Email marketing is one of those rare forms of online marketing that is both relevant and time tested.
Businesses that use automated emails triggered by the reader are 133 percent more likely to deliver messages that are in tune with the purchase cycle of their customers, according to the Lenskold and Pedowitz Groups.
Businesses in every industry still use email as a major mode of communication between employees, customers and distributors, but many overlook the power of email as a marketing medium.
Automating your email is a great way to improve the efficiency of communications both within and outside of your business, welcome new customers and cut down on the amount of time you spend answering the same questions over and over.
This guide will show you how you how to automate email and make it work for your brand.
How to Automate Email
The first step to automating your email system is to adopt a specialized program like Campaign Monitor or MailChimp.
Which service you choose is largely a matter of personal preference, as all mail automation services offer the ability to send emails that are automatically generated when a visitor to your website takes a certain action, such as registering for a forum, filling out an online contact form or emailing your customer service department directly.
Fortunately, no matter which service you choose, the basic steps for automating your email through most programs are as follows:
• Open the Automation or similarly marked command
• Input your desired email information
• Create a new workflow or set of commands for certain types of email
• Set a trigger, such as joining your mailing list
• Create a subscriber list
• Add content to the automated email template
• Review, finalize and activate
Formatting an Automated Email
When it comes to formatting an automated email sequence, there are no hard and fast rules.
However, it is important to remember that someone who just signed up for your mailing list or subscribed to your service wants only the facts they need to proceed with the next step.
Long company histories are best left to your About page, but you can still find creative ways to add a personal touch to even the most standard of form emails.
Experts say that brevity begins with your subject line, which should be kept to 50 characters or fewer to maximize open rates.
While there is no magic word count for automated emails, the context varies.
Welcome emails should be as brief as possible, since readers will grow bored with an email that is too long but never be disappointed or offended by a short email.
On the other hand, sequential emails that introduce customers to a long-term product or service can be a bit lengthier as long as they discuss relevant information that the reader will find useful and time appropriate.
When in doubt, you can always check your mailbox to observe the type of content and formatting your competitors are sending out to get an idea for what works in your industry.
Sometimes you can learn even more from a competitor’s automated mistakes than their successes.
Common examples of content to place in an introductory automated email include:
• Special offers and “upsales”
• A brief description of the company
• Links to how-to resources
• Relevant company news
• Customer service contact information
Email Sequences
An email sequence is a powerful marketing tool for those in the business of subscription services, online periodicals and communities.
One entrepreneur, the owner of a standardized test prep service, uses automated email sequences to stay connected with customers at crucial intervals of membership.
He sends a fairly brief introductory email to welcome clients to the service and provide links to some resources that will help familiarize them with the site.
A few weeks later, once the free trial membership is about to expire, new members receive a follow-up email reminding them of the trial expiration and offering a 40 percent discount off a one-year subscription.
The 60 percent of trial members who choose to subscribe receive several additional emails over the course of the next few months to introduce them to more features of the service and offer discounts on premium versions and apps.
Those who choose not to subscribe receive another offer one month later with an even more generous discount that leads many to sign up.
This is just one example of the many different ways you can turn automated email into a winning salesman for your team.
Subject Line
You already know that subject lines are best kept short, but content matters as much if not more than length and sometimes what you don’t say is every bit as important as what you do say.
The first major don’t of any automated email subject lines is use of the caps lock key.
Caps lock is seen as a sign of yelling across the Internet and communicates disrespect, which is the last message you want to send new customers.
While exclamation points are not quite as offensive as all caps, they do tend to come across as unprofessional and may get your message flagged as spam before your customers even read your carefully crafted subject line.
Another major automated email faux pas is the practice of using clichéd sales language such as “free,” “money-back guarantee,” “act now,” and “for a limited time only.”
These phrases are not only likely to get your message categorized as spam by your new lead’s email filter but in the customer’s mind as well.
Instead, try to focus on the unique benefits your brand has to offer.
If you run a music subscription service, entice customers with your expanded music library or an exciting feature of your mobile service.
While you may be offering a free trial or an amazing deal, using clichéd language only makes your brand blend in with the crowd, while fresh and concise language tells potential customers that you have something unique and meaningful to offer.
Like other marketing mistakes, automatic email marketing mistakes are often the result of behaviors that are easy to change with a little research.
Spam Percentage
If your email receives too many complaints of spam, your account could be suspended or even closed permanently.
To combat this, you should keep a close eye on your account’s rate of spam percentage, or the amount of time that users are flagging your message as spam.
A high rate may indicate that your subject line falls into one of the several traps listed above, or your content itself could be to blame.
In any case, a high spam percentage should never be ignored since users who are flagging your emails certainly aren’t being converted to customers.
Automated email service Campaign Monitor notifies users if 0.2 percent of emails are flagged as spam.
Accounts in excess of 0.5 percent are temporarily suspended.
These are good general guidelines to follow when considering how much spam is too much.
The industry standard holds that a complaint rate of more than 0.1 percent is too much, but even a low number can give you valuable information.
If a significant amount of your emails are being flagged yet you believe your subject line and email are appropriate, that is a sign your emails could be automatically rerouted to the spam folder for some ISPs.
If you do not include a link that allows users to easily unsubscribe from your emails, your messages are also particularly likely to be treated as spam.
Getting Assistance
Whether you are just familiarizing yourself with the world of automated email marketing or your long-term strategies aren’t quite as effective as they once were, Six Degrees Digital Media can help you develop an impressive automated email campaign.
Contact us today or give us a call today for more information.
