How often do you clean your contacts database?

[JorieMunroe]

We’re in a data-driven era, where datasets are shared between marketing, sales, and customer service teams to increase organizational effectiveness and facilitate alignment. When you have high levels of inconsistent data, it’s not just one team taking the hit. It’s everyone. The entire company. The fallout from that bad data extends to every corner of your business that the data touches. With that in mind, how often do you currently audit and clean your contacts database? Once a month? Every quarter? Once a year? What does the process look like? Share your thoughts and current schedule.

[SumanthN]

Maintaining a clean and organized contacts database in HubSpot, or any CRM system, is crucial for effective marketing, sales, and customer service efforts. The frequency of cleaning your contacts database can vary depending on several factors such as the volume of contacts, how dynamic your contacts are (e.g., how frequently their information changes), and the nature of your business. However, here are some general guidelines:

1. Quarterly Cleaning: At a minimum, aim to clean your contacts database quarterly. This involves removing duplicate contacts, updating outdated information, and archiving or deleting contacts that are no longer relevant to your business.

2. After Major Campaigns: It’s also wise to review and clean your contacts list after major marketing or sales campaigns. These events can generate new contacts, update existing ones, or highlight inactive contacts that can be archived or removed.

3. Real-time Monitoring: For high-volume or rapidly changing databases, consider implementing real-time data monitoring and cleaning processes. HubSpot and other CRMs often have features or integrations with third-party tools that can help automate aspects of this process, like identifying and merging duplicates or validating email addresses as they are entered.

4. Annual Deep Clean: Once a year, conduct a thorough review of your contacts database. This includes reassessing your contact segmentation, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations (like GDPR or CCPA), and reviewing the overall health of your contact list.

[anhhongpham]

Regularly cleaning your contacts database is crucial for maximizing its value and ensuring accurate information. While the frequency may vary based on factors like database size and data acquisition rate, it's generally recommended to conduct audits and cleanups at least once every quarter or every six months. This helps prevent revenue loss associated with bad data and ensures that marketing and sales efforts are effective.

[MMANSUKHANI]

My current strategy involves a quarterly audit and cleaning of the contacts database to maintain high data quality across all teams. This routine includes identifying inactive contacts, segmenting or removing low-quality leads, updating records for accuracy, eliminating duplicates, and verifying regulatory compliance. We also review data entry practices to prevent the ingress of bad data, ensuring that our data-driven approach remains robust and effective across marketing, sales, and customer service.

[RMagdy]

It depends on the project however every month would be great just to feel it as a milestone

[KTes]

Quarterly or less depending on the project worked.

[NHuynh26]

I think a periodic review would serve companies best so every quarter to montly depending on needs of the company would be best. 

[LVu67]

As a current Master's student, I don't have a formal process in place for auditing and cleaning my contacts database, as my network is still relatively small and mostly consists of personal connections. However, I do see the value in regularly reviewing and updating my contacts to ensure I'm maintaining meaningful relationships and accurate information. My "database" is essentially my email contacts and LinkedIn connections, which include friends, colleagues, classmates, professors, advisors, and some professional connections I've made through networking events or online interactions. While I don't have a set schedule, I do try to review my contacts every few months, usually at the start of a new semester or after significant networking events. During these reviews, I:

• Scan through my email contacts and LinkedIn connections to identify any outdated or irrelevant contacts, such as former classmates I no longer keep in touch with or one-off professional connections that didn't develop further.
• Remove any contacts that are no longer relevant or necessary to keep in my network.
• Update any contact information that I know has changed, such as email addresses, job titles, or locations.
• Make a note of any important contacts I want to follow up with or reconnect with in the near future.
• Organize my contacts into relevant groups or tags to make it easier to engage with specific segments.

While my process is less formal and data-driven than what a business might require, I do find that this periodic review helps me keep my network organized, up-to-date, and focused on meaningful connections. It allows me to identify opportunities to nurture relationships and reminds me to stay in touch with valuable contacts. As I progress in my career, I can see my contacts database growing and the need for a more structured cleaning process emerging. Implementing good data hygiene habits now, even at a small scale, will serve me well as I transition into the professional world and begin building more extensive business networks.

[CKulawiak]

Quarterly 

[NBuena]

twice a year

[MGueye4]

annually

[RMazhar]

It should be need based. 

[PB_2024]

Probably annually.  Also, the people using the contacts most (the sales and marketing staff) should be updating contact info continuously in real time as they get new/updated info through their day-to-day activities.  

[MSells]

Once every quarter. 

[CMitchell76]

Annually.

[SGanesan5]

Every year

[RFoollee]

Once a year

[RHudman]

I would like to think quarterly, but monthly as we get more volume and activity. 

[WolfStratt]

I believe once every 3 to 4 months would be the appropriate time for contact cleaning. It will also depend on the engagement rate of the campaigns. Most people will enter out of curiosity and possibly stop being engaged because they don't have the right motivation to stay there. 

[ALe98]

We have to clean our contacts database quarterly. As cleaning our contacts database is essential for maintaining the accuracy, relevance, and effectiveness of our marketing and communication efforts in the future with the customers.

[GHuffman]

Not often. If I see inactivity maybe yearly I will.

[HKhalil9]

the frequency with which I clean my contacts database varies. I typically aim to review and update my contacts every few months or so, especially if I notice changes in contact information or if I come across duplicates. However, I also try to maintain good data hygiene by promptly updating contacts whenever there's a change and regularly organizing and decluttering my contact list. Overall, I strive to strike a balance between keeping my contacts database accurate and ensuring that it remains manageable and up to date.