If you’re running B2B email campaigns and tired of sending stuff into the void, you’re not alone. It’s hard to know which leads are really worth your time—or what to send them. This guide is for marketers and growth folks who want practical steps, not hype, for using Madkudu insights to actually get results from email.
Let’s skip the fluff and get straight to what matters.
1. What is Madkudu (and why should you care)?
Madkudu is a tool that scores your leads based on how likely they are to buy, using data it pulls from your CRM, product usage, and other sources. It promises to help you prioritize your best-fit prospects and personalize outreach, so you stop wasting time on leads that’ll never convert.
But here’s the thing: Madkudu’s insights are only as good as what you do with them. If you just stare at its dashboards, nothing changes. The value comes when you use those insights to drive better decisions—especially with email.
So, how do you actually use Madkudu to improve your B2B email marketing? Here’s a step-by-step, no-nonsense guide.
2. Step 1: Set up Madkudu scoring in your CRM (and sanity-check the data)
Before you do anything fancy, make sure your Madkudu scores are syncing into your CRM or email tool (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Marketo). If you’re not technical, get help from someone who is.
Why bother?
You can’t segment or trigger emails based on Madkudu scores if the data isn’t there.
What to watch out for: - Bad data in, bad data out: If your CRM is full of junk, Madkudu will make poor guesses. Clean up obvious duplicates and empty fields first. - Score visibility: Test that you can actually see the “Madkudu fit score” or “lead grade” on contact records.
Pro tip:
Do a quick gut-check. Pull a list of your “high fit” leads according to Madkudu. Do they actually look like your best customers? If not, tweak your setup or talk to support before building campaigns on shaky ground.
3. Step 2: Segment your audience by Madkudu fit score
The default fit scores are usually “high,” “medium,” and “low.” You can get fancier, but start simple.
- High fit: Leads who look like your best customers
- Medium fit: Decent but not amazing
- Low fit: Tire kickers, students, or just a bad match
How to use these segments: - High fit: Give them your best shot—think tailored content, fast follow-ups, maybe even a call from sales. - Medium fit: Nurture with helpful resources, case studies, and a slower drip. - Low fit: Keep them on a low-effort newsletter, or leave them be. Don’t waste your A-game.
What NOT to do:
Don’t try to “convert” low-fit leads with a ton of emails. It’s not worth it—the data says so.
4. Step 3: Map email content to each segment
Here’s where most people overcomplicate things. Don’t try to build 20 different email journeys right away. Start with three streams:
- High fit:
- Send value right away (case studies, ROI calculators, free trial offers).
- Personalize with their industry or pain points if you can.
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Add clear calls-to-action (“Book a demo,” “Talk to sales”).
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Medium fit:
- Nurture with educational content (blog posts, webinars, best practices).
- Ask for feedback or small actions (e.g., “What’s your top challenge?”).
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Keep CTAs low-pressure.
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Low fit:
- Maybe just your monthly newsletter.
- Or nothing, if you’re worried about deliverability.
What to ignore:
Don’t waste time obsessing over small personalization tweaks for low-fit leads. Focus where you’ll get the most bang for your buck.
5. Step 4: Use behavioral data to trigger smarter emails
Fit score tells you who to target, but Madkudu can also help with when to reach out. If you connect product usage or website activity data, you can trigger emails when leads show buying signals.
Examples: - High-fit lead signs up for a trial: Instantly send a “welcome” sequence that moves them toward a purchase. - Medium-fit lead attends a webinar: Send follow-ups that address specific questions raised in the session. - High-fit lead goes quiet: Fire off a re-engagement email or ask if they need help.
Keep it honest:
Don’t overdo it with triggers—nobody wants to get three emails in a day because they clicked around your site. Pick a couple of key actions that actually matter.
6. Step 5: Align with sales—don’t let hot leads go cold
If a high-fit lead opens your emails, clicks CTAs, or requests info, make sure your sales team knows immediately.
How to do it: - Set up notifications or workflows in your CRM when leads hit certain thresholds (e.g., Madkudu fit + recent engagement). - Make it dead simple for sales to see why a lead is “hot”—show both the fit score and recent email activity.
Why it matters:
Speed wins deals. If sales waits a week to follow up on a hot lead, you’ve wasted the insight. The handoff should be automatic, not “when someone remembers to check.”
7. Step 6: Measure results and adjust—don’t just “set and forget”
Madkudu’s scores are only a starting point. You need to track if your segments and emails are actually working.
What to measure: - Open and click rates by segment (high/medium/low fit) - Conversion rates to meetings, trials, or sales - Unsubscribe and spam rates (are you annoying the wrong people?)
What to look for: - Are high-fit leads converting at a higher rate? If not, your emails or offers might need work—or your fit model could be off. - Are low-fit leads unsubscribing in droves? Good. You’re not wasting time on them. - Are you getting false positives? (e.g., people with high scores but no real buying intent). Talk to your Madkudu rep and tweak your model.
Don’t:
Don’t obsess over vanity metrics like total opens. Focus on what actually moves the needle.
Honest takes: What works, what doesn’t, and common traps
What works: - Prioritizing high-fit leads and sending them clear, focused emails - Using triggers based on real behavior, not just demographic guesses - Keeping things simple—don’t build a Rube Goldberg machine
What doesn’t: - Spraying everyone with the same newsletter, hoping something sticks - Over-personalizing for low-fit leads (wasted effort) - Automating handoffs without ever checking the quality of what’s being sent
Ignore the hype:
No, Madkudu isn’t magic. It won’t fix a bad offer, a weak product, or a messy CRM. It’s a tool—how you use it matters more than the tool itself.
Keep it simple, iterate, and don’t overthink it
If you remember nothing else: start small. Use Madkudu’s fit scores to focus on your best leads, send them better emails, and measure what happens. Adjust as you go. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of done.
You’ll get more out of your email marketing by sending fewer, smarter emails to the right people—no complicated “growth hacks” required.