Many companies can get people to sign up for their emails, but what you do from there is what separates future clients from dead leads. One of the best ways to turn a lead into a customer is through email automation.
Generic, one-size-fits-all emails get lost in the shuffle. You probably receive (and ignore) a ton of them every day; I even have a designated email address specifically for spammy, less-important emails. For this reason, the main point of email automation is to come up with a goal that you can achieve by communicating at the right time. Once your goal is clear, email automation triggers can help you send the right message at the right time with the right CTA.
At KWSM, we avoid generic emails at all costs. We don’t like receiving them, and we don’t want to contribute to sending them. Instead, we take each email as a chance to deliver relevant information at a time when it makes sense. We’ll work with you to identify your goals, develop a strategic email automation plan, and create valuable email campaigns, instead of just creating more spam.
Let’s talk about some of the different ways to automate emails to meet your goals.
5 Types of Email Automation
Email automation is a great way to reach your audience at specific points of the buyer’s journey. This can be done in many ways, but we will focus on five: welcome email, campaign-based, e-commerce-based, date-based, and reminder-based.
“Automated emails are like a virtual marketing assistant for your business: always on and ready to remind your customers and leads what you have to offer. They can even be programmed to reach out after key trigger moments on your website, or remember every detail from your customers’ birthdays to their favorite products. An agency can help you craft the right message and funnel structure to make your automated emails as effective as possible.”
– Roni Blackburn, Digital Account Manager, KWSM: a digital marketing agency
1. Welcome Emails
When someone signs up for your newsletter, you don’t want them to wait until the next newsletter goes out to hear from you. This is an easy fix: set up a welcome email that is sent automatically when they subscribe. In this email, give them a very personable welcome, tell them about your company, offer a special deal, and give them an action to take.
2. Campaign-Based Emails
This is probably the most well-known type of email automation. Often, a campaign-based email drip starts when a visitor fills out the form on your landing page. Make sure to have different emails in the drip to accomplish the different steps of nurturing that lead toward the overall goal of that campaign.
Consider incorporating a Brand Journalism approach to your email drip campaigns. Start by highlighting the problem your potential customers are facing, then position your product or service as the solution. Use examples, quotes, and steps to provide value. Finally, provide a clear call to action that guides them to the next step, whether it’s a downloadable, scheduling a consultation, or bringing to a page on your website.
3. E-commerce Based Emails
If you are an eCommerce-based organization, then you likely deal with abandoned carts. You get a potential customer all the way to the cart, but then they get cold feet and walk away.
You can segment your audience based on their geography or behavior and send personalized automated emails to remind them that they left items in their cart. This ‘abandoned cart’ email strategy is a great way to regain latent customers’ interest and persuade them to finish their purchase.
4. Date-Based Emails
If your brand has events that happen on the same date each year – the company’s anniversary, product sales, end-of-month or end-of-year events – you can save time by setting up related emails to go out automatically at the appropriate times.
If you’ve collected the right data, you can even send automated individualized emails – for example, sending your customers a birthday wish with a deal.
5. Reminder-Based Emails
We all get busy and forget what isn’t at the top of our minds, so sending reminders at the right time can be an asset for your clients. Say your organization offers online certifications that have an expiration date. After users have earned those certifications, you can send periodic refresher emails to keep that content top-of-mind. Then, as the certification is about to expire, send them information on how to recertify, potentially with a discount on the price.
Related Article: How Email Marketing Can Improve Your Business
Adjusting Email Automation To Meet Your Needs
These tactics are some of many ways to leverage email automation. When you create your email campaigns, it is important to be goal-oriented. So, make sure to adjust these tactics to best fit your goals. Email Automation is one of the many ways we make potential clients into current clients.
Does your business need help with email automation? At KWSM, we create fully customized marketing plans to inform and engage your audience. CONTACT US to learn about how we can create an effective email marketing strategy for your business.
