Managing Optimization Projects in HubSpot

External Links

HubSpot User Guide: Optimization Projects for Specialists

Visual Walkthrough Guide

Video Tutorial

Overview

Optimization projects are your primary workspace for managing ongoing client accounts after launch. This article covers the essential workflows for completing optimizations, recording your work, adjusting cadences, and navigating to related records.

---

Accessing Your Optimization Projects

You can access optimization projects from multiple locations:

Customer Success Dashboard:

• Summary Tab: View today's optimization tasks with project links
• Projects Tab: See all assigned optimization projects in list view
• Actions Tab: Access tasks with detailed filtering options
• Dashboard Tab: Select task or project from one of your reports

CRM Navigation:

• Navigate to CRM → Projects → Select "My Projects" view

---

The Standard Optimization Workflow

Three-Step Process

Step 1: Complete Your Optimization Perform your optimization work in the advertising platform (Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.)

Step 2: Document Your Work Use the Optimization Notes playbook to record:

• Changes made during optimization
• Recommendations for the Account Manager

Step 3: Reschedule Next Optimization

• Adjust pipeline stage if needed (BEFORE completing task)
• Mark task complete to automatically generate next task

---

Using the Optimization Notes Playbook

Accessing the Playbook

Three access points within the optimization project:

1. Click "Open Playbook" button in the Recommend Enablement Card (center column)
2. Navigate to Submit Optimization Notes tab → Select "Open Playbook"
3. Use Submit Optimization Notes tab

Completing the Playbook

Changes Made During Optimization Document specific actions taken:

• Budget adjustments with exact amounts
• Campaign/ad group changes
• Keyword additions, removals, or bid adjustments
• Targeting modifications
• Ad copy updates

Recommendations for Account Manager Include:

• Client communication needs
• Budget change requests
• Strategy adjustments requiring client approval
• Performance concerns or wins to highlight

Logging the Note

Click "Log Note" at the bottom of the playbook. The note automatically saves to the project's activity feed with formatted sections.

---

Managing Optimization Cadences

Available Pipeline Stages

Changing Cadences

Critical: Change pipeline stage BEFORE completing your task

1. Complete optimization work and log playbook notes
2. Navigate to pipeline stage dropdown (top of center column)
3. Select new cadence (pipeline stage)
4. Mark task complete
5. New task generates at updated cadence

If you complete the task first, it generates at the old cadence and requires manual adjustment.

First Optimization Post-Migration

For projects migrated from Quickbase, complete this one-time setup:

1. Complete optimization and log notes
2. Set desired pipeline stage
3. Change "Submit Optimization" field from "No" to "Yes" (left column)
4. Complete task
5. Automation now enrolled—future tasks generate automatically

---

Creating Manual Tasks

When to Use Manual Tasks

Create manual tasks for work outside your regular optimization cadence. Examples include:

• Spend checks between optimizations
• Product pull reminders
• Platform issue follow-ups
• Campaign monitoring after changes

Creating a Task

From Project Record:

1. Click "Task" button (left column)
2. Complete task form:
   • Title (descriptive and specific)
   • Due date and time (set to end of day if not time-specific)
   • Priority
   • Queue (type "specialist" to see relevant options)
   • Assignee (defaults to you, can reassign to others)
   • Description (detailed context if assigning to others)
3. Configure repeat settings if needed
4. Click "Create"

Repeating Tasks: When marked complete, automatically creates next instance at specified interval. Useful for recurring checks like weekly product pulls or monthly budget reviews.

---

Navigating to Related Records

Project to Company (View Client Communications)

Purpose: Review Account Manager interactions, emails, calls, and meeting notes

Steps:

1. Find associated Service in right sidebar
2. Click eye icon on Service card
3. Service preview opens from right
4. Click Company name in preview panel
5. Company record opens with full activity feed

Company to Project (Return to Optimization Work)

Steps:

1. From Company record, find Service card
2. Click eye icon on Service
3. Service preview opens
4. Click Project name in preview panel
5. Returns to optimization project

Key Principle: Service acts as bridge between Projects and Companies

---

Optimization Project Layout

Left Column

• Product type, package, ad spend
• Deep links to advertising platforms
• "Submit Optimization" field (one-time setup)
• Key properties and quick reference data

Center Column

• Pipeline stage (controls cadence)
• Task queue (incomplete tasks)
• Quick action buttons (Open Playbook, Create Task)
• Tabs: Overview, Activities, Submit Optimization Notes, Quickbase Optimizations, Quickbase Requests

Right Column

• Associated Service (primary navigation point)
• Activity feed (tasks, notes, system updates)
• Chronological history of all project activities

---

Common Scenarios

Moving Account to Less Frequent Cadence

Account stabilizing after launch—ready to move from bi-daily to weekly:

1. Complete today's optimization
2. Log playbook notes
3. Change pipeline stage from "Bi-daily" to "Weekly" BEFORE completing task
4. Complete task
5. Next task generates in 5 business days (weekly cadence)

Increasing Attention on Underperforming Account

Account needs more frequent check-ins:

1. During current optimization, change pipeline stage to more frequent cadence
2. Complete task after stage change
3. More frequent tasks now generate automatically

Creating Quick Spend Check Between Optimizations

Need to verify spend tomorrow without full optimization:

1. From project, click Task button
2. Title: "Check daily spend for [Client Name]"
3. Due date: Tomorrow, end of day
4. Priority: Medium
5. Create task
6. Task appears in tomorrow's queue separately from optimization tasks

Following Up on Platform Issue in Two Days

Campaign experiencing technical issue requiring monitoring:

1. Create manual task: "Verify [Issue] resolved in [Campaign]"
2. Due date: Two business days from now
3. Description: Document what to check and expected outcome
4. Create task

---

Best Practices

✓ Document as you optimize: Record changes in playbook while working, not from memory afterward

✓ Always change stage before completing task: Prevents generating incorrect cadence

✓ Be specific in recommendations: Give AMs actionable items with clear context

✓ Review previous notes: Check last 2-3 optimizations before starting work

✓ Use manual tasks liberally: Better to have reminder than miss follow-up

✓ Monitor activity feed: Stay aware of AM communications and client interactions

---

Troubleshooting

Next task didn't generate after completing optimization

• Verify pipeline stage is set to active cadence (not "Inactive")
• For first post-migration optimization, ensure "Submit Optimization" = "Yes"
• Check if task appears in overdue or tomorrow's queue

Task generated at wrong cadence

• Pipeline stage was likely changed AFTER completing task
• Edit task due date manually or complete and reschedule at correct interval
• Remember: change stage BEFORE completing next time

Can't find optimization notes

• Navigate to Activities tab for chronological feed
• Use "Notes (Last 90 Days)" tab for filtered view
• Notes appear with playbook-formatted sections

Need to reference historical work

• Check activity feed for previous optimization notes
• For pre-HubSpot history, see "Viewing Legacy Quickbase Data" guide
• Navigate to Service record for embedded Quickbase views

---