Klaviyo Fails: 5 Automation Fixes for 2026

Too often, businesses jump into marketing automation without a clear strategy, leading to wasted resources and missed opportunities. We’ve seen it time and again: a shiny new platform acquired, but campaigns flounder because fundamental errors weren’t avoided. Want to ensure your automation efforts actually deliver ROI?

I’ve spent over a decade in marketing operations, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that automation isn’t a magic bullet. It’s a powerful accelerant for good strategy, but it will amplify bad strategy just as effectively. My team and I recently helped a mid-sized e-commerce client in Buckhead, Atlanta, struggling with their abandoned cart sequences. They had the platform, Klaviyo, but their open rates were abysmal, and conversions nonexistent. The issue? A complete lack of segmentation and generic messaging. We’re going to fix those kinds of problems today, walking through common pitfalls and how to steer clear of them using a popular platform like HubSpot Marketing Hub.

Step 1: Define Your Audience and Journey (Before Touching the Software)

This is where most teams fall flat. They get excited about the bells and whistles of a new platform and immediately start building workflows. Big mistake. Before you even log into HubSpot, you need a crystal-clear understanding of who you’re talking to and what journey you want them to take. Think about it: would you build a house without blueprints? Of course not.

1.1 Create Detailed Buyer Personas

Go beyond basic demographics. Think about psychographics, pain points, goals, and preferred communication channels. For instance, instead of “Small Business Owner,” define “Tech-Savvy Startup Founder Sarah” who is 30-45, struggles with lead generation, reads industry blogs, and prefers short, actionable email content. I always push my clients to create at least 3-5 distinct personas.

1.2 Map Out the Customer Journey for Each Persona

From initial awareness to loyal advocacy, what are the key touchpoints? What actions do you want them to take at each stage? If Sarah downloads an ebook, what’s the logical next step? A follow-up email with a related blog post? A webinar invitation? Sketch this out visually. A simple flowchart works wonders. This isn’t just theory; it directly informs your automation triggers and actions. We once had a client, a B2B SaaS company, whose automation sent “thanks for your purchase” emails to people who only downloaded a whitepaper. Talk about a disconnect!

Common Mistake: Over-generalization. Sending the same generic “welcome” series to everyone who signs up, regardless of how they signed up or what they’re interested in, is a recipe for low engagement. It tells your audience you don’t really know them.

Pro Tip: Use internal workshops to build these personas and journey maps. Get sales, customer service, and product teams involved. Their insights are invaluable and will create a more holistic understanding of your customer base. According to a HubSpot report, companies that use buyer personas see better lead quality and higher conversion rates.

Step 2: Set Up Core Segments and Custom Properties in HubSpot

Once your personas and journeys are clear, it’s time to translate that into your automation platform. This means creating the foundations for targeted communication.

2.1 Navigate to Contacts > Lists

In your HubSpot portal, on the top navigation bar, click Contacts, then select Lists from the dropdown menu. This is where we’ll build our audience segments.

2.2 Create Smart Lists for Each Persona and Journey Stage

1. Click the orange Create list button on the top right.
2. Select Active list (this ensures the list updates automatically as contact properties change).
3. Give your list a clear, descriptive name (e.g., “Persona – Tech-Savvy Sarah – Engaged with Content”).
4. Under “Filters,” add criteria based on your personas and journey stages. For “Tech-Savvy Sarah,” you might add filters like:
   • Contact Property: Lifecycle Stage is ‘Lead’
   • Contact Property: Persona is ‘Tech-Savvy Startup Founder Sarah’ (assuming you’ve created a custom persona property, which you should!)
   • Activity: Page view is any of ‘URL containing /blog/tech-trends’ in the last 30 days
   • Submission: Form submission is any of ‘Ebook: Advanced Lead Gen Strategies’
5. Click Save list.

2.3 Create Custom Contact Properties for Deeper Segmentation

Sometimes, standard HubSpot properties aren’t enough. You might need to track specific industry interests, product preferences, or unique lead sources. To do this:

1. Navigate to Settings (the gear icon in the top right).
2. In the left sidebar, go to Properties.
3. Click Create property.
4. Define the Object type (Contact), Group (e.g., Contact Information), and Label (e.g., “Industry Interest”).
5. Choose the appropriate Field type (e.g., “Dropdown select” for specific industries).
6. Add your dropdown options and click Create.

Common Mistake: Sticking to default properties and sending emails to broad, static lists. This is like shouting into a crowd and hoping the right person hears you. It’s inefficient and ineffective.

Expected Outcome: You’ll have dynamic lists that automatically update, ensuring your automated messages reach the right people at the right time based on their behavior and characteristics. This is the bedrock of effective marketing automation.

Step 3: Build Your First Workflow: The Welcome Series

The welcome series is often the first interaction a new contact has with your automated system. Make it count. This is where you set the tone and deliver immediate value.

3.1 Navigate to Automation > Workflows

From the HubSpot main navigation, click Automation, then select Workflows.

3.2 Create a New Workflow from Scratch

1. Click the orange Create workflow button.
2. Choose From scratch.
3. Select Contact-based workflow.
4. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., “Welcome Series – New Lead – Ebook Download”).
5. Click Next.

3.3 Set the Enrollment Trigger

This defines who enters your workflow. For our “Ebook Download” example:

1. Click Set up triggers.
2. Choose Contact enrolled in list.
3. Select the specific Smart List you created in Step 2 (e.g., “Persona – Tech-Savvy Sarah – Engaged with Content”).
4. Ensure “When a contact meets the criteria” is selected, then click Apply filter.
5. Click Save trigger.

3.4 Add Actions to Your Workflow

Now, let’s build the sequence. A typical welcome series might include 3-5 emails over a week.

1. Click the + icon to add an action.
2. Send Email: Select an existing email or create a new one. This first email should deliver the promised content (e.g., the ebook download link). Personalize the subject line and body using contact tokens (e.g., “Hi {{contact.firstname}}, here’s your ebook!”).
3. Delay: Add a “Delay for a set amount of time” action, perhaps 1 day. This prevents overwhelming contacts.
4. Send Email (Value Add): After the delay, send another email. This one could offer related content (blog post, video), or invite them to a free consultation. Focus on value, not just selling.
5. If/Then Branch (Personalization): This is crucial. Click the + and select “If/then branch.”
   • Branch criteria: “Contact has opened email” for your previous email.
   • Yes path: If they opened, maybe send them a more advanced piece of content or a direct call to action.
   • No path: If they didn’t open, perhaps try a different subject line with similar content or a different channel entirely (e.g., a LinkedIn message if you have that integration).
6. Continue adding delays and emails, building out the logical path based on your customer journey map.

Common Mistake: “Set it and forget it.” Many marketers build a workflow, launch it, and never look at it again. Your audience and their needs evolve, and so should your automation. I once inherited a HubSpot account where a welcome series was sending outdated product information for over two years! Embarrassing, and damaging to brand perception.

Pro Tip: Use A/B testing within your email actions to optimize subject lines, content, and calls-to-action. HubSpot’s email editor has built-in A/B testing options when creating or editing an email. You’ll find it under the “Test” tab in the email editor. A mere 1% increase in open rates can translate to significant revenue over time.

Step 4: Test, Monitor, and Refine Your Automation

Launching a workflow without rigorous testing is like driving blindfolded. Don’t do it. This is where you catch errors and ensure a smooth customer experience.

4.1 Test Your Workflow Internally

1. In your workflow, click the Test tab at the top.
2. Enter the email address of a team member (or yourself) who is NOT currently in the workflow.
3. Click Test workflow.
4. Monitor your inbox and check all links, personalization tokens, and conditional logic. Does it flow as expected? Are there any broken images or awkward phrasing?
5. Repeat this for all major branches of your workflow.

Editorial Aside: This step is non-negotiable. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught a forgotten personalization token (“Hi [First Name],”) or a broken link during testing. It takes minutes, but saves hours of damage control and protects your brand’s reputation.

4.2 Activate Your Workflow

Once testing is complete and you’re confident, go back to the Review and publish tab in your workflow and click Turn on.

4.3 Monitor Performance Metrics

Once live, your work isn’t done. You need to keep an eye on how your workflow is performing. In HubSpot:

1. Navigate back to Automation > Workflows.
2. Click on your specific workflow.
3. The “Performance” tab will show you key metrics like:
   • Enrollment Rate: How many contacts are entering the workflow.
   • Completion Rate: How many contacts are going through the entire workflow.
   • Email Performance: Open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates for each email in the sequence.

4.4 Iterate and Optimize

Based on your performance data, make adjustments. If an email has a low open rate, try a new subject line. If a specific call-to-action has a low click-through rate, refine the copy or offer. This continuous improvement cycle is what separates successful automation from mediocre efforts.

Concrete Case Study: Last year, we worked with a local boutique in Midtown, Atlanta, that wanted to automate their post-purchase follow-up. Their initial workflow was a single, generic “Thanks for your order!” email. We implemented a segmented approach: customers who bought high-value items received a personalized thank-you from the owner and a 10% off coupon for their next purchase, while general customers received a “how-to care for your item” email. We used HubSpot’s “If/then branch” based on the “Total Revenue” contact property. Within three months, the high-value segment’s repeat purchase rate increased by 18%, and overall customer satisfaction scores (tracked via a follow-up survey linked in the automation) jumped by 12 points. The key? Personalization driven by smart segmentation.

Common Mistake: Ignoring unsubscribe rates. A high unsubscribe rate isn’t just a lost contact; it’s a signal that your messaging is irrelevant or overwhelming. Pay attention to it and adjust accordingly. Often, it means you need better segmentation or to reduce frequency.

Expected Outcome: Your automation becomes a finely tuned machine, consistently delivering relevant content, nurturing leads, and driving conversions, all while freeing up your team to focus on higher-level strategic tasks. The goal is efficiency and effectiveness, not just automation for automation’s sake.

Avoiding these common automation mistakes is about being strategic and methodical, not just tech-savvy. Start with your audience, build with precision, and refine relentlessly. This approach transforms your marketing automation from a complex chore into a powerful growth engine.