Marketing Automation: How to Improve Marketing and Sales with Automated Workflows

La marketing automation It is one of the most useful tools for making corporate marketing more organized, measurable, and efficient. It’s not magic: it’s a technological resource that allows you to build processes capable of guiding every prospect along the most appropriate path—from their first interaction with the brand through the sale, to sales follow-up, and customer loyalty. 

For a business, automate certain marketing activities This means preventing leads, inquiries, sign-ups, downloads, clicks, and expressions of interest from getting scattered across emails, spreadsheets, notes, and internal conversations. 

This applies to many business activities: selling products and services, lead generation, launching new projects, awareness campaigns, sales nurturing, community management, and customer retention. And it’s especially true when the decision-making process is complex, as is the case, for example, with crowdfunding.

In this article, we will see that What is marketing automation?, what it's used for, what workflows can improve marketing and sales and finally, how to apply it to a crowdfunding campaign—before, during, and after the fundraising effort.

What Is Marketing Automation?

“Marketing automation” refers to the set of tools, processes, and rules that enable you to automate certain marketing and communication activities based on the data and behavior of the contacts.

By creating a marketing automation workflow, a company can set up a system that automatically responds to certain actions: A person fills out a form, downloads a guide, visits a page, clicks on a link, opens multiple emails, attends a webinar, requests information, or stops interacting. 

Each of these actions can trigger a specific outcome: sending an email, assigning a tag, adding the user to a segment, increasing a score, sending a notification to the sales team, or initiating a new content journey. 

Marketing automation, therefore, is not the same as the’email marketing, even though email is often one of the main channels. An automation system may include:

• CRM to collect and organize contacts;
• forms and landing pages to generate leads;
• automated emails and nurturing sequences;
• segments and dynamic lists;
• lead scoring;
• internal notifications for the sales team;
• integration between different software programs;
• dashboards and reports to measure results.

Its value lies not in individual automated processes, but in building a coherent strategy. Marketing ceases to be a collection of isolated actions and becomes a system: Every contact enters a flow, receives content tailored to their level of interest and leaves clues that help determine how to move the relationship forward. 

Automation and Customization

The concept of “automation” may instinctively lead one to think of something robotic, standardized, superficial. However, automation does not mean making communication cold, generic, or distant. On the contrary, good automation allows you to send more relevant messages compared to unstructured, informal communication. 

To do this, you need to know how to use data intelligently—that is, in a human way. If a contact has shown interest in a specific topic, it makes no sense to send them generic content that ignores that behavior. If a person has already spoken with the sales team, they shouldn’t receive an email designed for someone who isn’t yet familiar with the company. If a customer has purchased a service, the next step isn’t to present them with the same offer again, but to guide them through using it, provide them with useful content, or open up new opportunities for engagement. 

Often, all it takes is a little well-managed information:

• lead source;
• primary interest;
• stage of the process;
• level of interaction;
• commercial status;
• any existing relationship with the company.

Technology carries out the actions, but The strategy remains human-centered. It is the company that decides what to communicate, when to do so, in what tone, and with what objective. That is why marketing automation works only if it is based on a genuine understanding of the audience and a well-designed process.

Marketing Automation Workflow: Example 

A workflow is the basic structure of marketing automation. It is a flow of actions that is triggered when a specific condition occurs. 

For example:

1. A user fills out a form to download a guide.
2. You will automatically receive an email with the requested content.
3. A few days later, he receives a related in-depth article.
4. If you click on the link, you'll be added to a list of contacts interested in that topic.
5. If you visit a sales page or request information, the sales team receives a notification.

A workflow can be built using four main elements:

• Trigger, that is, the event that triggers the flow: filling out a form, registering for an event, clicking a link in an email, or visiting a page.
• Terms and Conditions, that is, the rules that determine the path: Did they open the email or not? Did they click on it? Are they already a customer? Have they expressed interest in a specific product?
• Actions, that is, what the system needs to do: send an email, add a tag, change a score, send a notification, or update the CRM.
• Objective, that is, the expected outcome: qualifying the lead, getting them to schedule a call, encouraging a purchase, gathering an expression of interest, and keeping the relationship alive.

The quality of a workflow depends on the clarity of the process that precedes it. Before automating, you need to know what path you want to create and what action you want to elicit from the contact.

What Is the Purpose of Marketing Automation in a Company?

Marketing automation is designed to make the relationship between a company and its various types of contacts more effective.

Its first advantage is operational: Many repetitive tasks can be handled automatically, without having to rely on manual intervention every time. But the most important benefit is strategic: The company can create different paths for different people, thereby avoiding the loss of valuable leads or treating people who are at very different stages of the decision-making process in the same way.

Marketing automation, in fact, allows you to:

• generate leads in a more structured way;
• segment the database;
• qualify leads;
• guide leads toward a sale;
• reduce downtime during follow-ups;
• better coordinate marketing and sales;
• keep the relationship alive after the initial conversion;
• Measure which content, channels, and messages generate results.

Let's take a closer look at the goals that marketing automation can help you achieve more effectively and efficiently.

Generate and qualify leads

One of the most common uses of marketing automation is lead generation, that is, the acquisition of leads who may be interested in the company.

A lead can enter the database through many entry points:

• a form on the website;
• a landing page;
• subscription to a newsletter;
• downloading a guide;
• registration for a webinar;
• a request for information;
• an advertising campaign;
• an event;
• a survey;
• an expression of interest.

Some leads are very close to making a decision, while others are just gathering information. Some are already familiar with the brand, while others came from an ad and don’t yet have enough information to trust it. Some have a specific and urgent need, while others are simply curious.

Marketing automation allows you to manage these differences. This is where the lead scoring, that is, assigning a score to contacts based on the actions they take. A lead who opens an informational email may receive a low score. A lead who visits a sales page multiple times, clicks on a call to action, or fills out a request form may receive a higher score.

Scoring is a practical way to set priorities. It helps the marketing and sales teams understand where to focus their attention, which leads to nurture further, and which ones warrant direct follow-up.

Nurturing Relationships with Potential Customers

Many purchasing decisions are not made on the first contact. This is especially true when a company sells complex, high-value, B2B, innovative, or little-known products or services. In these cases, trying to secure a conversion right away can be ineffective or even off-putting. 

The lead nurturing It helps build a progressive relationship with the prospect through content that is useful and aligned with their decision-making process.

A nurturing workflow may include, for example:

• an initial welcome email;
• educational content about the problem that the product or service solves;
• a case study;
• a practical guide;
• a comparison of different solutions;
• an invitation to a webinar;
• a customer testimonial;
• a call to action for a consultation, a demo, or a request for information.

The goal isn’t to “bombard” the contact with messages, but to guide them through a logical process. Every piece of content must answer an implicit question: What does this person need to know to take the next step?

Support sales, brand awareness, and customer loyalty

On the issue of sales, marketing automation helps reduce downtime and makes follow-ups more timely. For example, if a lead visits a high-value page or clicks on a link related to a specific offer, the system can send a notification to the sales team. This way, the sales representative isn’t working blindly but can act on concrete signals of interest.

On the issue of’awareness, marketing automation allows you to keep the relationship alive with those who aren’t yet ready to take a commercial action. The company can send informative content, updates, invitations to events, in-depth articles, or useful materials to build authority and familiarity with the brand and maintain a useful and recognizable presence. 

On the issue of customer loyalty, automation helps manage post-sale activities by ensuring continuity: onboarding emails, content to help customers get the most out of a product or service, feedback requests, reminders, renewal offers, upselling and cross-selling, and communications tailored to existing customers.

Marketing Automation for Crowdfunding

Choosing to make a real financial investment by participating in a campaign to equity or lending crowdfunding It’s a decision that requires careful consideration. Participating in a reward-based crowdfunding campaign is less costly, but even in these cases there is a degree of uncertainty that makes the slower decision-making process compared to a regular purchase.

A potential supporter or investor needs to understand:

• Who is the company?;
• What is the project?;
• why the data is collected;
• how the campaign works;
• What are the benefits?;
• What are the risks?;
• What steps must you take to participate?.

Marketing automation helps build this journey in an organized way. In crowdfunding, in fact, the problem isn’t just “driving traffic” to the campaign page. Unqualified traffic is unlikely to translate into funds raised. The real goal is to build a an educated, informed, and sufficiently engaged public to arrive at the campaign with a level of confidence they have already built up. 

The platform provides the technical and regulatory infrastructure to launch the campaign and raise capital, but building an audience is up to the company. 

The company must therefore work before and during the campaign to recruit qualified people to the page. 

Useful Workflows Before the Campaign

Before the fundraising campaign goes live, the company must build the audience to which it will present the campaign. This means identifying target contacts, explaining the project, gathering expressions of interest, identifying the most promising leads, preparing materials, and organizing the sales team’s work.

Here are the most useful types of workflows for the precrowd:

1. Lead Generation

The lead acquisition workflow is designed to systematically manage every new contact that is added to the database. 

The entry point is usually the form located in the landing page dedicated to the upcoming campaign, but it can also be an advertising form, registration for a webinar, or a list of existing customers.

A acquisition workflow It might work like this:

1. The contact fills out a form.
2. The system enters it into the CRM.
3. It assigns them a source.
4. It assigns a tag based on the user's stated interest (e.g., investment amount, product type).
5. Send an initial confirmation or welcome email.
6. Create a content strategy that aligns with your profile.
7. Notify the internal team if the contact has provided particularly relevant information.

The form must be carefully designed. Asking for too much information can reduce the number of completed forms, but asking for too little can make it difficult to qualify leads. A good solution is to collect the key data and then enrich the profile in subsequent stages through emails, surveys, phone calls, or interactions with content. 

2. Educational Workflow

Once you've acquired a lead, the next step is to inform them. In crowdfunding, this step is particularly important, because many people may be interested in the company but may not be very familiar with the How the collection works. 

An educational workflow may include content on: 

• the company's identity and history;
• product or service;
• purpose of the collection;
• type of crowdfunding chosen;
• how the campaign works;
• reward;
• benefits for participants;
• Risks and factors to consider.

An existing customer can receive content that builds on their existing relationship with the company: why they should support the project, what benefits they can gain from the product or service, and how they can contribute to the growth of a brand they already know. 

A cold lead, on the other hand, needs a more introductory approach: first, they need to understand why the company is relevant to them, and then why the campaign might interest them.

This distinction prevents us from asking for a demanding task too soon. 

3. Sales Follow-Up Workflow 

The lead scoring It helps you identify which leads are a priority—that is, those who are most interested and closest to making a purchase—so you can set up an appropriate follow-up workflow.

You can set up scoring systems to assign points to each contact based on their actions, so that you can track the following with a simple numerical value: most promising leads and which deserve more attention, without wasting time.

Among the actions considered significant:

• opening an email;
• click on a link;
• visit to the campaign's landing page;
• downloading a document;
• participation in a webinar;
• completing a survey;
• request for information;
• expression of interest;
• Reply to an email.

When a contact exceeds a certain score threshold, the workflow can send an internal notification to the team. At that point, the automation gives way to the human relationship: a phone call, a personalized email, an invitation to an event, a one-on-one conversation. 

The follow-up workflow can also be used to Reach out to contacts who have gone quiet. For example, people who started filling out a form but didn't finish it, or those who clicked on several pieces of content but didn't show any interest. 

In these cases, the system can trigger more targeted messages: an FAQ, explanatory content, an invitation to ask questions, or a short survey to understand what’s missing. The goal is not to force a conversion, but to identify obstacles and remove them where possible. 

Useful Workflows During the Campaign

 

Once the crowdfunding campaign is live, marketing automation is used to convert the interest earned into shares concrete. 

The campaign has a limited time window, so any delay can be a problem. 

Marketing automation helps address three key needs while minimizing wasted time:

• notify the right contacts at the time of the launch;
• distinguish between those who have already invested and those who have not yet done so;
• to update the public on the progress of the fundraising campaign and on key developments.

Those who have already invested may receive thank-you messages, requests to spread the word, and updates on the campaign’s success, but not new invitations to invest. Those who expressed interest before the launch should receive different messages than those who discover the campaign after it has already begun, and so on.

1. Launch Workflow

The launch workflow is the process that is triggered when the campaign goes live.

The launch message It must be clear and actionable. It should explain that the campaign is open, indicate where to participate, highlight the key steps, and make it easy to take the next action. In some cases, it may also be helpful to include an internal reminder for the sales team so they can manually follow up with the most relevant leads. 

2. Investment Invitation Workflow

During the campaign, the main automation workflow is designed for contacts who have shown interest but have not yet participated. 

This category may include various people:

• those who have expressed interest in the precrowd but have not yet invested;
• those who clicked on the campaign link but did not complete the action;
• those who asked for information but didn't take it any further.

A workflow designed for these indecisive or forgetful people can send progressive content, for example:

• FAQs about the campaign;
• more information about the project;
• a summary of the steps to participate;
• an explanation of the available rewards;
• an update on fundraising progress;
• an invitation to schedule a call or ask questions;
• a reminder before the end of a specific time frame.

The approach should be supportive, not pushy. If the prospect hasn't taken action yet, the workflow should help them overcome any obstacles, rather than simply repeating “sign up now.”.

3. Update and Urgent Workflow 

Many factors can change during the campaign: the amount raised, the number of participants, availability of rewards, company updates, events, frequently asked questions, milestones achieved. 

Marketing automation allows you to turn each of these steps into well-organized communications that leverage the sense of urgency, regarding the exclusivity of limited-time rewards and the social proof from those who have already participated. 

The effectiveness of all the workflows described always depends on proper segmentation and lead scoring upstream.

Useful Workflows After the Campaign 

The end of a crowdfunding campaign shouldn't mark the end of the relationship with the public involved: it's no coincidence that we've already dedicated An article on post-campaign engagement.

Once the campaign is over, the company has a assets that go beyond the capital raised: a contact database, a more active community, new investors or supporters, feedback, data on the most effective content, and information on the most responsive segments. 

If this asset is neglected, much of the work that has been done will be wasted. If, on the other hand, it is managed systematically, it can be leveraged for future sales, subsequent campaigns, product launches, events, partnerships, surveys, referral programs, and day-to-day corporate communications. 

There are three main workflows that are useful at this stage:

1. Investor Thank-You and Onboarding Workflow with explanations of the next steps 
2. Community Advocacy Workflow to turn supporters into brand ambassadors through shareable content, referral programs, event invitations, surveys, reviews, etc.
3. Workflow for Leads Who Have Not Invested with updates and dedicated content to keep the relationship going (e.g., in-depth articles, webinar invitations, surveys, etc.)

Marketing automation software and complementary tools

Among the most widely used tools for building automated workflows are platforms that combine email marketing, CRM, segmentation, automation, and reporting.

Examples:

• Mautic
• HubSpot
• ActiveCampaign
• Brevo
• Salesforce

In addition to the main platform, complementary tools are often needed to collect data, connect applications, and streamline the process. 

Examples:

• Typeform for creating forms, surveys, questionnaires, and expressions of interest 
• SendGrid for managing email campaigns
• Use Make or Zapier to integrate multiple different software applications
• WordPress for Creating Landing Pages

Every piece of software you add increases the system’s capabilities, but also its complexity. For this reason, before choosing a platform, it’s essential to map out the process and understand your needs. In fact, the first rule of marketing automation is this: Chaos cannot be automated.

The value of marketing automation is long-lasting, not just a one-time benefit: if structured properly, it becomes a a valuable and cross-functional corporate asset. That is why Turbo Crowd specializes in technology stacks and marketing automation strategies: to provide businesses with support that goes far beyond crowdfunding.