How to Create Smart Content in HubSpot

Key Takeaways

• Smart content changes automatically based on visitor characteristics

• You can show different content to customers vs. prospects, different industries, or different company sizes

• Smart content increases conversion rates by 10-20%

• Setup takes 10-15 minutes with no coding required

• Smart content works on landing pages, website pages, and in forms

What Is Smart Content

Smart content is website content that changes based on who's visiting. Instead of showing the same content to everyone, smart content shows different content to different people.

Example: A prospect visits your website. Your form sees it's their first visit and shows the question "What's your biggest challenge?" A returning customer visits the same page and sees "Ready to upgrade your plan?"

Same page, different experience. This personalization increases engagement because each visitor sees what's relevant to them.

When to Use Smart Content

Use smart content when: You have different audiences with different needs.

Don't use smart content when: Your audience is uniform or the difference isn't important.

Good uses:

• Different messaging for customers vs. prospects

• Different copy for different industries

• Different offers for different company sizes

• Different CTAs for people in different sales stages

Step-by-Step: Create Smart Content

Step 1: Access Smart Content

1. Log into HubSpot

2. Go to "Marketing" → "Landing Pages" or "Website"

3. Click "Create" or open an existing page

4. Look for "Smart content" option (usually top right area)

5. Click "Enable smart content"

Step 2: Create Your First Smart Content Block

1. Highlight the text/image you want to change based on visitor

2. Click "Make smart"

3. Or click "Add module" and select "Smart content"

Step 3: Set Up Your First Condition

Conditions determine which visitors see which content:

1. Click "Add condition"

2. Choose your condition type:

   - "Contact property" (based on what we know about them)

   - "Session properties" (based on their current session)

   - "Traffic source" (where they came from)

   - "Device type" (mobile vs. desktop)

3. For example, choose "Contact property"

4. Select the property: "Customer"

5. Set the condition: "Equals Yes" (they're already a customer)

6. Click "Apply"

Step 4: Add Your "Customer" Version

Now add the content that existing customers see:

1. In the smart content area, you'll see a section for "Customer = Yes"

2. Delete the default content

3. Add your customer-specific content:

- Headline: "Welcome back! Ready to scale?"

- Description: "See how [customer name] is saving time with our advanced features"

- Button: "View your dashboard" (links to customer portal)

Step 5: Add a Second Condition (Prospect Version)

1. Click "Add another condition"

2. Set it opposite: "Customer = No"

3. This is your default for prospects

4. Add prospect content:

- Headline: "See why 5,000+ companies trust us"

- Description: "Get a personalized demo and see how we can help"

- Button: "Schedule my demo"

Step 6: Set Default Content

If someone doesn't match any conditions:

1. Look for "Default content" section

2. Add a generic version that works for anyone

3. This displays if no other conditions match

Step 7: Preview Each Version

This is important - verify each version looks good:

1. Click "Preview"

2. On the left, toggle between conditions:

   - "View customer version"

   - "View prospect version"

3. Verify each version displays correctly

4. Check links work

5. Make sure text isn't cut off on mobile

Step 8: Advanced - Add More Conditions

Once you understand the basics, add more sophisticated rules:

Example 1: Different messaging by company size

• Condition: Company size = "Enterprise" → Show enterprise-focused content

• Condition: Company size = "SMB" → Show affordable/quick-win content

• Default: Show general content

Example 2: Different offers by traffic source

• Condition: Came from ad = Yes → Show offer with discount (to justify ad cost)

• Condition: Came from blog = Yes → Show deeper resource (they're learning)

• Default: Show standard offer

Example 3: Different CTAs by stage

• Condition: Lead score > 50 → "Talk to sales now"

• Condition: Lead score < 20 → "Learn more in our guide"

• Default: "Start free trial"

Step 9: Test Before Publishing

1. Have different teammates test

2. One person login as a customer, verify they see customer content

3. Another person visit incognito as a prospect, verify they see prospect content

4. Verify mobile looks good

5. Click all links to verify they work

Step 10: Publish and Monitor

1. Click "Publish"

2. Monitor performance:

   - Are conversion rates higher with smart content?

   - Do different segments respond differently?

   - Do any versions underperform?

3. Optimize based on results

Common Smart Content Examples

Example 1: Lead Nurture Landing Page

• If they've visited before (returning visitor): "Ready to see a demo?"

• If it's their first visit (new visitor): "Learn what [your company] does"

Example 2: Product Page

• If they're a customer: "View your usage" or "Upgrade your plan"

• If they're a prospect: "See our pricing" or "Schedule a demo"

Example 3: Blog Post

• If they're in target industry: "See how others in [industry] use this"

• If they're in different industry: "Learn how this applies across all industries"

Example 4: Download Page

• If they've downloaded before: "Access your previous downloads"

• If it's their first time: "Create an account to download"

Smart Content Best Practices

Start Simple: Don't create 5 versions on day 1. Start with 2 (customer vs. prospect) and expand over time.

Test Your Conditions: Verify conditions work as expected. If you set "Customer = Yes," test by having a known customer view the page.

Don't Overdo Personalization: Too many versions is confusing. 2-3 versions per section is ideal.

Use Data You Have: Only create variants for conditions you can actually identify (customer status, lead score, industry, etc.).

Measure Impact: Compare conversion rates with and without smart content to ensure it improves results.

Keep Copy Concise: Different versions mean more text to write. Keep each version short.

Troubleshooting Smart Content

Problem: A condition isn't showing the right content

Solution: Verify the condition is set correctly. Test with a contact that matches the condition.

Problem: Both versions appear on the page

Solution: Only one version should display per visitor. Check your conditions—might be overlapping.

Problem: Mobile looks bad for one version

Solution: Adjust the content for that version. Keep mobile-specific content shorter.

Problem: Condition based on a custom property doesn't work

Solution: Verify the custom property is populated for your test contacts. Empty properties don't trigger conditions.

Conclusion

Smart content helps deliver personalized experiences by showing different messages to different visitors. By tailoring content for customers, prospects, industries, or company sizes, businesses can make their website more relevant and improve engagement.

When used effectively in HubSpot, smart content can increase conversions and create a more targeted user journey. At Markivis, we help businesses implement smart content strategies that turn website visits into meaningful conversions.