Workflows 101: How to Build, Modify, and Run at Scale

Imagine you're running a business and there are tons of repetitive tasks you and your team handle every day—researching clients, creating content, tracking sales performance, etc.

But worry not, as Workflows have the solutions for you. Workflows in Copy.ai are like your ultimate helper that takes these tasks off your plate and does them automatically.

Mastering Workflows can save your team hundreds (or even thousands) of hours by automating tedious, labor-intensive processes, such as:

Account research
Deal health
Sales call insights
Sales coaching
SEO-content generation
Thought leadership content

And much more.By leveraging AI workflow automation and machine learning technologies, these processes can be streamlined to improve operational efficiency.But as with any new technology, getting started can sometimes be the hardest part. That's why, in this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know in order to build, modify, and run your Workflows at scale.We'll also highlight the benefits of AI and its role in enhancing business processes.Feel free to use the table of contents on the left-hand side of this post to navigate to the section you need help with.Let's start with the basics: what are Workflows?

1. What Is a Workflow?

Automating tasks has become increasingly popular with the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) and chat tools.

But Workflows takes things to the next level by allowing you to automate entire processes, rather than just one-off tasks.

Here's how you can leverage Workflows to streamline your team's operations:

Understand Workflows: Unlike traditional chat tools that automate single tasks like writing a LinkedIn post or drafting an email, Workflows automates complete processes. It can research your prospects, infer their job responsibilities, and then create personalized content to engage them effectively. This use of AI technologies ensures greater customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Access Prebuilt Workflows: Copy.ai offers a library of prebuilt workflows that you can access and use right away. One example is the "Lead Contact Enrichment from LinkedIn Profile" workflow, which scrapes a prospect's LinkedIn profile, summarizes their work history, extracts education and location details, and recommends use cases based on your product knowledge.
Customize Workflows: While prebuilt workflows are handy, you can also create custom workflows from scratch. Workflows allows you to modify actions, change language models, and add context using an infobase to get richer output tailored to your needs.
Align Your Team: By automating processes, Workflows ensures that your entire team is aligned and working towards the same goals. You can send data to different departments via Slack or email, update CRMs, and eliminate silos to improve your go-to-market efforts.
Focus on Strategy: With Workflows handling the grunt work, you and your team can focus on higher-level strategies that drive growth and move the needle for your business.

Workflows is a powerful automation platform that can change the way you operate, enabling you to automate entire processes, align your team, and concentrate on strategic initiatives that truly matter.It's time to embrace AI solutions, streamline processes, enhance your business operations, and say goodbye to those time-consuming manual tasks that hold back your business growth.

2. Chat vs Workflows

When it comes to AI workflow automation tools, we can't overlook Copy.ai, the world’s first-ever GTM AI platform.

Copy.ai offers two powerful features—Chat and Workflows—to streamline your content creation process. Here's how you can leverage them:

a. Using the Chat Feature

Open the Chat Tool: Navigate to the Chat tool in Copy.ai. You'll see the language model (GPT-4) being used displayed at the top.
Brainstorm Ideas: Use the chat as a brainstorming buddy. Type in a prompt like "Give me some good ideas for a blog post on go-to-market strategies."
Receive Instant Suggestions: The AI will instantly provide you with relevant ideas and suggestions that you can use as a starting point.
Ideal for One-Off Tasks: The Chat feature is best used for one-off tasks like writing a single blog post, crafting content for social media posts or a LinkedIn post, or getting ideas on a specific topic.

b. Using the Workflows Feature

Navigate to Workflows: Go to the Workflows section in Copy.ai. Here you can create automated processes for content creation.
Choose a Workflow: Select from pre-built workflow templates or create a custom one from scratch.
Input Relevant Information: Enter the necessary details (e.g., keyword, topic) that the workflow requires.
Automate Tasks: The workflow will then execute a series of tasks autonomously, such as:

Searching Google for the topic
Extracting top results and headings
Finding related keywords
Building a content brief and outline
Writing a long-form blog post

Customize Steps: You can customize each step of the workflow to suit your needs.

Workflows allow you to automate entire content creation processes efficiently, while Chat is ideal for quick, one-off tasks. Leverage both features to streamline your go-to-market content strategy.

3. Welcome to the Workflow Library

Getting started with Copy.ai workflows is simple and straightforward.

The platform offers a Workflow Library filled with pre-built workflows that cater to various use cases, such as prospecting, deal management, expansion and retention, enablement and training, operations, marketing, and more.

Here's how you can take advantage of the Workflow Library:

Access the Workflow Library: From your Copy.ai dashboard, locate the left-hand side menu and click on "Workflow Library." This will take you to the collection of pre-built workflows organized by category.
Browse and Select a Workflow: Explore the available workflows based on your specific needs. We are continuously expanding the library, so you'll find new workflows added regularly.
Try a Workflow: When you find a workflow that aligns with your requirements, click the "Try This" button. This will prompt you to fill in the necessary inputs for the workflow.

For example, if you're trying a workflow related to prospecting, you might need to provide a LinkedIn URL, a description of your company and value proposition, and any additional context to help the AI algorithms connect your offer with the specific LinkedIn profile.

Provide Inputs: After clicking "Try This," you'll be asked to fill in the required inputs for the selected workflow. These inputs vary depending on the workflow you've chosen.
Explore and Refine: While pre-built workflows are designed to work out-of-the-box, you can refine and customize them in the "Build" view.
Scale with Tables: Later in this post, we'll show you how to run these workflows at scale using tables, enabling you to process large amounts of data efficiently.

Copy.ai encourages you to explore the Workflow Library, try out different workflows, and provide feedback on your experience. As the platform continues to evolve, more comprehensive and powerful AI-powered productivity tools will be added to the library.

4. How to Build a Workflow from Scratch

You no longer need to be a coder or programmer to automate tasks and build powerful workflows.

With the right no-code platform—like Copy.ai, you can create sophisticated workflows using simple natural language instructions, just like describing a task to an intern. Here's how it works:

Step 1: Access the Workflow Builder

Log into Copy.ai and navigate to the workflow builder section.
Click on "Add a Workflow" in the top right-hand corner.

Step 2: Describe Your Desired Workflow

When prompted, describe the workflow you want to build in plain English.
Be clear and specific, just like you would explain a task to someone.
Example: "Given a [LinkedIn URL], tell me about this person's role and the most likely pain points they experience within that role."

Step 3: Let the Platform Build the Workflow

After entering your instructions, let the no-code platform work its magic.
It will automatically generate a multi-step workflow based on your description, usually within 60–90 seconds.

Step 4: Test the Workflow

Once the workflow is built, test it by providing the required input (e.g., a LinkedIn URL).
The platform will execute the workflow, scraping data, analyzing information, and generating the desired output.

Step 5: Review and Refine

Check the workflow's output to ensure it meets your expectations.
Modify individual actions within the workflow to improve accuracy and results if needed.

That's it! With this approach, you can build powerful, automated workflows for all sorts of tasks—from data processing to content generation—all without writing a single line of code, only use AI.

5. What are Actions?

Actions are the building blocks of workflows. They represent the individual steps that make up a workflow.

Here's how to work with actions when building workflows:

Identify Existing Actions

Each step in your workflow is considered an action.
Examples: scraping LinkedIn data, extracting role information, inferring pain points.

Add New Actions

Click the "Plus" icon to add a new action.
Browse through categories like images, research, text, integrations, and more.
Alternatively, type in the action you want to add.
Example: To draft an email after extracting role information, simply type "draft an email."

Modify Actions

Click on an action to customize it.
Adjust the prompt, background information, and advanced settings for that specific action.

Remove Actions

If an action is no longer needed, delete it from the workflow.

By understanding how to identify, add, modify, and remove actions, you gain full control over building efficient and effective workflows tailored to your needs.

6. How to Customize Your Workflow

As you build and polish workflows, you might find that the initial output doesn't give you exactly what you want right away.

That's okay—it's part of the process of working with AI.

Here's how you can modify and refine the individual actions within a workflow to get the desired output:

a. Modify the Prompt

The prompt tells the AI what you want it to do in that specific action step.
Click on the action you want to modify to access the prompt field.
Use highlighted text to pull in context from previous steps.
Add the "#" symbol to reference workflow inputs, actions, or infobase entries.

Example: If you want the content outline to include related keywords, you can type "#related keywords" and instruct the AI accordingly.

b. Update the Background

The background tells the AI what kind of expert it is for that particular task.
Provide details on the role it should take (e.g., content strategist) and its skills.
Include examples or outline the desired structure for the output.

Example: For blog posts, specify a narrative flow like introducing the concept, explaining its importance, sharing pain points, and showing how AI makes it easier.

c. Adjust Advanced Settings

Choose the language model to use (e.g., GPT-4, Claude).
Set the temperature (creativity level) of the output.
Specify a max/min character or word length.

d. Rinse and Repeat

Go through each action, updating the prompt, background, and settings.
Save your changes and publish the updated workflow.

The more you refine and customize the actions, the better the AI will understand your requirements and generate higher-quality output tailored to your needs.

7. How to Use Infobase in Your Workflows

Infobase is a powerful feature that allows you to add context and relevant information to your prompts.

Here's how to use Infobase:

Access Infobase

In your home dashboard, click on "Infobase" in the left-hand menu.

Add a New Entry

Click "Add Info" to create a new Infobase entry.

Name the Entry

Give your entry a descriptive name related to the context (e.g., "GTM Bloat").

Add Content

Upload a relevant document or paste text directly into the entry.
Include explanations, examples, guidelines—anything you want the AI to reference.

Save the Entry

Click "Save" once you've added all the relevant content.

Use the Entry in a Workflow

When running a workflow, pull in your Infobase entry using the "#infobase" tag.
Example: "Be sure to touch on all aspects of GTM bloat in each post."

Add Examples (Optional)

Create Infobase entries with example content to train the AI on your desired brand voice and style.
Use the "#examples" tag to reference these entries in your prompts.

With Infobase, you can ensure your AI outputs incorporate the critical context and guidance you need, leading to more consistent, high-quality results.

8. How to Test Your Workflow (for 0 Credits)

Testing your workflows before publishing and running them at scale is essential to ensure you get high-quality outputs.

Here's how you can quickly test your workflows:

Go to the Workflow Library

Locate the workflow you want to test.

Navigate to the Build Section

Click on the "Build" tab to access the workflow builder.

Enter Test Data

Input the data you want to test with.
Example: Use a blog URL like www.copy.ai/blog/gtm-ai.

Run Workflow Test

Click the "Test" button, then "Run Flow" to initiate the test run.

Review Test Results

The test will run, and you'll see the output generated by the workflow.

Modify Workflow (Optional)

If needed, tweak the workflow by modifying actions and prompts.
Example: Update the "Generate Ad Creative" action to specify character limits or platforms.

Re-Test as Needed

Re-run the test workflow to verify the new outputs.
Don't forget to save and publish any changes.

Testing workflows doesn't consume any credits, so you can iterate and fine-tune with confidence before publishing and running at scale.

9. Run a Workflow and Scale with Tables

Running individual workflows is useful for testing, but to truly harness the power of Copy.ai Workflows, you'll want to run workflows at scale.

Here's how you can do it:

Start with a Workflow: Select the workflow you want to run at scale (e.g., "Enrich a Person from a LinkedIn Profile").

Test the Workflow: Run it once in the Build view to ensure it's working as expected.

Move to the Table View: Switch to the Table view by clicking the "Table" button.

Import Your Data

Click "Import" and upload your CSV file containing the data.
The data will automatically map to the workflow's input parameters.

Run the Workflow at Scale

Click "Run Workflow" to execute the workflow across all rows in the table.
Copy.ai's AI will process each row in parallel for maximum efficiency.

Review the Results

As the workflow runs, you'll see the output for each row populated in the table.
Inspect the results to ensure everything ran successfully.

Export or Integrate (Optional)

Export the table's data to a CSV file.
Use Copy.ai's integrations to send the data to a CRM, marketing platform, Slack, email, etc.

By running workflows at scale, you can automate processes like lead enrichment, content generation, data processing, and more with just a few clicks.

10. How to Integrate Workflows into Your Tech Stack

Copy.ai allows you to integrate your workflows with other tools and platforms, streamlining your processes.

Here's how to set up workflow integrations:

Step 1: Identify the Integration You Need

Copy.ai offers native integrations with tools like Slack, Gmail, Salesforce, and Google Calendar.
Navigate to the "Integrations" tab and click on the integration you want.
If you need a different integration, use Zapier to connect with thousands of other apps.

Step 2: Set Up the Integration

Native Integrations: Add the connection and allow necessary permissions.

Example: For Slack, authorize the integration with your Slack workspace.

Zapier Integrations: Create a new "Zap" to connect Copy.ai with another app.

Example: Send workflow outputs to a Slack channel.

Create a new Zap with "Copy.ai" as the trigger app.
Select "Completed Workflow Run" as the event and authenticate your account.
Choose the workflow you want to monitor.
Test the trigger.
Select "Slack" as the action app and choose "Send Channel Message."
Authenticate Slack and select the desired channel.
Customize the message text using data from your workflow.

Step 3: Customize and Automate

Tailor the integration to suit your specific needs.
Example: Send different outputs to different teams or channels based on the content.

Copy.ai's integrations allow you to create end-to-end processes that enhance your team's workflows and combat "GTM Bloat" (the accumulation of too many disparate tools and processes).

11. How to Use Forms With Workflows

Forms allow you to share your workflows and gather valuable feedback and insights.

Here's how to use them:

Build Your Workflow: Create the workflow you want to share in the "Build" tab.

Access Your Form: Go to the "Form" tab to create a form for your workflow.

Embed or Share the Form

Embed Code: Copy the iframe code to embed the form on a web page.
Full Page Link: Use the link to create a standalone landing page.

Customize Form Settings

Show/Hide Outputs: Control what outputs are visible to users.
Rate Limiting: Set limits on form submissions.
Branding: Turn off the "Powered by" branding if desired.

User Submissions

When users submit the form, their inputs run your workflow behind the scenes.
Submission data is captured in the "Tables" view.

Leverage Form Data

Use the data to gain insights into your audience.
Require an email signup to gate access if desired.

Forms make it easy to share workflows publicly or internally. Embed them on pages, create dedicated landing pages, and control visibility. Use forms to share your work and gather valuable audience data.

Benefits of Using Copy.ai Workflows

Implementing advanced AI-driven workflows can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of go-to-market (GTM) teams.

And if you’re looking to overcome bottlenecks and boost productivity, here’s how integrating AI into your GTM efforts can make all the difference.

Increased Efficiency‍

Routine tasks like data entry, prospect research, and drafting content can eat up valuable time. But with AI models like ChatGPT and tools powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP), you can automate these processes.

By automating routine tasks and time-consuming work such as data entry, prospect research, and content generation, GTM teams can focus more on strategic activities. This not only speeds up the market entry process but also reduces the potential for human error in repetitive tasks.

By cutting down on manual labor, your team members can focus on predictive strategies and creative problem-solving.

Enhanced Personalization‍

Customers expect personalized experiences, and generative AI is the key to delivering them.

Workflows can process and analyze large datasets to generate insights about customer preferences and behaviors. Whether it’s pricing strategies, email routing, or chatbot interactions, AI systems empower you to tailor your messaging and approach for each segment. This data analysis helps drive engagement and boosts conversion rates.

Better Alignment Across Teams‍

Nothing slows down progress like miscommunication or outdated information. Automated workflows ensure that different functions within the GTM team—such as sales, marketing, and customer support—are consistently updated with the latest data and insights.

This synchronization helps maintain a unified approach toward market entry and customer interaction strategies. By syncing data and creating real-time summaries, your team can operate with precision.

Scalability

Here’s the beauty of AI workflows: they grow with you. As business needs grow, workflows can be scaled to handle increased loads or to integrate new processes without significant additional resource allocation.

Whether it’s onboarding new team members, integrating with existing systems, or scaling to manage higher workloads, these workflows adapt. This scalability supports businesses in managing growth effectively without compromising efficiency or customer experience.

Data-Driven Decision Making

AI-driven workflows excel at real-time data analysis. They don’t just collect data—they interpret it, offering actionable insights.

With workflows automating the collection and analysis of market and customer data, GTM teams have access to real-time insights. These insights can guide decision-making processes, from identifying market opportunities to optimizing marketing campaigns and improving product offerings.

It’s like having a crystal ball for the future of your GTM strategy.

Cost Reduction‍

Automating tasks reduces the need for manual labor, leading to significant cost savings. Additionally, the increased accuracy and efficiency of automated workflows can reduce costs associated with errors and inefficiencies in manual processes.

With AI Workflows, it’s not just about cost reduction, it’s about value creation.

Faster Time to Market‍

In competitive industries, time is everything. By streamlining and automating many of the steps involved in launching products or campaigns, GTM teams can reduce the time it takes to go from concept to market. This quicker time to market can provide a competitive advantage, especially in industries where speed is critical.

Continuous Improvement‍

AI systems learn as they go. AI-driven workflows can learn from outcomes and continuously refine processes based on feedback and changing market conditions. This ongoing optimization ensures that GTM strategies remain effective and relevant over time.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Automated workflows can provide quicker and more consistent responses to customer inquiries and issues. This responsiveness can enhance the customer experience, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

By integrating such AI-powered workflows into their operations, go-to-market teams can achieve more with less and adapt to market changes more swiftly and effectively.

Final Thoughts and Follow-up Resources

The adoption of AI-driven workflows presents a transformative opportunity for go-to-market teams. Whether it’s integrating LLMs like ChatGPT, refining your onboarding processes, or breaking down bottlenecks with smarter routing and automation, the opportunities are endless.

The benefits extend across multiple aspects of GTM strategies—from enhanced personalization and improved alignment between teams to more informed decision-making and faster market entry. Plus, these workflows help in reducing operational costs and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

With the ability to tailor marketing and sales efforts based on deep insights and real-time data, GTM teams can better meet the evolving demands of the market and their customers.

For more information, check out these helpful resources:

These articles will have all the information you need to get started with workflows and scale your GTM success!