Do you want to generate more qualified leads with less effort? Automating your prospecting has become the essential solution to improve your productivity . To set it up, you will have to master the famous marketing workflows. As part of lead nurturing, the use of a workflow allows you to accelerate the progression of your leads in the conversion funnel without requiring your intervention!
But how exactly does it work? How to create a good workflow? What are the examples of workflows to put in place? We explain everything to you in this article.
What is workflow?
Also called “workflow” or “operational flow” , workflow can be defined as a methodical process by which a task is carried out. It represents a series of automated operations aimed at achieving a certain result. Its implementation therefore consists of organizing and structuring the sequence of tasks to achieve an optimal productivity rate.
Workflow creation is a feature that is now found in most marketing automation tools . With a workflow, you can automate tasks as varied as the processing of your data, the management of your orders as well as your emailing and commercial prospecting campaigns.
Used in a prospecting process , the workflow can be a real time and efficiency saver. In fact, it allows you to avoid the repetition of certain tasks with low added value. To do this, it is essential to anticipate the paths taken by your prospects , as well as the actions that this will generate on your side . For example, set up a marketing scenario that allows you to send an email to a prospect who has just viewed a page on your site to offer them an appointment.
However, some prerequisites are necessary before starting, you must define:
- Your target
- Your objective (the action you want to obtain from your target)
- The paths you want him to take
What is a workflow made up of?
The Workflow is built around 3 elements: a trigger , actions and conditions . These elements are reflected on the journey of your prospects in a sales cycle.
The trigger is an action carried out by your prospect which demonstrates their interest in your company (eg: downloading content on your site). Actions are what you take following the trigger (e.g. sending an email) . Conditions allow you to create multiple journeys based on your prospect's behavior.
How to set up a good workflow?
It is important to properly design your workflows to generate a return on investment (ROI) . A good workflow saves valuable time and performance for marketers and salespeople. This quality is based on the consistency of your automatic sequences with the user's journey. To do this, you need to take into account a precise target, a well-defined objective and a schematic representation of one or more “paths”.
To better guide you, here are the 3 tips to follow to set up a good workflow:
1 – Build several scenarios
To create your workflow, you must consider all possible stages of the customer journey, as well as all their actions on your website. Note, for example, that subscribing to a newsletter can trigger the sending of welcome messages accompanied by exclusive content. There is also the download of a white paper which allows the presentation of more features.
2 – Based on the maturity of the prospect
You must take into account the maturity of your prospect in their purchasing process to define the content of your workflow . At the discovery stage , consideration stage content , at the consideration stage present decision . At the more advanced stage of the decision , offer a demonstration, an audit or an appointment.
3 – Aim for continuous improvement
As in any good marketing strategy , evaluating feedback and analyzing the results are essential. rate , click rate, conversion rate , unsubscribe , etc. are all elements to follow regularly. Changes to the subject of the email , the content , and the frequency of sending can improve your feedback.
For example, as part of an emailing campaign, it is entirely possible to measure the performance of your campaign. There are indeed marketing tools capable of monitoring these KPIs (key performance indicators) and suggesting actions to take to obtain a better result. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact us .
5 examples of effective workflow to implement
1 – The welcome workflow
It consists of sending a welcome or thank you email after the prospect has completed an form on your website. This could be a registration form for your newsletter, for a subscription, or even for downloading an ebook.
This welcome email is not only your first contact with your prospect, but it is also the door that leads your prospect towards maturation . You need to encourage them to take an action through your email. You can, for example, send a welcome email with a CTA that redirects to your offers or to an article on your blog, for example. This way, your prospect will be able to make a click which equates to an action.
The only point of vigilance that you must respect is not to be too commercial. You should keep your welcome email simple, short and clear. Remember that this type of email is intended for new subscribers, avoid scaring them away!
2 – The lead nurturing workflow
Also called a nurturing workflow, it consists of sending emails to prospects taking into account their lead scoring . The goal of this email is to move the lead forward in their own purchasing journey. The content of the emails feeds the lead's purchasing thoughts.
The content sent is different depending on the phase in which the lead is located: discovery, consideration and decision. Remember that the goal of this type of workflow is to convert your leads into MQLs (marketing qualified leads). The goal is to accelerate their progress in the purchasing journey so that they get closer and closer to the conversion zone. So, with your emails, you can get closer to your prospects so that they feel confident and decide to make a purchase. However, try not to be too salesy or too pushy to avoid unsubscribes.
3 – The re-engagement workflow
It consists of sending a series of emails to a contact who has not given any sign of life for a certain time . The content of these emails should offer him more appropriate offers to meet his needs, because your goal is to win him back!
This workflow is double-edged. In addition to soliciting inactive contacts , it also helps to unclog your database.
Additionally, if some of your prospects are looking to move away, you can also use this type of workflow to win them back. This would be a good initiative to reestablish contact and rekindle their interest. Keep in mind that previously they may not have been able to approach you, but now they may be ready. In this case, you will need to remind them that you are still in the running and that you are still able to meet their needs. For example, you can send them news about your business, an exclusive offer, etc.
4 – The event workflow
This type of workflow involves sending invitation emails to your active contacts when you organize events (workshop, trade show, webinar, etc.). These events may be online or offline, depending on the case. But the most important thing is that your audience feels considered. Of course, this must be done in a targeted manner , if your target has no interest in participating in your event, they will not consider your email. So you need to think about their needs first .
From another perspective, this type of workflow can also improve your credibility. Since the emails you send are often relevant news or information, your readers will find it interesting. They will see you as a company that is always on the lookout for new trends and they will be interested in following you. You will gain loyal subscribers!
5 – The Fast-Track workflow
When a prospect shows interest in your services by browsing your pages, it is time for your salesperson to contact them. The Fast-Track workflow comes into play by informing the salesperson of the key action that is in progress. The lead can also receive an automatic email , offering them a meeting with the sales representative. The link to the online calendar is then shared with the lead. Thus, the latter can reserve the free slot that suits them to telephone appointment
If you already have the lead's phone number, your salesperson can call them directly. This will allow you to save more time .
What to remember in this article
Used in marketing, workflow can generate a significant return on investment. As part of prospecting , its implementation can help you boost your conversion rate. The goal is to boost the progression of your prospects through the conversion funnel so that they are quickly converted. All the different types of workflows you can put in place can make the lead generation process easier. Based on the stages of your prospects' buying journey , you can send them email sequences focused on their needs to offer them YOUR solutions. And in all that! Marketing automation tools allow you to fully automate your workflows. They also allow you to ensure proper monitoring of the KPIs of your marketing and sales actions, while showing you areas for improvement.
The Magileads omnichannel platform allows you to automate your prospecting with ease. You will no longer waste time prospecting companies without results. By exploiting all digital acquisition channels, you optimize your prospecting performance for optimal return on investment. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need support.
