The Ultimate Marketing Automation Stack for Bootstrapped SaaS
You don't need expensive tools to automate your marketing. Here's the lean stack that delivers enterprise-level automation.
Big SaaS companies spend six figures on marketing automation. They have dedicated ops teams managing complex tool ecosystems.
You don't need any of that. Here's how to build a powerful marketing automation stack for under $200/month - one that runs while you sleep.
The Core Stack
Email: ConvertKit or Mailchimp ($29-50/month)
Your email tool is the heart of everything. Pick one with good automation (sequences, tags, triggers) and stick with it. Both options above deliver 90% of what enterprise tools offer.
CRM: Notion or Airtable (Free-$20/month)
You don't need Salesforce. A well-organized database tracks your leads, customer conversations, and pipeline. Templates available online for both.
Scheduling: Calendly (Free-$12/month)
Stop the email ping-pong. One link. They pick a time. It's on both calendars. Done.
Forms: Tally or Typeform (Free-$25/month)
Capture leads, run surveys, collect feedback. Clean design. Direct integration with your email tool.
Chat: Crisp or Intercom Starter ($0-$74/month)
Live chat on your website. Automated responses. Help docs. Don't overthink this early - even a simple chat widget beats nothing.
The Automation Flows
Flow 1: New Signup → Onboarding Sequence
When someone signs up: Tag them in email tool → Trigger 8-email onboarding sequence → Track opens/clicks → Move non-engagers to re-engagement sequence.
Flow 2: Trial Ending → Conversion Push
3 days before trial ends: Send reminder email → If no conversion, send offer email → If still no conversion, send final value-reminder email.
Flow 3: New Customer → Success Path
After purchase: Welcome email with next steps → Day 7 check-in → Day 30 success milestone → Quarterly business review invite.
Flow 4: At-Risk Customer → Save Campaign
No login in 14 days: Automated check-in email → If no response, personal outreach task created → If no response, executive escalation.
The Integration Layer
Zapier or Make ($20-30/month)
Connects everything. When X happens in Tool A, do Y in Tool B. The possibilities are endless. Start with 5-10 core automations and expand from there.
Key integrations to set up first: - New signup → Add to email list - Payment → Update CRM + trigger welcome sequence - Calendly booking → Create CRM record + send prep email - Support ticket → Notify Slack + log in CRM
The Total Investment
Bare minimum stack: ~$50/month Full stack: ~$150-200/month
For context: One customer saved by good automation pays for a year of tools. One conversion improved by proper sequences pays for itself in a week.
The Implementation Order
Week 1: Email tool + basic sequences Week 2: CRM setup + lead tracking Week 3: Scheduling + forms integration Week 4: Automation connections via Zapier
Don't try to build everything at once. Get each piece working before adding the next.
The Mindset
Automation isn't about removing the human touch. It's about making the human touch happen at scale.
The best automation feels personal. It reaches the right person at the right time with the right message. It handles the repetitive so you can focus on the exceptional.
Start simple. Automate one thing. See the results. Then automate the next.
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