If you’ve ever found yourself puzzling over how to track HubSpot custom events effectively, you’re not alone. While HubSpot excels at inbound marketing, configuring it to track custom events can sometimes feel more complicated than it should. However, this guide will show you how to set up event tracking with Google Tag Manager so you can capture the data that matters most.
Why HubSpots’ Custom Event Tracking is Essential for Measuring Conversions
Let’s be honest, you didn’t get into marketing just to guess what your customers are up to. HubSpot’s event tracking is like having a backstage pass to see what your audience is doing on your website.
But without custom event tracking, you’re flying blind. Are visitors engaging with that shiny new CTA you rolled out? Are they actually watching the webinar you put together, or are they just skipping through to the end like it’s a Netflix recap? Without the right tracking, you’ll never know.
Custom event tracking lets you collect data on those specific actions that are essential to your business but might not be captured by default. If you’re not tracking these interactions, you’re probably missing out on some key opportunities to improve your strategy and drive more results. Think of it as the difference between having detailed insights into your prospects’ preferences and making broad assumptions about what they might like.
How Google Tag Manager Can Simplify Your Tracking Setup
Now, onto Google Tag Manager, your go-to tool for tracking those custom events. GTM is like the Swiss Army knife of tag management. It lets you deploy marketing tags without needing to constantly bug your developer (they’ll thank you for that). The great thing about GTM is that it’s versatile, letting you track just about anything on your site with a few well-placed clicks.
However, while HubSpot usually tracks events like form submissions or page views effectively, it doesn’t naturally cover every custom event you might want to monitor. This is where you should start integrating GTM to make sure every event is tracked accordingly in your CRM.
Step 1: Setting Up the Custom Event in Google Tag Manager
Let’s break this down, step by step. If you’re already familiar with GTM, you know it’s built around three main concepts: tags, triggers, and variables.
- Tags: These are snippets of code that tell platforms like HubSpot what to do with the data they receive.
- Triggers: These determine when your tags should fire—like when someone clicks a button, for example.
- Variables: These are dynamic placeholders for data that can change, such as URLs or button IDs.
To get started, you’ll create a new tag in GTM that will push your custom event data to HubSpot:
- Log into your GTM Dashboard and select “Tags” from the left-hand menu.
- Click “New” and give your tag a name that’ll make sense a month from now when you’re trying to remember what it’s for—something like “HubSpot Custom Event”.
- Choose “Custom HTML” as the tag type. This is where you’ll enter your HubSpot tracking code and any custom event data.
- Set up a trigger that tells GTM when to fire the tag. For example, if you want to track clicks on a specific button, you’d select “Click – All Elements” as the trigger type and then specify the button in the conditions.
Step 2: Pushing Data to HubSpot
Now that you set up the GTM tag and triggers, you have to make sure the data gets where it needs to be. HubSpot uses JavaScript API calls to track events, so you’ll need to include a script in your Custom HTML tag that looks something like this:
window._hsq = window._hsq || [];
window._hsq.push([“trackCustomBehavioralEvent”, {
id: “CUSTOM_EVENT_ID”,
value: “CUSTOM_EVENT_VALUE”
}]);
Replace CUSTOM_EVENT_ID with the unique ID you’ve set up in HubSpot for this event, and CUSTOM_EVENT_VALUE with whatever specific value you’re tracking, such as a category or numerical score.
Step 3: Testing Your Setup
Before you celebrate a job well done, testing everything is necessary. This step is like double-checking that you locked the front door. Sure, you’re probably fine, but better safe than sorry.
GTM has a handy Preview mode that allows you simulate the event on your site and see if the tag fires correctly. If everything’s working as expected, head over to HubSpot and make sure the event data is showing up there too. If it’s not, well, that’s why we test, so you can fix it before it becomes a problem.
Troubleshooting Your HubSpot Custom Events Setup
If your tag isn’t firing or HubSpot isn’t recording the event properly, don’t worry. There are a few ways to troubleshoot your custom events setup.
Double-check your variables
You should make sure that dynamic elements like URLs or button IDs are correctly configured in GTM.
Use the GTM Debugger
This tool can show you exactly what’s happening when your tag is supposed to fire, helping you identify any issues.
Review HubSpot’s event logs
These logs can confirm whether the data is making it to HubSpot, and if not, where the breakdown might be.
Revisit your event ID
Make sure the ID you’re using in the HubSpot JavaScript matches the event ID you’ve set up in HubSpot.
While it may seem a bit daunting at first, once you’ve set up your customer events tracking in HubSpot with the help of Google Tag Manager, you’ll be collecting valuable data that can help you refine your marketing strategy.
Remember, the goal is to gather meaningful insights that drive your decisions. Whether it’s tracking how many people click that CTA or seeing which content keeps users engaged, custom event tracking is the key to getting the most out of your HubSpot investment.
