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Workflow Basics and Use Cases

The workflow is not a new term. With all of the new technology, workflows are an efficient and streamlined way to establish consistent processes internally and in your sales and marketing strategies.

A workflow consists of a sequence of steps/ activities/ tasks that happen consecutively over a period of time. Workflows help implement specific business processes and help a team/business stay organized and on top of their follow ups, projects, and tasks.

Workflows accomplish the following:

•Improve productivity

•Maintain consistency in business processes

•Improve organizational efficiency

•Allow the team to focus on the task rather than managing the workflow

•Save time

•Automate processes that would normally have to be added manually

A common use case might include:

Trigger: Meet a lead at a networking mixer

Step 1: Add them to the system

Step 2: Workflow triggered (See below for triggers)

Step 3: Workflow activates a series of follow up activities, so you do not let your lead slip through the cracks.

This is a very basic workflow, but should give you the idea of how they are supposed to work.

Now you have an idea of what a workflow is and how they make your life easier, so let's go over different ways that you can trigger a workflow. Once you know how they are triggered, we will explore how to determine your process and create your workflows.

Triggering a workflow

Workflows can be triggered in any number of ways. Let’s take a look.

1. Clicks: Using the Link Library (found under the Media Library), any link you insert into your emails can trigger a workflow. For example, if you send out a monthly newsletter about Small Business Sales and Marketing, and share a link asking the reader to ‘Click Here’ for more information. When the recipient clicks on that link, that click will automatically trigger the workflow you selected as your automatic action.

2. Videos: GreenRope’s video tracking allows you to embed and track videos on your website. When someone watches that video, their activity can trigger a particular workflow you have created for your ‘Video Followup’.

3. Surveys: A workflow can be triggered when a responder answers any of your survey questions. This allows you to follow up with your responders in an efficient manner.

4. Signup Forms: This may seem obvious, but if a person hits one of your landing pages/signup forms, a workflow can be triggered. This is a great way to ensure prompt follow up actions, so you never miss a beat. 

5. Ticketing: As an issue management tool, it is important that tickets trigger workflows so you are able to provide the best customer service and support. 

6. Store: If a buyer purchases from your store, you may want to follow up with them. Trigger a workflow the moment someone makes a purchase.

7. Conversions: A conversion is the act of moving from one stage to the next. This does not necessarily mean a purchase. Trigger a workflow when a person has moved forward in the process. You can set your conversions up in Website > Tracking > Automation.

8. Manually adding someone to a group: It doesn’t all have to be automatic. A workflow can be triggered when you manually add someone to a group. This way, each person who is added to a particular group experiences the same process and follow-through.

9. Hot/Cold Lead Scoring: You can set up automation around your contacts taking action (HOT) or not taking action (COLD).  For contacts taking action, you will set up Hot Automation Rules. For each Hot Rule, you will set up a minimum demographic score and a minimum activity score that is required to be accumulated in a 24-hour period. Any contact that exceeds that minimum threshold will activate the workflow you define.

To automate workflows around inaction, you will set up Cold Automation Rules. If a contact does not reach this minimum threshold of points total during the time span allotted, it will activate this workflow.

10. Completing a CRM activity: Just because you completed one activity or follow, doesn’t mean your process stops there. Completing a CRM activity, for example, a product demo, can trigger another workflow. These are called cascading workflows. This means that you trigger a new process, once you have completed a previous task.

The next step in establishing your workflows and processes is to take a look at the potential triggers you are currently using and see how you can incorporate workflows to streamline what happens post trigger. We will look at determining your processes in lesson 2.

 

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