Ever wish you could follow up with every sales lead without dropping the ball or spending your whole week writing emails? If you’re a B2B sales team swimming in spreadsheets, manual reminders, or a CRM graveyard, this guide’s for you. Let’s talk about using Mailchimp Journeys to build real, useful automation—without getting lost in buzzwords or endless setup.
I’ll walk you through the nuts and bolts: what works, what’s overrated, and how to get lead nurturing actually done.
1. What is Mailchimp Journeys, Really?
Mailchimp Journeys is Mailchimp's visual automation tool. Think of it as a flowchart for emails, tags, and actions based on what your leads do—or don’t do. It’s not a full-blown CRM, but it’s a solid automation engine for small-to-midsize B2B teams who want better follow-up without adding more software.
Here’s what it does well: - Sends automated emails based on triggers (like when someone signs up or clicks a link). - Adds or removes tags on contacts. - Branches logic based on actions (clicked/didn’t click, opened/didn’t open). - Handles simple lead scoring with tags and segments.
What it doesn’t do: - Deep CRM stuff (custom deal pipelines, call logging). - Multi-channel (text messages, direct mail, etc.). - Heavyweight reporting (it’s fine, but not mind-blowing).
If you’re hoping for a magic bullet to replace your CRM or do personalized, human-like outreach—this isn’t it. But if you want to make sure no lead falls through the cracks and save hours on follow-up, it’s a solid bet.
2. Step 1: Get Your List and Data Cleaned Up
Before you start automating, your data needs to make sense. Garbage in, garbage out.
Do this: - Import all your B2B leads into Mailchimp as a proper audience. - Make sure each lead has key info: name, company, email, maybe their stage or source as custom fields. - Delete or archive dead contacts (bounces, unsubscribes, obviously fake leads).
Pro Tip:
Tags are your friend. Use them for lead source (“Webinar,” “Inbound,” “Trade Show”) or stage (“New Lead,” “Qualified,” “Demo Requested”). If you need to segment later, this will save your sanity.
3. Step 2: Map Out a Simple Nurture Flow
Don’t overthink your first Journey. You’re better off with a functional 3-step flow than a 30-step monster that never goes live.
Ask yourself: - What’s the ONE thing you want new leads to do? (Book a call? Request a demo?) - How many follow-ups feel right before it’s annoying? - What info does a lead need to move forward?
A basic B2B nurture might look like: 1. Welcome Email (immediate): Thanks for signing up. Here’s what we do. 2. Value Email (2 days later): Share a useful resource or case study. 3. Call to Action (4 days later): Direct ask to book a call or reply with questions. 4. Last Nudge (optional, 7 days later): “Hey, still interested?”—then tag as “no response.”
Ignore:
Fancy if/then branches about every possible click or open. Most B2B leads just need a handful of nudges before they either bite or move on.
4. Step 3: Build Your Journey in Mailchimp
Now, let’s roll up our sleeves.
a. Start a New Journey
- Go to Automations > Customer Journeys.
- Click “Create Journey.”
- Name it something obvious, like “New B2B Lead Nurture.”
b. Set Your Entry Trigger
Pick what kicks off the automation. For most B2B flows: - Trigger: “Contact is added to audience” or “Tag is added.” - Example: Anyone tagged as “New Lead” starts the journey.
c. Add Email Steps
For each step: - Drag in an “Email” action. - Write your copy directly or use a template. Keep it short and relevant. - Set delays (e.g., “Wait 2 days” between steps).
Pro Tip:
Don’t obsess over design. Plain emails (just text, maybe your logo) often get better replies than pixel-perfect newsletters.
d. Add Branches (If You Must)
If you really want to get fancy: - Add a “Condition” block: IF they opened/clicked, THEN send a different email or tag them. - Honestly? For most B2B flows, this adds more complexity than value at first. Start simple. You can always add branches later.
e. Finish with Tagging or Exit Actions
- At the end, tag the contact (“Nurture Complete” or “No Response”).
- This makes it easy to search or trigger other Journeys later.
5. Step 4: Write (Good) Emails for B2B Leads
This is where most automations fall flat. B2B buyers can spot canned, generic sequences a mile away.
What works: - Personal, concise, and relevant messages. - Real value—case studies, tips, answers to common objections. - A clear CTA (“Book a call,” “Reply if you have questions”).
What flops: - Overly salesy or “Hi there, I just wanted to reach out and touch base…” - Walls of text. - Generic content (“Download our whitepaper!” with no context).
Pro Tip:
Use merge tags for name/company, but don’t pretend it’s personal if it isn’t. It’s better to be upfront and useful than fake-friendly.
6. Step 5: Test Before You Turn It On
Nothing kills automation faster than a broken link or a message that makes zero sense.
- Add yourself (and a colleague) as test contacts.
- Run through the Journey step by step.
- Check for typos, broken links, weird formatting.
- Make sure delays and triggers work as expected.
Don’t skip this. You’ll thank yourself when you catch that “Hello |FNAME|” before a real lead does.
7. Step 6: Monitor and Tweak
Once it’s live, don’t just “set and forget.” Watch how leads actually move through the Journey.
- Are people opening the first email? If not, your subject line needs work.
- Are leads dropping off before the CTA? Maybe your timing or content needs a tweak.
- Are replies coming in? Great—make sure someone on sales is following up fast.
Things to track: - Open and click rates (Mailchimp reports are fine for this). - How many leads finish the journey. - Actual meetings or demos booked (ideally syncing with your CRM, if you use one).
Ignore:
Chasing open rates for the sake of it. If your automation is getting replies—even if open rates aren’t sky-high—you’re winning.
8. What About Multi-Step or Multi-Channel Journeys?
Mailchimp Journeys is solid for email. If you want to add text messages, phone calls, or LinkedIn drips, you’ll need other tools (or a real CRM). For most B2B teams, though, a clean email sequence is 80% of the value.
Unless you’re at huge scale, don’t burn weeks wiring up a Frankenstein’s monster of integrations. Start with email. If you outgrow it, you’ll know.
9. Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Too Many Steps: If you have more than 4–5 emails, leads will start tuning you out.
- No Clear CTA: Every email should point to something—a reply, a booking link, a resource.
- Overthinking Segmentation: You can always add more branches later. Launch with one or two segments, max.
- Ignoring Replies: Automation is great, but if a real lead writes back and no one responds…well, you just lost the whole point.
10. Keep It Simple, Ship It, and Iterate
Automating your B2B lead nurturing with Mailchimp Journeys isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of setup and some honest writing. Don’t wait until your flow is “perfect.” Get a basic sequence live, watch how real people react, and adjust as you go.
The best automation is the one you actually use. Start simple, keep it human, and let Mailchimp do the drudge work—so your sales team can focus on actual conversations, not chasing cold leads.