Pipedrive Marketing Automation: A Practical Guide to Implementation
- UveGotMail Team
- Jul 3
- 7 min read
If you're using Pipedrive, you already appreciate the power of a well-organized sales process. You love the visual pipeline, the deal-centric workflow, and the clarity it brings to your sales team. Now, you're looking to bring that same level of efficiency and effectiveness to your marketing efforts by exploring Pipedrive marketing automation.
It’s a logical and powerful next step. Why wouldn't you want your marketing and sales data living in the same ecosystem, talking to each other seamlessly?
But perhaps you're wondering where to actually begin. The concept of implementing marketing automation can feel like a huge project. How do you go from simply sending emails to building intelligent, automated campaigns directly within your favourite sales CRM?
You've come to the right place. This guide is designed to be your hands-on roadmap. We'll break down the exact steps you need to take to set up and launch effective marketing automation using Pipedrive's native tools.
We'll also take a crucial look at the bigger picture. It's important to understand the fundamental difference between a sales-first CRM that has added marketing features (like Pipedrive) and a dedicated, marketing-first automation platform like GetResponse. We'll compare their features and pricing philosophies to help you decide which engine is best suited to drive your company's growth.
Ready to bridge the gap between your marketing and sales and create a single, powerful revenue machine? Let's get started.
The Pipedrive Advantage: Why Automate from Your Sales CRM?
Before we dive into the "how," let's acknowledge the core benefit of Pipedrive's approach to marketing automation. By using the Campaigns by Pipedrive add-on, you're choosing to operate from a single source of truth.
This is a significant advantage. Instead of wrestling with complex integrations, sync errors, and data discrepancies between a separate marketing platform and your CRM, everything lives under one roof. This means:
Seamless Data Flow: Your marketing campaigns have immediate access to the rich, detailed information already stored in your Pipedrive contacts and deals.
360-Degree Customer View: Your sales team can see every marketing email a lead has received, opened, or clicked directly on the deal's timeline, providing invaluable context for their sales calls.
Sales-Driven Triggers: You can initiate marketing campaigns based on real-time sales activities, such as a deal moving to a new stage in the pipeline or a deal becoming "stalled."
Simplified Workflow: Your team doesn't need to learn and operate two separate, complex systems. The interface is familiar, and the logic is directly tied to the sales process they already know and use every day.
Your Comprehensive Strategy: Implementing Pipedrive Marketing Automation
Let's get tactical. Here is your step-by-step guide to getting started with the Campaigns by Pipedrive add-on.
Phase 1: The Foundation – Setup and Configuration
A successful implementation starts with a solid setup. Don't skip these foundational steps.
Activate the "Campaigns" Add-On: Marketing automation is an add-on feature in Pipedrive. The first step is to navigate to your settings or billing section and subscribe to the Campaigns add-on. This will unlock all the marketing features in your account.
Authenticate Your Domain: This is a crucial technical step for email deliverability. Pipedrive will guide you through setting up your DKIM and SPF records. This essentially tells email providers (like Gmail, Outlook) that you have given Pipedrive permission to send emails on your behalf, preventing them from going to spam.
Master Pipedrive Filters for Segmentation: This is the most important concept to grasp. In Pipedrive, your marketing segments are built using its powerful "Filters" feature. Before you send a single campaign, create custom filters to group your contacts. For example:
A filter for all "Leads" created in the last 30 days.
A filter for all contacts associated with "Deals" in your "Proposal Sent" pipeline stage.
A filter for all contacts with a "Won" deal for "Product A."
A filter for contacts who haven't been emailed in the last 90 days. Your filters are your marketing lists. Get comfortable with creating and saving them.
Phase 2: Building Your First Automated Campaigns in Pipedrive
Pipedrive's automation is based on triggers and actions. While it doesn't have the visual "workflow builder" of some other platforms, you can still create powerful sequences.
Workflow 1: The "New Lead" Nurture Campaign The goal is to welcome new leads and provide initial value.
Trigger: In Pipedrive's main "Automation" section, set up a new rule: "When a Person is created."
Condition: You can add a condition, for example, "Person's Label is 'Website Lead'".
Action: Choose the "Send campaign" action and select a pre-built email sequence you've created in the Campaigns section.
The Email Sequence (built in "Campaigns"):
Email 1 (Immediate): A warm welcome and thank you for their interest. Briefly introduce your company's value proposition.
Email 2 (Wait 2 Days): Send a link to a valuable case study or blog post that addresses a common pain point for new leads.
Email 3 (Wait 4 Days): Introduce your core offerings and include a soft call-to-action, like "See our solutions in action."
Workflow 2: The "Stalled Deal" Re-engagement Campaign The goal is to nudge deals that have gone cold.
Trigger: In Automations, set up a new rule: "When a Deal is updated."
Condition: "Deal stage has not changed for 21 days" AND "Deal stage is 'Contact Made'".
Action: "Send campaign".
The Email (a single, powerful email): Send an email with a subject line like "A special resource for you" or "Still thinking about [Problem You Solve]?". The email could contain a link to a compelling testimonial or an exclusive guide to help them in their decision-making process.
Workflow 3: The "Post-Sale" Onboarding & Upsell Campaign The goal is to welcome new customers and create future opportunities.
Trigger: "When a Deal is updated."
Condition: "Deal status is 'Won'".
Action: "Send campaign".
The Email Sequence:
Email 1 (Immediate): "Welcome Aboard & Thank You!". Confirm their purchase and provide links to "getting started" resources or your support center.
Email 2 (Wait 14 Days): A check-in email. "How are things going? Here are 3 tips to get the most out of [Your Product]."
Email 3 (Wait 60 Days): The upsell/cross-sell. "Since you're now a pro with Product A, many of our customers find Product B to be the perfect next step. Here's why..."
Choosing the Right Engine for Growth: Pipedrive vs. GetResponse
You've seen how to leverage Pipedrive for powerful, sales-centric automation. For many businesses, keeping everything in one place is the ideal solution. But as your marketing needs grow in complexity, it's essential to ask: Is a sales-first CRM the best tool for a marketing-first job?
This is where understanding a dedicated marketing automation platform like GetResponse is crucial.
Where Pipedrive Shines (Features): Pipedrive's strength is its beautiful simplicity and unwavering focus on the sales process.
Unbeatable Sales Integration: It's native. There are no syncs to manage or break. Marketing actions are triggered by the sales pipeline your team lives in every day.
Simplicity for Sales Teams: A salesperson doesn't need to leave their primary tool to see which marketing campaigns a lead has received. It’s all on one timeline.
Deal-Based Automation: Its automation is excellent for triggering marketing activities based on pipeline stages, which is perfect for sales cycle-based nurturing.
Where GetResponse Excels as a Dedicated Marketing Platform: GetResponse is built with a marketing-first philosophy. It's designed not just to nurture leads, but to generate them from scratch and guide them through complex journeys.
Advanced Visual Automation Workflows: While Pipedrive uses linear trigger/action rules, GetResponse features an intuitive drag-and-drop visual workflow builder. This allows you to create complex, multi-branching customer journeys with advanced conditions, filters, tags, and scoring that go far beyond what a CRM add-on can offer.
Top-of-Funnel Lead Generation Tools: This is the biggest difference. Pipedrive is brilliant at managing leads after you get them. GetResponse provides the tools to get those leads in the first place. This includes a built-in Website Builder, a powerful Landing Page Creator with A/B testing, Pop-up and Embedded Forms, and Conversion Funnels designed to capture new subscribers and customers.
A Complete Communication Toolkit: Pipedrive Campaigns is primarily focused on email. GetResponse is a multi-channel communication suite. It includes a built-in Webinar Platform (perfect for lead generation and product demos), SMS automation, and tools for managing Paid Ad Campaigns.
Comparing Pricing and Overall Value
Your investment strategy should align with your business goals. The pricing models of Pipedrive and GetResponse clearly reflect their different approaches.
Pipedrive's Pricing Model: You subscribe to a core CRM plan (Essential, Advanced, etc.). The Campaigns feature is a paid add-on with its own pricing structure, typically based on your number of subscribed contacts. Your total cost is CRM Plan Price + Campaigns Add-on Price. The value is in having a single, unified system for sales and basic marketing.
GetResponse's Pricing Model: GetResponse offers a "GetResponse Free" plan that is remarkably generous, including a website builder, landing pages, and email marketing for up to 500 contacts. As you move into paid tiers, for an investment that is often comparable to or even less than Pipedrive's combined cost, you unlock the entire marketing suite. Features like marketing automation, conversion funnels, and webinars are included in the plans.
The Value Proposition: The question isn't just "how much does it cost?" but "what am I getting for my money?". With the Pipedrive model, you are paying a premium for a world-class sales CRM and then adding on solid, but functionally limited, email marketing. The value is in the convenience of sales integration. With the GetResponse model, you are paying a single price for a world-class marketing automation suite that also includes CRM and lead management features. The value is in the consolidation of marketing tools. If you need to host a webinar, build a sales funnel, or create a high-converting landing page, those tools are already included in your subscription, not an additional cost or third-party integration. This often results in a significantly higher ROI for your marketing spend.
Ready to Build a True Marketing Machine? Try GetResponse for Free!
You now have a clear path to implementing marketing automation within Pipedrive. It's a fantastic way to align your sales and marketing efforts.
But if your ambitions go beyond sending emails based on your sales pipeline—if you want to build a machine that actively generates and converts new leads from scratch—you need a dedicated marketing engine.
If the idea of a single platform that not only nurtures your leads but also helps you create them through landing pages, pop-up forms, webinars, and complete sales funnels sounds powerful, then you owe it to your business to see what's possible.
Explore the intuitive visual automation builder, create your first conversion funnel, and see firsthand how an all-in-one platform can revolutionize your entire marketing process, from lead capture to final sale.
Pipedrive is an incredible tool for managing your sales. When you're ready for an incredible tool to manage your marketing, GetResponse is waiting. Start your free trial and build the growth engine your business deserves.
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