Should you use Email Automation?
Cindy Donaldson
in Entrepreneur, Fun Stuff, Marketing, Must Read Blogs, Small Business
There is a big difference between having an email marketing program and having an AUTOMATED email marketing program. The word “Automation” tends to send people into the panic zone – conjuring up visions of AI, robots, machines, “Danger Will Robinson” and the like.
Well, indeed it’s a bit computer geeky to set up the email automation, it is in fact far more human than sending one off emails.
First let’s get the lingo down.
Non Automated: If you are sending out an email and you have nothing set to “Trigger an Action” when someone clicks on something, opens something, or doesn’t do either of those – then you are not using email automation.
Automated: If you are setting up an architecture behind the scenes with Boolean cues i.e. “if this…than that” then you are automating. We marketers create workflows that automatically send emails to subscribers based on what they do or do not do.
Pros of Email Automation
First off, at Red Barn we do both. My weekly Thursday and Monday emails (SIGN UP HERE) are not automated. They are called just broadcast emails. If you don’t open them or don’t read them we aren’t prompting you to do something else.
Back to the pros…
Using Email Automation allows you to personalize and deliver customer-centric content that is specific and relative to your clients. In other words – you are speaking to them on a more personal level.
For both prospects and clients.
We use email automation to nurture prospects through the customer journey – bringing them along the Know, Like, Trust trifecta. We pepper them with content that will help nudge them to the trust and ergo buy phase. Perhaps they downloaded a quiz or an article, liked us on Facebook, went to a certain page on our website – all might trigger a unique email experience to them. Speaking to them on a personal level. “Hey Jenn, thanks for downloading that paper on Email Marketing – here’s something else you might like XXXXX”
We use automation to nurture clients in our Business Success Framework program – helping Corporate Executives launch Coaching and Consulting Careers. Everything from – “Hey, you’ve got this”, to “Hey, I see you haven’t completed Module 2 and you are probably missing something AMAZING.”
In the end – almost any action a person takes when engaging with your brand can be tracked and incorporated into an email marketing automation.
Found this handy stat on CampaignMonitor.com – “email marketing is the king of the marketing kingdom with a 4400% ROI and $44 for every $1 spent.”
When you are ready to dip your toes – call us. WE LOVE EMAIL MARKETING AUTOMATION.