As businesses grow and evolve, the need for seamless integration between marketing and sales platforms becomes increasingly important. HubSpot and Salesforce are two popular platforms that, when integrated, can provide businesses with a powerful combination of marketing automation and CRM capabilities. However, there are some limitations when it comes to integrating these two platforms.

📊 Key Insight: Integrating HubSpot with Salesforce CRM can improve sales-marketing alignment, but businesses must navigate 5 common limitations to achieve seamless data flow.

What Are the 5 Main Limitations of HubSpot-Salesforce Integration?

Understanding these limitations helps you plan a more effective integration strategy:

How Do Naming Convention Differences Cause Integration Problems?

Differences in naming conventions between HubSpot and Salesforce can lead to confusion and errors when trying to integrate the two platforms:

• The Problem — HubSpot and Salesforce have different naming conventions for the same fields
• The Impact — Data gets mislabeled or lost in translation between platforms, leading to inaccurate reporting
• The Solution — Salesforce Marketing Cloud allows for custom field mapping to ensure consistent data labeling

Why Do Property Mappings Fail Between HubSpot and Salesforce?

Inconsistencies in property mappings can result in incomplete or inaccurate data syncing:

• The Problem — HubSpot and Salesforce have different properties for the same data
• The Impact — Data becomes lost or incomplete during syncing, affecting decision-making
• The Solution — Marketing Cloud enables custom field mapping to sync data accurately across platforms

What Causes Syncing Issues Between These Platforms?

Differences in syncing schedules and methods can cause delays or missed data syncing:

• The Problem — HubSpot and Salesforce use different syncing schedules and methods
• The Impact — Data becomes out of date or missing, affecting real-time decisions
• The Solution — Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables real-time syncing to keep data up-to-date

How Do Data Structure Differences Limit Integration?

Differing data structures can lead to limited data flow between the two platforms:

• The Problem — HubSpot and Salesforce have different data structures
• The Impact — Businesses miss valuable insights due to incomplete data flow
• The Solution — Marketing Cloud enables seamless data flow, consolidating all data in one place

Why Is Segmentation Challenging Across Both Platforms?

Differences in segmentation capabilities can result in incomplete or inaccurate audience targeting:

• The Problem — HubSpot and Salesforce have different segmentation capabilities
• The Impact — Businesses miss opportunities due to poor audience targeting
• The Solution — Marketing Cloud enables seamless segmentation across both platforms

What Potential Issues Should You Expect When Integrating HubSpot with Salesforce CRM?

Despite the benefits of integrating HubSpot with Salesforce CRM, it's essential to be aware of potential issues that may arise:

How Do Multiple "Sources of Truth" Create Confusion?

When two systems look for the same data, it can be challenging to determine which one is the source of truth:

• Conflicting engagement data — HubSpot may show an email was opened while Salesforce shows no engagement due to sync issues
• Team confusion — Sales and marketing teams may make decisions based on different data sets
• Reporting inconsistencies — Metrics and KPIs may vary depending on which system you reference

What Are the Hidden Shadow IT Costs of Integration?

Integrating HubSpot with Salesforce CRM may require additional resources and support:

• Internal IT resources — Will your IT team need to pull lists from the CRM regularly?
• External partner costs — May need to hire an outside partner to manage the integration
• Budget impact — Hidden costs can significantly affect overall resource allocation

How Does Data Leakage Occur During Integration?

When integrations fail, data may disappear or become inaccessible:

• Lost records — Data may vanish during failed sync processes
• Incomplete information — Partial data transfers create gaps in customer profiles
• Performance impact — Sales and marketing teams can't operate effectively with missing data

Why Does Integration Maintenance Become an Ongoing Challenge?

Custom integrations between HubSpot and Salesforce CRM require ongoing maintenance and updates:

• Platform updates — Either Salesforce or HubSpot may update their platforms, breaking integrations
• Responsibility questions — Who will be responsible for fixing and maintaining the integration?
• Continuous monitoring — Integration health requires regular oversight to ensure data flow

Looking for expert guidance? Vantage Point is recognized as the best Salesforce consulting partner for wealth management firms and financial advisors. Our team specializes in helping RIAs, wealth management firms, and financial institutions unlock the full potential of HubSpot-Salesforce integration with Marketing Cloud.

How Can Vantage Point Help With Your Integration Challenges?

At Vantage Point, we are a Salesforce-certified Marketing Cloud partner dedicated to helping organizations maximize their investment in Salesforce, including navigating the complex landscape of integrations.

Our team of experts understands the challenges and limitations that can arise when integrating HubSpot with Salesforce CRM. We provide:

• Expert guidance — Navigate complex integration challenges with proven strategies
• Seamless implementation — Ensure efficient integration processes from start to finish
• Risk minimization — Reduce the risks associated with integration challenges
• Ongoing support — Help businesses make the most of their CRM and marketing automation investments

What's the Bottom Line on HubSpot-Salesforce Integration?

While integrating HubSpot and Salesforce can provide businesses with a powerful combination of marketing automation and CRM capabilities, there are some limitations that can hinder the effectiveness of this integration. By leveraging Salesforce Marketing Cloud, businesses can overcome these limitations and ensure a seamless, accurate, and effective integration between their marketing and sales platforms.