Bluepoint ABM: Orbit + AWS SES + HubSpot Webhook Pattern

Overview

This article documents the technical architecture used to run automated ABM email sequences for ^[1] — and potentially other clients — where HubSpot's native sending capabilities are insufficient or unavailable at the client's subscription tier. The pattern decouples email sending from HubSpot while keeping engagement data visible inside the CRM.

First deployed February 23, 2026. Discussed in ^[2].

The Problem This Solves

HubSpot's native email sending has two common constraints:

1. Subscription tier limits — lower-tier HubSpot accounts don't have access to sequences, automations, or bulk email sending.
2. Visibility fragmentation — when running ABM across multiple clients, managing sequences inside each client's HubSpot account is operationally painful.

This pattern routes email delivery through AWS SES while keeping HubSpot as the CRM of record for engagement data.

Architecture

Orbit (playbook + scheduling)
    ↓
Automation server (polls every ~1 min)
    ↓
AWS SES (sends email)
    ↓
AWS tracking tools (open/click monitoring)
    ↓
Webhook → HubSpot (logs engagement as "logged email" activity)

Component Roles

Data Flow Detail

• Emails sent via SES appear in HubSpot as "logged email" entries (not native HubSpot sends)
• Open, click, bounce, and unsubscribe events are captured by AWS and pushed back to HubSpot via webhook
• The automation server polls approximately every minute to check for pending sends or new engagement events
• Orbit serves as the operator-facing dashboard: playbook steps, pipeline view, contact status, and upcoming send schedule are all visible there

Orbit as the Operator Interface

Orbit provides a unified view across all client ABM campaigns without requiring the operator to log into each client's HubSpot account. Key views available in Orbit:

• Companies — full ABM target list with tier, industry, employee count, city
• Contacts — primary contact per company, engagement history
• Playbook — sequence steps with scheduled send days (e.g., email 1 on day 4, email 2 on day 9)
• Email Dashboard — aggregate stats (open rate, click rate, bounce rate, unsubscribes)
• Email Pipeline — upcoming sends by date, total queued volume

Clients who want visibility can be given access to Orbit directly, though HubSpot remains the CRM of record.

First Send Performance (Bluepoint, Feb 23 2026)

Context: Industry benchmarks for cold B2B outbound typically run 20–30% open rate and 2–5% click rate. An 11% click rate on the first send of a cold sequence is notably strong and suggests good list quality and relevant messaging.

Playbook Structure (Bluepoint Example)

• Target list: 100 companies, one primary contact per company
• Sequence: Multi-touch over ~30 days (specific cadence managed in Orbit)
• Enrichment: Hunter.io used via API to find/verify email addresses and LinkedIn profiles for contacts missing that data

Applicability to Other Clients

This pattern was also being evaluated for ^[3], which does not have a HubSpot subscription tier that supports native email automations. The same Orbit + SES + webhook stack can be connected to any client's HubSpot account.

When deciding whether to use this pattern vs. native HubSpot sending, consider:

• Does the client's HubSpot tier support sequences and bulk email?
• Does the operator need a unified cross-client view?
• Is the client comfortable with engagement data appearing as "logged email" rather than native HubSpot activity?

Related Tools

• ^[4] — ABM playbook and sequence management
• ^[5] — transactional/bulk email delivery
• ^[6] — email finding and contact enrichment (API access available)
• ^[7] — related pattern; critical before first send to protect domain reputation

Source

Discussed and demoed in ^[2].