The need for automation in email marketing

A valuable customer is one who sees the value in your product and consequently, your brand. That said, growing a loyal customer base that you can tap into at any time is not just about selling quality products, but also continually creating value through quality content.

Emails are probably the most powerful medium in your arsenal of communication tools, as they are cheap, easy, personal, and most of all, effective. They are the quickest way to get in front of a customer (prospective or returning), without having to wonder if social media targeting actually reached your audience. No other mode of communication offers individual interaction that closely mirrors in-person exchange.

From personal to professional

While email was created as a form of personal communication, it has grown into a mammoth opportunity that is integral to a good communication strategy. Powerful automation tools in the market allow you to get the most out of your client list.

Automation also ensures brand integrity is maintained across all communication and creates a rare connection between the sales and marketing funnels, so your team can engage with customers better.

Emails work well across many layers of customer engagement by allowing you to create awareness through newsletters or monthly circulars, encourage consideration with offers, and drive decisions with personalized, one-to-one correspondence.

Triggers

Typically, marketing automation is dependent on customer triggers. These could take on any form – new subscriptions to blog, form submissions, content downloads, or lifecycle stage update. As a whole, your strategy should revolve around driving traffic to your website that you can then streamline into one of many buckets.

A simple way in which website traffic can help is by offering a demographic for you to target. Additionally, a sign-up form or Call-to-Action (CTA) button, can encourage visitors to leave their email IDs if they like what they see on your page.

Organic customer lists provide a springboard of sorts for your email marketing. When you start with a basic list of people who actually signed up for your content, you have a greater chance of converting them into leads. Paid lists, on the other hand, can get you in a lot of trouble with spam filters, and servers may end up blocking your domain.

Offering content downloads such as white papers or case studies also make for an excellent trigger for your automation workflow. Other ways to build your database include landing page visits, product purchase, cart abandonment, or blog view.

Beyond automation

Although automation tools offer a plethora of features, the most important one is its ability to integrate with other applications. While some provide inbuilt CRM software, you also need to look for the ability to connect to third-party providers. App integrations can simplify your entire digital marketing strategy – Content Marketing, Event Management, E-commerce, Project Management, and more.

What next?

While email marketing is a strong tool by itself, it is important to ensure right messaging. A good content strategy and a carefully planned schedule can go a long way in scoring you some brownie points in a sea of promotional emails users receive on a regular basis.