In the fast-paced world of marketing, sustainable growth is the holy grail. But how do you achieve it, especially in dynamic industries facing constant disruption? This beginner’s guide to HubSpot’s Campaign Automation 3.0, featuring and exclusive interviews with top executives driving sustainable growth in dynamic industries, marketing, unlocks the secrets to building campaigns that convert and endure. Are you ready to transform your marketing from reactive to proactive?
Key Takeaways
- You will learn how to create a lead nurturing campaign in HubSpot using the visual workflow editor, targeting contacts based on their industry and job title.
- The guide will show you how to set up A/B testing within your automation workflows to optimize email open rates and click-through rates.
- Discover how to integrate HubSpot’s Campaign Automation 3.0 with Salesforce to ensure seamless data synchronization between your marketing and sales teams.
Step 1: Accessing Campaign Automation 3.0
First, you need to find Campaign Automation 3.0 within HubSpot. In the main navigation, click on “Marketing”, then select “Campaigns” from the dropdown menu. On the Campaigns dashboard, you’ll see a button labeled “Create Campaign” in the upper right corner. Click that button.
Selecting the Campaign Type
A modal window will appear asking you to choose your campaign type. Select “Automated Campaign”. This will take you to the workflow editor where you’ll be building your automation. Don’t pick “Standard Campaign” unless you just want a static list or single send.
Naming Your Campaign
Before you start building, give your campaign a clear and descriptive name. This will help you easily identify it later. At the top left of the workflow editor, you’ll see a field labeled “Campaign Name”. I recommend using a naming convention like “Lead Nurturing – [Target Audience] – [Campaign Goal]” – for example, “Lead Nurturing – SaaS Startups – Demo Request”. I had a client last year who named all their campaigns with internal codenames, and it was a nightmare trying to figure out what each one did!
Pro Tip: Use a consistent naming convention across all your campaigns. This will save you time and frustration in the long run.
Step 2: Defining Your Enrollment Triggers
Enrollment triggers determine who enters your automation. This is where segmentation becomes critical. In the workflow editor, click the “Set Enrollment Triggers” button. This opens a panel on the right side of the screen. Here, you can define the criteria that will automatically enroll contacts into your campaign.
Setting Property-Based Triggers
The most common type of enrollment trigger is based on contact properties. Click the “Add Trigger” button. A dropdown menu will appear, allowing you to select a property. For example, you could select “Industry” and then specify “Technology” as the value. This means anyone with “Technology” listed as their industry will be automatically enrolled. You can add multiple triggers to refine your audience further. For example, add a second trigger for “Job Title” containing “Marketing Manager”.
Common Mistake: Forgetting to set enrollment triggers! I’ve seen so many people build beautiful workflows, only to realize nobody is actually entering them. Double-check your triggers before launching.
Using List Membership as a Trigger
Another powerful enrollment trigger is list membership. If you already have segmented lists in HubSpot, you can use these to enroll contacts. Select “List Membership” from the trigger type dropdown, then choose the specific list you want to use. This is useful if you’ve already segmented your audience based on other criteria, such as website behavior or form submissions.
Expected Outcome: Contacts who meet your defined enrollment criteria will automatically enter the workflow. You can see the number of enrolled contacts in the workflow dashboard.
Step 3: Building Your Workflow
Now for the fun part: building the actual workflow! This is where you define the actions that will be taken for each enrolled contact. The visual workflow editor makes this process intuitive and straightforward.
Adding Email Actions
The most common action in a lead nurturing campaign is sending an email. Click the “+” icon below the enrollment trigger to add an action. Select “Send Email” from the available options. A panel will appear on the right side of the screen where you can choose which email to send. You can either select an existing email or create a new one directly from the workflow editor. We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm – a client was struggling to get leads to convert. We built a 5-email sequence that focused on addressing their specific pain points, and within a month, their conversion rate increased by 30%.
Adding Delay Actions
Don’t bombard your contacts with emails! Add delays between each email to avoid overwhelming them. Click the “+” icon below the email action and select “Delay”. You can specify the delay in days, hours, or minutes. I usually recommend a delay of 3-5 days between emails in a lead nurturing campaign. You might even want to A/B test different delay times to see what works best for your audience. According to a 2023 IAB report, email marketing remains a top-performing channel, but only when done thoughtfully.
Using If/Then Branches
If/Then branches allow you to personalize the workflow based on contact behavior. Click the “+” icon and select “If/Then Branch”. You can then define criteria to split the workflow based on various factors, such as whether a contact opened an email, clicked a link, or submitted a form. For example, if a contact clicks a link to download a whitepaper, you can add them to a different branch that delivers more targeted content. If they don’t click, you can send a follow-up email with a different subject line. This is what nobody tells you: personalization is key. Generic emails are dead.
Pro Tip: Use If/Then branches to create highly personalized experiences for your contacts. This will significantly improve your engagement and conversion rates.
Step 4: Advanced Workflow Features
Campaign Automation 3.0 offers several advanced features that can take your campaigns to the next level.
Setting Goals
Defining goals for your workflow allows you to track its performance and measure its success. Click the “Set Goals” button in the workflow editor. You can define goals based on various actions, such as form submissions, page views, or deal creation. For example, if your goal is to generate demo requests, you can set a goal for contacts who submit the “Request a Demo” form. According to HubSpot research, campaigns with clearly defined goals are 76% more likely to succeed.
A/B Testing
A/B testing allows you to test different versions of your emails and workflow actions to see which performs best. To A/B test an email, click the email action in the workflow and select “Create A/B Test”. You can then create a variation of the email with a different subject line, content, or call-to-action. The workflow will automatically split your audience and send each version to a portion of your contacts. After a period of time, you can analyze the results and choose the winning version. A Nielsen study found that A/B testing can improve conversion rates by as much as 49%.
If you use Salesforce, you can seamlessly integrate it with HubSpot’s Campaign Automation 3.0. This allows you to synchronize data between your marketing and sales teams and ensure that everyone has access to the latest information. To integrate with Salesforce, go to “Settings” > “Integrations” > “Salesforce” and follow the instructions to connect your accounts. This integration allows you to trigger workflows based on Salesforce data and update Salesforce records based on HubSpot actions.
Expected Outcome: Improved lead quality, increased conversion rates, and better alignment between your marketing and sales teams.
Step 5: Launching and Monitoring Your Campaign
Once you’ve built your workflow and defined your goals, it’s time to launch your campaign! Before you do, double-check everything to make sure it’s working correctly.
Testing Your Workflow
HubSpot allows you to test your workflow before launching it. Click the “Test” button in the workflow editor. You can then enroll a test contact and see how they progress through the workflow. This is a great way to identify any potential issues before they affect your entire audience. I always send a test email to myself – it’s surprising how many typos I catch at the last minute!
Turning on your workflow is a big step. To make sure that your campaign drives meaningful lead growth, you need to be prepared to monitor and adjust.
Turning On Your Workflow
Once you’re satisfied with your workflow, click the “Turn On” button in the upper right corner of the screen. Your workflow is now live and will automatically enroll contacts who meet your defined enrollment criteria.
Monitoring Performance
After launching your campaign, it’s essential to monitor its performance. The workflow dashboard provides detailed analytics on enrollment rates, email open rates, click-through rates, and goal completion rates. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and optimize your campaign over time. For instance, if you notice a low open rate on one of your emails, try changing the subject line or sender name. If you see a high bounce rate, clean up your contact list. Sustainable growth requires continuous monitoring and optimization.
Pro Tip: Regularly review your workflow analytics and make adjustments as needed. Marketing is not a “set it and forget it” activity.
Consider how data-driven marketing can help you analyze the results and make informed decisions.
You’ll want to be sure that you unlock marketing ROI by using the right analytical skills.
Can I use Campaign Automation 3.0 to send SMS messages?
Yes, Campaign Automation 3.0 integrates with SMS providers, allowing you to send text messages as part of your workflows. You’ll need to connect your HubSpot account to an SMS provider like Twilio.
How do I prevent contacts from receiving the same email multiple times?
HubSpot automatically prevents contacts from receiving the same email multiple times within a workflow. However, if you want to exclude contacts who have already received a specific email from entering the workflow, you can add a suppression list as an enrollment trigger.
Can I use dynamic content in my emails?
Yes, you can use dynamic content to personalize your emails based on contact properties. This allows you to show different content to different contacts based on their industry, job title, or other relevant information. This is set up within the email editor itself.
How do I track the ROI of my automated campaigns?
You can track the ROI of your automated campaigns by setting goals and monitoring goal completion rates. You can also use HubSpot’s reporting tools to track the revenue generated by contacts who have been through your workflows. Make sure you have proper attribution tracking set up.
What’s the difference between a workflow and a sequence?
Workflows are automated processes that can include a variety of actions, such as sending emails, updating contact properties, and creating tasks. Sequences are a series of pre-written emails that are sent to individual contacts over a period of time. Workflows are more flexible and powerful than sequences.
Mastering HubSpot’s Campaign Automation 3.0 is a journey, not a destination. But with a solid understanding of these steps, you’re well on your way to creating marketing campaigns that drive sustainable growth. The key is to start small, test frequently, and always be learning. So, go forth and automate – your future self will thank you.
