If you’re already automating simple tasks in your business, you’re likely seeing the benefits of saving time and boosting efficiency. But you might be wondering: can you take this a step further and automate your email communication as well?
The answer is Yes.
Email automation is a system that helps you automatically send emails based on specific actions or schedules. Rather than manually sending each message, you can set up triggers that send emails automatically, like when someone subscribes to your list or makes a purchase.
It may sound complex, but the truth is, getting started with email automation is easier than you think. Let’s dive into how it can benefit your business and how you can make it work for you.
Benefits of automated email campaigns
Automated email campaigns offer a range of benefits that can help streamline your marketing efforts. Here are five of its most significant benefits for small business owners like you:
Time-saving
Automated email campaigns save you a lot of time by doing the work for you. Once set up, your emails are sent automatically, so you don’t have to manually send each message. This frees up your time to focus on other important tasks.
Personalization at scale
Email automation lets you send personalized emails based on factors like customer behavior, preferences, or demographics. For example, you can automatically send emails when new customers sign up for your services or re-engagement campaigns for clients with lapsed accounts. This level of personalization helps improve engagement and enhance customer retention in the long run. In fact, a 2023 Omnisend report found that customers are 42% more likely to open personalized welcome emails sent through email automation software. In comparison, the same study cited that regular campaigns with generic messaging had an open rate of 25%.
Cost-effective
Automated email software can handle tasks that would normally require a whole team. Once set up, it runs with minimal maintenance. You can reach more customers and boost your ROI without the extra costs of hiring more staff.
24/7 marketing
Automated email campaigns can run even when you’re not available. You can reach your customers anytime, anywhere, while providing timely promotions such as flash sales, limited-time discount coupons, or holiday campaigns without your intervention.
Scalability
As your business grows, email automation can grow with it. Whether you’re sending 100 emails or 100,000, the process remains efficient and consistent regardless of organization size.
Common types of automated email campaigns
Depending on your marketing strategy, you can use several types of automated campaigns. Here are the most commonly used email marketing automation techniques:
- Welcome emails. Sent to new subscribers or customers to introduce them to your brand. Typically include a warm greeting, brand overview, and sometimes a special offer.
- Onboarding emails. Sent to new customers or users to help them get started with your product or service. They usually offer tips, instructions, or a welcome offer to make sure the new user has a good experience and knows how to use what they bought or signed up for.
- Lead nurturing emails. Designed to move potential customers through the sales funnel by delivering valuable content, product information, and offers based on their interests or behaviors.
- Abandoned cart emails. Sent to users who added items to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase. These emails aim to remind them to finalize their purchase, often with a discount or incentive.
- Re-engagement emails. Sent to people who haven’t interacted with your brand in a while. The goal is to get them interested again by offering something special or reminding them of what they’re missing.
- Transactional emails. Sent when someone takes an action, like making a purchase or changing their password. Examples include order confirmations, shipping updates, or account changes. They provide important info that the customer needs to know.
Step-by-step guide for building an automated email campaign
Building your automated email campaign might seem daunting, but with our help, we can get you on the right track. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Choose an email platform
When selecting an email platform, think about the features that will best support your business’s needs. Automation simplifies both the creation and ongoing management of your emails. You’ll want a platform that’s easy to navigate, especially if you’re new to email marketing. A user-friendly interface can save you time and frustration. On the other hand, if you’re looking to target specific customer groups, robust segmentation tools are a must.
For example, Web.com’s Professional Email tools within our platform includes a user-friendly platform with customizable templates that help you create personalized email campaigns. These templates make it simple to design emails that resonate with your audience. Plus, it includes powerful analytics tools so you can track important performance metrics.
Step 2: Define goals
Prepare campaigns based on your company’s needs. Planning the type of campaigns to produce will help narrow down the messaging and which customers you want to target. For example, if you’re welcoming new subscribers, your messaging must be informative while guiding the new users through the customer journey.
Step 3: Create an email list and segment customers
You need to have a list of subscribers to send emails to. Start by collecting email addresses through a sign-up form, lead magnets, or customer purchases.
Once you have a list, segment it based on interests, purchase history, or other criteria to send more targeted messages. To learn more about effective email list management, check out our guide to building and maintaining a mailing list.
Step 4: Design the email
Draft your email messages to help the automation software compose personalized messages for each campaign and customer. You want to keep your audience engaged, so make sure your message is clear and easy to read.
Incorporating visuals like images or graphics that reflect your brand’s style can make your emails more appealing and help convey your message more effectively. And don’t forget your subject line; it’s the first thing your customers will see, so make it catchy to increase open rates.
If you’re looking for more email-writing tips, check out our previous blog post on creating emails that get results.
Step 5: Set triggers
Next, think about the actions that should trigger your emails. Setting up these triggers ensures that your emails are sent at the right moment. Here are some common examples:
- Sign-up/subscription. Send a welcome email when someone subscribes to your list.
- Abandoned cart. Send a reminder when someone adds items to their cart but doesn’t check out.
- Engagement. Send follow-up emails based on actions like clicking a link or purchasing.
These triggers are set in the email platform to allow the automation software to send emails when a specific event occurs.
You can also learn how to build an email campaign with Web.com’s email marketing tool by checking out our article on building email campaigns.
Best practices for automated email campaigns
Creating effective email campaigns requires a combination of strategy, design, and optimization. Here are the best practices that guarantee engaging and high-performing email campaigns:
- Segment. Segment your email list based on relevant criteria such as demographics, past behaviors, or customer journey stage. This ensures your emails are personalized and relevant, increasing engagement and conversions.
- Personalize. Use the recipient’s name, recommend products based on past purchases, or send birthday discounts. The more tailored your message, the more likely your audience will engage.
- Optimize for mobile. Nearly 60% of all email opens come from mobile devices. Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly by using a responsive design, larger font, and easy-to-click buttons.
- A/B test. Before launching a campaign, test key elements such as subject lines, CTAs, and design. Create two versions and compare the results to determine what resonates best with your audience.
- Comply with regulations. Complying with regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR is essential to avoid government penalties and losing customer trust.
- Obtain clear opt-in consent before sending marketing emails.
- Include an easy unsubscribe option. Make it simple for recipients to opt out of your emails.
- Provide clear identification. Include your business name and contact information.
- Avoid deceptive subject lines.
- Ensure user privacy by including data minimization and allowing access/deletion requests.
- Honor opt-out requests promptly. Remove unsubscribers from your list within 10 business days.
- Use personal data only when necessary and with consent.
- Keep records of consent and how/when subscribers opted in.
- Clearly state how you’ll use customer data.
Pitfalls to avoid for automated emails
Automated email campaigns can be effective, but certain mistakes can hinder success. Avoid these mishaps to maximize your results:
- Sending generic content that lacks personalization.
- Overloading emails with too much information.
- Bombarding customers with too many emails.
- Failing to optimize emails for mobile devices.
- Using weak subject lines.
- Not testing emails.
- Forgetting the unsubscribe option.
- Being too sales focused.
- Ignoring analytics and feedback.
Automate your way to streamlined email campaigns
As more people want personalized experiences, email automation becomes key to making your email marketing easier. Automating your campaigns lets you send customized messages to your customers without having to write individual emails by hand. This cuts down on time and boosts engagement, so your audience gets the right message when they need it. Using platforms like Web.com, you can set up automation effortlessly and get more out of your marketing with less work.
