Email marketing may be one of the oldest forms of digital marketing out there. However, it’s still incredibly effective in promoting a business to prospective customers and reinforcing relationships with existing ones. But creating effective emails can take up valuable time from the already challenging task of crafting messaging for various platforms.
That’s where email automation comes in. With email automation, teams can send the right emails at the right time, using real data and insights from their email platforms.
Email automation, also known as triggered email, is when a company automatically sends emails based on a set of predetermined rules. These rules could be based on the audience type, a specific date (for holidays or events), a time lag (10 days after a purchase, for example), or behaviors that trigger the automated email.
Suppose a customer takes a particular action, like making a purchase on a website. This could trigger an automated response to receive an email outlining other items they might like. Automated emails can be personalized based on the actions taken by the user and the information already known about them, like behaviors or traits that could put them into a specific marketing list.
Workflows are typically set up in email marketing software to send a sequence of emails over a specific time period and can be triggered by various actions an online user takes.
This form of marketing is a great way to save time on repetitive tasks that would be tedious to complete manually. It’s also a beneficial way for a brand to stay top-of-mind as customers continually receive from the business.
With email marketing revenue in the U.S. alone estimated to be more than $10 billion per year, it’s no surprise that so many businesses send out multiple communications to their customers each week.
There are many different types of email automations that businesses use.
The most common types of email automation e-commerce and retail businesses use are:
Setting up email automation can be helpful for service industries as well. Such automation can include:
The opportunities that come with email automation are seemingly endless, and there are plenty of benefits to adding this type of marketing to a roster.
Timely automated messages are one of the best ways to remind customers about purchases they’ve not yet completed or highlight products and services you want them to buy.
The chances of a sale also increase when emails are personalized, which doesn’t require any additional time from the team when using an automated email system, as personal details about the recipient can be pulled from a CRM to customize the email being delivered. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to convert both new and existing customers into making additional purchases and increasing overall revenue.
As user actions typically trigger automated emails, any email sent out will be timely and relevant to that customer. Instead of the email ending up in the trash, customers are more likely to open and engage with the email. This also increases the likelihood of them building positive thoughts around a brand, which can translate into sales later.
For existing and long-time customers, personalized communications make them feel valued and appreciated. This can make them stay loyal to a company rather than choosing to move to a competitor. They may also recommend the brand to their social circle, increasing customer loyalty and revenue.
One of the biggest benefits of automated emails is the time this saves for the marketing department. There’s no limit to how many email workflows the team can set up and send out, which would take significant time if these needed to be put together manually.
That being said, setting up new workflows and email templates will take some time upfront. But once these have been put together, the only work needed will be editing templates or creating a handful of new ones as and when they are needed. Automated emails can be sent anytime, even when a team is out of the office. Also, you can quickly scale when needed.
Sending out automated emails not only reminds customers to make purchases with a company but also helps to keep the brand on their minds. Building a brand via email marketing can be incredibly successful, as it’s a good way to highlight expertise and update users about information they might be interested in.
As with any automated system, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “set it and forget it.” But even with many features automatically triggering, it’s still vital to monitor what’s going on and make adjustments where needed, including:
Email automation tools are the best way to build and manage email lists, create automated templates, and monitor data related to the emails being sent. Many email marketing software integrate into CRM systems to increase relevancy and personalization of messages.
To be included in the email marketing category, platforms must:
* Below are the top five leading email marketing software solutions from G2’s Spring 2024 Grid Report. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.
Constant Contact is a small business-focused email marketing platform that allows companies to drive sales, grow a loyal customer base, and build strong connections through automated email workflows. Social media and email landing pages can be created directly in the software, while text, email, and social posts can all be scheduled within the platform.
“I like that I can schedule an email and the detailed, real time reporting and tracking features. I like how easy it is to manage several contact lists and how they are automatically de-duped.”
- Constant Contact Review, Suzanne M.
“While the platform offers a user-friendly interface, some advanced users may desire more sophisticated customization options in the email templates and design features.”
- Constant Contact Review, Blake M.
As one of the most used email marketing tools in the world, Intuit Mailchimp supports businesses of all sizes with leading email technology and automation functions. With multi-channel capabilities that include text and social media, Mailchimp also provides artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help create and manage emails more effectively.
“Whether you're designing a local newsletter or needing to segment a large email list, you'll be surprised how well everything just works.”
- Intuit Mailchimp Review, Matthew K.
“As your email distribution list grows, so does the cost of your email list, and the payment tiers may be too much for some companies. In addition, MailChimp's designs do not provide for all the features of MailChimp, that is, you may have to pay more to get certain tools and features.”
- Intuit Mailchimp Review, Raul B.
Moosend is an email marketing automation software with world-class automation flows, and lead-generation tools that help businesses of all sizes scale their email marketing campaigns. Audiences can be easily managed within the platform, while repetitive tasks can be triggered to automate with personalized experiences for customers.
“The analytics dashboard offers invaluable insights into the performance of campaigns. I particularly value the comprehensive reports on open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber behavior.”
- Moosend Review, Saeed A.
“I don't seem to be able to find out if it is possible to set a default for the font and text size of my emails. I need to change it for every email that I write which is a bit of a time waste. It took a while to work out how to use the email creation software and all the relevant layouts, items and settings.”
- Moosend Review, Rachael W.
Systeme.io is an all-in-one marketing platform that features options for building sales funnels, automating emails, creating online courses, running affiliate programs, and setting up a website. For small businesses looking for one platform that can do it all, Systeme.io provides everything they need to get their company up and running.
“I love the fact that Systeme.io offers so many features on one platform. I've been using it daily for almost two years and haven't had any issues. I created funnels, email automation and a blog, which I can't do anywhere else. The features are super easy to use and the customer support is awesome.”
- Systeme.io Review, Edwin K.
“It is definitely not suitable for an e-commerce store that offers physical products.”
- Systeme.io Review, Jorge B.
Create responsive newsletters, landing pages, and websites with MailerLite. The tools offer intuitive drag-and-drop editing functions and AI assistants to create engaging email campaigns that attract and retain customers. Connect workflows through Zapier for enhanced features and sync data with WooCommerce and Shopify for greater insights into customer behavior.
“MailerLite is inexpensive compared to other email tools and it has lots of bells and whistles so that my emails fit my brand. It's easy for me to keep in contact with my readers.”
- MailerLite Review, Jade C.J.
“A key API endpoint is non-functional and we only discovered it through trying to retrieve data from it. This is a bigger issue than with most providers because native CRM integrations are non-existent. There’s also limited integration with Salesforce, Hubspot and other CRM tools.”
- MailerLite Review, Nathaniel S.
Automated workflows for emails help marketing teams to focus on tasks that require greater oversight. The approach results in more engaged customers, reclaimed time during the work day, and improved brand awareness through an effective marketing channel like email.
Find CRM software that integrates with your email marketing platform for greater personalization options to wow your customers.
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