In the rounds of updates and features that HubSpot is shipping, in late 2024, they added an object library. This library contains four new and optionally activated objects: Appointments, Courses, Listings (property), and Services.
In this article, I want to focus on the course object, which has multiple use cases. The most apparent are internal training courses and employee onboarding. So, let’s get into it.
If you want to use the custom object for courses in HubSpot CRM, you would need several key properties to manage and track course-related information effectively. Here are some essential properties to consider:
Course Name: This is the primary display property that identifies the course. It's crucial for quick recognition and searching.
Course Code: A unique identifier for each course, useful for internal reference and integration with other systems.
Description: A detailed overview of the course content, objectives, and target audience.
Duration: The length of the course, which could be in hours, days, or weeks.
Start Date and End Date: For scheduling purposes and to track course offerings over time.
Location: Whether it's a physical venue or an online platform for virtual courses.
Capacity: The maximum number of participants allowed crucial for managing registrations.
Instructor(s): The name(s) of the course instructor(s), which can be linked to a separate instructor object if needed.
Price: The cost of the course, which may vary based on different factors.
Discounts: Any applicable discounts or promotional offers.
Prerequisites: Any required prior knowledge or courses that participants should have.
Syllabus: A breakdown of the course content into modules or sessions.
Learning Objectives: Specific goals that participants should achieve by the end of the course.
Course Type: Whether instructor-led, self-paced, online, or in-person.
Status: Whether the course is active, archived, or in development.
Created Date: When the course was added to the system.
Last Modified Date: When the course information was last updated.
Related Materials: Links to course materials, presentations, or resources.
Associated Certifications: Any certifications that this course contributes towards.
By including these properties, you create a comprehensive course object that can be easily managed, searched, and integrated with other CRM functions. This structure allows for efficient course scheduling, participant management, and reporting. It also provides a foundation for automating processes like course notifications, registration management, and performance tracking.
Remember, the specific properties you choose may vary based on your organisation's unique needs and the capabilities of your CRM system. Your custom object must support your business processes and integrate seamlessly with other objects in your CRM, such as contacts (for students) and companies (for corporate clients).
But that’s just the easy part. Setting your object up for success is one thing; using it once you have it is another, so let’s dive into that.
You can leverage HubSpot's dynamic content capabilities to use HubSpot properties in CMS pages. Here's how you can incorporate properties into your CMS pages:
You can use properties to personalise content on your pages:
If you're using custom objects, you can query and render them on your CMS pages. This allows you to share data between your business operations, website, and emails.
You can build dynamic pages using CRM objects, including custom objects. For example, if you have a custom object for "Courses", you could create a dynamic page that displays information about each course based on its properties.
2. Use default values for properties that might be empty:
3. Group related properties together for better organisation and easier template management.
4. Remember that some properties may require specific permissions to access, especially when dealing with sensitive information.
Using these techniques, you can create highly personalised and dynamic CMS pages that leverage the full power of HubSpot's CRM data and custom properties.
To embed HubSpot properties in a CMS page, follow these steps:
Create a new page or select an existing one in your HubSpot account by navigating to Content > Website Pages or Content > Landing Pages.
Click on the name of your page to open it in the editor.
Incorporate HubL tags in your page template to access and display properties. For example:
This will display the first name of the contact viewing the page.
Use if/else statements to create personalised content based on property values:
For more complex scenarios, you can create dynamic pages using CRM objects:
Use property tokens in your content to display specific CRM object properties:
Use the preview function to ensure your properties are displaying correctly.
Once you're satisfied with the setup, publish your page to make it live.
Remember always to check if a property exists before using it to avoid errors, and consider using default values for properties that might be empty.
So, you now understand how to use the course custom object and, more importantly, how to utilise it on the HubSpot CMS effectively. Armed with this information, you should be able to build your educational course content for sale, internal use, or free.
Thanks for reading. I hope you found this helpful. If you need any help with the CMS or publicising course content on HubSpot, use the form in the footer to get in touch.