Zapier for Workplace Automation: Control Your Work

Workflow Automation with Zapier

Gone are the days where we rely on paper documents and project folders around the office. In order to get things done efficiently and seamlessly, many businesses turn to workflow automation to handle the tedious and menial tasks we all love to hate.

What is Zapier?

Zapier is a web automation app that allows your most essential products and online services to “talk” to each other. Zapier automates your workflow with easy and useful integrations between your most used apps at work.

Zapier supports over 750 apps so you can mix and match with triggers and actions in order to automate your workflow.

Here are just 10 of the apps that Zapier integrates with:

1. Gmail
2. Twitter
3. Facebook
4. Google Drive
5. Salesforce
6. Github
7. Buffer
8. SurveyMonkey
9. Shopify
10. MySQL

With these Zapier integrations, there are an endless amount of recipes, or Zaps, that you can create to automate even the most menial of processes. From welcoming new Mailchimp subscribers with a personal email, to adding new Shopify orders to Salesforce as leads, there is no limit to the power that Zapier can offer your small business or startup.

What are Zaps + How Do I Create Them?

A Zap is essentially a recipe or blueprint for a task you wish to do over and over again. Zaps link your apps on Zapier and go a little something like this:

“When an [action] happens in A, [do this reaction] in B”

The first part is the Trigger and the second part is the Action. Though Zaps can only have one Trigger — they are allowed multiple Actions.

It starts with the super simple and easy programming interface. You can either select a pre-made Zap from the App Directory or craft your own. Zapier also recommends a ton of Zaps to you based on your selections as you browse through integrations.

Let’s pretend you are a small retail business with a short staff and even shorter amount of available time. With Zapier, you can get an extra set of hands that are reacting to stimulus before you can even tell it to.

For example, you can have Zapier automatically create a Quickbooks invoice whenever you receive a Paypal payment. With a quick Zap, you can lift part of the accounting burden off of your shoulders so you have more time to manage, market, and monetize your business.

You can browse thousands of popular Zaps that others have created and used to discover ways to bring workplace automation to your company.

Best Automated CRM Integration: Hubspot CRM + MailChimp

For businesses that focus on lead generation, it’s essential to choose a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that has the right features for your process. Many tech startups opt for automated CRM software that optimizes workflow productivity and pipeline success.

For example, manually creating Hubspot CRM contacts from new Mailchimp subscribers is daunting and time-consuming. With Zapier, you can build a Zap that does just that — saving your time and sanity.

How It Works

Let’s first think about it in the context of our earlier recipe: “When an [action] happens in A, [do this reaction] in B”

In response, the Zap would be:

When a [new subscriber is added] in MailChimp, [create a contact] in Hubspot CRM.

From there, we can get more specific and add more actions to further automate. This time, we will use the popular IF THEN statement, which is what IFTTT and Zapier utilize on their platform:

IF new subscriber added on MailChimp THEN create a contact on Hubspot CRM

IF contact exists THEN update that contact

ELSE IF contact does not exist THEN create a new Hubspot CRM contact

The vice versa of this Zap would be adding new contacts that you create in Hubspot to your subscriber list in Mailchimp. This is also possible in Zapier and is a favorite for many companies that focus on 1:1 relationships with leads and customers alike.

Best Credit Card Processing Integration: Stripe + Wufoo

For businesses who accept online payments, making a decision between some of the best credit card processing services like PayPal, Square, and Stripe is no small feat.

Whether it’s event registrations, ebook purchases, or donations — it’s important that the service you choose can be easily automated.

By integrating services like Stripe (an online payment processor) and Wufoo (in which you create intuitive forms), your Wufoo form will always house your newest set of prices in Stripe. This makes for easier payment processes and ensures a positive UX.

How It Works

In the context of our earlier recipe, the Zap would be:

When a [new plan] in Stripe, [create entry] in Wufoo

Or, in the IF THEN statement form:

IF [new plan] in Stripe THEN [create entry] in Wufoo

Zapier is a powerful workplace automation app that is being used by small businesses and startups across the globe. If you’re ready to introduce workplace automation to your business, visit Zapier’s website to get started.

Do you use Zapier? What are some of the most efficient Zaps that your small business or tech startup uses? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!