17+ Marketing automation examples that actually work in 2025

Imagine automatically reaching the right customer with the right message at the perfect time. That's what marketing automation can do for you.

You can automate tasks like sending emails, nurturing leads, and personalizing messaging using the best marketing automation software. It's not just about making life easier for your marketing team; it's about creating stronger customer relationships.

Whether you're managing existing customers or attracting new ones, the right marketing automation solution helps streamline your marketing strategy and improve customer engagement.

In this blog, we'll explore real-world examples of marketing automation in action, demonstrating how to use automated workflows to enhance your marketing campaigns, retain loyal customers, and keep your sales pipeline moving.

You'll learn how B2B and B2C businesses use marketing automation tools to optimize customer journeys, analyze campaign performance, and build brand loyalty.

Let's dive into some of the best marketing automation examples and show you how they can transform your marketing efforts. Ready to get started?

What is marketing automation?

Marketing automation refers to using software to automate repetitive marketing tasks, like sending emails, posting on social media, and tracking customer behavior without manual intervention.

It frees up time for your marketing team to focus on more strategic tasks, such as crafting compelling campaigns or analyzing customer insights. At the same time, the marketing automation tools handle the time-consuming processes.

For example, instead of manually sending out a welcome email to every new subscriber or following up on every abandoned cart, marketing automation software handles these tasks automatically.

This helps keep your marketing efforts consistent, timely, and relevant, ensuring customers receive the right messages at the right time.

Related read: What is marketing automation? [Get the secret to scaling].

How does it work?

To understand how it works, imagine this: A visitor browses your website and signs up for your newsletter. As soon as they subscribe, they automatically receive a personalized welcome email.

Later, if they abandon their shopping cart, a gentle reminder email nudges them to finish their purchase. All of this happens automatically, based on pre-set marketing automation workflows.

Marketing automation tools often integrate with your CRM system, enabling you to track your customers' behaviors and send personalized messages based on where they are in the sales funnel.

For instance, if a customer engages with specific products, you can send them tailored offers, discounts, or more information about those items, all triggered automatically by their actions.

Why is it important?

Implementing great marketing automation in your business can bring several benefits:

• Save time: Automating repetitive tasks like email marketing or posting on social media ensures your team doesn't have to handle each one manually.
• Boost efficiency: Maintain consistent communication across multiple channels, from email campaigns to push notifications, ensuring you don't miss any opportunities for engagement.
• Enhance personalization: With the ability to use customer data, you can create personalized campaigns and targeted messages that resonate with your audience, improving customer engagement and retention.
• Increase conversions: Automating lead nurturing allows you to guide prospects through the sales funnel with relevant content and offers that increase the likelihood of conversions.
• Customer retention: Implementing automated loyalty programs or re-engagement campaigns helps keep existing customers engaged and loyal to your brand over time.

Insightful read: Top 12 key benefits of marketing automation .

By automating these key processes, your team can focus on the strategic aspects of marketing while achieving better outcomes.

Now, let's explore some real-world marketing automation examples to see how these benefits can be put into practice.

Best real-world examples of marketing automation

Marketing today moves fast, and your team can't be everywhere at once. That's why more businesses are using marketing automation tools to help them scale without sacrificing personalization.

From lead generation to customer retention, automation gives your marketing and sales teams a powerful way to stay connected with customers, streamline repetitive tasks, and better use your data.

It allows you to focus on strategic actions that drive customer engagement while automating routine work.

Here are 18 real-world marketing automation examples you can use today to improve your marketing workflows, boost productivity, and grow smarter.

1. Welcome emails

First impressions are everything, especially when a new customer interacts with your brand.

A welcome email is essential to email marketing automation and should be sent immediately when someone signs up, downloads a resource, or joins your platform.

You can automate this process using the best marketing automation software, ensuring a timely, warm message. A personalized welcome email could include a thank-you note, a brief product tour, or an exclusive offer.

But you can take it further by setting up a marketing automation workflow that sends follow-up emails over several days, helping you build the relationship from day one.

This process saves your team time and boosts customer engagement right from the start, showing new customers they're valued and making them feel at home with your brand.

2. Abandoned cart recovery

Did a potential customer leave items in their cart but never complete the purchase? This happens all too often, but with marketing automation tools, you can recover these lost sales automatically.

Platforms like Salesmate CRM or Mailchimp allow you to create an automated recovery campaign that sends an email or push notification to remind customers about their abandoned carts.

These messages can include product images, reviews, or even a time-limited discount to encourage the customer to complete their purchase.

This automated workflow ensures that you never miss an opportunity to recover a sale and helps increase conversions without manual effort.

3. Lead-nurturing sequences

Not every lead will convert immediately, and aggressive sales tactics can backfire. Lead nurturing automation is the solution to keeping leads engaged over time without being pushy.

With marketing automation software, you can create automated lead-nurturing sequences that send emails based on what the lead has interacted with, whether it's a blog post, a product demo, or a downloadable resource.

For instance, a lead who downloads a whitepaper might receive an email with additional resources, followed by a case study and a personalized demo invitation.

This ensures you consistently stay in touch with leads, educating them through their buyer's journey, ultimately increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Also read: Lead nurturing guide: Key strategies for boosting sales.

4. Retargeting campaigns

Not everyone who visits your site is ready to buy, but they might be interested. That's where retargeting comes in.

With marketing automation platforms, you can set up automated retargeting campaigns to show targeted ads to users who've visited your website but didn't make a purchase or conversion.

These ads can be personalized based on the user's behavior, such as showing them the exact products they viewed or offering them a limited-time deal. This is a powerful way to keep your brand top-of-mind and move leads closer to conversion without manual follow-ups.

Integrating retargeting ads with marketing automation tools allows you to create a seamless experience that enhances customer engagement and drives higher conversion rates.

5. Drip campaigns

Drip campaigns are one of the most effective ways to nurture leads and keep your audience engaged over time.

Instead of sending one long email, you can set up an automated email drip campaign that sends a series of emails over days or weeks, providing your leads with the right information at the right time.

For example, suppose someone signs up for a free trial. In that case, your email marketing automation can start by sending a welcome email on Day 1, followed by product tutorials or success stories on Day 3, and a special offer on Day 7. Each email builds on the previous one, moving the lead further down the sales funnel.

This approach doesn't just improve customer engagement; it ensures a consistent, non-pushy way to nurture leads, providing value and information that helps them make an informed purchasing decision.

6. A/B testing campaigns

A/B testing is a valuable tool for optimizing your marketing campaigns. Using marketing automation tools, you can easily run A/B tests to compare two versions of an email, landing page, or ad to see which performs better.

For example, you might test two subject lines for an email campaign: one focusing on a time-sensitive discount and another highlighting a product feature.

Based on the results, your marketing automation platform can automatically send the best-performing version to the rest of your audience.

This allows you to fine-tune your email marketing, ad campaigns, and overall marketing automation strategy by constantly analyzing what resonates most with your audience, which improves performance and boosts conversions.

7. Re-engagement campaigns

Customers often go quiet after a while, but that doesn't mean they're lost forever.

Re-engagement campaigns help revive relationships with inactive customers by sending automated messages encouraging them to act.

For instance, if someone hasn't opened your emails in 60 days, you can automatically send a "We miss you" email, offering a special discount or asking for feedback. You can even automate a survey to understand why they haven't engaged, which can provide valuable insights for improving future campaigns.

Re-engagement campaigns are critical to customer retention strategies, helping to reactivate inactive users and keep your customer relationships strong.

8. Birthday or anniversary greetings

One simple way to build strong customer loyalty is to remember your customers' special days.

Automated birthday or anniversary greetings are a small but powerful way to show appreciation and deepen your connection with your audience.

Using marketing automation software, you can set up workflows that automatically send personalized birthday or anniversary emails, often with a special offer like a discount code or exclusive access to a product.

This type of personalized messaging can go a long way in making your customers feel valued and appreciated.

It's also a great way to nurture leads, maintain long-term engagement, and reinforce brand loyalty by consistently delivering relevant, personalized content at the right time.

Also read: How to create an effective marketing automation strategy.

9. Cross-selling & Upselling emails

Once a customer makes a purchase, the journey doesn't stop there.

Cross-selling and upselling automation allow you to offer additional products or services to existing customers based on their previous purchases.

For instance, after a customer buys a laptop, you can automatically send an email suggesting complementary products like a laptop case, wireless mouse, or extended warranty, all based on your gathered customer data.

This strategy not only increases customer engagement but also drives more revenue from your existing customers. Marketing automation tools ensure that these automated workflows run smoothly and consistently.

10. Social media scheduling

Keeping your brand active on social media platforms is crucial for customer engagement, but manually posting daily content can be time-consuming.

Using marketing automation tools, you can schedule posts in advance, ensuring that your social media presence remains consistent across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

With tools like Hootsuite or Buffer, you can plan and automate your social media marketing campaigns around product launches, promotions, or seasonal events.

This frees up your marketing team to focus on crafting compelling content while automation handles the repetitive task of posting across multiple marketing channels.

This is a great way to ensure that your audience stays engaged and that your content is seen at optimal times without having to manage everything manually.

11. Automated responses

When a customer submits a form or requests a demo, they expect a quick response.

Automated responses ensure that no request goes unnoticed, helping to build trust and improve the customer experience.

For example, when a lead fills out a contact form, an automated thank-you email can instantly confirm their request and provide them with the next steps. This is crucial for maintaining momentum in the sales funnel, showing that you're responsive and ready to assist.

Automated responses, while simple, ensure that customers feel heard immediately, creating a positive first impression and keeping your sales pipeline moving smoothly.

12. Lead scoring

Not all leads are created equal. Some are closer to purchasing, while others might need more nurturing.

Lead scoring is a key feature of CRM marketing automation, helping you identify the hottest leads based on their interactions with your brand.

For example, if a lead visits your pricing page multiple times or downloads your product guide, these actions could automatically increase their lead score. This allows your sales teams to focus their efforts on the leads most likely to convert, optimizing the sales pipeline and driving better results.

Lead scoring helps ensure that your marketing and sales teams work efficiently, prioritizing high-potential leads and making the best use of your resources.

13. Customer onboarding

The first few days after a customer signs up are crucial for setting the stage for long-term success. Customer onboarding automation ensures that new users are guided through the setup process and receive the right resources at the right time.

For example, when a new customer joins your service, marketing automation workflows can automatically send them a welcome email, followed by tutorial videos, product tips, and best practices.

This creates a smooth onboarding experience that helps customers understand and get the most out of your product.

By automating the onboarding process, you improve customer satisfaction and reduce the time and resources required to guide new users manually.

14. Feedback & survey campaigns

Feedback campaigns are essential for understanding how well your product or service meets customer expectations.

With marketing automation, you can automatically trigger surveys at key moments, such as after a purchase or customer support interaction.

For example, after a customer completes a purchase, you can automatically send a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey to gauge their satisfaction. The responses collected can be used to improve future campaigns, tailor customer experiences, and refine your marketing strategy.

Automated feedback campaigns help you collect valuable insights while ensuring customers feel heard and valued, contributing to customer retention.

15. VIP customer offers

Loyal customers are the backbone of your business. To keep them coming back, offer them special perks.

Marketing automation allows you to send personalized VIP customer offers when a customer reaches a milestone, like completing a certain number of purchases or spending a certain amount.

For instance, when a customer reaches a threshold, you could send them a personalized offer, such as early access to new products, a loyalty discount, or an exclusive gift. These offers help build customer loyalty and show appreciation for their continued support.

This automated workflow strengthens the relationship and encourages repeat purchases, leading to higher customer lifetime value.

16. Content marketing automation

Creating valuable content is key to attracting and retaining customers. However, distributing it efficiently can be a challenge.

Content marketing automation allows you to automatically share your blog posts, videos, or webinars with your audience based on their interests or behaviors.

For example, if a customer reads a blog about improving email deliverability, they could automatically receive a follow-up guide on crafting better subject lines.

This keeps your audience engaged and ensures they always receive relevant content without you having to send each piece manually.

By automating content delivery, you ensure that your audience is consistently exposed to the content they care about, enhancing customer engagement and supporting lead nurturing efforts.

17. CRM marketing automation

When your CRM and marketing tools are integrated, the results are powerful.

CRM marketing automation lets you trigger actions based on a lead's position in the sales pipeline, ensuring seamless communication between your marketing and sales teams.

For example, when a deal is marked as "won," your CRM can automatically send a thank-you email, trigger a customer success onboarding sequence, and add the customer to a newsletter list.

This CRM integration keeps the process smooth, consistent, and focused on delivering the right message at the right time.

CRM-driven automation ensures your team is always aligned, helping to create a smooth customer journey from initial contact to long-term retention.

18. Personalized ad campaigns

Today's customers expect personalized experiences, even in digital ads. With marketing automation, you can use customer data to create personalized ad campaigns that adjust based on user behavior.

For example, if someone viewed your product's pricing page, they might later see an ad offering a demo or free trial. Alternatively, if they downloaded a resource, they might see a testimonial or case study ad to reinforce their decision to engage with your brand.

Personalized ad campaigns are a powerful way to increase relevance and performance, creating a more connected experience across marketing channels like Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram.

By leveraging these marketing automation examples, you can enhance every stage of the customer journey, from lead generation and nurturing to customer retention and re-engagement.

Whether you're automating feedback surveys, sending personalized birthday greetings, or optimizing your sales funnel, these tools and strategies help you scale your marketing efforts while keeping things personalized.

Conclusion

Marketing automation is an invaluable tool for optimizing and scaling marketing efforts.

From welcome emails and abandoned cart recovery to lead nurturing and drip campaigns, automation helps businesses engage with customers at every touchpoint without losing personalization.

By automating repetitive tasks, companies can focus on higher-level strategies while delivering timely, relevant content that boosts customer engagement and drives conversions.

The marketing automation examples we've discussed, such as retargeting campaigns, A/B testing, and personalized ad campaigns, demonstrate how automation tools can streamline marketing processes, improve efficiency, and enhance customer relationship management.

These marketing automation examples help businesses recover lost sales, keep leads engaged, and build customer loyalty with minimal manual effort.

By adopting these marketing automation examples, businesses can refine their workflows, improve customer satisfaction, and drive better results.