Marketing Automation
Scale personalized marketing through intelligent automation.
1. Automation Strategy
| Level | Focus | Examples |
|---|
| Basic | Time-based triggers | Welcome series, drips |
| Behavioral | Action-based triggers | Cart abandonment, browse |
| Predictive | AI-driven | Churn prevention, recommendations |
2. Lead Lifecycle Stages
| Stage | Definition | Automation |
|---|
| Subscriber | Email opt-in | Welcome series |
| Lead | Showed interest | Nurture sequence |
| MQL | Marketing qualified | Score + handoff |
| SQL | Sales qualified | Sales notification |
| Opportunity | In pipeline | Sales support |
| Customer | Converted | Onboarding |
| Advocate | Loyal | Referral program |
3. Lead Scoring
Scoring Criteria
| Category | Factors | Points |
|---|
| Demographic | Job title, company size | +10-30 |
| Firmographic | Industry, revenue | +10-30 |
| Behavioral | Page views, downloads | +5-20 |
| Engagement | Email opens, clicks | +2-10 |
| Negative | Unsubscribe, bounce | -10-50 |
Score Thresholds
| Score | Status | Action |
|---|
| 0-25 | Cold | Nurture |
| 26-50 | Warm | Educate |
| 51-75 | MQL | Sales alert |
| 76+ | SQL | Immediate handoff |
4. Common Automation Workflows
Welcome Series
| Email | Timing | Content |
|---|
| 1 | Immediate | Welcome, deliver promise |
| 2 | Day 2 | Best resource |
| 3 | Day 4 | Your story |
| 4 | Day 7 | Social proof |
| 5 | Day 10 | First offer |
Lead Nurture
| Email | Timing | Content |
|---|
| 1 | Trigger | Related to action |
| 2 | +3 days | Educational |
| 3 | +7 days | Case study |
| 4 | +14 days | Demo offer |
| 5 | +21 days | Limited offer |
Cart Abandonment
| Email | Timing | Content |
|---|
| 1 | 1 hour | Reminder |
| 2 | 24 hours | Benefits |
| 3 | 48 hours | Urgency/discount |
Re-engagement
| Email | Timing | Content |
|---|
| 1 | 30 days inactive | "We miss you" |
| 2 | 45 days | Best content |
| 3 | 60 days | Special offer |
| 4 | 75 days | Last chance |
| - | 90 days | Sunset from list |
5. Segmentation Strategies
Segmentation Types
| Type | Examples |
|---|
| Demographic | Age, gender, location |
| Firmographic | Industry, company size |
| Behavioral | Purchases, page views |
| Psychographic | Interests, values |
| Lifecycle | Lead stage, tenure |
Dynamic Segments
| Segment | Criteria |
|---|
| Highly engaged | Opened 3+ emails last 30 days |
| At risk | No opens 30 days |
| Power users | 10+ sessions/month |
| High value | LTV > $1000 |
| Trial users | On trial, < 7 days left |
6. Trigger-Based Automation
Behavioral Triggers
| Trigger | Automation |
|---|
| Form submission | Thank you + nurture |
| Page visit | Related content email |
| Product view | Browse abandonment |
| Cart add | Cart abandonment |
| Purchase | Onboarding + upsell |
| Milestone | Celebration email |
Time-Based Triggers
| Trigger | Automation |
|---|
| Signup anniversary | Celebration + offer |
| Last purchase +30 days | Win-back |
| Trial ending | Conversion push |
| Contract renewal | Renewal sequence |
7. Personalization
Personalization Levels
| Level | Example |
|---|
| Basic | Name, company |
| Behavioral | Based on actions |
| Predictive | AI recommendations |
Dynamic Content
| Variable | Use |
|---|
| {{first_name}} | Greeting |
| {{company}} | Reference |
| {{last_product}} | Cross-sell |
| {{industry}} | Relevant examples |
| {{stage}} | Stage-specific content |
8. Multi-Channel Automation
Channel Orchestration
| Channel | Best For |
|---|
| Email | Nurturing, detailed info |
| SMS | Urgent, time-sensitive |
| Push | App re-engagement |
| In-app | Contextual guidance |
| Retargeting | Re-engagement |
Cross-Channel Workflow
Trigger: Cart abandonment
→ Wait 1 hour
→ Email: Cart reminder
→ Wait 24 hours
→ If no purchase: SMS reminder
→ Wait 48 hours
→ If no purchase: Retargeting ad
9. Automation Metrics
Flow Metrics
| Metric | Target |
|---|
| Completion rate | >60% |
| Conversion rate | Varies by goal |
| Unsubscribe rate | <0.5% per email |
| Revenue attribution | Tracked to flow |
Email Metrics
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|
| Open rate | 20-30% |
| Click rate | 2-5% |
| Unsubscribe | <0.5% |
10. Automation Platforms
| Platform | Best For |
|---|
| HubSpot | All-in-one, B2B |
| Klaviyo | E-commerce |
| ActiveCampaign | SMB automation |
| Marketo | Enterprise B2B |
| Customer.io | Product-led growth |
| Braze | Mobile-first |
Remember: Automation should feel personal, not robotic. Use data to deliver the right message at the right time.