To provide you with the most effective marketing automation hacks, we’ve gathered insights from twelve professionals, including Directors of Marketing and CEOs. Their tips range from implementing a 12-step email nurture sequence to automating behavioral data for profile building. Dive in to discover time and money-saving strategies from the industry’s top minds. Here are 12 marketing automation hacks to save time and money.
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- Implement a 12-Step Email-Nurture Sequence
- Use Automated Email-Thread Transcription
- Leverage AI for Product Descriptions
- Offer Free Content via HubSpot CRM
- Connect Offline and Online Customer Behavior
- Create Dynamic Subscriber Segments
- Automate Customer Feedback Analysis
- Use Zapier for Real-Time Data
- Apply a Smart Segmentation Strategy
- Utilize Segmented Contact Lists
- Integrate Chatbots on Your Website
- Automate Behavioral Data for Profile Building
Implement a 12-Step Email-Nurture Sequence
One of the biggest marketing automation hacks I’ve implemented into my system is having a 12-step email-nurture sequence. I use this whenever someone opts in or downloads a free report.
The sequence is triggered immediately upon submission. It creates multiple touchpoints for the contact, as well as helps keep leads engaged. An additional tip is adding to a structure that removes them from the nurture sequence if they schedule a phone call, meeting, or take the next step in the buying journey.
You can also enhance this strategy further by adding in SMS if you receive proper approval.
Beau Bawab, Director of Marketing, Beau B Content
Use Automated Email-Thread Transcription
You install the plugin, set the parameters, and it generates a summary paragraph for each of the email threads in your inbox. Thanks to AI, the summary lets you know if the conversation ended or if there are outstanding items that need to be addressed.
This saves you time spent sifting through emails. It also saves your employer money that they’d otherwise pay you to sift through emails.
Cody Rudolph, Managing Editor, CodyRudolph.com
Leverage AI for Product Descriptions
One area that has improved our speed and lowered our cost this year has been through implementing AI in our e-commerce business. Our jewelry business also sells items across eBay, Etsy, Google Shopping, Amazon Handmade, Amazon, and on our own website.
One of our most effective strategies for using AI is creating product descriptions that fit the platform we are selling on as well as the character/word limits for each. One example is that Etsy and Amazon Handmade buyers like more “homemade” descriptions of products.
We can write prompts in AI that mirror that style. Then, we can take that same product and have a totally different description of our website. Before, it would take our team hours to do this across multiple platforms. Now, we can do it in minutes.
Jeff Michael, E-commerce Business Owner, Tanzanite Jewelry Designs
Offer Free Content via HubSpot CRM
We’ve published dozens of pieces of free content that site visitors can download via a form. They fill in their email address and get a free, beautifully designed infographic, an in-depth thought-leadership whitepaper, or even an ebook. All this is possible through marketing automation using HubSpot CRM.
In fact, we go a step further. We use one master lead-conversion form for these offers with queued fields, so when leads download more than one offer, we get different information from them, such as their company name and job title.
This gives the sales team the information they need to qualify leads coming in from the marketing department. Of course, we then use lead nurturing automation and email sequences to ensure leads keep coming back for more. We want to tap into that binge mindset to attract leads. Automation allows us to do that.
Matthew Stibbe, CEO, Articulate Marketing
Connect Offline and Online Customer Behavior
Automated tools have helped us connect customers’ offline and online behavior for our clients, so we can create even more personalized ads. When you only design ads and other digital marketing strategies around online behavior, you miss a sizable piece of the puzzle that helps you understand customer behavior.
Inputting and integrating all this data manually is time-consuming. That’s why using a platform that integrates offline customer data with online user data can save time and money, setting you up for more effective ads.
These marketing platforms can integrate directly with PPC tools like Facebook Ads, so ads are designed with offline data, such as purchase history or iBeacon activity, in mind.
Hardy Desai, Founder, Supple Digital
Create Dynamic Subscriber Segments
Creating dynamic subscriber segments allows us to deliver personalized email campaigns at scale. Previously, we sent generic broadcasts to our entire list. However, after working with our marketing automation platform, we built customized segments based on subscriber attributes, such as practice size/type, products purchased, and engagement metrics.
Now, when launching a new product line, I can target solo practitioners with specific solutions for their needs. I can also send customers who bought handpieces extra content on maintenance best practices. Segmenting out audiences takes a bit more upfront work, but the time invested pays off exponentially.
Our open and click-through rates have shot up 20-30% in some segments. The best part is, that once the segments are built, sending targeted campaigns is a breeze. I can launch tailored messages to thousands of subscribers in just a few clicks. Dentists have unique needs depending on their practice. Personalized automation helps us serve them better at scale.
Joe Earl, General Manager, Dental Sky
Automate Customer Feedback Analysis
I’d like to share an experience I had with marketing automation that saved me both time and money using automated customer feedback analysis. This tool allows companies to quickly analyze the customer feedback generated from surveys, emails, messages, or other sources by automatically classifying them into actionable insights.
By leveraging this technology, my team could save time and money by quickly responding to customer complaints in a timely manner. We were also able to identify key topics discussed in our customers’ reviews so we could fine-tune our product offerings more efficiently.
Aslam Rehan, Marketing Assistant, SMS AutoForwarder
Use Zapier for Real-Time Data
One thing that has really saved our team a lot of time is Zapier. We’re focused on ROI as an agency, and we use Zapier to get real-time data.
This helps us share details with our clients as well as formulate our strategies and make decisions without having to comb through loads of data.
It has really streamlined our process and has saved us about 9 hours a month. We can now use this time to do actual work for our clients that helps them get more leads and money.
Sarah Blocksidge, Marketing Director, Sixth City Marketing
Apply a Smart Segmentation Strategy
A game-changing hack that’s been a time- and money-saver for me is the “Smart Segmentation Strategy.” By carefully segmenting our audience based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics, we can tailor our messages with great accuracy.
It’s like having a personal conversation with each customer. In addition to boosting engagement and conversion rates, it also allows us to cut down on ad spend by preventing us from bombarding disinterested prospects.
We’ve seen significant time savings by letting automation handle the repetitive tasks of segmenting and targeting, allowing our marketing team to focus on crafting meaningful, personalized messages that resonate with our customers on a deeper level. This hack is a true win-win, making marketing more efficient and authentic.
Mike Ryan, President and Co-Founder, Cactus Mailing Company
Utilize Segmented Contact Lists
One of the most impactful hacks I’ve leveraged in marketing automation is using segmented contact lists.
By dividing contacts into meaningful groups—be it based on demographics, engagement, or interaction—we can send tailor-made content that truly resonates.
It’s not just about collecting data, but organizing it wisely. This simple step ensures that we’re delivering the right message to the right person, saving both time and money while boosting effectiveness.
Marco Genaro Palma, Content Marketing Manager, PRLab
Integrate Chatbots on Your Website
Integrating chatbots on our website was a transformative marketing automation hack for us. These AI-driven bots handle preliminary customer inquiries, guiding visitors to relevant resources or scheduling appointments.
This enhanced our user experience and freed up significant time for our sales and support teams. The initial setup cost was quickly offset by the efficiency gains and increased conversion rates.
Shoaib Mughal, CEO, Marketix
Automate Behavioral Data for Profile Building
We automate behavioral data for profile building. Keeping track of visitor interactions within digital platforms is key to grasping who your audience is, a fact I’ve especially appreciated when I’ve aimed to cultivate several leads.
In this era, the best marketing automation tools have made life simpler for B2B marketing agencies, enabling a swift reaction to potential leads at pivotal times in the sales process.
In my experience, setting up alerts to know when potential leads are engaging with your site has been invaluable. By understanding the how and where of lead movements in our sales funnels, we gain superior analytical insight and learn what’s drawing visitors to our site, the duration of their stay on specific pages, and even the extent of their engagement with the content, down to their scroll depth.
This information has saved us money in the long run by allowing us to optimize our marketing campaigns and dedicate funds to better-performing sales funnels.
Alan Muther, Founder, Ardoz Digital
