CRM and email marketing automation for a B2B HR consultancy

Overview

This case study documents an engagement for a UK-based B2B HR consultancy that wanted to centralise customer and prospect data, then use that data to run consistent monthly newsletters and structured follow-up.

The consultancy needed a system that reduced manual admin, prevented duplication, and created a dependable process for engaging new enquiries and existing contacts. The brief was clear: store everything in one place, automate newsletter sign-ups from the website, and introduce proactive prospect follow-up.

The business challenge

Like many consultancies, the client was balancing delivery work with business development. Data existed across tools and spreadsheets, which made segmentation unreliable and follow-up inconsistent.

Manual list management also introduced avoidable risk: invalid email addresses inflated costs, and unengaged contacts weakened campaign results and deliverability. The team wanted to spend less time maintaining lists and more time advising clients.

Phase 1: Creating a single source of truth in the CRM

The first step was to standardise how contacts were stored and identified. We implemented a simple data model in Capsule CRM using tags and custom fields that the team could apply consistently.

This created a reliable foundation for segmentation and reporting, and ensured that marketing and sales activity could be driven by accurate data rather than assumptions.

Phase 2: Automating newsletter sign-ups and lead capture

Automated website sign-ups

We connected the website form to Capsule CRM using Capsule's marketing tool, Transpond. New submissions now create or update the contact record in the CRM, apply the correct source and consent markers, and subscribe the contact to the newsletter audience automatically.

This removed manual entry, reduced duplication, and ensured every new subscriber could be followed up without delay.

Proactive follow-up sequences

We introduced Transpond automations to support structured follow-up based on prospect intent: hot, warm and cold leads each receive a separate nurture approach. This makes it easier to stay responsive with high-intent leads while maintaining a measured cadence for early-stage prospects.

Phase 3: List hygiene to protect deliverability and reduce costs

Email deliverability was treated as a commercial safeguard. We performed contact list cleans to remove invalid email addresses so the business is only billed for valid contacts, and this also mitigates the risk of their emails hitting a spam trap and being marked as a spam sender.

We also implemented an engagement-based self-pruning automation: contacts who have not interacted with any email in the past 120 days are removed from ongoing marketing sends. This helps protect domain reputation, improves reporting accuracy, and reduces wasted send volume.

Phase 4: Marketing planning and multi-channel execution

To keep campaigns consistent month to month, we used Capsule’s projects feature for marketing planning. Campaign tasks, deadlines, and owners are visible in one place, which supports steady execution alongside consultancy work.

Where useful, the team can also schedule supporting social posts from Transpond to maintain message consistency across channels.

Key takeaways for HR consultancies and professional services firms

• Start with a clean CRM structure. Automation is only as effective as the data driving it.
• Automate lead capture at the point of entry so follow-up is reliable and timely.
• Use lead temperature to tailor messaging and cadence, rather than sending one generic sequence.
• Build list hygiene into your operating rhythm to protect deliverability and reduce ongoing costs.
• Plan marketing activity in the same system as customer data to reduce context switching and missed deadlines.

Achieving similar results on other platforms

The outcomes in this case study are platform-agnostic: centralised data, reliable lead capture, segmented nurture, and disciplined list hygiene. Most established platforms can deliver similar results when the data model and operating process are defined first.

HubSpot

Use HubSpot workflows to automate form capture, lead routing, nurture sequences, and list membership. (Create workflows in HubSpot)

Zoho Bigin

Use Bigin for lightweight CRM structure and connect it to a marketing tool for newsletters and segmentation, using tags and fields as your foundation. (Bigin by Zoho CRM)

Mailchimp

Use marketing automation journeys for sign-ups and nurture flows, and maintain list health with engagement-based audience management. (Mailchimp marketing automation)

ActiveCampaign

Use tagging, lead scoring, and conditional automations to deliver temperature-based follow-up and reduce sends to unengaged contacts. (ActiveCampaign marketing automation)

Note: features vary by plan. The most reliable route is to define segmentation, consent handling, and list hygiene rules first, then select the platform that supports them cleanly.