5 Ways to Make Pardot Engagement Studio Work for You

Keeping people engaged is a tough job. You have to know your audience, send targeted messages at just the right time, and then interpret their cues to create even better messaging the next time around. There’s a tool that can help you do it all—Pardot’s Engagement Studio.

Engagement Studio is a powerful nurturing tool designed to build intelligent, automated programs that meet your constituents at every step in their journey. Although the building blocks are easy to use, Engagement Studio as a whole can seem intimidating–how do you know where to start? What kind of programs should you build?

We’re here to help! Here are five sample Engagement Studio programs, specifically designed with higher education and nonprofits in mind.

Use Pardot for Marketing Automation to Nurture Potential Donors

Your goal with this program is to get to know your potential donors, all the while letting them get to know you. Just as in real life, if you’re just getting to know someone you don’t want to “come on too strong,” which is why this program spans several months. Take it slow and send only your best resources and content. Don’t forget to gate (i.e. add a form page) at least some of your resources so that you can keep collecting new information.

A new donor nurture program

Nurturing Existing Donors

Existing donors are probably already convinced that you’re doing great work, so give them reasons to keep thinking that. Send updates on exciting new developments or reaching fundraising milestones. Don’t forget to personalize your messages! If you are aware of specific interests, make sure to touch on them in your outreach.

An existing donor nurture program

Promoting Events

Event promotion requires short and concise emails, sent at a regular cadence. Avoid including too much content in your emails, so you can get your stakeholders to sign up, so Focus on that registration link—make it large, visible, and maybe even add a round-edged button. After registration, your emails should clearly communicate the event details in every reminder.

An event donor nurture program

One of the easiest and most common nurture tracks is the top-of-mind program. The goal here is not to promote or solicit, but simply to keep your stakeholders in the loop. Let them know about the interesting blog that you just published, send monthly newsletters to keep them abreast of any updates to your organization, or share pertinent industry news. Keep a leisurely but regular pace and make your emails fun by including images, videos, or infographics.

A “top-of-mind” nurture program

Internal Enablement

Engagement programs are not just for external audiences; they can also be extremely helpful in onboarding or enabling your staff. Introducing a new process? Do it incrementally, with each email detailing one facet. Training a new volunteer? Give them the breakdown of your organization, let them know where to find resources, and give them the tools to ask for help–all through a series of digestible, well-times emails. What’s more, you can track engagement and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

An internal onboarding nurture program

Whatever your audience needs, you can make it happen with Engagement Studio. Use these samples as building blocks to get you started, then keep innovating with new iterations. The more unique and specific your programs, the higher your engagement rates.

Learn more about building nurture programs with Pardot’s Lead Nurture Lab.