What is email automation?
Email automation is the use of email messages to drive sales and engagements and expand the reach of a business. This practice is typically used with email marketing software and in marketing automation software. Examples of email automation include a welcome message for a new customer, a reminder that they left something in their cart, or recommendations for similar products to purchase. Essentially, email automation is the practice of implementing a process for repetitive tasks to free up valuable time.
The practice of email automation can be found across multiple industries and types of businesses. It’s a simple yet effective way to reach and connect with customers. When combined with the benefits of marketing automation, email automation can be a critical asset to any digital strategy. It can help personalize a customer journey, make a marketing team more agile, and even improve customer retention.
Types of email automation
In addition to the examples mentioned above, there are plenty of other types of email automation to consider.
- Drip campaigns: Much like the name would suggest, a drip campaign is used by a business to casually introduce information about the company itself, its offerings or products, or to showcase content. They are most often interest-based, which means that these campaigns would have to be triggered by site usage, past purchases, or relevant consumer actions.
- Discount offerings: Expanding on the “abandoned cart” example from before, a business might combat this by offering a small discount or promo code on future purchases. While it may not work every time, this type of automation shows the customer that the business is committed to establishing a relationship with them.
- Trackable campaigns: When using email automation it’s important to remember that every email sent should be used as an opportunity to learn more about the customer. Once a user opens the message, the journey they take becomes information that is now incredibly viable to the digital strategy. Through one email, a business can track the click-through rate to their site, see who uses an offer or buys something, and even see who is sharing or browsing once the purchase is complete.
Benefits of using email automation
When implementing email automation into a digital strategy it’s important to consider the benefits it will bring to any business.
- Team productivity: By automating tasks and content that would normally take up a substantial amount of time to create and execute, teams use automation to become more agile in their day-to-day operations. This frees up time to focus on bigger picture action items, like strategy, honing the customer experience, and dedicating resources to expanding business goals.
- Personalized buyer experience: Brands know that the easiest way to appeal to customers is by creating personalized experiences that resonate with their product. A lot can be learned about a user through email automation which then leads to a more sophisticated strategy. Most customers are more likely to respond to offers that they feel best serve their needs and this can easily be recognized by following the data provided by email automation and audience segmentation.
- Cost-effective retention: As most marketers know, it’s easier to reignite interest from an existing customer rather than acquiring new ones. By using email automation these touchpoints for existing customers can easily be activated with specific and attractive offers. By putting these types of campaigns in place it is more likely that retention and brand trust will continue to grow.
Basic elements of email automation
The process of email automation is relatively simple. It requires actionable steps and multiple journeys to be mapped to be successful. Each journey will look different depending on the industry but all of them include a similar structure.
- Triggered messaging: The best automation campaigns are based around specific user triggers (like the welcome emails and abandoned cart examples). Knowing where customers are lost in the buying journey will help identify which triggers are important to build campaigns around.
- Action-focused decisions: When customers show interest in a brand and share personal information, they expect some sort of return on investment. For example, when a prospective customer gives an email address in return for 10% off, this creates an action opportunity on the brand side. It is now in the brand’s best interest to create more action opportunities for the customer to see exactly what they have to offer.
- Results-oriented campaigns: Each automation campaign should have analytics attached to it. To run an efficient strategy and one that is always evolving with the customer, it’s important to always have a campaign goal in mind. The goal can vary but should be based on data previously collected. Most software will include an analytics option but it never hurts to check.
Email automation best practices
Although a great tool for marketers, email automation can be easily abused in the name of efficiency. Just because campaigns can be created and sent doesn’t mean they should be.
In order to use an effective email automation strategy, follow these best practices:
- Don’t overuse it: While the automation element is attractive to busy marketers, it’s important to not to see it as an answer to all brand communication. Automation should be used specifically to learn about the consumer and provide guidance into where business can be improved or simplified.
- Consumer-first messaging: Most brands use email automation as a first point of contact for users. This is why it’s so important to be clear and concise with messaging and identify exactly what the customer needs to know from the start. Users should not overshadow the point of the message by filling the campaign with useless information. They should start with a clear directive and path for them to follow to achieve the goal (a sale, engagement, awareness, etc.).
Email automation vs. digital marketing
Both email automation and digital marketing are tactics used by businesses to optimize their brand online. Digital marketing is an alternative to traditional marketing (like print ads, mailers, magazines, or even TV) and is seen exclusively on computers or phones. Since there has been a large uptick in mobile users in the last few years, marketers have been using this “always online” approach to advertising as well. Enter social media and email—the two biggest hosts for digital marketing. Email automation is a strategy of digital marketing, making the two a great pair for any online business.
Victoria Blackwell
Victoria is a Research Principal at G2 concentrating on marketing and digital advertising software. Prior to G2, Victoria began her career on Capitol Hill. She transitioned out of politics with an extensive background in project management and operations. She later found her niche in creating stylized brand and marketing campaigns while working for startups and powerhouse apps based in Chicago and London. This varied experience has made her an exceptional practitioner in the marketing and advertising content realm, leading her to expand into the B2B sphere.
