How to Keep Customers interested with Email Automation

What is Email Automation?

Email automation uses technology to send pre-scheduled, targeted emails to your customers based on specific actions they take. This method, often called drip marketing, helps you engage with your audience without manually sending each email.

How Can I Use Email Automation to Help My Business?

Email automation can transform potential customers into paying customers, keep current customers engaged, and revive interest from former customers. By sending timely and relevant emails, you can maintain a strong connection with your audience and foster long-term loyalty.

How Does It Help My Customers Stay Interested and Engaged?

Email automation ensures that your messages are personalized and timely, making your customers feel valued and understood. Here’s how:

• Personalization: Tailored emails that address specific customer needs and behaviors.
• Timeliness: Messages sent at the right moments, based on customer actions.
• Relevance: Content that aligns with customer interests and preferences.

Example: Custom Service Hardware

Custom Service Hardware, an online retailer, successfully used email automation to re-engage customers who abandoned their shopping carts. Here’s how they did it:

1. Trigger: Customers abandon their cart.
2. First Email: Sent an hour later, offering assistance and a 5% discount valid for 7 days.
3. Second Email: Sent 7 days later, reminding customers of the expiring discount and offering further help.

Results:

• First Email:
  • Open Rate: 58.7%
  • Click-Through Rate: 37%
  • Purchases: 36.6%
• Second Email:
  • Open Rate: 40.9%
  • Click-Through Rate: 22.2%
  • Purchases: 100%

Strategies for Effective Email Automation

To implement effective email automation, identify your goals and create corresponding email flows. Here are common goals and their strategies:

1. Onboarding

Goal: Teach customers how to use your product or service.

• Trigger: Customer signs up or makes a purchase.
• Flow:
  1. Welcome email sent an hour after purchase.
  2. “How it works” email sent over the next few days.

2. Engagement

Goal: Encourage customers to interact more with your business.

• Trigger: Customer uses some features but not others.
• Flow:
  1. Regular engagement emails every few weeks.
  2. Monthly newsletter.
  3. Periodic emails about new features or products.

3. Retention

Goal: Keep customers loyal and returning.

• Trigger: Customer makes a purchase.
• Flow:
  1. Feedback request email two days after purchase.
  2. Related product recommendations sent a day after additional purchases.

4. Re-engagement

Goal: Reactivate inactive users.

• Trigger: Customer hasn’t interacted for a while.
• Flow:
  1. “We miss you” email.
  2. “What you’re missing” email.
  3. Discount or promotion email.

Tips for Success

• Avoid Overwhelm: Don’t bombard your customers with too many emails.
• Opt-In/Out: Allow customers to easily subscribe or unsubscribe from your emails.

By leveraging the latest email automation technologies, you can create personalized, timely, and engaging email campaigns that keep your customers interested and help grow your business.