HubSpot is one of the most powerful marketing automation engines in the world. And, yet, sometimes your visions of marketing automation grandeur are *just* out of reach of its robust feature set.
But there are ways to supercharge not just HubSpot but your approaches to marketing personalization.
In this blog post, I'll outline a detailed step-by-step guide on using n8n.io, Phantombuster, LinkedIn, and HubSpot to create a highly personalized and completely automated marketing campaign.
Step 1: Setting up the Tools and Integrations
Before diving into the process, you must have accounts for n8n.io, Phantombuster, LinkedIn, and HubSpot. Once you have your accounts ready, follow these steps:
1.1 Connect n8n.io to Phantombuster, LinkedIn, and HubSpot
1.1.1 n8n.io and Phantombuster
- Create a Phantombuster API key by visiting your account settings.
- In n8n.io, add a Phantombuster node and enter your API key.
1.1.2 n8n.io and LinkedIn
- Navigate to the LinkedIn Developer portal and create a new app.
- Obtain the Client ID and Client Secret.
- In n8n.io, add a LinkedIn node and enter the Client ID and Client Secret.
1.1.3 n8n.io and HubSpot
- Generate a HubSpot API key from your account settings.
- In n8n.io, add a HubSpot node and enter your API key.
Step 2: Building the Workflow
Now that we have all the necessary tools connected, it's time to create the workflow. Here's a detailed breakdown:
2.1 Target Audience Extraction
- In Phantombuster, create a new "LinkedIn Sales Navigator Search Export" phantom.
- Configure the phantom with the desired search criteria and filters to extract your target audience.
- In n8n.io, add a Phantombuster node, select the phantom you created, and connect it to the LinkedIn node.
2.2 Personalization and Campaign Preparation
- Add a Function node in n8n.io to preprocess the extracted data.
- Use the Function node to personalize your message. The average effort here would be to use simple data like first name or company. Still, we all know how lame that "personalization" can be. Optimally you'd share something really unique with the prospect. We're biased, but connecting Air Traffic Control to use all of the prospect's LinkedIn profile data and predict your best marketing content for each person is the winning play.
- Add a Set node in n8n.io to store the personalized message, prospect's email address, and LinkedIn profile URL.
2.3 LinkedIn Connection and Message
- Configure the LinkedIn node to send a personalized connection request. You might also do your direct messaging over email and, instead, automate a visit to someone's profile or even a comment to one of their posts. See my note above about using Air Traffic Control.
- After a successful connection, use another LinkedIn node to send a personalized InMail message. Or, again, take direct messaging to email. Again, and I cannot stress this enough if your "personalized" message is bland and formulaic, your results will be blegh.
2.4 HubSpot Contact Creation and Tracking
- Use the HubSpot node in n8n.io to create or update the contact with the extracted prospect's information.
- Configure the HubSpot node to log the LinkedIn interaction and store the profile URL as a custom property.
Step 3: Testing and Monitoring the Workflow
- Run the n8n.io workflow to test the entire process.
- Monitor the progress of your workflow in n8n.io and check for any errors.
- Adjust the workflow as needed, ensuring it runs smoothly and error-free.
Step 4: Scheduling the Workflow
- In n8n.io, add a Cron node to schedule the workflow at your desired frequency (e.g., daily, weekly).
- Activate the workflow, and your automated marketing campaign will run according to your chosen schedule.
Conclusion
By leveraging the power of n8n.io, Phantombuster, LinkedIn, and HubSpot, you can add LinkedIn touchpoints into campaigns just as you would a direct email or push notification.
As always, the most critical piece of the puzzle is ensuring that WHAT your automated outreach is doing offers value to the folks you're reaching out to. Just because you can do [more] of something doesn't mean it's good.
Obsess over the language and value prop - then (and only then), go rig up this killer automation suite!
