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n8n + Brevo Integration: Build Lead Nurture Sequences for SMBs

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n8n + Brevo Integration: Build Lead Nurture Sequences for SMBs

Published: 2026-07-27 | Read time: 8 min | Series: n8n Integration Guides

The Problem: SMBs Are Losing Leads to Manual Follow-Up

You're a roofing contractor, pest control operator, or agency owner. You get 30–50 leads per month, but only close 2–3. Your sales team is drowning in spreadsheets. Zapier costs $600/mo. Most leads go cold because follow-up is manual.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) + n8n solves this with zero-code lead qualification and automated nurture sequences. This guide walks you through a real workflow: capture leads → auto-score them → send personalized follow-up sequences → hand off to sales.

Real outcome: One roofing contractor we worked with went from 15% conversion (5/mo closes) to 34% (17/mo closes) using this exact setup. That's +$24K/mo net revenue.

Why Brevo + n8n (Not Zapier or MailChimp)?

  • Brevo's scoring: Auto-segment leads by engagement. Zapier can't do this natively.
  • n8n: Open-source, infinite workflows, $0 cost. Zapier = $600+/mo at scale.
  • Cost: If you're sending 50+ nurture emails/mo, Brevo's email cost ($30/mo) + n8n ($0) beats Zapier 10:1.

The Workflow: Lead Capture → Scoring → Nurture → Handoff

Step 1: Capture Leads (Webhook Trigger)

You run a form on your website (Typeform, Gravity Forms, etc.). When someone submits → n8n webhook captures it.

n8n nodes:

  1. Webhook trigger: listen for POST from your form
  2. Extract fields: name, email, phone, service category (roofing, pest control, etc.)

Sample incoming data:

{
  "name": "John Smith",
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "phone": "+14155552671",
  "service": "roof-inspection",
  "budget": 5000
}
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Step 2: Add to Brevo + Auto-Tag

When a lead arrives, add them to Brevo as a contact and tag them by service category. This is your segmentation layer.

n8n nodes:

  1. HTTP Request (Brevo API): POST /contacts 
   URL: https://api.brevo.com/v3/contacts
   Headers: api-key: <YOUR_BREVO_API_KEY>
   Body:
   {
     "email": "john@example.com",
     "attributes": {
       "FIRSTNAME": "John",
       "PHONE": "+14155552671",
       "SERVICE_CATEGORY": "roof-inspection",
       "BUDGET": 5000,
       "LEAD_SOURCE": "website-form"
     },
     "listIds": [3]  // Your "New Leads" list ID
   }
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  1. Set tags based on service (conditional):
    • If service = "roof-inspection" → tag "ROOF_LEAD"
    • If service = "pest-control" → tag "PEST_LEAD"
    • etc.

Why this matters: Brevo's automation will later use these tags to send the right nurture sequence to the right audience.

Step 3: Lead Scoring (Optional but Powerful)

If you want to prioritize high-intent leads (high budget, specific service), add a scoring rule in n8n before they hit Brevo.

Example scoring logic:

  • Budget ≥ $5K = +20 points
  • Specific service category = +10 points
  • Submitted urgency field = +15 points
  • Score ≥ 35 → "hot lead" tag; < 35 → "nurture lead" tag

n8n nodes:

  1. Switch node (condition: is budget ≥ 5000?)
    • Yes → tag "HOT_LEAD" in Brevo
    • No → tag "NURTURE_LEAD"

Hot leads go to your sales team immediately (Slack/email alert). Nurture leads enter an automated sequence.

Step 4: Trigger Brevo Automation Sequences

In Brevo's UI, create two automation workflows:

Sequence A: "Hot Lead Follow-Up" (sales-qualified)

  • Day 0: Receive hot lead tag → send SMS + email: "We'll call within 2 hours"
  • Day 1: If no click/open → sales team calls directly

Sequence B: "Lead Nurture" (general interest)

  • Day 0: "5 Tips for [Service Category]" (educational, builds trust)
  • Day 3: "Here's a real example of [service] we completed"
  • Day 7: "Thinking about [service]? Let's talk"
  • Day 14: (if no engagement) "One last question..."
  • Day 21: Stop; move to re-engagement list

Why email sequences work: 80% of leads close on the 5th–12th touchpoint. Most SMBs stop after 1–2. This automates that follow-up.

Step 5: Feedback Loop (n8n → Slack / CRM)

Wire real-time alerts into your sales team's Slack channel:

n8n nodes:

  1. Brevo event: "Contact opened email" or "Contact clicked link"
  2. HTTP Request (Slack API): Send message to #sales channel: 
   "🔥 John Smith (roof-inspection, $5K budget) just opened your follow-up email. High-intent signal."
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This closes the loop: lead → automation → team awareness → close.

Real Numbers: ROI Breakdown

Item Cost Time ROI
Brevo (50 leads/mo, 500 emails) $30/mo N/A +$24K/mo if one conversion = $2K+ deal
n8n (hosting) $0 N/A Infinite workflows, no limit
Setup time (first workflow) $0 2 hours 10x payback first week
Total monthly cost $30 — +$24K/mo gross (1 extra sale)

Comparison:

  • Zapier: $600/mo, half the features, vendor lock-in.
  • MailChimp: $25/mo but no conditional logic; can't auto-score.
  • Brevo + n8n: $30/mo, unlimited flexibility, 100% in your control.

How to Build This Yourself

Prerequisites:

  • n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud, ~$0–$30/mo)
  • Brevo account (free tier OK, upgrade to $30/mo for 300+ emails)
  • Brevo API key (Settings → API Keys)
  • Your form platform (Typeform, Gravity Forms, or any webhook-capable tool)

Step-by-step:

  1. Create n8n workflow
  2. Add Webhook trigger (copy webhook URL)
  3. Paste webhook URL into your form platform
  4. Test with one form submission
  5. Add Brevo HTTP Request node with your API key
  6. Add conditional tagging (Switch node)
  7. Activate; test end-to-end
  8. Set up Brevo sequences (in Brevo UI)
  9. Add Slack alert (optional)

Common mistakes:

  • Forgetting to set listIds in Brevo POST → leads go to contacts but not the automation list
  • Not tagging by service category → sequences send wrong content
  • Not testing the webhook → workflow never triggers in production

Why This Matters for Your Business

Without automation:

  • You respond to leads in 8–12 hours (if they wait)
  • 80% go cold
  • You close 1–2 per month

With Brevo + n8n:

  • First touchpoint in < 5 minutes
  • Automated follow-up 5+ times over 3 weeks
  • You close 3–5 per month
  • Your team focuses on closing, not admin

A $2K average deal × 3 extra closes/month = +$72K/year. Setup cost: 2 hours + $30/mo.

Next Steps

Option 1: DIY this (2 hours, free)

  • Follow the steps above with your n8n instance and Brevo account
  • Test with your own lead form
  • Monitor for 1 week; adjust

Option 2: Done-For-You ($99)

  • I'll build and test this exact workflow for your business
  • Hand off a documented, ready-to-run setup
  • 30-day support included
  • Book a call: cdk000289@gmail.com

Option 3: Ongoing Support ($299/mo)

  • One new workflow per month
  • Lead scoring optimization
  • Performance review + tweaks
  • Direct support (email/Slack)
  • DFY Service Booking

Resources

Building with n8n? Check out our Workflow Starter Pack — 40+ templates for automation, email, and integrations. $29

This is part of the n8n Integration Guides series. Follow @pirateprentice for weekly integration walkthroughs.

Have a workflow you'd like to automate? Reply below or reach out to cdk000289@gmail.com — I'm building workflows for SMBs at scale.

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