Are You Making the Most of Automated Email Marketing?

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So, after seeing the latest numbers, you finally bit the bullet and signed-up for that spiffy new marketing automation software.

The problem now is figuring out what to do with the app. You’re excited to get started, but there’s a lot under the hood and you’re not sure where to start, and where to go after that. Happily, you can use this handy chart from the Email Marketing & Marketing Automation Excellence 2017 Report to make the most of your automated email marketing investment:

Source: Email Marketing & Marketing Automation Excellence 2017 Report

What You Can Do with Automated Email Marketing Software

Before you decide where to start, you should understand what you can do with the marketing automation software.

This is where the chart above comes in handy. Each line represents a type of message you can use in your automated email marketing campaigns. From top to bottom, they go from simple to more complex, both in terms of integration as well as campaign complexity.

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Standard Newsletters

Most small businesses start by sending an email newsletter to their subscribers. This simple email marketing strategy is effective, and, it’s the most simple place to dip your toes into the water. While there’s not a lot of automation involved in this approach, it’s a great way to grow your subscriber list so you can then take advantage of the other types of email.

Promotional Sale-Focused Email Campaigns

This is where you begin to get personal by segmenting your list to target different promotions towards separate audiences. This is especially effective for small retail businesses that sell products but can be use by all small businesses to target higher scoring leads that are more likely to buy.

Again, there’s not a tremendous amount of automation at this stage, but segmenting your lists and lead scoring are two more important steps forward toward automation.

Simple Autoresponders

An autoresponder is the automated email type most businesses use first. Simply put, an autoresponder is a series of one or more emails that run on a pre-determined schedule when triggered by a specific customer action. While almost all automated emails are autoresponders, the term is typically used to describe emails with simple triggers such as the welcome message a customer receives after subscribing to your list.

Multi-Step Welcome for New Subscribers

As described above, an autoresponder can consist of more than one message. For example, your welcome message can also be a welcome series with multiple emails that provide useful, relevant content and offers to new subscribers.

The welcome series approach has proven to be more effective than the single welcome email tactic (a welcome series generates up to 23 percent more orders than the single welcome email) and is one you should consider for your small business.

Automated and Event-Triggered Email Across the Full Customer Lifecycle

As your leads become customers, and then repeat customers, you can send emails with targeted content and offers. This is where the list segmentation you began when sending promotional sale-focused email campaigns comes in handy.

For example, you can send separate and targeted emails to customers who have not yet made a purchase, have made a purchase in a certain product category, and so on. These messages can be triggered by integrating with your ecommerce system so, let’s say, when a customer buys a perfume, they automatically get an email with a coupon to use when buying that perfume the next time.

This is powerful stuff and very, very effective.

Reactivation Emails

A reactivation campaign aims to reengage those list subscribers who have stopped responding to your automated email marketing by either opening your emails or clicking on one of the links inside. This approach can also be used on past customers who have made one or more purchases and then never returned.

While these emails are not automated, they can reengage subscribers so they enter your automated campaigns once again.

Follow-Up to Cart-Viewing, Content or Product Viewed on Site

Once you integrate your website with your marketing automation software, you can do some fancy automated email marketing campaigns.

First up are cart recovery emails. There are many reasons a customer may abandon your site while viewing their shopping cart, but that doesn’t have to be the end. You can use email campaigns to bring those almost-customers back so you can address their issues and encourage the sale.

Secondly, you can monitor a customer’s behavior on your site. By doing so, you’ll see what content and products they view and that will reveal their interests. Then, you can use that data to send emails that target those interests with content and offers.

Rule-Based Lead Nurturing Programs

Lead nurturing is a marketing methodology that focuses on strengthening your relationship with each customer. You can automate some of that process if your marketing automation system includes a customer relationship management system (CRM) or, if that’s not the case, by integrating your marketing automation system with your customer relationship management system.

In this case, rules are what trigger the automation. One example is a rule that sends an automated email when a lead’s score passes a certain level in your CRM system.

Type of Email	Description
Standard Newsletters	– Effective for small businesses – A simple way to grow your subscriber list
Promotional Sale-Focused Email Campaigns	– Target different promotions for distinct audiences – Effective for retail businesses and targeting high-scoring leads
Simple Autoresponders	– Series of emails triggered by customer actions – Often used for welcome messages and subscription confirmations
Multi-Step Welcome for New Subscribers	– Multi-email welcome series for new subscribers – Proven to generate more orders compared to a single welcome email
Automated and Event-Triggered Email	– Targeted emails for leads and customers – Utilizes list segmentation and integrates with ecommerce systems – Sends relevant content and offers at various stages of the customer lifecycle
Reactivation Emails	– Reengage inactive subscribers and past customers – Helps bring subscribers back into automated campaigns
Follow-Up to Cart-Viewing, Content, or Product Viewed on Site	– Cart recovery emails to recapture almost-customers – Monitors customer behavior to target interests with content and offers
Rule-Based Lead Nurturing Programs	– Strengthens customer relationships through automation – Utilizes CRM integration or integrates with a CRM system – Automation triggered by predefined rules, such as lead scores reaching a certain level

Maximizing the Benefits of Marketing Automation

Now that you understand the various capabilities of marketing automation software, it’s time to unlock its full potential. Here are some tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of your investment:

Set Clear Goals: Define specific goals and objectives for your automated email marketing campaigns. Whether it’s increasing sales, nurturing leads, or improving customer engagement, having clear targets will guide your efforts.
Segment Your Audience: Take advantage of list segmentation to tailor your messages to different customer groups. Segment based on demographics, behavior, or purchase history to deliver more relevant content.
A/B Testing: Experiment with A/B testing to optimize your email content and strategies. Test subject lines, email copy, visuals, and calls to action to determine what resonates best with your audience.
Monitor Analytics: Regularly analyze the performance of your email campaigns. Track open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and other key metrics to identify areas for improvement.
Maintain Clean Lists: Keep your email lists up-to-date by removing inactive or unsubscribed contacts. A clean list ensures that your messages reach an engaged and interested audience.
Personalize Content: Leverage personalization features to create a more individualized experience for your recipients. Personalized emails are more likely to resonate and drive conversions.
Automation Rules: Set up automation rules to trigger emails based on specific customer actions. Whether it’s sending a follow-up email after a purchase or reengaging with dormant leads, automation rules can save time and enhance your workflow.
Responsive Design: Ensure that your emails are mobile-responsive. With the increasing use of mobile devices, it’s crucial that your emails display properly on various screen sizes.
Consistent Branding: Maintain consistent branding across all your email marketing efforts. Your emails should reflect your brand’s identity and values, reinforcing brand recognition.
Test and Adapt: Marketing automation is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Continuously test and adapt your strategies based on the evolving preferences and behaviors of your audience.

Ensuring Compliance and Privacy in Automated Email Marketing

While automated email marketing offers numerous benefits, it’s crucial to prioritize compliance and privacy to avoid legal and reputational issues. Here are key considerations:

Data Protection: Ensure that you handle customer data in compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR or CCPA. Obtain proper consent before sending emails and provide options for subscribers to manage their preferences.
Unsubscribe Mechanism: Include a clear and accessible unsubscribe mechanism in every email. Make it easy for recipients to opt-out of your emails, and promptly honor their requests.
Anti-Spam Laws: Familiarize yourself with anti-spam laws in your region and adhere to their requirements. Ensure that your emails contain identifiable sender information and valid physical addresses.
Privacy Policies: Maintain up-to-date privacy policies on your website that clearly outline how customer data is collected, used, and protected. Link to these policies in your emails for transparency.
Secure Data Handling: Implement robust security measures to protect customer data from breaches or unauthorized access. Encrypt sensitive information and regularly audit your data-handling processes.
Record Keeping: Maintain detailed records of consent, opt-ins, and opt-outs. These records can serve as evidence of compliance in case of audits or legal inquiries.
Training and Education: Educate your team about email marketing compliance. Ensure that all employees involved in email marketing understand the rules and regulations governing your campaigns.
Monitoring and Auditing: Regularly monitor your email marketing practices and conduct internal audits to identify and address potential compliance issues proactively.
Third-Party Vendors: If you use third-party email marketing services, ensure that they also comply with relevant regulations. Review their data handling and security practices.

Consideration	Description
Data Protection	– Handle customer data in compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR or CCPA. – Obtain proper consent before sending emails and allow subscribers to manage their preferences.
Unsubscribe Mechanism	– Include a clear and accessible unsubscribe mechanism in every email. – Ensure recipients can easily opt-out of your emails, and promptly honor their requests.
Anti-Spam Laws	– Familiarize yourself with anti-spam laws in your region and adhere to their requirements. – Ensure emails contain identifiable sender information and valid physical addresses.
Privacy Policies	– Maintain up-to-date privacy policies on your website outlining how customer data is collected, used, and protected. – Provide links to these policies in your emails for transparency.
Secure Data Handling	– Implement robust security measures to protect customer data from breaches or unauthorized access. – Encrypt sensitive information and conduct regular audits of data-handling processes.
Record Keeping	– Keep detailed records of consent, opt-ins, and opt-outs. – These records can serve as evidence of compliance during audits or legal inquiries.
Training and Education	– Educate your team about email marketing compliance. – Ensure all employees involved in email marketing understand the rules and regulations governing your campaigns.
Monitoring and Auditing	– Regularly monitor your email marketing practices and conduct internal audits. – Identify and address potential compliance issues proactively to maintain adherence to regulations.
Third-Party Vendors	– If using third-party email marketing services, ensure they comply with relevant regulations. – Review their data handling and security practices to maintain compliance and data protection.