How I Automate The Lead Matching Workflow on Unicorn Factory

Watch: How I Automate The Lead Matching Workflow on Unicorn Factory

This historical Unicorn Factory workflow stores enquiries, reviews them, and sends approved leads to the intended freelancer.

Why Automate Lead Generation?

Running a platform like Unicorn Factory, one of my top priorities is ensuring freelancers get high-quality leads without a ton of manual intervention. Automation tools like Make.com and Zapier let you:

• Save time by handling repetitive tasks.
• Route approved enquiries using a verified freelancer record.
• Stay within budget by choosing tools that fit your needs.

If you’re just getting started with automation, check out my Crash Course in Zapier.

The Automation Setup: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Lead Submission Workflow

This is the first part of the process, where client inquiries are captured and stored. Here’s how I set it up:

• Webflow Form Submission: Clients fill out an inquiry form on a freelancer’s profile page in Webflow.

• Trigger in Make.com: I use Make.com’s “Watch Events” module to detect when a form is submitted.

  • Pro Tip: Use filters to ensure the automation only triggers for freelancer forms. Add a unique form name like “freelancer_form” in Webflow’s settings.

• Send to Airtable: Map the form fields to a table in Airtable. Each inquiry becomes a record with fields like client name, email, and project details.

Read more about automating Webflow forms with Airtable.

2. Lead Approval Workflow

Once an inquiry is submitted, it needs to be reviewed and approved. Here’s how that works:

• Approval Button in Airtable: Add a checkbox field labeled “Approved.” When you check it, the record moves to a new view filtered by approved inquiries.
• Zapier Trigger: Zapier detects when a record is added to the approved view and sends an email to the freelancer with all the details.
• Email Delivery: For this step, I’ve used tools like Mailersend and Gmail, but you can start with Gmail’s Zapier integration if you’re just getting started.

If you’re curious about more advanced email setups, check out my guide on choosing the best email marketing tool.

Why I Use Make.com Over Zapier (Sometimes)

Don’t get me wrong — I love Zapier. It’s intuitive, powerful, and my go-to for most automations. But here’s why I use Make.com for certain workflows:

1. Cost Savings: Zapier’s task limits can get expensive, especially when dealing with high-volume workflows. Compare current plan costs using your actual runs, actions, and retry volume.
2. Complex Workflows: Make.com handles intricate, multi-step workflows with ease, thanks to its modular design.

At the time of the original comparison, I reported saving about $372 per year by moving some tasks. Treat that as a historical estimate. Compare current plans and actual workflow usage before expecting similar savings. Read more about Make.com’s advantages over Zapier.

Pro Tips for a Seamless Automation Experience

• Dynamic Form Fields: Add an HTML embed to your Webflow forms to capture the page URL dynamically. This ensures you know which freelancer profile the inquiry came from.
• Use Views in Airtable: Views are powerful for organizing and triggering specific actions. For example, an “Approved Messages” view only shows inquiries ready to be sent.
• Start Small: If you’re new to automation, begin with simple workflows and build from there.

Match the lead to a trusted freelancer record

A profile URL helps identify the intended freelancer. Treat submitted URLs and IDs as untrusted input. Look up the approved freelancer record using a stable destination ID. Resolve the recipient email from that record, rather than accepting an address supplied by the visitor. Stop and flag the lead when no approved freelancer matches.

Store Submission ID, Freelancer ID, Review status, Send status, Provider message ID, and Sent at. Only approved, unsent leads enter the send workflow. Use the submission ID as the duplicate key. Repeated webhooks must update the same lead record. After an uncertain email response, check provider activity before retrying. Rejections do not enter the send view.

Make’s Webflow app still documents Watch Events. Confirm the selected site, event, and form with one permitted test submission. Test a valid freelancer, an invalid ID, a rejection, and a repeated event. Use marketplace workflow planning to assign each step an owner.