(Even when life gets busy)
Let’s be honest. Keeping up with your marketing when you’re running a business is a lot. Especially when you’re wearing all the hats. That’s why email automations are such a game changer. They help you stay visible, build trust with your audience and follow up consistently without needing to be in your email system every day.
The power of email automations
Email automations refer to the use of software to send emails to subscribers based on specific triggers or actions they take. My preferred email marketing software is Mailerlite. However, I also work in a number of other systems like Mailchimp, Active Campaign and Flodesk. If you’re not sure which email marketing system to choose, I have an article on this you might find helpful.
Having a strategy for email automations ensures timely and relevant communication, enhancing the overall customer experience. For instance, when a new subscriber joins your mailing list, an automated welcome email can introduce them to your brand, setting the stage for a lasting relationship.
The effectiveness of email automations is backed by compelling statistics:
- Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than non-automated emails, highlighting their significant impact on a business’s bottom line. Reference.
- Transactional automated emails have 8x more opens and clicks than other types of emails, emphasising the heightened engagement levels they achieve. Reference.
- Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases, demonstrating the value of maintaining ongoing communication with potential customers. Reference.
Writing an effective welcome email sequence
A welcome email sequence is a series of emails sent to new subscribers to introduce them to your brand, provide valuable information and guide them towards desired actions.
It’s important to note here, that a welcome email is not just a time to sell. Ideally, you don’t want to bombard a new subscriber with a barrage of sales email. This is a sure fire way for the person to unsubscribe from your email list. Or worse to get your emails marked as junk!
To maximise its effectiveness, consider including the following elements in your welcome email sequences:
- Prompt delivery: Set the initial trigger to send the welcome email immediately after a subscriber joins your list to capitalise on their interest.
- Engaging subject line: Write a subject line that is clear, concise and piques curiosity. For inspiration, see these examples.
- Personalisation: Use the subscriber’s name and tailor content based on their preferences or behaviours to foster a personal connection.
- Value proposition: Clearly articulate the benefits of your products or services and how they address the subscriber’s needs.
- Clear call-to-action (CTA): Guide subscribers towards the next step, whether it’s exploring your website, booking a call or following you on social media.
- Be concise: Concise, well written emails that convey the value clearly are best for engagement. If the email is too long, consider splitting it across multiple emails.
Incorporating these elements into your welcome email sequences can significantly enhance engagement and set the foundation for a strong customer relationship.
If you’re struggling to get started, I’ve created a welcome sequence framework that takes the guesswork out of it. You can incorporate all the tips from this blog and use the framework to write a really engaging welcome sequence for your own business. Download the free welcome sequence framework here.
Building a smart marketing automation strategy
Beyond the welcome email, a well-planned marketing automation strategy includes various email automations tailored to different stages of the customer journey. Key email sequences include:
- Lead nurturing emails: Provide potential customers with relevant content and offers to guide them through the decision-making process.
- Post-purchase follow-ups: Engage customers after a purchase to gather feedback, offer support and encourage repeat business.
- Re-engagement campaigns: Reach out to inactive subscribers with personalised messages to rekindle their interest in your brand.
Businesses using a strong marketing automation strategy have seen a 451% increase in qualified leads. Reference.
Choosing the right marketing solutions
Selecting the right marketing solutions is key to ensuring your email automations work effectively. Factors to consider include:
- Ease of use and setup
- Integration with your website, CRM and lead capture tools
- Reporting tools and analytics
- Support and scalability as your business grows
In fact, 50% of marketers expect easy integration into existing content management, CRM and ERP systems, underlining the importance of choosing the right marketing solutions for your company. Reference.
If you are not sure whether you require a CRM system or an email marketing system, I have an article here that helps you understand this better.
Best practices for email automations
To get the most from your email automations, keep these best practices in mind:
- Segment your list: Send more relevant, tailored content based on subscriber actions or interests.
- Optimise for mobile: The majority of users read automated emails on their phones, so your design needs to work beautifully across all devices.
- Test and refine: Use A/B testing to refine subject lines, send times and content. Then tweak based on the data.
By following these practices into your marketing automation strategy, your automated emails will work harder and smarter for your business.
Why email automations are worth the effort
When set up well, email automations are more than just a time-saver, they become one of the most valuable tools in your marketing solutions toolkit. You’ll build stronger relationships, boost revenue and create consistency even when you’re not actively “doing” the marketing.
And if you’re still getting to grips with where to start or how to improve what’s already in place, start with one simple welcome email. It’s simple, strategic and has a huge impact.
For more on how automation supports long-term business growth, you can learn more in my other article, Maximising Business Growth with Email Automation.
👉 If you are looking for support to get your overall marketing automation strategy and setting up email automations, then you can read more about my services here. I offer bespoke support to either untangle and streamline what you’ve got set up already or help get you set up from scratch. Alternatively you can email me directly.
