Strategy

I'll admit something. I spent months writing increasingly elaborate prompts before a customer story stopped me cold. Adam Cain at ElectricityRates.com built a working customer-scoring system by opening with the flattest prompt you could imagine: "Just have at this and tell us what you think." He fed Gemini the raw data first, let it surface patterns his team hadn't thought to look for, and only then did he start layering in business rules (contract-end date under 60 days, available savings above 7%). His actual quote: "Don't go and ask AI for specific things. If you have a data set, just upload it." What's a piece of AI prompting or workflow advice you brushed off as too basic, that quietly turned out to be the thing that worked? Would love to hear the ones that embarrassed you a little. Read the full post: How ElectricityRates.com Built an Autonomous Email Engine 

Bumped into a customer story that's been rattling around in my head all week. Adam Cain at ElectricityRates.com runs an entire email operation by himself, and the whole thing hangs on one number per contact: a "Switch Readiness Score" between 0 and 100.Gemini generates the score from about ten customer signals (contract end dates, savings potential, engagement history). A custom object in ActiveCampaign holds it, and the AI decides whether someone gets 14 emails in a week or drips quietly along in the background. Monthly conversions went up 200%, unsubscribes sat at 0.2%.Has anyone else here built something like this for your list? Curious what variables you're feeding the model, and whether you're keeping the score calculation inside your ESP or scoring externally and syncing it in.Read the full post: How ElectricityRates.com Built an Autonomous Email Engine

That’s a wrap on the series 🎉You built the strategy, created the assets, connected the workflow, and now learned how to read the signals.This final step is the real shift: not just checking numbers, but knowing what to do with what you built.📌 Your one action this weekPick one live workflow and run one full review loop: look at the goal check one insight run one analysis prompt choose one next action Keep it simple. The goal is not more reporting. The goal is better decisions.💬 Share what you learnedWhat did ACAI surface that actually changed your thinking?What metric, Insight Card, or prompt helped you see the next step more clearly?Drop your best analysis prompt below and tag someone whose workflow you want to borrow.🏆 Keep your goal as the lensBusiness Goals let you group campaigns, SMS broadcasts, automations, and forms around a conversion so you can track performance in one place. They also help ACAI suggest ways to improve when things are not on track.If you want a refr

Keep going with the system you startedYou just built the backbone of a smarter customer experience in ActiveCampaign. This week is about taking one piece of that workflow and making it more useful, more connected, and more real.📌 Your one action this weekPick one workflow you started in Session 3 and finish one refinement: make the trigger more evergreen add one SMS step add one AI Action tighten the prompt that built the automation Don’t try to perfect the whole thing. Just make one part stronger.💬 Share what you builtWhat automation are you working on?What audience, goal, or prompt are you testing?Drop your workflow or prompt below and steal an idea from someone else in the thread.🧠 Start with better contextIf you have not updated your Custom Instructions yet, do that first.Custom Instructions are account-wide guidelines that teach Active Intelligence about your business, audience, and communication style, and they apply across conversations, campaign creation, and recommend

Happy Thursday, Community!On Tuesday, we talked about Relevance over Recurrence—the idea that what you say and who you say it to matters far more than just sending because it’s Tuesday.But even the most relevant message can get lost if it hits the inbox at the wrong time. Today’s tip is about closing that gap using Predictive Sending. The Tip: Let Data Dictate the DoorwayWhile you are busy focusing on the strategy and the “Human-in-the-Loop” moments, you can let technology handle the logistical “when.” Predictive sending isn’t just a scheduling tool; it’s a way to honor your customer’s habits.Instead of choosing a “best time to send” based on a generic global study, use the data living in your account to send messages based on individual engagement patterns.Why this matters for your strategy:The “Top of Inbox” Advantage: If a customer typically checks their email at 7:00 PM after work, your relevant strategy shouldn’t arrive at 9:00 AM and get buried under 50 other emails. Respecting t

 Great job, Session 2!You just built your first segments, campaign, and personalization flow in Active Intelligence - nice work. Here’s what to do next and a few resources to keep the momentum going before Session 3. 📌 Your One Action This WeekTake one thing you built in Session 2 and refine it:your segment your campaign your CTA or your formIf you want an easy place to start, I’d recommend tightening one segment and then updating the campaign prompt to match it.💬 Share what you builtWhat audience did you segment? What kind of campaign did ACAI create for you? What did you change to make it feel more personalized?Drop your prompt below and tag someone whose workflow you want to borrow for next time. ✍️ Extra Resources Prompt LibraryThe Prompt Library has examples for campaigns, automations, performance, segments, forms, goals, and more. 👉 Active Intelligence Prompt Library Building SegmentsYou can create and save segments, layer conditions with AND/OR logic, and reuse saved segments

Happy Tuesday, Community! We’ve all heard that "consistency is king." For years, the gold standard has been the weekly newsletter, sent rain or shine, because "that’s what we always do."But here is the strategic hard truth: A consistent schedule doesn't guarantee a consistent connection.If you are sending a message just because the calendar says so, you aren’t building a relationship; you’re just creating a routine. Today, the real competitive advantage is moving from Calendar-Based Sends to Value-Based Sends. The Strategy: Audit the "Why" Before the "When"Instead of starting with the clock, start with the customer's journey. Strategic relevance is about moving away from "shouting into the crowd" and toward "answering the call."The shift looks like this: Focus on Intent: Stop asking "When should I send?" and start asking "What is the next logical step for my customer?" Respect the Inbox: Every time you send an email, you are spending "trust capital." Ensure the value they get out of

Happy Monday, Community!We are officially moving into Part 2 of the Idea to Impact Series. If you’re ready to turn your marketing ideas into a high-performing, AI-powered system, now is the time to jump in. 📍 This Week’s Focus:Virtual Study Hall: The Idea to Impact Series We’re continuing our 4-week journey to build your complete marketing system from the ground up. Missed Part 1? No problem. You can catch the recording from last week right here to get caught up before our next session: https://events.activecampaign.com/activecampaign/imagine-from-goal-to-strategy?utm_bmcr_source=rm_community_5.11  🎓 Weekly Training & EventsBeyond our special series, we have a full schedule of weekly workshops covering everything from building your first campaign to mastering advanced automation.👉 Explore the Full Training Schedule Here Quick Question: For those who caught Part 1 of the Idea to Impact series, what was your biggest "aha" moment? Let us know in the comments!👇

Happy Thursday, Community!On Tuesday, we talked about the power of the Human-in-the-Loop system; using automations to tell you exactly when a customer needs a person, not a prompt. Today, we’re looking at the tactical "secret sauce" to make those human moments seamless. The Tip: Move beyond "You have a new lead" alerts and build a Context Brief into your Internal Notifications.When you trigger an internal notification to yourself or your sales team, don't just send a name and an email. Use Personalization Tags to pull in the data your "Strategic Scout" (Active Intelligence) has been tracking. What to include in your "Smart Alert":Instead of a blank email, set your notification to include: The Intent Trigger: "This person just visited the [Product Name] pricing page 3 times." The Recent Win: "They just completed the [Course Name] onboarding." The Last Touch: "Their last opened email was [Subject Line] on [Date]."  Why this is a "Quick Win": Zero Research Time: You (or your team) don

You just built your first Business Goal and journey strategy in Active Intelligence - nice work! Here's what do next and resources to keep the momentum going before Session 2. 📌 Your One Action This WeekGo deeper on one part of your journey: a specific segment, a channel strategy, or a touchpoint you want to explore. 💬 Share what you built. What Business Goal did you create? What did Active Intelligence come back with? Drop your prompt below and tag someone whose prompt you'd steal. See you in Session 2!   Missed the first session? Here’s a recap!🎨 Set Up Your Brand Kit Before Session 2If you didn't get your Brand Kit configured during the session, this is your #1 priority before next week. Next week we're building segments, campaigns, form  and Brand Kit makes sure they all sound like your brand.👉 Brand Kit Overview: Help Article ✍️ Extra Credit: Go Deeper on PromptingWatch: The ABCs of Prompting (30 mins)  Full Session 👉  The ABCs of Prompting: How to Write Proper Prompts in Act

Happy Tuesday, Community! As we dive deeper into our Active Intelligence Challenge, there is a strategic paradox we need to address: The more we automate, the more valuable a personal connection becomes.In a world where every inbox is filled with AI-generated drafts and perfectly timed sequences, "Human-in-the-Loop" excellence is becoming your new competitive advantage. The Strategy: Automation as a "Human Alert System"The goal of high-level strategy isn't to remove the human from the business; it’s to use technology to identify exactly when a human is needed. Instead of automating 100% of the journey, use your data to trigger High-Value Human Moments. Strategic leaders are shifting their focus to: Identifying the "Hand-Raise": When a contact visits your pricing page three times in one hour, don't just send another automated discount. Trigger a task for your team to send a personal, 1:1 video or a direct reach-out. The "VIP" Pivot: Using automation to flag your most engaged customers

Happy Monday, Community! A new week is here, and the best way to ensure you’re making progress on your business goals is to be intentional with your time. Instead of just reacting to your inbox, today is about planning for growth. To help you stay ahead, we have a full lineup of workshops designed to help you master your strategy and move faster.⭐️  Special Event: 4-Part Series KickoffThis week is particularly exciting because we are launching Part 1 of a brand-new series designed to take you from a blank page to a finished strategy.Virtual Study Hall: The Idea to Impact Series Turn one rough marketing idea into a complete, AI- powered marketing system in 4 weekly, 60-minute live sessions.👉🏼 Register for the Series Here🎓 This Week’s Tactical Workshops:We also have our core workshops running throughout the week. Pick the session that aligns with your biggest priority right now:Starting Fresh: Getting Started with ActiveCampaign Strategy & Flow: Customer Journey Workshop Building

Happy Thursday, Community!On Tuesday, we talked about closing the "Silent Gaps" in your business. Today, we’re looking at a tactical way to make sure the bridges you’re building actually get crossed by the right people at the right time. The Tip: Switch from "Wait for X Days" to "Wait Until Conditions are Met."Most automations are built with a simple time delay: Wait 2 days, then send. The problem? If someone signs up at 2:00 AM on a Saturday, your most important sales email hits their inbox at 2:00 AM on a Monday, likely buried under a mountain of "start of the week" noise. This creates a Silent Gap where your message is sent, but never seen. How to Level Up Your Timing:Instead of a fixed timer, use the "Wait Until" feature to create a more responsive journey: The Timing Window: Set a condition to wait until it is Monday through Friday during business hours. This ensures your content hits the top of the inbox when your customer is actually active. The Behavioral Trigger: You can als

Happy Tuesday, Community!  When we build automations, we usually focus on the "Happy Path" - the perfect sequence of events where a lead clicks every link and buys every product/service. But the real strategy for growth isn't just in the clicks; it’s in the Silent Gaps.A "Silent Gap" is any point in your customer journey where a lead finishes a sequence and...nothing happens. They’ve raised their hand, engaged with your content, and then the automation ends, leaving them in a "dead zone." The Strategy: The "Always-On" LoopHigh-growth businesses don't let their leads go cold. The goal is to move from Linear Automations (Start ➔ End) to an Always-On Ecosystem. Instead of letting a sequence simply "finish," every automation should have a strategic exit-ramp: The Educational Pivot: Moving them from a sales sequence into a long-term value-add newsletter. The "Wait and Watch" Buffer: Tagging them as "Interested" and moving them into a 30-day window where you monitor site activity for a re-

Happy Thursday, Community!We’ve had a great session together on Tuesday focusing on the ABCs of Prompting and building out "Quick Win" habits with Active Intelligence. To keep that momentum going, today’s tip is all about where to find the deep-dive strategy you need to move the needle in your business. The Tip: Tap into the Events CalendarThe Events section is more than just a calendar; it’s a dedicated library designed to help you master the platform at your own pace. If you are looking to bridge the gap between "having the tool" and "owning the strategy," this is your go-to resource for: Virtual Study Halls: Like our session this week on the ABCs of Prompting. Company Keynotes: High-level insights on the future of marketing automation and all things ActiveCampaign. Tactical Workshops: Step-by-step builds that you can follow along with in real-time.  How to Stay Connected:Be the first to sign up for what's coming next. You can find everything you need here: On the Community Site:

Happy Tuesday, Community! The biggest gap between "just okay" marketing and high-growth strategy often comes down to how you use your tools. If you’ve been using Active Intelligence like a search bar, you’re only tapping into a fraction of its potential. Today marks the start of our new “Quick Wins” webinar series and the topic today is “The ABC’s of Prompting.” Most users get generic results because they provide generic inputs. To get an output that actually sounds like your brand and drives results, you need to provide these three pillars:Audience: Who are you writing to? Behavior: What should they do after reading? Content: What should it look like and sound like? The Tactical Win:When you use the ABCs, you stop wasting time editing "robotic" drafts. It’s a 30-second mental shift that buys you back hours of creative energy. 🚨 Join the "Quick Wins" Workshop Today! 🚨Want to master this framework and start seeing immediate results? April Terry is hosting a live, 30-minute workshop to

Happy Thursday, Community! On Tactical Tuesday, we discussed the strategy behind "Sender Reputation." Today’s tip is about the easiest way to monitor that health without getting lost in the numbers.Instead of manually auditing every report, you can use Active Intelligence to get an in-depth look at your account’s standing. It’s a great "health check" to run periodically to ensure your list hygiene and sending habits remain in top shape. The AI AuditYou don’t need to be a deliverability expert to spot a trend. By asking the right question, you can let the system scan your recent activity for any red flags that might be flying under the radar.How to do it: Open your Active Intelligence workspace and enter this prompt:"Show me my account's deliverability metrics for the past [time period], including bounce rates, spam complaints, open rates, click rates, unsubscribe rates, total campaigns sent, and any deliverability issues.” What the Audit Reveals (Real Example):When you run this, the sy

Happy Tuesday, Community! You can have the best copy and the most beautiful automations in the world, but if they land in the Promotions tab (or worse, the Spam folder), they aren't doing any work for your business.Today’s tactic is about protecting your "Sender Reputation" so your messages actually reach the people who want them. The Strategy: Quality Over QuantityDeliverability isn't just about technical settings; it’s about engagement signals. Mail providers (like Gmail and Outlook) watch how people react to your emails. If thousands of people ignore you, those providers start hiding your mail. The 3-Step Health Check: Sunset the "Ghosts": Use an automation to identify contacts who haven't opened an email in 60-90 days. If they aren't biting, move them to a "re-engagement" drip or unsubscribe them. A smaller, highly active list reaches more inboxes than a massive, silent one. Monitor Your "Reply" Rate: Positive engagement signals (like a reply) are gold for deliverability. Try end

Happy Thursday, Community! On Tactical Tuesday, we talked about using Active Intelligence (AI) as a force multiplier to buy back your time. Today, I’m sharing the "hidden gem" that makes that possible: Custom Instructions.If you’ve ever felt like you’re repeating yourself to AI, re-explaining your brand voice, your target audience, or your formatting preferences every single time, this tip is for you. The Hidden Gem: Custom InstructionsThink of Custom Instructions as a permanent "brief" for your AI. Instead of starting every chat from zero, you can set account-level guidelines that Active Intelligence automatically applies to every campaign draft, automation suggestion, and report it creates.The Strategy: You set these instructions once, and the AI "remembers" them for every future interaction. It’s like training a new team member on your brand standards in one afternoon, and they never forget a single detail. What to Include (The "Strategic Three"): Your Brand Persona: Tell it exactly

Hey Community! We’ve just added an Active Intelligence Prompt Library to our Community site, and it got me thinking about the bigger picture: Active Intelligence. We all know the "blank page" struggle. Whether you're building a new customer automation journey or drafting a weekly newsletter, the hardest part is often just getting started. This is where AI moves from being a "cool gadget" to a core business strategy. The Strategy Question:How are you currently leveraging Active Intelligence to buy back your time? Are you using it to summarize long data sets or customer feedback? Are you using it to generate 5 different subject line variations in seconds to see what sticks? Or are you planning on using our new Prompt Library to build out entire campaign frameworks that used to take you all afternoon?  The Strategic Win:The goal of AI in your marketing isn't to replace the "human" touch, it's to remove the mechanical friction. By using AI to handle the first draft, the data sorting, o

Miscellaneous prompt examples for you to try out with Active Intelligence!Check out the full Prompt Library Personalize email with tags Personalize my email for me using up to 3 personalization tags. Personalize with name and company Personalize email with customer's name and company. SMS landing page follow-up Follow up with my landing page leads with an SMS message. Find a segment for a campaign Can you help me find a segment for this campaign? Win-back for missed holiday sales Generate a win-back automation for customers who missed our holiday sales.  We’d love to hear from you - reply below with your favorite prompts

Campaign prompt examples for you to try out with Active Intelligence!Check out the full Prompt Library Set a subscriber growth goal Create a business goal to get 500 new subscribers this quarter. Boost repeat purchases Help me build a goal to boost repeat purchases from existing customers. Reduce unsubscribe rate Create a goal for reducing my unsubscribe rate by 10%. Measure leads from SMS campaigns I'd like a business goal that measures new leads generated from my SMS campaigns. Hit enrollment target by a deadline I need 100 more enrollments before October. Double newsletter audience I'm trying to double my newsletter audience this summer.  We’d love to hear from you - reply below with your favorite Goals-related prompts

CRM & Sales prompt examples for you to try out with Active Intelligence!Check out the full Prompt Library Flag high-intent leads If a lead scores above 75, add a note to their CRM profile saying 'High Intent — Contact Today' and end their current nurture automation. Trigger automation on lead score change Start an automation when a contact's 'Lead Score' field changes to 'Hot'. Notify on high web score When my Web Score goes above 100, notify me. Add a deal when a form is submitted Create an automation that adds a new deal to my pipeline when someone fills out my form. Assign a task on website visit Create an automation that assigns me a task when someone visits my website. Score contacts on email engagement Add points to my lead score when someone engages with my emails. Assign deal tasks when stage changes Create an automation to trigger task creation for sales reps when deals move to the 'In Contact' stage. Outbound nurture sequence for leads Create me an

Forms prompt examples for you to try out with Active Intelligence!Check out the full Prompt Library Capture more leadsNewsletter signup form Create a simple email signup form for my newsletter. Inline form for a discount offer I need an inline form for my fashion brand discount offer. Webinar lead capture form Create a lead capture form for my webinar signup that includes name, email, and company size. Consulting business contact form Build a contact form to capture leads for my consulting business.  Fine-tune your formsUpdate headline and button text Can you change the form headline to [form name] and update the button text to 'Get My Free Guide Now'? Update brand colors Can you change the button color to match [brand name] brand red (#c44f4f) and make the form border purple instead of red? Add or adjust fields Can you add a phone number field to the form and make the first name field optional instead of required? Minimalist redesign Can you change the entire fo

Segments prompt examples for you to try out with Active Intelligence!Check out the full Prompt Library Find the right contactsWebsite visitors who haven't purchased Create a segment for all contacts who have visited my website at least 3 times but haven't made a purchase. Contacts with a tag who opened recent campaigns Find contacts with tag [X] who opened any of my last 3 campaigns. Page visitors or link clickers Segment people who visited a certain page or clicked a specific link. Contacts currently in an automation Create a segment for contacts in a specific automation. Highly engaged vs. inactive contacts Show me highly engaged vs. inactive contacts. Lapsed contacts (60+ days) Show me contacts who haven't engaged in 60 days. VIP customers by purchase behavior Who are my VIP customers based on purchase behavior?  Keep things organizedView existing segments Show me my existing segments. Combine multiple segments Help me combine multiple segments.  We’d love