Email Marketing

Email Marketing Automation Strategy: Examples and Best Practices

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Tereza Seidelova  |   July 9th, 2024

6 Min.  read

Even though the world of social media has become a dominant communication channel, email marketing is still considered the most effective way of communicating with customers. Why? It offers one-to-one conversations with your customers and prospects. In this article, we will tell you what email marketing automation is about, what are the benefits, and how to create an effective email marketing automation strategy.

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The effectiveness of email marketing stems from its unique ability to facilitate one-to-one conversations with recipients. Unlike social media, where messages reach the masses, emails can be personalized to create a tailored experience for each recipient. Affordability is another key advantage of email marketing. With most email marketing software, you can reach thousands of people regularly at minimal monthly costs.

What Is Email Marketing Automation?

Email marketing automation is a process, where you use software to automate repetitive tasks in your email campaigns. Marketing automation software allows you to prepare and send messages to your subscribers based on their behavior and preferences. Your email can reach the right people with the right message at the right moment - all without manual effort.

Benefits of Email Marketing Automation

Email marketing automation is perceived as one of the most efficient methods of communication with prospects and customers. How specifically can email marketing strategy help to improve your marketing performance? Here are a few benefits of using a software automation tool.

Personalization and Targeting

A key marketing strategy is personalization. Why? It helps to grow relationships with your customers. According to statistics, 71 % of consumers feel frustrated when their shopping experience is impersonal. Frustration usually doesn't come before making a purchase - you had better avoid it.

How?

Use data about your (potential) customers, tailor the message according to their preferences, and send a personalized email to each client. Email automation software or separate editors offer already pre-built email templates and allow you to automate the creation of specific emails for each contact group. Additionally, it enables you to set an email-automated workflow and deliver your personalized emails in the right place. 

Save Time and Resources

Email automation software prevents you from designing and sending each personalized email manually. It automates creating emails and sending various versions designed specifically for each target group. Automated email campaigns save time for your team, and your marketers have therefore time for other tasks.

Scale Your Marketing Campaigns

Doing all the campaigns manually means the number of customers you can reach with the right message is limited. Email marketing automation tools increase the capacity to run more marketing campaigns and reach more potential customers.

Email Automation Best Practices

Here are a few email marketing tips you should consider before starting your campaign. All of them are relevant whether you are preparing B2B or B2C email marketing campaigns.

Define Your Goals and Objectives

Before starting an email campaign, you should know your current state and what you want to achieve. Set a clear goal for your email campaign. Remember your goal should be SMART. Smart stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. With such a goal, you will be able to easily evaluate what went well and what did not meet your expectations.

Segment Your Audience

I know this phrase was already mentioned. But I will mention it again anyway. Why? Email list segmentation is crucial to deliver the right message to the right people. It is a key to sending personalized messages based on your audience's preferences. With relevant emails, you can significantly increase engagement, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction...because no one wants to receive nonrelevant messages.

Design Engaging Email Content

Once you segment your contact list, it's time to create content you want to share. Your email should be engaging, but what is most important, it should bring value. Think about the biggest pain points customers face and possible solutions. Here are some tips on how to create engaging content:

  • Create a good subject line to grab the attention and make them open your email.

  • Use concise, but impactful messages. 

  • Use clear and strong call-to-action buttons to drive clicks. 

  • Enhance your email with a graphical design. Email template builder can help you make your email visually appealing.

HTML email template example

Experiment

Improving email marketing is an ongoing process. Test, analyze, and experiment. Conduct A/B testing on different types of content, subject lines, and call-to-action buttons to see what resonates best with your audience.

Email Marketing Automation Examples

Let's have a look at a few examples of automated email campaigns that bring results.

Welcome Emails

Email marketing is a strategy to build a relationship with customers - whether B2B or B2C. A welcome email is like saying “Hi” to your friend - it's a great way to start your conversation. The same principle works in business. Start your email conversation by welcoming new prospects after submitting their email on your website or app. 

Utilize automated (and still personalized) welcoming messages, expressing appreciation, and consider including a special offer, like a first-purchase discount or a free download. Get to know your customer and build your conversation further.

Abandoned Cart Emails

It most likely happened to all of us. Adding a few products into a shopping cart…and not finishing the order for several reasons. This is a great opportunity to send potential customers an automated reminder email with selected products. You can add a few lines about the product's benefits and if needed, offer a coupon to encourage completion.

Post-Purchase Emails

Post-purchase emails are automated emails you should send to customers after they buy your product or service. They usually include information like order and shipping confirmation or similar details.  Customers appreciate confirmation of their purchase, especially if it brings added value, such as personalized recommendations, product care instructions, or a follow-up survey to gather feedback.

Re-Engagement Emails

A re-engagement email, known as a win-back or revival email, is an automated follow-up email used to reach out to inactive or disengaged subscribers, leads, or customers. It's like saying “Hi” to a person you used to talk with, but life has drawn you apart. It's up to you to start the conversation again and say another “Hi”. Come up with an interesting topic, use catchy headlines, and entice them back to your content.

Mastering automated emails requires effort and experimentation, but once you find the right messaging, you'll likely discover that automated emails are among your most effective marketing tactics.

Automate Your Campaigns With Email Templates Editor

Topol Plugin is a drag-and-drop editor designed to create beautiful and responsive emails. Balancing creativity and efficiency, the platform is fully flexible and customizable - allowing you to personalize your email and automate email creation. The platform is designed to be easy to use both for business and technical users. Try our free trial to see for yourself how it can save your time and increase efficiency, or check our free gallery of HTML templates.

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