When you think marketing automation it’s easy to assume that it is applied to your B2B or B2C contacts, leads and subscribers to urge them to take action. Actually, marketing automation can also be applied internally to notify stakeholders of certain actions. Plus, it can be used after a conversion as a follow-up for customers when additional documentation is needed.

Marketing Automation and Internal Notifications

Many marketing automation platforms have email notifications built into the functionality of their forms. This is great for marketers but tells non-marketers little about the origin or background regarding the form completion and its purpose. Simply adding a stakeholder’s email to this form without explanation could cause issues.

An option that offers an additional layer of detail and branding opportunity is adding an internal notification. In HubSpot, this requires a few steps:

1. Create a new branded email (see example below) and use personalization tokens pulled from the form

2. Save the email for automation

3. Tie this email to a new or existing workflow

4. In the workflow add action > send internal email > enter internal contact’s email

Hit save and test out the functionality. Think of the possibilities. The internal email could say,

“Hi <important person>,

Just wanted you to know <contact.name> filled out a form asking for more info about <XYZ>. They’ve self-identified themselves as a <title of contact>. Would you be able to reach to them for a follow up? They’ve receive <type of offer associated with form> maybe you could call them at <contact’s phone number> to discuss their next step in <achieving world domination>.”

When simply being CC’ed on a form isn’t enough, try out HubSpots internal notifications. Customize them to your marketing automation heart’s desire!

Marketing Automation for Post-Transaction Use

Marketing automation can also be used after a sale or for those of us in education, an “enrollment.” Here is real life example: Ann, a member of the recruitment/sales team was contacting customers individually to obtain required documentation (consent/health forms). We have over 100 hundred customers/students each summer in this particular program. So as you can image that’s a lot of phone calls, emails and time spent tracking down documentation.

I knew there had to be an easier way using marketing automation. First I created a branded email with links to the required forms (saved for automation). I added anyone who successfully completed a registration form to a list. Then connected that list to a workflow which triggered the automated email requesting the forms.

As a result that email ended up having a 79% open rate. Which drastically cut down on the time Ann spent reaching out individuals to request the forms. This is proof that marketing automation can save considerable personnel time.