| name | marketing-automation |
| description | Use this skill when setting up marketing automation in HubSpot, Marketo, email sequences, lead scoring, and workflows. |
Marketing Automation Expert
Workspace Context
Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.
Operating Contract
This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.
Marketing automation strategy and implementation across HubSpot, Marketo, ActiveCampaign, and similar platforms.
Platform Selection
| Platform | Best For | Complexity | Cost |
|---|
| HubSpot | SMB to Enterprise, all-in-one | Medium | $$$–$$$$ |
| Marketo | Enterprise B2B | High | $$$$ |
| ActiveCampaign | SMB, strong automation | Low–Medium | $–$$ |
| Pardot | Salesforce-native B2B | Medium–High | $$$$ |
| Mailchimp | Small business, email-first | Low | $–$$ |
Selection criteria: CRM integration, email volume, workflow complexity, reporting depth, budget, team technical skill.
Lead Scoring Model
MQL threshold: 100 points. Decay: −10 points after 30 days of inactivity.
Behavioral Scoring
| Action | Points |
|---|
| Request demo | +50 |
| Pricing page visit | +30 |
| Case study download | +25 |
| Webinar attendance | +25 |
| Webinar registration | +15 |
| Content download | +10 |
| Email click | +3 (max 5/day) |
| Email open | +1 (max 3/day) |
| Blog visit | +1 (max 5/day) |
| Unsubscribe | −30 |
| Email bounce | −20 |
| Spam complaint | −100 |
Demographic Scoring
| Attribute | Points |
|---|
| C-Level title | +25 |
| VP title | +20 |
| Director | +15 |
| Manager | +10 |
| Target company size (200–1000) | +20 |
| Target industry | +20 |
| Primary market geography | +15 |
Lead Grading (A–D)
- A: Decision maker + target size + target industry + target geo → immediate sales follow-up
- B: 3 of 4 criteria met → sales within 24 hours
- C: 2 of 4 criteria met → nurture then handoff
- D: 1 or fewer criteria → nurture only, no sales routing
Email Sequences
Welcome Series (6 emails over 14 days)
| Email | Timing | Purpose | CTA |
|---|
| 1 | Immediately | Welcome + quick win resource | Download resource |
| 2 | Day 2 | Pain point + case study | Read case study |
| 3 | Day 4 | Product overview + benefits | See how it works |
| 4 | Day 7 | Exclusive gated content | Download now |
| 5 | Day 10 | Offer personalized help | Schedule a call |
| 6 | Day 14 | Preference center | Update preferences |
Exit conditions: demo requested, sales conversation started, unsubscribed.
Lead Nurture (score-triggered tracks)
| Track | Score Range | Cadence | Focus |
|---|
| Awareness | 50–69 | 2/week | Educational, industry trends |
| Consideration | 70–89 | 2–3/week | Use cases, ROI calculator, case studies |
| Decision | 90–99 | 3/week | Free trial, demo, competitive comparison |
Re-engagement (90-day lapse trigger)
4-email sequence over 15 days: "We miss you" → "Is this goodbye?" → "Last chance offer" → "Goodbye for now" with easy re-subscribe. Outcomes: engaged → return to nurture | no action → sunset list.
Automation Workflows
Lead Routing Workflow
- Data enrichment (Clearbit/ZoomInfo) — wait 30 seconds
- Lead scoring + grading
- Check for existing account → route to account owner if yes
- Territory assignment (geography → company size → industry)
- Create follow-up task with SLA: A=15 min | B=2 hrs | C=24 hrs
- Notify rep via email + Slack
- Add to appropriate nurture track
Lifecycle Stage Automation
| Stage | Entry Trigger | Key Automations |
|---|
| Subscriber | Email opt-in | Welcome series + newsletter |
| Lead | Form submit OR score >20 | Enrich → nurture → sync CRM |
| MQL | Score ≥100 OR demo request | Sales alert + task + pause marketing |
| SQL | Sales qualified in CRM | Update nurture + notify CS |
| Opportunity | Deal created | Pause outbound + enable deal-stage emails |
| Customer | Deal won | Onboarding sequence + remove from prospects |
| Churned | Cancellation | Win-back sequence |
Key Workflows to Build
1. Demo Request → Sales Handoff: Form submit → enrich → score/grade → create HubSpot deal → assign to rep → send confirmation email → start sales sequence.
2. Trial Signup → Activation: Signup → welcome email → onboarding checklist → day 3/7/14 milestone emails → conversion offer at day 14.
3. Event/Webinar: Registration → confirmation email → 3 reminders → post-webinar follow-up (attended) or recording offer (no-show) → add to nurture based on engagement.
4. Customer Onboarding: Won deal → CSM assignment notification → welcome email → onboarding checklist → check-in at 30/60/90 days → NPS survey at 90 days.
HubSpot Implementation
Campaign setup: Marketing → Campaigns → tag all assets (emails, landing pages, ads) with campaign ID.
UTM convention: utm_source={channel}&utm_medium={cpc|email|organic}&utm_campaign={id}&utm_content={variant}
Attribution model: W-shaped for hybrid PLG/sales-led (first touch + lead creation + close).
Lead scoring setup: Settings → Marketing → Lead Scoring. Set behavioral weights, demographic weights, and decay rules. Create MQL automation when score ≥100.
Reporting cadence: Daily review of MQLs/SQLs. Weekly channel ROI. Monthly win/loss trends.
