Why Marketing Automation? Or any marketing software?

When considering Klaviyo or Hubspot, it’s essential to select the right platform based on the specific needs and goals of your business. Below are several different scenarios for businesses that may benefit from either platform, highlighting the strengths of each.

1. E-Commerce Business with Heavy Focus on Email Marketing Automation

Business Type- E-Commerce Store (B2C)

Scenario- A small to medium-sized e-commerce business has an established online store and generates significant revenue from email marketing. The company sells a variety of products, including seasonal collections, repeat-purchase items, and limited-edition offers. Customer retention and engagement are critical for increasing lifetime value (LTV), and the business needs to drive repeat sales from previous customers while nurturing new prospects.

Solution – Klaviyo- Klaviyo is specifically designed for e-commerce businesses and offers robust tools for segmentation, personalisation, and automation tailored to online sales. Features like-

  • Product recommendations- Using data from customer browsing and purchase history, Klaviyo can automatically send highly personalised product suggestions.
  • Automated email flows- Cart abandonment, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement flows can be easily set up to increase customer retention.
  • Advanced segmentation- Klaviyo’s segmentation engine enables businesses to create highly targeted lists based on specific customer actions, such as previous purchases, email engagement, or time since last purchase.
  • Integrations- Seamless integration with popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, etc., ensures real-time syncing of customer data and transactions.

Why Klaviyo? For businesses where email marketing is central to their strategy, Klaviyo’s advanced email automation and segmentation capabilities offer precise tools to nurture customers, drive repeat purchases, and increase revenue per customer.

2. B2B Service Provider Focused on Lead Generation and Nurturing

Business Type- B2B Service Provider (e.g., IT Consulting, Accounting Services)

Scenario- A B2B service provider offers high-value services with long sales cycles. Their target market includes large enterprises that require customised solutions. While they generate leads through various channels (webinars, networking events, etc.), nurturing leads through consistent follow-ups is essential before conversion. The company needs an integrated system to manage these leads, track engagement, and segment prospects based on their buying stage.

Solution – Hubspot- Hubspot’s CRM and Marketing Hub offer a full suite of tools that are ideal for B2B lead generation, nurturing, and conversion.

  • Lead capture and management- HubSpot helps manage lead capture through landing pages, forms, and lead flows. This is essential for B2B service providers that need to qualify leads before engaging further.
  • Lead nurturing workflows- HubSpot allows businesses to create detailed workflows for nurturing leads via email, SMS, and other channels, ensuring timely follow-up at every stage of the buying process.
  • CRM integration- The CRM automatically tracks all interactions with prospects, including emails, meetings, calls, and website visits, offering a 360° view of each contact.
  • Sales Pipeline- Customised sales pipelines for different services or products allow teams to track and prioritise leads based on their stage in the journey.

Why HubSpot? HubSpot’s strength lies in its ability to provide an all-in-one system for managing leads, automating workflows, and tracking sales activities. This makes it ideal for businesses that need to manage complex sales processes and stay connected with prospects over extended periods.

3. Retail Business with E-Commerce and In-Store Integration

Business Type- Retail Store (50% e-commerce, 50% in-store)

Scenario- A retail business sells both online and in physical stores. They need to manage customer relationships across multiple channels and deliver consistent marketing messages both online and in-store. They also want to track which customers are shopping on e-commerce versus in-store, and understand how these touchpoints influence overall purchasing behavior. The business also needs to manage loyalty programs, promotions, and event invitations.

Solution – HubSpot + Klaviyo- In this scenario, a combination of both platforms would be ideal.

  • HubSpot can manage the omnichannel customer experience, tracking interactions both online and in-store. HubSpot CRM will help sync customer data from e-commerce and physical store visits, offering insights into customer preferences and helping personalise marketing efforts.
  • Klaviyo can be used to manage ecommerce email marketing with precision. Klaviyo would handle automated emails, cart abandonment flows, and product recommendations, while HubSpot CRM tracks interactions across all channels.

Why HubSpot + Klaviyo? The combination of HubSpot’s CRM (for managing omnichannel interactions) and Klaviyo’s specialised ecommerce marketing tools (for advanced segmentation and automation) allows businesses to bridge online and offline experiences, offering a seamless customer journey across both worlds.

4. Non-Profit Organisation Focused on Fundraising

Business Type- Non-Profit

Scenario- A non-profit organisation needs to engage potential donors and supporters. The organisation frequently runs campaigns, events, and donor drives that require automated communication and segmentation of the audience based on donation history, interests, and engagement. The goal is to retain donors, grow a community of supporters, and increase fundraising revenue.

Solution – HubSpot- HubSpot is an excellent choice for non-profits because it provides a CRM, marketing automation, and email marketing capabilities that allow for efficient lead management, engagement tracking, and campaign reporting. HubSpot’s tools can be used for-

  • Campaigns- HubSpot’s marketing automation features enable non-profits to send personalised thank-you emails, event invites, and regular updates about how donations are being used.
  • Donor Management- HubSpot’s CRM allows non-profits to segment supporters by donor levels, engagement, and giving frequency, enabling more targeted communications.
  • Landing Pages & Forms- HubSpot provides easy-to-use landing pages and donation forms for campaigns, ensuring seamless lead capture and follow-ups.

Why HubSpot? HubSpot’s CRM is highly suitable for managing donors and automating engagement processes, making it an ideal choice for non-profits looking to build relationships and increase fundraising efforts over time.

5. DTC Brand Expanding Their Customer Base and Engagement

Business Type- Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brand

Scenario- A DTC brand selling health supplements online is looking to increase brand awareness and customer retention. The brand has a large database of customers who have purchased products but is struggling to maintain engagement over time. They want to improve retention by offering tailored recommendations, re-engagement emails, and educational content.

Solution – Klaviyo Klaviyo is an excellent solution for a DTC brand because it’s built to scale email marketing efforts with segmentation, dynamic content, and automation. Specific solutions include-

  • Personalised Recommendations- Klaviyo can use past purchase data to send personalised product recommendations to customers.
  • Lifecycle Emails- Automated email flows such as welcome emails, post-purchase emails, and re-engagement flows can be easily set up to maintain customer interest and encourage repeat purchases.
  • Segmentation- Based on customer activity (e.g., first-time buyers, repeat purchasers, abandoned carts), Klaviyo can target different groups with relevant messaging to optimise conversions.

Why Klaviyo? For DTC brands focusing heavily on email marketing and customer retention, Klaviyo offers powerful tools that enable deep segmentation, personalisation, and automated workflows, which are crucial for building long-term customer loyalty.

Klaviyo vs. HubSpot

Both Klaviyo and HubSpot offer unique advantages depending on your business needs-

  • Klaviyo is tailored for e-commerce businesses that need advanced email automation, segmentation, and personalisation. It’s the ideal choice for businesses where email marketing is a key revenue driver.
  • HubSpot is more suited to businesses that need an all-in-one CRM, including lead management, sales automation, marketing workflows, and reporting. It’s perfect for businesses that require a holistic view of their customer journey and cross-channel integration across marketing, sales, and customer service.

Ultimately, choosing between Klaviyo and HubSpot comes down to your business’s focus—whether you need e-commerce-centric tools for email and automation (Klaviyo) or a more comprehensive CRM solution that integrates sales, marketing, and service (HubSpot).

Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.