Jessica Lerner

Jessica Lerner

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Creating Customer Journeys with Marketing Automation

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Higher conversions and strong brand loyalty come from mapping, building, and optimizing automated customer journeys. This ensures the right message is delivered to each person at the right time. Create journeys using “if this, then that” logic.

Workflow Components:

  1. Define the Trigger: The specific customer action that starts the automation (e.g., downloads an ebook, abandons a cart).
  2. Set the Action: The immediate response to the trigger (e.g., Send a “Thank You” email or assign a lead score).
  3. Add Decision Points: Use conditional logic to personalize the path based on behavior or data. For example: IF the prospect opens the email THEN wait 2 days; ELSE send a different follow-up.
  4. Establish Goals: Define the successful completion of the workflow (Goal) and the point at which contacts should be removed (Exit).

Testing and Quality Assurance (QA)

A successful workflow is a flawless workflow. Thorough testing ensures a smooth, non-frustrating customer experience.

  • Internal Testing: Validate content, links, and personalization tokens using internal accounts.
  • Logic Simulation: Use your platform’s “Test Workflow” feature to simulate contacts taking different paths through the decision points.
  • Timing: Confirm delays between steps respect the customer’s pace.
  • CRM Integration: Verify that lead scores and activity data are accurately syncing with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Measuring and Optimizing for Success

Optimization is a continuous cycle driven by data. Your marketing automation tool provides critical metrics to guide refinement.

  • Goal Conversion Rate: The percentage of contacts who complete the final, desired action (e.g., book a demo, make a purchase).
  • Email Open Rate and Click-Through Rate: These metrics measure engagement with individual steps in your automated flow.
  • Drop-Off Rate: The Drop-Off Rate identifies the specific step where contacts exit the journey without completing the final goal.
  • Time to Conversion: This measures the average time it takes a contact to move from the starting trigger to the final goal.
  • Lead Score Velocity: Lead Score Velocity tracks how quickly a contact’s lead score increases as they move through the journey.
  • Unsubscribe Rate: A rising Unsubscribe or Opt-Out Rate is a red flag.

Refinement Actions:

  • A/B Test: Continuously test subject lines, CTAs, and the sequence.
  • Segment: Break down workflows into hyper-targeted journeys based on the data you collect (e.g., industry, past purchases).
  • Drop-Offs: If the drop-off rate is high after a specific email, restructure the content or introduce a new, more compelling offer at that stage.

Customer journeys designed with marketing automation scale personalized engagement. With logic-driven features, continuous testing, and metric-based refinement, you transform your funnel into a highly engaging growth engine.

Maximizing Performance with Google’s AI-Powered Advertising

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As a marketing leader, my focus is on strategies that drive measurable results and maximize return on investment (ROI). Google’s AI-Powered Ads represent a critical shift from manual campaign management to an efficiency-focused system. These capabilities leverage machine learning to optimize bidding, targeting, and creative selection in real-time.

The Power of Performance Max Campaigns

The ultimate expression of Google’s AI capabilities is the Performance Max (PMax) campaign. PMax is a goal-based campaign type that grants advertisers access to all of Google’s inventory—including Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, and Maps—from a single campaign.

  • Holistic Reach: PMax automatically serves your best ads across all relevant Google channels.
  • AI-Driven Optimization: Google’s AI optimizes bids and placements in real-time to drive more conversions or conversion value, based on your stated objectives.
  • Asset Assembly: The system dynamically mixes and matches the creative assets you provide (images, videos, headlines) to create the most effective ad for each user and context.

Keys to Successful Implementation

Achieving superior results with AI-Powered Ads, especially PMax, requires strategic account and campaign groundwork. Success is dependent on the quality of the inputs you provide.

  1. Define Clear Conversion Metrics: Establish precise conversion tracking and assign appropriate values to critical actions (e.g., lead submission, product purchase, donation).
  2. Supply High-Quality, Diverse Assets: Provide a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality creative assets (maximum variety in images, videos, headlines, descriptions) to allow the AI to test and assemble effective ad variations.
  3. Guide the AI with Audience Signals: Use your existing customer data, website visitor lists, and custom segments as Audience Signals. This provides the AI with a valuable starting point to find new, high-value customers.

Strategy by Organizational Model

The implementation strategy must be customized to the organizational model and primary objective, with PMax as the central execution tool:

1. Nonprofit Organization (Acquire Donations & Volunteers)

The objective is to secure financial contributions and volunteer engagement.

  • PMax Focus: Target Conversion Value Optimization to prioritize donors likely to contribute high amounts.
  • Assets: Focus on emotionally compelling creatives that clearly articulate your mission and show impact.
  • Actionable Step: Implement precise tracking for both monetary and non-monetary (volunteer sign-ups) conversions.

2. Service Organization (Generate Qualified Leads & Calls)

The objective is to drive high-quality leads that result in bookings or service calls.

  • PMax Focus: Implement Target CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition) bidding to efficiently manage the cost of acquiring a new lead.
  • Assets: Messaging must convey a clear, geographically relevant value proposition and strong CTAs.
  • Actionable Step: Utilize Call Extensions and robust offline conversion tracking to measure lead quality and optimize the PMax campaign accordingly.

3. eCommerce Retail Website (Drive Sales & Revenue)

The objective is maximizing product sales and overall revenue.

  • PMax Focus: Set bidding goals around Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) for profitability. This is the ideal PMax scenario for retailers.
  • Assets: Use dynamic product feeds in conjunction with lifestyle imagery, ensuring high-resolution photos and compelling promotional messaging.
  • Actionable Step: Ensure your Google Merchant Center feed is fully optimized and linked to the PMax campaign to display rich Shopping ad formats across all Google properties.

The consistent application of these best practices ensures that Google’s AI-powered Performance Max campaigns deliver maximum performance and strategic value to your organization.

Nonprofit Direct Mail Demystified: Reaching Your Audience and Measuring Success

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Direct mail often feels like a relic in the digital age, but for many nonprofits, it remains a powerful and essential channel for fundraising and engagement. There is strategic value of integrating direct mail with digital efforts. This article provides a concise overview of direct mail audiences, key metrics, and implementation basics to help your nonprofit maximize its impact.

Understanding Your Direct Mail Audience

Effective direct mail starts with smart segmentation and targeting. You can’t send the same message to everyone!

Audience Segmentation Strategies:

  • Lapsed Donors: Individuals who gave in the past but haven’t recently. Your message should focus on re-engagement, reminding them of their past impact and showing what you’re doing now.
  • Active Donors: Current supporters. Focus on stewardship, updates on mission delivery, and sometimes special, high-value appeals.
  • Prospects/Acquisition: Individuals who have never given but match your donor profile (e.g., mailing lists rented based on demographics, interests, or modeled look-alike audiences). Your goal is to generate that first gift.
  • Major Donors: Typically targeted with highly personalized and custom correspondence rather than general mass appeals.

Data-Driven Targeting:

  • Recency, Frequency, Monetary (RFM): The gold standard for segmenting existing donors. It scores them based on when they last gave, how often they give, and how much they give.
  • Demographics & Psychographics: Using data like age, income, geographic location, and known interests to refine prospect lists.

Key Direct Mail Metrics

Measuring performance is critical for optimizing future campaigns. Here are the core metrics you must track:

  1. Response Rate: The percentage of recipients who donate or take the desired action. Response Rate = (Number of Responses/Number of Mail Pieces Sent) x 100. For example if you receive 10 responses for 100 pieces of mail, your response rate is 10%. Higher is better.
  2. Average Gift Amount (or Yield): The average size of the gifts received from the campaign.
  3. Cost Per Dollar Raised (CPDR): The total cost of the campaign divided by the total amount of money raised. This is a crucial metric for financial health. CPDR = Total Campaign Cost/Total Dollars Raised. If your campaign cost is $1,000 and it raised $10,000, your CDPR is .1. Lower is better.
  4. Return on Investment (ROI): ROI = (Total Dollars Raised – Total Campaign Cost)/(Total Campaign Cost) x 100. Let’s say campaign costs $1,000 and generates $2,500 in donations. The net profit would be $1,500. then the ROI = ($1,500/$1,000) x 100 = 150. ROI is 150%. Higher is better.
  5. Lift/Channel Attribution: Tracking how direct mail influences giving across other channels (e.g., a donor receives a letter and then gives online). This requires robust tracking (e.g., unique PURLs, dedicated landing pages, or specific codes).

Broad Implementation Steps

Executing a direct mail campaign requires coordination across creative, data, and production.

  1. Strategy & Budget: Define your campaign goal (e.g., acquisition, renewal), select the target audience segments, and establish the budget.
  2. Creative Development: Write compelling copy and design the mail package (e.g., outer envelope, letter, reply device, lift note) with a clear, emotional call-to-action (CTA).
  3. Data Processing & Personalization: Clean and prepare your mailing list. Use data (like donor name, last gift amount) to personalize the letter and reply device.
  4. Production & Mail House: Work with a vendor (mail house) to print, fold, insert, address, and apply postage. This step includes crucial checks for postal regulations.
  5. Mailing & Tracking: The mail house drops the pieces with the USPS. Internally, you must set up systems to track incoming mail, process donations, and attribute the response back to the campaign and segment.

Conclusion: Direct Mail as a Foundational Tool

Direct mail, when executed strategically, is an invaluable component of a multi-channel marketing plan. By focusing on smart audience segmentation, diligently tracking the core financial metrics (like CPDR and ROI), and executing a disciplined production process, your nonprofit can leverage the high response rates and deeper engagement that physical mail offers. Remember, a powerful piece of direct mail often drives an online action—make sure your digital experience is ready to welcome that motivated donor.

The B2B Marketer’s Guide to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

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The shift to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is more than just a software update—it’s a critical upgrade for B2B marketers who need deeper, event-driven insights. GA4 moves beyond simple pageviews to focus on the full customer lifecycle, making it an indispensable tool for tracking complex B2B journeys.

Here’s a concise breakdown of how to get set up, key tips, and the reports that matter most.

🛠️ Basic Setup: Your B2B Data Foundation

GA4’s event-based model is far more flexible, but requires a thoughtful setup, especially for B2B lead generation.

  1. Create Your Property & Data Stream: Start in the Admin section. Create a new GA4 Property, then create a Web Data Stream. This stream generates your unique Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXX).
  2. Enable Enhanced Measurement: This crucial step, in your data stream settings, automatically tracks essential B2B events, such as scroll, outbound_click, and file_download (perfect for whitepapers/case studies).
  3. Implement the Tag: Use Google Tag Manager (GTM) for the most flexible implementation. Create a GA4 Configuration Tag and deploy it across your site using your Measurement ID.
  4. Define Key Events (Conversions): Identify your high-value B2B actions (e.g., Demo Request Form Submission, “Contact Us” click). In the Configure > Events section, mark these actions as Key Events. This replaces “Goals” from the old Universal Analytics.

💡 Top Tips for B2B Success in GA4

  • Map Your Funnel with Custom Events: Enhanced Measurement is a start, but B2B requires custom actions. Create events to track specific stages, like: request_demo (a form completion) or pricing_page_view (high-intent engagement)or video_watch_complete (for product walkthroughs)
  • Filter Out Internal Traffic: Ensure your data is clean. In Admin > Data Settings > Data Filters, set up a filter to exclude your office IP addresses (internal traffic).
  • Link Google Ads & Search Console: Don’t skip this! Linking these accounts in Admin allows GA4’s attribution models to work, giving you a full-funnel view of how ads and organic search drive your Key Events.
  • Leverage Audiences for Remarketing: Create high-value audiences (e.g., “Visited Pricing Page But Didn’t Convert”) in the Audiences section and export them to Google Ads for precision remarketing campaigns.

📊 Essential GA4 Reports for B2B

The standard reports are helpful, but the Explorations section is where B2B marketers unlock maximum value.

Key Report/ExplorationB2B Value Proposition
Traffic Acquisition (Standard Report)See which channels (Organic Search, Paid, Social) are driving the most Users and, critically, the most Key Events. Optimize your spend.
Conversions (Standard Report) A simple list view of your defined Key Events. Use this to monitor daily/weekly lead volume and conversion rates.
Funnel Exploration (Explorations Report)Crucial for B2B. Visualize your entire lead journey (e.g., Homepage > Product Page > Demo Request). Pinpoint exact drop-off points to prioritize website optimization.
Path Exploration (Explorations Report)Understand non-linear customer journeys. See the top paths users take before an important action or after landing on your site. Inform your internal linking and content strategy.
Tech Details (Standard Report)Analyze your user-base by device, browser, and screen resolution. Crucial for identifying and fixing technical issues that could be hurting mobile conversions.

GA4 is built for the modern, complex B2B customer journey. By focusing on the right setup, tracking the right events, and diving into the Explorations reports, you’ll transform your data into actionable insights for lead generation and revenue growth.

Digital Fundraising: Tools, Campaigns, and Winning Strategies

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Digital fundraising is no longer optional—it’s the core of a thriving nonprofit. From viral social challenges to AI-powered donation forms, leveraging the right tools and strategies can unlock massive growth.

Here’s your essential guide to the best platforms, the most successful campaigns, and the top tips for online fundraising success.

1. The Top-Tier Digital Fundraising Tools

Choosing the right platform is the first step to a successful digital strategy. These tools go beyond basic donation forms to offer powerful campaign management features:

  • Donorbox: Best for nonprofits focused on recurring giving and quick, user-friendly setup. They are known for their powerful, all-in-one features including peer-to-peer and crowdfunding options.
  • OneCause: Ideal for organizations that frequently host fundraising events. Its platform is exceptionally strong for event management, mobile bidding, and online auctions, making it a versatile event-focused solution.
  • Fundraise Up: A cutting-edge choice that uses AI-powered technology to dynamically suggest optimal donation amounts and focus on conversion rate optimization, helping nonprofits maximize their online revenue.
  • GoFundMe Pro (Classy): A robust platform favored by larger nonprofits for its excellent and customizable features, especially in peer-to-peer fundraising and running sophisticated, branded campaigns.
  • Givebutter: A popular option for small to mid-sized nonprofits, offering a comprehensive set of tools (forms, P2P, events) under a free platform model that operates on optional donor tips.

2. Inspiring Campaigns: What Works (and Why)

The best campaigns don’t just ask for money—they inspire action and spread their message. Here are three examples that perfectly leveraged digital channels:

  1. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge:
    • The Power: It turned social media virality and peer-to-peer (P2P) pressure into a massive fundraising success. The simple, visual challenge and nomination component encouraged rapid, global sharing.
    • The Lesson: Make your campaign shareable, fun, and easy for the participant, not just the donor.
  2. #TeamTrees:
    • The Power: This campaign leveraged the immense reach of online influencers (YouTubers) and combined it with a clear, measurable goal: $1 for 1 tree.
    • The Lesson: Partner with voices who can reach a new, large audience and present your mission with simple, tangible impact.
  3. Movember:
    • The Power: It’s a successful annual movement that uses physical action (growing a mustache) as a visible, month-long talking point. Participants become walking, talking ambassadors who use online profiles to collect donations.
    • The Lesson: Create a visible, sustained commitment that supporters can rally behind and track their progress online.

3. Essential Tips for Digital Fundraising Success

Take the lessons from the top campaigns and apply these core best practices to your daily fundraising activities:

  • Optimize for Mobile and Speed: Over half of all web traffic is mobile. Your donation forms and campaign pages must be fast, clean, and perfectly responsive on any device.
  • Champion Recurring Gifts: Don’t just ask for a one-time donation. Use your platform to make the monthly or quarterly gift option prominent—it is the foundation of predictable revenue.
  • Tell a Focused Story: Use high-quality videos and images to show the person or community your funds help. Donors need to connect with the impact, not just the logistics.
  • Streamline the Donation Process: Ask for only the essential information. Fewer clicks and required fields dramatically increase the chance a donor completes their gift.
  • Embed Matching Gift Tools: Add a simple tool to your donation page that allows donors to search for their employer’s matching program. It’s the easiest way to double a donation.
  • Use Segmentation for Email: Group your donors (new, recurring, major, event-attendees) and send them tailored messages. Personalized content is always more effective than mass appeals.

Summary of Digital Fundraising Advice

To achieve digital fundraising mastery, you must focus on platform, story, and execution.

Use the Right Tools (like Donorbox or Classy) to ensure your giving experience is fast, mobile-friendly, and secure. Borrow inspiration from viral campaigns (like the Ice Bucket Challenge or #TeamTrees) by making your message shareable, visible, and emotionally compelling. Finally, execute flawlessly by prioritizing recurring revenue, strong visual storytelling, and data-driven personalization.

The AI-Powered Marketing Playbook: Resources for Generative AI Adoption

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Generative AI is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for modern marketing teams. The key to successful adoption lies in structured training and a strategic implementation roadmap. Here are the essential resources and best practices your organization needs to move from experimentation to enterprise scale.

Your Essential Prompt Engineering Cheat Sheet

The most critical skill for your team is Prompt Engineering. The quality of your AI-generated marketing content (copy, images, analysis) is entirely dependent on the quality of the prompt you write. Teach your team this six-part framework to get consistent, on-brand results.

ComponentWhat to DefineExample for a Product Ad
1. The RoleThe AI’s persona (Expert B2C Instagram Copywriter)“Act as a friendly, benefits-focused direct response specialist.”
2. The TaskThe specific action to perform“Generate five variations of an Instagram carousel ad caption.”
3. The ContextThe product details, features, and brand voice“The product is a plant-based protein bar called ‘GreenBoost’ with 25g of protein and zero sugar.”
4. The AudienceWho the content is for“Target busy Millennial and Gen Z fitness enthusiasts who prioritize clean ingredients.”
5. The ConstraintsTone, length, and keywords“Use an upbeat, encouraging tone. Keep each caption under 180 characters and include the hashtag #CleanFuel.”
6. The OutputThe desired final structure“Present the final output as a simple, numbered list.”

The Generative AI Implementation Roadmap

Successful integration requires a formal strategy that moves beyond simply using tools like ChatGPT. Use these three pillars to structure your organization’s AI adoption.

1. Strategic Alignment & Governance

  • Establish an AI Council: Create a cross-functional group (Marketing, Legal, IT) to set policies around data security, intellectual property (IP), and the ethical use of AI.
  • Prioritize Use Cases: Start with high-volume, low-risk areas that offer maximum speed benefits, such as drafting first-pass content, generating personalized email subject lines, or creating A/B test variations.
  • Audit Your MarTech Stack: Look for platforms (like HubSpot, Adobe, or Klaviyo) that are integrating AI features directly. This is often more efficient than relying on standalone, disconnected tools.

2. Tool & Ecosystem Resources

  • Content Generation: Use Large Language Models (LLMs) for text and specialized tools like DALL-E or MidJourney for visual assets.
  • Integration is Key: Focus on tools that can connect to your internal data. An AI that understands your past campaign performance or proprietary customer data will always outperform a generic public model.
  • Adopt Specialized AI Tools: Invest in AI assistants tailored for marketing tasks, such as those that automate content analysis for SEO (e.g., Surfer SEO) or personalize video at scale.

3. Training and Culture

  • Mandatory Prompt Training: Make the prompt engineering framework above mandatory training for all content and creative teams.
  • Build a Shared Resource Library: Create a central, accessible library of high-performing prompt templates for common brand tasks (e.g., “Product Launch Email Prompt Template,” “Q4 Strategy Summary Prompt”).
  • Define the ‘Human-in-the-Loop’: Clarify for your team that their role is shifting from creator to editor and strategist. Every piece of AI-generated content must be fact-checked and edited by a human to ensure accuracy, compliance, and brand voice.

By systematizing your prompting and following a clear adoption roadmap, your marketing organization can unlock the promised speed and personalization of generative AI while maintaining high standards for quality and compliance.