Creating a Static List

1. Why Use a Static List?

• One-Time Grouping: Ideal for events, trade shows, or small prospecting batches where you want to group contacts but won’t need ongoing criteria-based updates.
• Manual Curation: You have complete control over which contacts are added or removed—useful if you want to personally verify each lead.
• Targeted Outreach: Easily send a marketing email, add to a workflow, or create tasks for a specific, unchanging group of contacts.
• Event Follow-Up: Perfect for following up after events like conferences, meetups, or webinars, where you’ll only gather new contacts once.

2. Example Use Case: People Met at the XYZ Conference

Let’s say you attend the “XYZ Conference” and collect a dozen business cards or contact details. You want to send everyone a personalized follow-up email thanking them for stopping by your booth or chatting with you. By creating a static list, you can easily segment these contacts for your post-conference outreach.

3. Steps to Create a Static List in HubSpot

Step 1: Navigate to Lists

• Log into your HubSpot account.
• From the main navigation bar, choose Contacts > Lists.
• You’ll arrive at the Lists dashboard, which displays all existing lists (both static and active).

Step 2: Create a New List

• Click the Create list button (usually at the top-right corner).
• A panel or pop-up will appear, asking you to choose between an Active list or a Static list.
• Select Static list.

Step 3: Name Your List

• Enter a clear, descriptive name—e.g., “XYZ Conference 2025 Attendees”.
• In the description property (optional), you can note the context: “Contacts met at the XYZ Conference in January 2025.”

Step 4: Add Contacts to the Static List

There are two main ways to add contacts to your new static list:

Method A: Add Contacts from the List Creation Screen

• When you first create a static list, you can choose to filter contacts based on certain criteria (though this resembles active list behavior). However, for a truly static approach, you may skip filtering if you plan to add them manually.

Method B: Manually Add Contacts One by One

1. Go to Contacts: Navigate to Contacts > Contacts in the main menu.
2. Select the Contacts:
   • Use the search bar to find each contact you met at the conference.
   • Click the checkbox next to their name to highlight multiple contacts at once.
3. Add to List:
   • From the top menu that appears after selecting contacts, click More (or Actions) and choose Add to static list.
   • Select your newly created list (“XYZ Conference 2025 Attendees”) and confirm.

Method C: Import a Spreadsheet

1. If you have a spreadsheet of contacts from the conference:
   • Go to Contacts > Contacts > Import.
   • Follow the prompts to upload your file.
   • During the import, HubSpot will ask if you want to add these contacts to an existing static list or create a new one.
2. Choose “Add to an existing static list” and pick “XYZ Conference 2025 Attendees.”
3. Complete the import. All those new contacts will automatically be added to your static list upon import.

Step 5: Verify Your List

• Return to Contacts > Lists.
• Click on “XYZ Conference 2025 Attendees.”
• You’ll see a list of the contacts you added.
• Double-check for accuracy. If you need to remove someone (or add more contacts), you can do so manually.

4. Best Practices for Static Lists

• Use Clear Naming Conventions: Names like “XYZ Conference 2025 Attendees” help you identify exactly which event or time frame the list covers.
• Keep It Focused: Only add contacts who truly belong in that list. If you want a list to evolve based on certain criteria (like job title or engagement), consider an Active list
• Combine with Workflows or Emails: Once your list is set, you can create a marketing email and select the static list as the recipient. If your HubSpot tier supports Workflows, you can automatically send follow-up sequences to everyone in the static list.
• Regularly Review: If you realize you need to continually update or remove members, reassess whether a static list is the best option. Active lists might be more efficient for dynamic scenarios.
• Archive When Done: Over time, you may accumulate many static lists for various events. If a list is no longer relevant, you can archive it to keep your Lists dashboard tidy.