The benefits of this technology are many including more targeted communication, more qualified prospects, and higher revenue. The right platform and the right processes allow businesses to achieve more success in less time, and with less staff—and that’s the name of the game.
When it comes to marketing automation it’s not one-size-fits-all. Sometimes marketers buy full suites with bells and whistles they’ll never use. We recommend doing some analysis about your goals and focus on the features you need. You probably need email automation but maybe not search marketing, you might want marketing analytics but may not need content management.
Email automation is part of every solid marketing strategy. It's the practice of creating a customer journey of relevant emails that are timely, and designed to connect with customers on a more personal level.
Customer journeys are triggered based on subscriber behavior and traits. You can create as many journeys as you’d like. Email automation allows you to create it once and you’re done. Some of the more popular customer journeys are outlined below.
As a marketer you want to cultivate your big spenders and keep them coming back. For a journey like this set a trigger for when a consumer spends a certain amount of money, say $200. When this amount is spent, an email is automatically generated with a VIP offer. If a consumer does not spend that amount, they’d receive a different email with a more generic offer or product news.
This is a way to help the customer engage with your brand in the initial stages of your relationship, and make a great impression right off the bat. This series traditionally includes three emails sent within 2 weeks. Once a customer engages in any way, send your first welcome email. If the consumer doesn’t respond in some way send them a second a few days later with a promo, then a third in a week’s time.
This trigger based customer journey starts with an action - say a consumer buys a car. The dealer knows that six months later that car is going to need a tune up so they send an email reminder. Then send another reminder based on if / how they engaged with the first email including another relevant offer.
Every retailer could benefit from a birthday series, and let’s face it, everyone likes to be remembered on their special day. It’s a great opportunity to delight good clients with a little surprise. Generate an offer or gift suggestion based on past purchases. It’s a good way to increase sales and stay top of mind with your customers.
This type of series is a good way to remind your customers how awesome you are. Maybe they haven’t made a purchase in a while, or engaged with your website. Take this opportunity to entice them back with an email - be thoughtful, be engaging, be compelling. This not only helps generate sales, or donations in the case of St. Judes, but it’s a good way to reconnect.