Over the past few years, one of the most exciting trends in the email marketing industry has been the meteoric rise of automation.
While email marketing has traditionally been an easy and effective way to communicate with customers, automation is set to take things to a new level. Through automation, new possibilities have opened up for marketers looking to maximize every aspect of their email campaigns.
Automation's impact on emails will be revolutionary, driving a more thoughtful and focused approach to email marketing to deliver better results.
What is email marketing automation?
Email marketing automation is the process of using software to manage and simplify your email marketing campaigns.
It's all about automating repetitive tasks so you can focus on what's important — your customers.
Email marketing campaigns have many moving parts: Sending out emails to segment your audience and keeping track of open and click-through rates. That's why automation is critical in running an effective campaign.
Automation tools make it easy for you to set up and manage each part of your campaign. You can use them to create automated emails or drip campaigns (a sequence of emails) that get sent out at certain times or in specific ways based on certain criteria, like whether someone opens an email or clicks a link within it.
What is the main use of email marketing automation?
The primary use of email automation is to increase revenue. Still, you can also use it for other purposes, such as improving customer service and increasing the number of leads generated.
Email automation is often used with other marketing strategies such as social media, SEO, and PPC. It allows you to create a comprehensive marketing strategy to succeed in your business.
The primary purpose of these automated emails is to get recipients to take action. The most common types of actions that subscribers can take are:
- Signing up for an online course or webinar
- Downloading an ebook or whitepaper
- Joining a mailing list or social media group
- Making a purchase.
The most common types of email automation
Email automation is scheduling emails to send in the future date. You can do this manually, or if you have an online store, you do it through the popular Shopify or WooCommerce email marketing platforms.
There are many different types of email automation, including:
1. Welcome series
A welcome series is sent after someone signs up on your website or completes an online form. It's usually shipped within 24 hours of their signup and can include information about how to use your product, make their first payment, access to your help center or support team, etc. The email usually contains helpful tips or advice to make them comfortable using their new account or product.
2. Autoresponder sequence
An autoresponder sequence is designed to follow up after someone has completed an action on your website. You can set up multiple autoresponder sequences for activities such as WooCommerce abandoned cart email. So that each time someone takes one action on your site, they receive an automated message at some point afterward thanking them for their purchase.
3. Re-engagement series
This type of email automation is designed to reach out to those subscribers who haven't opened or clicked on any emails from your company for a certain period (i.e., 30 days). The goal is to re-engage them with your brand and encourage them to open or click on future messages from you.
4. Website or content updates
When you update your site or create new content, you can use an automated email campaign to share the news with your subscribers. It is beneficial if you're launching a product or service because it gives readers a heads-up before they're bombarded by marketing messages from other companies.
5. Event reminders and RSVPs
When organizing an event, you must ensure all your guests receive timely reminders about the event and any last-minute updates. You can also use event reminders for RSVPs. This automation is beneficial for birthday parties and weddings, where the guest list can change, and you need an efficient way to notify everyone about changes.
6. Offers
You can use automated emails to remind your customers that they might qualify for discounts or send them coupons if they don't remember to purchase something on their own. This is very effective in B2B sales with low-priced products.
What are the top benefits of email automation?
Email automation is one of the most effective ways to build your business. Here are some of the top benefits of email automation:
1. Save time and energy with email automation
Email automation lets you save time and energy so that you can focus on other tasks. Automation allows you to send out emails automatically based on criteria. You can schedule a marketing campaign and send it out on a date and time. You can also use email automation to send newsletters or reminders about events in your business.
2. Increase your productivity and efficiency
As mentioned above, email automation allows you to get more done in less time. Automating your emails also ensures that they're sent at the correct times so that they don't go unnoticed by customers or prospects. Doing so helps increase productivity and efficiency without wasting time creating new messages every week or month!
3. Increase conversions
With an automated email sequence, your sales team doesn't need to spend hours crafting personalized emails for each customer. It frees up time so they can focus on other business areas, like closing deals and generating revenue. The more time they save, the more discounts they can close!
4. Improve customer service
Sending automated replies based on previous customer interactions helps improve your customer service quality because it ensures that each interaction is tailored to individual needs and preferences. It also ensures that all customers receive similar responses regardless of how they interact with your brand — whether through email, social media, an app, or a website — which means they'll feel more valued by your company.
5. Increase customer retention
The most apparent benefit of email automation is that it helps you keep in touch with customers so they don't forget about you or your brand. When you send out regular updates about new products and promotions, customers feel like they're part of a community and partaking in something special. They're more likely to stay loyal to your brand because they feel connected to it — which means less churn and more money saved over time!
6. Increase brand awareness
Automating your emails allows you to reach out to customers at the correct times. For example, if someone purchases something from your store, you can send them an automated email thanking them for their purchase and offering them something free (a free ebook, free shipping on their next order). The more you reach out to them via email, the more familiar they'll become with your brand.
7. Generate leads
Automated emails can help generate leads by following up with people who have visited your website or downloaded one of your ebooks or whitepapers. You can also use automated emails as part of a lead generation campaign where people enter their email addresses in exchange for a lead magnet (freebie). It allows you to build up a list of potential customers who might be interested in buying from you in the future.
8. Reduce customer churn rate
Automated emails can also help reduce customer churn rate by making it easier for customers to communicate with you when they need help, buy products, or respond to surveys — saving both time and money on customer support. It helps keep customers happy, so they don't leave your business because they had trouble reaching someone at the company when they needed help.
9. Engage with customers
When used correctly, email automation can help increase customer engagement by ensuring they receive the information they need when they need it most. It can improve sales and loyalty among current clients who are happy with their experience working with you or doing business with your company.
Wrapping Up!
The future of email marketing in this automated world is bright; the great thing about email is that it's an effective marketing strategy, no matter your business goals.
Now that technology is starting to catch up with the ever-changing possibilities, automation will become more and more ubiquitous in email campaigns, bringing us closer than ever to a world without tedious manual work.
