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8 Automated Emails That Every Business Should Use
Consumers want it all, and they want it now.
While it may seem impossible, email marketers have the means available to them to cater to at least some of the customer needs, and that’s why there are several automated emails that every business should use.
Read on to discover what email automation is and why it should be in every digital marketer’s toolbox.
What is email automation?
Email automation is the act of sending time- or action-triggered messages to your email subscribers with highly relevant, targeted information. The idea behind email automation is to simplify the day-to-day workflow of your email marketing team by completely automating the process.
Source: Campaign Monitor
Depending on which email marketing services are at your disposal, the automation process should be rather simple. For example, Campaign Monitor customers can use this process by creating a new journey.
Source: Campaign Monitor
Once you’ve defined your customer journey, which is done by choosing the initial trigger that’ll start the entire process, you simply add steps to the journey. Each step will be a new email that’s sent to subscribers who meet the criteria or trip the trigger. Once you’ve saved the new journey, it’s ready to go and will automatically start sending out emails as soon as you’ve activated it.
Why is email automation so crucial for email marketers?
Aside from simplifying your day-to-day tasks, why else is email automation so vital to your email marketing strategy? First of all, it helps to fulfill your customer’s needs for communication. When asked, 25% of consumers have said that they chose to unsubscribe from a brand’s subscriber list simply because it lacked a human touch. Now, that could mean several things. However, in this case, it pertained to a lack of communication between them and the brand.
Your customers have chosen to subscribe to your particular list because they believe that you have something worthwhile, and, if you’ve lost touch with them, then they’ll assume that you don’t have what they need and will have no problem moving on.
In 2019, 84% of consumers considered customer service to be a key factor when deciding whether or not to purchase from a brand. That said, if you aren’t communicating consistently with your subscribers, chances are they aren’t going to be leaping from subscribers to paying customers. When it comes down to brand loyalty, 95% of consumers stated that customer service was an important factor in who they chose to be loyal to. If they can’t rely on you and your team, why should they be loyal to you?
Building brand loyalty and trust is essential. When it comes to trusting brands, customer experience plays a significant role, and, when done right, email automation can help you create the ideal customer experience.
Source: Marketing Charts
8 automated emails that every business should use
Email automation benefits both you and your subscribers, so, if you haven’t already started utilizing this marketing tactic, then you’ll want to consider starting. Already a fan of this tactic? Then consider utilizing these eight automated emails.
1. Welcome series
An email welcome series is one of the most commonly used automated email campaigns by email marketers. Why? Because they are 86% more effective than your standard email newsletter and can have an open rate of approximately 91.43%.
Typically, a welcome email series includes a minimum of two emails that are first triggered when a new person signs up for a brand’s emailing list. The process of signing up triggers the first email to be sent out, which is typically one of three emails:
- Welcome to the brand
- Thank you for subscribing
- A confirmation email requiring a second opt-in
The email following the initial message is typically sent after an action is taken (such as the secondary opt-in) or is time-triggered (meaning it was scheduled to be sent out after so many hours or days after the first message).
Source: Emma
It’s vital to note that there are no set rules on the number of email messages that you should send as part of your automated welcome campaign. If you aren’t sure how many emails should be included, then you should A/B test two variations of the campaign to see which one keeps your subscribers more engaged.
2. Thank you email
Thank you emails can be sent for a variety of reasons. It can be a part of your automated transactional campaigns or even your welcome email campaigns. The point is that you want to show your appreciation for your subscribers. After all, they’ve taken their valuable time to perform an action; they expect you to show your appreciation. Remember, a little acknowledgment can go a long way when it comes to building relationships with your subscribers.
Source: Really Good Emails
3. Transactional email
Transactional emails are emails that are sent out after your subscriber has taken a particular action. These are particularly important for those in ecommerce. These emails often include a summary of a purchase, along with any relevant shipping information that the consumer may need to keep an eye on their product.
Source: Really Good Emails
Believe it or not, transactional emails have approximately 8 times more opens and clicks than any other type of email message. They also tend to generate nearly 6 times more revenue than other automated email messages.
4. Event invitations
Event invitations are another excellent example of a message that can be adequately segmented and automated to go out to either your entire emailing list or those who’ve chosen to receive details on upcoming events.
When it comes to marketing for an event, 40% of event creators state that these automated emails are the most useful piece of their marketing materials.
Source: Campaign Monitor
Automated event invitations are great for not only marketers but your subscribers as well. They help to keep readers informed on what’s going on with your brand, all while providing them with interactive materials to help them learn more should they be interested.
5. Email newsletter
Aside from an automated welcome email series, email newsletters are the next most popular automated emails that every business should use because they’re so versatile.
Email newsletters can be used to share new content, make announcements, and promote new products or services in one place.
Source: Campaign Monitor
If you aren’t utilizing an automated email newsletter, here are a few reasons why you should be adding it to your email marketing arsenal:
- Approximately 83% of B2B marketers utilize email newsletters for content marketing. – Content Marketing Institute
- Publisher newsletters have an average open rate of 22% – Smart Insights
6. Product announcement/launch
Product announcements and launches are excellent for brands whose primary goal is product sales. We live in a time where consumers want to be informed of the newest products on the market. When you have something new on the horizon, you want to start teasing it early, so you can start generating excitement amongst your readers. As the final release date draws near, you’ll have already piqued your consumer’s interests, and they’ll be waiting for the final release announcement and eager to either click “learn more” or make a purchase.
Source: Really Good Emails
7. Inventory update
These automated emails are great for keeping your email subscribers engaged with your website. Many brands utilize cookies and other technology to keep track of pages or specific projects that their consumers have visited. If they show particular interest in an item, these cookies make a note of it. Should the product be out of stock, it’ll send them an announcement once your inventory has replenished.
Source: Really Good Emails
8. Feedback emails
Your customers want to be heard, and the best way to let them voice their opinion is by inviting them to partake in surveys and give them plenty of opportunities to leave their feedback on products, services, and their overall thoughts on your brand.
Source: Really Good Emails
Wrap up
There are dozens of different automated emails that every business should use, and you want to use the ones best suited for your brand. That said, keep in mind these automated emails every business should be using, no matter what:
- Welcome series
- Thank you email
- Transactional email
- Event invitations
- Email newsletter
- Product launch
- Inventory update
- Abandoned cart email
- Brand updates
- Feedback emails
Want a more in-depth look at email automation? Be sure to take a few minutes to check out our detailed guide on email automation.
