Ask yourself the following three questions:

Ease time consuming steps? Eliminate a repetitive task? Strengthen a weak link in the communication chain, where you tend to loose leads?

Consider who your audience is. What kind of content is needed and with what frequency are you sending?

Use Profile data to build and automate the customer journey.

Answer the three questions and start building a flow 👇

In this example, we set up a welcome flow - greeting new subscribers with a nice welcome message the moment they sign up.

1. Go to Marketing automation Tool. Click Create a New Flow. Follow the steps until you land in the Canvas.

The new Canvas contains Listening Node. This Node defines what action should trigger the flow. In a welcome flow, a Listen Node should listen to when a new subscriber submits a form.

2. Click on the Listen Node.

Set up Listening for -> Choose Events -> Form & Page interactions -> Form.

Finally, choose the Submit event for the form you want to use.

When using the Form tool the Submit event is automatically stored on the Profile. This data is what the Listening Node will listen for and trigger the flow to start.

3. Add Email Node for the welcome message. Drag and drop into the Canvas and connect to the Listen Node.

4. Click on the Email Node to create the welcome message in the Email Editor.

5. Once the Email is ready, return to the Marketing Automation Canvas. Continue building the flow with more nodes or end it here, nice and simply.

6. Remember to add the End flow Node.

Before activating the flow visit Flow Settings, in the bottom bar.

7. First, decide how many times a Profile should be able to enter the flow. For the Welcome Flow 1 time makes sense.

With Entry Limit set to more than one time, the same Profile can enter the flow again before it's able to leave the flow from their first journey.

If setting Entry Limit to more than one time, make sure to avoid sending too many emails.

Use Termination tag to remove Profiles from the flow. Add a Termination flow by selecting it under Terminate in the flow settings.

Within the Settings go to Subscriptions and choose the Subscription(s) a Profile must be subscribed to, to be able to enter the flow. You can change your choice here.

8. Now you are ready to activate the flow. Click Activate in the right bottom corner.

9. Once activated you can pause the flow, or stop the flow completely.

Pause flow: Profiles will continue to enter the flow but will stay in the Listen node.

Stop flow: Profiles will stop where they are and no new Profiles will enter the flow.

We always recommend testing the flow before going live. Learn how in the guide below.

Here are a few tips on how to test a flow before setting it live.

Regardless from what trigger you are using to start the flow you can add a Segment directly in the Listen Node. With a Segment you can assure only you (or your colleagues) are the only ones who can enter the flow.

1. Go to the Segment Builder to create the test Segment. You can build a test Segment by using the email address of a Profile and choosing equal to and then entering the email address.

Choose any property value you like, but make sure it unique to the Profiles you want to include in the Segment. If you want to include more than one Profile remember to use the OR logic.

2. To make sure you are including the Profile intended use the Calculate Profiles button and check the result.

3. Remember to save the Segment.

If you are using a Form tool form to trigger the flow and you want to be able to sign up with the same Profile more than once, set the Profile Check to Allow Profile Overwriting.

4. Change the setting to the one you find fitting when you set it live.

Here's how to create a Form in APSIS.

5. If you want to test the Form before adding it on your website or anywhere else, use the Sharable Link option.

6. Copy the link and add it in a browser to see and use the form.

Remember to click Finish for the form to work.

Profile Data in Marketing Automation

Navigate the Marketing Automation Canvas