Lead Nurturing Playbooks

What Playbooks Include

A complete playbook installation creates:

• Pipeline: Kanban-style stages matching your sales process
• Lead Capture Form: Industry-specific form fields and copy
• Email Sequences: Pre-written nurture emails with timing
• Self-Classification Links: Let leads advance themselves by clicking
• SMS Touchpoints: Text messages at key moments (if Twilio configured)

After installation, all components are editable. Modify email copy, adjust delays, or add new stages as needed.

Finding Playbooks

Access playbooks from Email & Automation. Click "Install a Playbook" in the Get Started Faster section, or navigate directly to /marketing-automation/playbooks/.

Available Pre-Built Playbooks

Full Playbooks (Pipeline + Form + Sequences)

Mortgage Broker

• 8-stage pipeline from New Lead through Clear to Close
• Pre-qualification form with timeline and budget questions
• 4 nurture sequences triggered by stage progression
• Self-classification links for house hunting readiness

Real Estate Agent

• 7-stage pipeline for buyer and seller management
• Lead capture form with property type and timeline
• 3 sequences: new inquiry, showing follow-up, post-close referrals
• SMS reminders for appointment confirmations

Financial Advisor

• 6-stage pipeline from Discovery through Client Onboarding
• Compliance-friendly lead capture form
• 4 sequences covering initial contact, proposal, decision, onboarding
• Educational email series on financial planning topics

SaaS Platform

• 5-stage pipeline from Trial Started through Paying Customer
• Product interest form with use case questions
• Trial onboarding, activation, and conversion sequences
• Feature education and upgrade prompts

E-commerce Store

• 4-stage pipeline: Visitor, Cart Abandoned, Customer, VIP
• Newsletter signup form with product interest preferences
• Welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase upsell
• Review request and loyalty program sequences

SaaS Lifecycle Components (Sequences Only)

These install individual sequences without a pipeline, useful if you already have stages configured.

Trial Onboarding

• Welcome email with quick-start guide
• Day 1, 3, 5, 7 check-ins with feature highlights
• Trial ending warning (2 days before expiration)
• Trial expired follow-up

Activation

• First action celebration email
• Milestone achievement recognition
• Feature completion encouragement

Churn Prevention

• Inactive user re-engagement (7, 14, 30 days)
• Feature reminder and tips
• Feedback request to understand friction

Dunning (Payment Recovery)

• Payment failed notification
• Retry reminders (3, 7 days)
• Final notice before suspension
• Successful payment confirmation

Expansion (Upsell)

• Usage limit approaching warnings
• Plan upgrade prompts with value justification
• Feature unlock notifications for higher tiers

Installing a Pre-Built Playbook

Browse and Preview

1. Navigate to Email & Automation > Playbooks
2. Click any playbook card to preview its contents
3. Review pipeline stages, form fields, and email sequences
4. Scroll through email copy to see the nurture flow

Installation Options

Complete Playbook (Recommended) Installs everything: pipeline, form, and all sequences. Choose this for a fresh setup or when adopting a new industry template.

Sequences Only Installs email sequences without creating a pipeline or form. Use this when you already have pipeline stages and just want the email automation.

Selected Components (SaaS playbooks only) Pick individual sequences from the component list. For example, install only Trial Onboarding and Dunning without the full SaaS platform playbook.

Installation Process

1. From the playbook preview, select your installation mode
2. If choosing "Selected Components," check the sequences you want
3. Click "Install [Playbook Name] Playbook"
4. Wait 2-5 seconds for installation to complete
5. You'll be redirected to the sequence list showing your new sequences

After Installation

All sequences start in Draft status. Review the content, adjust delays, and activate when ready. The lead capture form receives a unique URL you can embed or share. Pipeline stages appear in the Pipeline dashboard.

Generating a Custom Playbook with AI

Can't find a pre-built playbook for your industry? Generate one using AI.

Accessing the AI Generator

From the playbook selection page, click the "Generate Custom Playbook with AI" card. This opens a form asking for your business details.

Required Information

Business Type Describe your business in one phrase. Examples: "HVAC contractor," "Wedding planner," "Insurance agent," "Fitness studio."

Sales Cycle Length How long from first contact to close?

• 1-2 weeks
• 2-4 weeks
• 1-2 months
• 3-6 months
• 6+ months

The AI adjusts email frequency based on this. Shorter cycles get more aggressive follow-up.

Post-Sale Process (Optional) What happens after a sale closes? Examples:

• "Schedule installation within 7 days"
• "Send welcome kit and onboarding call"
• "Quarterly check-ins for renewals"

This helps the AI design post-close sequences.

Additional Context (Optional) Any other relevant details:

• Family-owned business emphasizing personal service
• High-touch white-glove experience
• Focus on referrals from past clients
• Technical product requiring education

Generation Process

1. Fill out the form with your business details
2. Click "Generate Playbook"
3. Wait 30-60 seconds while AI creates your playbook
4. Preview the generated pipeline, form, and sequences
5. Click "Regenerate" if you want a different approach
6. Click "Install Playbook" when satisfied

What the AI Creates

The AI generates:

• 5-8 pipeline stages appropriate for your sales process
• Lead capture form with 6-10 relevant fields
• 3-5 email sequences covering initial contact through post-sale
• Professional email copy (not placeholders)
• Self-classification links for lead advancement
• Timing and delays based on your sales cycle

All content is immediately usable but editable after installation.

Customizing Installed Playbooks

Editing Pipeline Stages

Navigate to Email & Automation > Pipeline to:

• Rename stages to match your terminology
• Add new stages by dragging the "+ Add Stage" card
• Reorder stages by dragging (careful: impacts sequence triggers)
• Change stage colors for visual coding

Editing the Lead Capture Form

Go to Email & Automation > Forms, find your playbook form, and click Edit to:

• Modify field labels and placeholders
• Add new fields (text, select, date, number)
• Adjust required vs. optional fields
• Change button text and success message
• Copy the embed code or shareable link

Editing Email Sequences

From Email & Automation > Sequences, open any sequence and click "Edit Flow" to:

• Modify email subject lines and body content
• Adjust delay durations between steps
• Add new email steps, SMS messages, or conditions
• Change the trigger (stage change, tag added, form submission)
• Activate or pause the sequence

See the Visual Email Sequence Builder guide for detailed editing instructions.

Editing Self-Classification Links

Open a sequence in the builder and scroll to the left sidebar's bottom panel to view classification links. Click any link to edit:

• Link label text (appears in email)
• Target pipeline stage (where leads move when clicked)
• Whether to stop the current sequence
• Tags to apply when clicked

Using Playbook Forms

Sharing the Form

After installation, your lead capture form receives a public URL like:
```
app.illixis.io/forms/mortgage-pre-qualification
```

Share this URL via:

• Email signature links
• Social media bio links
• QR codes on business cards or flyers
• Paid ad landing pages
• Website footer or sidebar

Embedding the Form

Copy the embed code from the form editor and paste into your website's HTML. The form appears as an iframe, matching your site's width. Submissions automatically enroll leads in the pipeline and trigger sequences.

Tracking Form Performance

View form analytics at Email & Automation > Forms > [Form Name] > Analytics. See:

• Total submissions
• Conversion rate (views to submissions)
• Top referral sources
• UTM parameter tracking for paid campaigns

Playbook Performance Tracking

Sequence Metrics

Each sequence tracks:

• Enrollment count (total leads entered)
• Active enrollments (currently in progress)
• Completed enrollments (reached final step)
• Open rate and click rate per email step

Access metrics from Email & Automation > Sequences > [Sequence Name] > Analytics.

Pipeline Conversion Rates

Track stage progression at Email & Automation > Pipeline. The dashboard shows:

• Lead count per stage
• Average time in each stage
• Conversion rate between stages (New Lead → Qualified → Won)
• Drop-off points requiring attention

A/B Testing Sequences

To test variations of a playbook sequence:

1. Duplicate the sequence (Sequences list > three-dot menu > Duplicate)
2. Modify subject lines, delays, or email copy
3. Split traffic by manually enrolling half your leads in each version
4. Compare open rates and conversions after 50+ enrollments

Future releases will include automated A/B split testing.

Combining Playbooks with Other Features

Playbooks + Content Briefs

When you publish an article from a brief, link it in your nurture sequences:

1. Generate and publish content from Strategy Hub or Briefs
2. Edit your playbook sequence
3. Add the article URL to relevant email steps
4. Use the article as educational content or social proof

Playbooks + Maya Recommendations

Maya can suggest when to enroll leads in specific sequences:

1. Ask Maya: "Which leads should I follow up with?"
2. Review her recommendations in the Insights panel
3. Bulk-enroll suggested leads into a playbook sequence
4. Maya learns which timing works best for your business

Playbooks + E-commerce Flows

For e-commerce stores, combine lead nurture playbooks with automated flows:

• Use a playbook for pre-purchase nurturing (newsletter, product education)
• Let e-commerce flows handle transactional emails (abandoned cart, post-purchase)
• Transition won customers from nurture sequences to loyalty sequences

See the E-commerce Flows guide for integration details.

Troubleshooting

Sequences aren't sending emails

Check sequence status. Newly installed playbooks start in Draft mode. Activate the sequence from its detail page. Verify your email platform connection (Resend, Klaviyo, or Mailchimp) is active.

Form submissions don't trigger sequences

Confirm the form is linked to a pipeline. Check that the initial pipeline stage has a sequence assigned. Verify the sequence trigger type matches "Stage Entered."

Emails are sending too slowly or too quickly

Edit the sequence and adjust delay steps. Playbook defaults may not match your sales cadence. Faster sales cycles need shorter delays between touches.

Self-classification links don't move leads

Ensure the target stage exists in your pipeline. If you renamed or deleted a stage after installation, classification links break. Edit the link to point to a valid stage.

Generated playbook doesn't fit my business

Click "Regenerate" on the AI preview screen to get a new version. Or install a similar pre-built playbook and customize it. Pre-built playbooks often require less editing than AI-generated ones.

Pipeline has duplicate stages after installing multiple playbooks

Each playbook installation creates a new pipeline. If you already have a pipeline, use "Sequences Only" installation mode to avoid duplicates. Manually merge stages or delete unused pipelines from the Pipeline dashboard.

Best Practices

Start with a pre-built playbook if available. They're refined based on industry best practices. AI-generated playbooks are powerful but require more review before activation.

Review all email copy before activating. Playbooks use professional defaults, but your brand voice might differ. Spend 10 minutes personalizing the tone.

Test the lead capture form yourself. Submit a test entry and watch the sequence enrollment happen. This catches broken triggers before real leads enter.

Monitor first 10 enrollments closely. Check if delays feel right, subject lines get opens, and classification links get clicks. Adjust based on real behavior.

Don't install multiple full playbooks. You'll end up with duplicate pipelines and forms. Use one full playbook for your core process, then add SaaS lifecycle components as needed.

Use self-classification links aggressively. They let leads advance themselves without you manually moving cards. This keeps the pipeline current and reduces admin work.

Combine sequences with SMS for high-value leads. If a lead reaches your "Hot Prospect" stage, add an SMS step in the sequence for immediate attention.

Related Features

• Visual Email Sequence Builder - Edit and customize sequences
• Pipeline Management - Manage lead stages and movement
• Lead Capture Forms - Advanced form configuration
• E-commerce Flows - Automated transactional sequences
• CRM Integrations - Sync with HubSpot