mentioned.
I think it is a duplicate/shadow copy is created. The explanation from Karsten above is very good - The way you can think of this is like a letter template that you’re printing and putting into an envelope. If you’re changing the letter template on your PC after printing and putting it into an envelope, the changed file on your PC does not affect anymore what’s in the envelope.
I tested today and the letter template analogy is absolutely correct - if you edit the email template after a Contact is enrolled the email for the enrolled contact is set to whatever it was at the time of enrolling. Manually un-enrolling and re-enrolling after skipping a few steps is the only option.
Shocking really when you think about it.
There should be a system option to decide if you want to ‘preserve orginal sequence’ or ‘divert to new sequence’ - a bit like changing the points on a railroad.
I completely agree. Personally I find the Yesware solution much better for sales purposes. Hubspot is of course a CRM with many other features that Yesware does not have, but the sequencing feature in hubspot is a bit too clunky and not as dynamic as I would like it.
So here’s a thought… what if you are using personalisation tokens in your email template… is that set in stone when you launch the sequence - or will the email with the token ‘draw’ from the custom field when the email is being sent?
I imagine a scenario where I will be populating the custom field after the contact is in sequence - would that work?
Use Case. I want a customise PS line at the end of my email that recognises how long the prospect has been in their role and their first job. I would get this from LinkedIn and using the Surfe integration easy to add to Hubspot custom fields - I hope to then refresh the email page and the content will get updated.
