Do marketing contacts affect HubSpot pricing?

Yes. HubSpot bills based on the number of marketing contacts. Managing contact status properly helps reduce unnecessary costs.

Can I change a contact from non-marketing to marketing?

Yes. You can manually update contact status or automate changes using workflows when a contact opts in.

How do marketing contacts help with GDPR and CASL compliance?

Marketing contacts ensure you only send promotional emails to people who have given consent, helping maintain compliance with data privacy and anti-spam regulations.

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How Do HubSpot Marketing Contacts Help You Reach the Right People?

June 17, 2025 | 8 minute read

Hubspot

You reach the right people in HubSpot by designating and segmenting Marketing Contacts—so you only market to contacts who have opted in, engaged with your content, and are most likely to convert. Using Marketing Contacts correctly allows you to personalize campaigns, improve deliverability, stay compliant with regulations like GDPR and CASL, and increase ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Marketing contacts can receive marketing emails and count toward your billable contact limit. Non-marketing contacts stay in your CRM but cannot receive marketing emails.

Yes. In HubSpot, you are billed based on the number of marketing contacts, not total contacts. Properly managing contact status can reduce unnecessary costs.

Yes. You can manually update contact status or automate it using workflows when someone fills out a form or opts in.

By only emailing opted-in contacts, you reduce spam complaints, improve engagement rates, and maintain a strong sender reputation.

Marketing contacts ensure you only send promotional emails to contacts who have given consent, helping you stay compliant with GDPR and CASL regulations.

What Are HubSpot Marketing Contacts?

In HubSpot, Marketing Contacts are contacts you designate as eligible to receive marketing emails and campaigns.

They are different from non-marketing contacts because:

They have opted in to receive communication.
They are included in your billable marketing contact tier.
They can be targeted in marketing emails, ads, and workflows.

Non-marketing contacts remain in your CRM for sales, service, or operational purposes but cannot receive marketing emails.

This distinction protects your deliverability, your budget, and your compliance.

When you have direct access to an attentive audience (your marketing contacts), you can create a communication flow that directly addresses their needs.

Why Marketing Contacts Matter for Personalization and ROI

The number one reason to use HubSpot Marketing Contacts correctly is personalization at scale.

When someone opts in:

You can track their interactions (email opens, clicks, page views).
You can segment them based on behavior.
You can send relevant, timely content aligned to their buying stage.

Instead of sending one-size-fits-all campaigns, you build trust through relevant messaging that solves real problems.

This leads to:

Higher open and click-through rates
More sales-qualified leads
Better alignment between marketing and sales
Stronger customer lifetime value

Good to know: The distinction between contact types is important because you don't want non-marketing contacts credited toward your marketing contacts limit in your HubSpot Hub. Depending on your HubSpot package, you pay for marketing contact management, so it’s best practice to avoid using up a spot on standard contacts (which are free).

How to Use HubSpot Marketing Contacts to Reach the Right Audience

1. Segment Your Marketing Contacts

Segmentation allows you to group contacts based on:

Lifecycle stage
Industry
Job title
Engagement level
Past purchases
Website behavior

Smart lists ensure your content reaches the right people at the right time.

2. Personalize Campaigns by Persona

Once segmented, tailor messaging to:

Different buyer personas
Specific pain points
Buying stage (awareness, consideration, decision)

Use personalization tokens and dynamic content inside HubSpot to create messaging that feels 1:1—even when automated.

3. Automate Lead Nurturing with Workflows

With Marketing Contacts, you can build workflows that:

Send follow-up emails after form submissions
Deliver educational content over time
Notify sales when engagement spikes
Move leads through lifecycle stages

Automation ensures consistent follow-up without overwhelming your team.

4. Use Lead Scoring to Prioritize High-Value Leads

Lead scoring in HubSpot helps you:

Assign points based on engagement
Identify buying intent
Prioritize outreach
Align marketing and sales

By defining scoring rules collaboratively, your teams can focus on leads most likely to convert.

5. Align Sales and Marketing Around Shared Contact Data

Because all contact activity is centralized in HubSpot:

Sales can see marketing engagement history
Marketing can see deal status
Teams can share notes and tasks
Everyone works from the same data

This reduces friction and increases conversion efficiency.

Compliance: Why Marketing Contact Status Protects Your Business

HubSpot prevents you from sending marketing emails to non-marketing contacts, helping you stay compliant with:

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)

Sending emails without proper consent can damage your reputation and lead to legal consequences. Properly managing Marketing Contacts ensures you only communicate with people who have opted in.

When all teams are working with the same information and toward the same sales goals, it’s easier to create effective marketing campaigns and close more deals.