It follows a simple pattern: when someone takes an action (like filling out a form), the system checks your rules and automatically responds (sends an email, notifies sales, or updates their record). Think of it as "if this, then that" for marketing.

Traditional marketing automation often refers to triggering emails based on time delays or actions like email opens and email clicks. But is an email click alone enough data to execute a personalized lead nurturing strategy?

Marketing automation strategies that offer limited data like this to the marketer often result in bad marketing automation. You need context about who leads are and what they’re interested in to give prospects a good experience.

Marketing automation backed by an inbound strategy is centered around the prospect. Inbound marketing automation uses all the information we know about a person to inform the automation strategy, so we deliver the information they need to make a purchase, exactly when they need that information, in the place they’re looking for it.

Good marketing automation takes into account the evolving needs of your leads, and the behaviors and interactions they have with you across all of your marketing channels. Not just email. Using behavioral inputs from multiple channels such as social media, viewing a pricing page, or consuming a particular piece of content gives marketers the context they need to fully understand a lead’s challenges.

The most effective marketing automation also uses those various channels -- beyond email -- to communicate. That means the success of your campaign relies less on email, and fully utilizes the various channels that influence a buyer’s decision.

If you’re publishing good content, generating a steady flow of new, organic leads, and you’re ready to scale your efforts, chances are it’s time to focus your efforts on a marketing automation strategy that will nurture quality leads into paying customers. Here are some good questions to ask yourself when deciding if marketing automation is the right move for your business:

- Are you generating a steady flow of new and qualified leads

- Has Marketing and Sales agreed on what conversations should happen with marketing and which with sales?

- Do you have a content strategy mapped to your buyer’s journey

- Are you tracking your leads’ digital body language across every touchpoint and marketing channel (not just email)?

- Do you have a proven lead nurturing strategy that you want to scale?

These are all good signs that marketing automation could work for your business. The key here is understanding that marketing automation does not do marketing for you, but can help scale your successful efforts.

Yes. Small businesses often see the biggest impact because automation helps small teams punch above their weight. Start with simple workflows like welcome emails and lead alerts—you'll save hours every week.

Email marketing lets you send messages. Marketing automation orchestrates entire customer journeys across email, ads, your website, and CRM. It's like comparing a single instrument to an entire orchestra.

Your first HubSpot workflow can go live in under 30 minutes with our visual workflow builder:

• Choose from 100+ pre-built workflow templates
• Customize triggers using your CRM properties
• Add actions (emails, tasks, property updates)
• Test with HubSpot's built-in testing tool
• Activate and monitor performance in real-time
   

Respect beats volume every time. Here's how to keep your automation helpful, not spammy:

Set smart limits:

• Cap emails at 2-3 per week maximum
• Use "quiet hours" (no emails between 8pm-8am)
• Pause all marketing when deals are active
• Honor unsubscribe requests instantly

Make it relevant:

• Segment by interest, not just demographics
• Use behavior triggers (downloaded X, visited Y)
• Stop sending what they're not opening
• Let people choose email frequency

Add human touches:

• Write like you're talking to one person
• Include the sender's real name and photo
• Make replies go to a real inbox
• Add personal notes to automated tasks

Remember: Just because you can send something doesn't mean you should. When in doubt, send less.

Choose your primary KPI, set a goal, and track the results over time. For example, with an email campaign, you can track the following: email engagement rates (aim for 20%+ opens), workflow completion rates, leads generated, and time saved. Document baseline metrics before starting. Success = higher engagement with less manual effort.