If you’re new to business, email automation is probably not something you’re familiar with. Like most consumers, you get emails from brands, stores, and services and think nothing of it. (Except when you get too many, and then you delete, delete, delete, and unsubscribe.)
What is email automation?
Those automated emails you receive are part of a fairly complex system known as automated email marketing. If the company is large enough, they likely have an entire team devoted to sending you the right emails that you’ll actually open and take action like shop or download.
Most businesses start with a welcome sequence—a series of 4-5 emails that introduce new subscribers to you, your business, and what they can expect on their email list. Customers who have made a purchase can also receive an automated sequence thanking them for their support, showing them how to use or take care of their product, and making suggestions for future purchases.
These sequences, or workflows, can be set up with automated triggers (like a purchase) with delays between each message. You can also send different emails depending on whether a subscriber has clicked a link, opened an email (or didn’t), or took some other action.
Do I really need email marketing?
As a business owner, you probably thought about setting up a social media page before you considered which email service provider (ESP) you should use. Email open and click rates probably seem meaningless compared to a follower count on Instagram. And all that writing? Yikes. Can’t I just post something on Facebook and call it a day?
Truthfully, email marketing is more important than social media — and that is coming from a social media company!
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Emails provide that one-on-one connection that social media lacks. There’s no algorithm to track. Depending on the ESP you choose, there’s robust analytics and the ability to retarget customers based on their past behaviors and purchases in a way that social media doesn’t allow. People might take a break from social, but they’re not taking a break from their email.
What should I send in my emails?
If you send compelling, useful, entertaining, inspiring, or helpful emails, the right people will open them and take action. The next time you get a good marketing email, take note of what you enjoyed most about it and consider if it’d work for your audience.
While some email sequences are set up specifically to welcome and introduce or to thank them for a purchase, you can also set up automations for your general evergreen content as well. Share weekly or monthly tips. Write a series of entertaining short stories or poems. Showcase a product of the month with a discount. Ask questions and encourage replies to build a relationship with each subscriber.
Conclusion: Should I automate my emails?
Y E S. 😉
At least, we think so. Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
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