Email marketing is so widely adopted that it’s become a standard for the ecommerce industry. Perhaps this is why the channel is often underrated- we’ve taken email marketing for granted.

The truth is that email marketing is unparalleled when it comes to ROI. It’s so powerful that it is capable of skyrocketing revenue to an unimaginable height. However, just like in every other channel, if you don’t do things the right way, you can’t expect a positive outcome.

So today, we’ll be looking at 5 Expert Email Marketing Automation Strategies that you can adopt to give your business that breath of fresh air it’s been needing.

#1. Introducing the welcome trio

The welcome series is a set of typically three emails or messages that welcome a recent subscriber into the fold. Welcome messages are standard for anyone who has a signup form online, and customers expect to get an email immediately.

Welcome emails have phenomenal power, generating 3x higher open and click through rates, they also tend to generate five times more revenue compared to other kinds of email series.

Image Source: Omnisend

As many offer an incentive to sign up for the email list in the first place, like a discount or free shipping, it’s no wonder that welcome emails are some of the most popular campaigns created.

What’s more, a welcome series shows the customer what they can expect from your brand, more information on your products, and what they should do next- which is ideally purchase from you.

#2. Time to go omnichannel

It has never been a wise option for one to put all their eggs in one basket, and in email marketing this is no exception. Limiting yourself to a single channel will invariably spell out a plethora of limitations to your online store, and it will not provide the kind of experience your customers are likely searching for.

Image Source: Omnisend

Using an omnichannel approach to marketing automation helps unify your customer experience so that your customer knows no difference in interacting with your brand on one channel or another.

And on your own part, you can broaden your horizon by targeting Facebook ads, YouTube channels and the rest. Keeping your message and brand in front of your customer, and giving your customer more options when it comes to engaging with you is a surefire way of guaranteeing your next conversion.

#3. Segmentation for more precise targeting

Segmenting your email subscribers into small lists based on their interests, will not only help prevent you from sending spam and incessant messages, but will also aid in making sure that you deliver the right messages to the right client based on their needs and niche.

This was why Ramsay Leimenstoll, a Paraplanner at Bell Investment Advisors, Inc. once said that “a small list that wants exactly what you’re offering is better than a bigger list that isn’t committed.” The smaller your segments, the more you can personalize and tailor your message to be as relevant as possible.

#4. Something sweet for your customer’s special day  

Everyone loves to be treated with care, and one of the ways of showing this virtue to your subscribers is by wishing them a happy birthday. Not only is this a great way to personalize the communication you have with your customers, but it’s a way to do something a little extra special for them too.

A good birthday series workflow works best when:

• You send at least 2 messages
• You integrate different channels, like email + SMS
• There’s a time limit on the offer

Sending 2 messages is a bit like a teaser. For example, you could send you customer a text to let them know that there’s a special offer for their birthday waiting in their inbox:

From there, you would have the email sent a few hours later to follow up that SMS:

Notice how there’s a time limit on the offer- this is to give your customer a sense of urgency. For this kind of campaign to work the incentive needs to be worth it, so make sure it’s something that brings the customer to your store immediately.

#5. The after sales theory

The only distinction between a great marketer and the average one is in their level of vision.

To an average marketer, their only concern is in carrying out their first sales to a customer. But to a seasoned marketer, he sees the opportunity in making their first client a returning one.

The fact is that every interaction with a customer is an opportunity for a sale. While it may not happen each and every time, customer engagement builds towards the purchase as the customer moves through the buying journey.

Instead of thinking of the customer journey as a linear path, think of it as a loop. When the customer has just purchased and received their products, they’ve re-entered the first phase of the customer journey again.

Now, it’s time to think about cross-selling and getting customer feedback. This can be done automatically by implementing a good email marketing automation workflow that triggers as soon as a customer has converted.

With a good email sent out for feedback follow up, product recommendations can be made to propose articles that compliment what was already purchased.

—

Email marketing automation can be a useful addition to your marketing toolbox this year by giving you more time to focus on your core business, while ensuring that critical customer communication doesn’t slip through the cracks.

With these automation suggestions, you’ll be able to earn more revenue on autopilot while creating and fostering a great relationship with your customer.