If you’re running marketing automation for a B2B company and you want your nurture sequences to actually do something—beyond dropping another forgettable email in someone’s inbox—this is for you. We’ll walk through how to build a multi-step nurture flow that combines Marketo’s automation with Sendoso for physical or digital sends. I’ll call out the steps that really matter, flag common pitfalls, and help you avoid overcomplicating things.
Let’s get into it.
Why bother with multi-step nurture sequences?
If you’re here, you probably know the pain: sales says leads are “cold,” marketing says “they got the emails,” and nobody’s thrilled with the results. Multi-step nurture sequences try to fix that by making your outreach feel more personal and persistent—without being annoying.
Combining Marketo’s automation with Sendoso’s gifting (sending coffee, e-gift cards, swag, etc.) bumps up response rates. But only if you don’t bungle the details.
Step 1: Map out your nurture journey (on paper, not in software)
Before you start clicking around in Marketo or Sendoso, sketch out your nurture flow. Seriously, use a whiteboard, napkin, or Google Doc. Over half the mistakes I see come from people skipping this.
Questions to answer: - What’s the goal? (Book a meeting? Re-engage cold leads? Move accounts to sales?) - How many touches? (Most sequences are 3-5 steps. More than 6, and you risk annoying people.) - What mix? (Emails, LinkedIn, Sendoso gifts, calls?) - Who gets what? (Are there rules for who gets a gift vs. just emails?)
Pro tip: Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with one segment or campaign, see what works, and expand later.
Step 2: Prep your Marketo program and lists
Marketo is the brains here; it decides who’s in the sequence, tracks engagement, and triggers each step.
Here’s what you need:
- A smart list: Define your audience tightly. Use filters like job title, company size, or engagement score.
- A Marketo program: Set this up for your nurture campaign. It’ll help you track performance and keep things tidy.
- Program tokens: These let you personalize emails and keep things scalable. Use them for things like first name, company name, or custom gift links.
What to skip: Don’t bother building a massive, complicated flow at first. You’ll just create headaches when you need to tweak something later.
Step 3: Build your email steps in Marketo
Write your emails like a human. If your first draft sounds like a press release, try again. You’re competing with hundreds of other emails.
Tips: - Keep it short—150 words or less is plenty. - Make the “ask” clear (book a meeting, check out a resource, reply, etc.). - Use Marketo tokens for personalization, but don’t overdo it. People see through fake familiarity.
Set up each email as its own step in your Marketo flow. Space them out—3-7 days between steps is typical. Avoid sending on Fridays unless you want your email lost forever.
Step 4: Integrate Sendoso for physical or digital gifts
Here’s where you make things a little more interesting. Sendoso lets you send physical items (like mugs or swag) or digital gifts (like coffee cards) as part of your sequence.
How Sendoso works with Marketo
You’ll use a Marketo “webhook” to trigger Sendoso sends automatically, based on rules you set (for example, after the second email, or if someone clicks but doesn’t reply).
Setting up the Sendoso webhook:
- In Sendoso: Create your “Send” campaign. Choose the gift, set up any rules (e.g., daily cap), and generate the webhook URL.
- In Marketo: Go to Admin > Webhooks > New Webhook. Paste in the Sendoso webhook URL and set up the payload (usually lead email, name, maybe address).
- Test it: Use a sample lead. If it fails, check the payload and the Sendoso campaign settings.
What to watch out for: - Address collection: If you’re sending something physical, you need the person’s address. Don’t assume you already have it—most B2B databases are missing this. - Solution: Use Sendoso’s address confirmation feature. It’ll email recipients a link to enter their info. - Timing: Don’t send a gift as your first touch. It can feel weirdly aggressive. Wait until after engagement (e.g., after Email 2, or after a click/no reply).
Skip the swag bag unless you know the person is genuinely interested. Nothing says “spam” like an unsolicited branded notebook.
Step 5: Build your Marketo flow steps
Now pull it all together in Marketo’s flow builder.
Basic outline: 1. Step 1: Send Email 1 2. Wait: 3-5 days 3. Step 2: Send Email 2 4. Wait: 3-5 days 5. Step 3: Trigger Sendoso webhook (Send gift) 6. Wait: 3-7 days 7. Step 4: Send Email 3 (reference the gift if appropriate) 8. Optional: Add a task for sales to follow up
Branching logic: Use “Choices” in the flow to branch based on engagement. For example: - If a lead clicks but doesn’t reply, trigger the Sendoso send. - If they reply at any step, move them out of the nurture.
Pitfall: Trying to get too fancy with branching right away. Unless you have a huge database and lots of time to QA, keep it simple for now.
Step 6: Reporting and measurement (what actually matters)
You can drown in Marketo reports. Stick to the basics:
- Response rate: How many people replied, booked meetings, or took another key action? This is your real measure of success.
- Sendoso redemption rate: If you’re sending digital gifts, what percentage are claimed? Low rates mean your offer isn’t enticing or your timing is off.
- Drop-off points: Where are people disengaging? If everyone bails after email 1, your message needs work.
What not to obsess over: Open rates. Between Apple’s privacy changes and bots, this number is mostly noise.
Step 7: Iterate and improve (without driving yourself nuts)
You will not nail this on the first try. That’s fine. The best teams tweak their nurture sequences constantly.
How to iterate: - Run A/B tests on subject lines or gift types. - Shorten or lengthen wait periods. - Swap out gifts that don’t get claimed (digital coffee cards are usually safe bets; branded socks, less so). - Get feedback from sales—are they seeing better conversations?
Warning: Don’t let “optimization” become an excuse to never launch. Ship your first version quickly, then improve.
Honest takes: What actually works, and what to ignore
What works: - Combining email with a thoughtful gift (especially after a lead engages). - Keeping your messaging direct and relevant. No fluff. - Using Sendoso’s address confirmation for physical sends—don’t assume you have up-to-date info.
What doesn’t: - Leading with a gift before you’ve built any relationship. - Long, complicated nurture sequences. Five steps is usually plenty. - Overpersonalization. If it feels creepy or forced, skip it.
Ignore: - Fancy Marketo “engagement programs” with endless streams. They’re a maintenance headache and rarely perform better than a well-executed basic flow.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, launch, and learn
Don’t overthink it. Map out your steps, set up your Marketo and Sendoso connection, and get your first sequence live. The best nurture programs aren’t the most complicated—they’re the ones that actually get sent, measured, and improved. Start small, watch what works, and double down on the stuff that moves the needle.
Now go build something that actually stands out.