Trigger marketing
In short
Trigger marketing is a way of running campaigns where a specific event or behavior starts the message, rather than a calendar date. The event might be a pricing page visit, a form fill, a trial signup, or a news event at a target account.
The goal is to reach someone while the reason to talk is still fresh. Trigger marketing is usually automated through email, ads, or in-app messaging, and it can be run at the person or account level.
How trigger marketing works
Every trigger campaign has three parts: a trigger, a rule, and an action.
- Trigger: The event, such as a demo request or a funding announcement.
- Rule: Conditions that must be true, such as the account matching your ICP or the contact not already being in an active sequence.
- Action: The response, such as an email, a retargeting ad, a task for a rep, or a change in lead status.
Types of triggers
Behavioral triggers
Actions on your own channels: visiting key pages, downloading content, opening emails repeatedly, or using a product feature.
Lifecycle triggers
Stage changes such as signup, onboarding completion, renewal approaching, or going quiet.
External triggers
Events outside your channels, such as funding, hiring, or a leadership change at a target account.
Example workflow
Say a team sells analytics software. When a contact at an ICP account views the pricing page twice in a week, an alert goes to the owning rep and the contact enters a short email sequence about implementation. If the contact books a meeting, the sequence stops automatically. The rule that stops the flow is as important as the rule that starts it.
Best practices
- Start with a few triggers: Pick three to five tied to clear intent and build them well before adding more.
- Add suppression rules: Avoid sending a trigger message to someone already talking to sales.
- Match message to trigger: The copy should reflect why the person is receiving it.
- Review results: Check which triggers produce replies and meetings, and retire the ones that do not.
Trigger marketing vs. signal-based marketing
Trigger marketing is defined by the mechanism: an event fires an automated action. Signal-based marketing is the broader approach of using many signals, including weaker ones, to decide who to target and how.
Trigger marketing FAQs
What is trigger marketing?
Trigger marketing is a campaign approach where a specific event or behavior, such as a pricing page visit or a signup, automatically starts a relevant message. Timing is set by the customer or account action instead of a fixed send schedule.
What are examples of trigger marketing campaigns?
Examples include a welcome sequence after signup, a follow-up email after a pricing page visit, a renewal reminder before a contract ends, and outreach after a target account announces funding or a new executive. Each starts from an event.
How is trigger marketing different from drip campaigns?
A drip campaign sends a fixed series of messages on a preset schedule to everyone who enters it. Trigger marketing starts from a specific event and can adapt to what the person does, so the timing and content are more tied to behavior.
How do you set up trigger marketing for B2B?
Choose a few behaviors or events that show real interest, define rules such as ICP fit and suppression for active deals, connect the event data to your email or ad tool, write messages that fit each trigger, and measure replies and meetings.
