If you want to get the most out of your email marketing, email autoresponders are a necessity. Additional email marketing features, like autoresponders, are an excellent addition to your strategy because they help build a target email list full of people excited to engage with your brand.
An email autoresponder is an automatically programmed email sent to certain subscribers based on their specific actions. In contrast, if you had to send out a welcome email to every new subscriber, it would be time-consuming and ultimately impractical.
But there are other ways you can improve lead generation with email. This article will talk more about how to use email autoresponders as part of your digital marketing strategy.
Why are Email Autoresponders Good for Business?
If set up and used correctly, email autoresponders offer myriad ways to improve your marketing strategy.
Autoresponders can turn visitors into new subscribers. Through the process, you get the opportunity to establish long-term and stable relationships with customers. Automated emails are also a great way to ensure you do not have to hire additional staff to handle email responses.
No matter the time of day, customers remain engaged with an immediate follow-up regardless of the trigger action. In a nutshell, email marketing software, particularly autoresponders, should increase engagement and create a solid and consistent communication flow with your audience.
Logistically, email autoresponders save you time and money. Not to mention, the setup process does not have to be complicated nor extensive.
Setting up Email Autoresponders
When you decide to create an email marketing strategy, getting stuck on starting is a common problem.
Continue reading to learn more about the most critical steps to establish the perfect email autoresponder for your business.
Set a goal
Without an email marketing goal in place, your business will have difficulty making the most out of even the best sales copy. Determine what you want to achieve—more subscribers, increased click-through rate, more sales, or even increased brand awareness.
Ultimately, your autoresponder has two essential uses—to offer informative content for your subscribers and nudge them further into the marketing funnel. Make sure that your goal aligns with these purposes.
Create an email series outline
If your goal is to keep customers engaged through a series of emails, automation can be your means of achieving that. However, it would be best if you created your ideal email outline.
Each email in one series can have its own CTA, description, and corresponding trigger. Email marketing software can arrange your emails so that your audience does not get overwhelmed with too much content too quickly.
Write the email copy
When it comes to email marketing, writing the actual copy is often the most challenging part. Hiring a skilled copywriter to develop your sales copy can increase your emails’ effectiveness.
The common pitfall in email copy is an over-focus on the brand. Carefully crafting the brand message is essential, but you cannot forget about the customer’s process. When the potential lead clicks on your email, they should feel like the product or service is about them.
Think about design too
You will have to make specific decisions about the look of your autoresponder email. This will be a matter of your personal design preference and your brand’s overall look and feel.
Whether you opt for plain text, HTML, or go with a single image instead of several will be entirely up to you or your design team. The automated emails that land in the user’s inbox must represent your brand efficiently.
Do not forget to test and analyze
Once you have set up your email autoresponder system, it is crucial to verify its efficiency before turning on your campaign. Check if the right triggers fire the appropriate reaction.
If you take the time to track your email autoresponders over time, you will gauge the response and review and revise the content when necessary. This data will also give you valuable feedback on when to add another sequence or change the approach of your email marketing strategy.
The Most Popular Types of Email Autoresponders
If you want to send vital messages to your audience passively, email marketing software can be beneficial.
However, before you decide which software works best for your growing business, learn more about the most common email autoresponder types and their use cases.
Welcome emails
Welcome emails are a great way to introduce new customers to your brand while building a relationship with them. Adding a special discount can be a great addition to welcome emails to build additional trust and increase sales.
This type of email is also an opportunity to promote past content and offer guidance on navigating your website. Let your welcome email be a comprehensive tool for new customers.
Email courses and eBooks
Email marketing opens many avenues to reach your audience and improve your marketing. The best way to get started is to offer high-value, free content in email courses and eBooks.
A free week-long email sequence that instructs your audience on a specific topic related to your brand is a great way to increase lead generation.
Up-sell emails and abandoned cart emails
While these two types of automated emails were to speak directly to the buyer, they have different goals. The upsell email targets the customer right after making a purchase. An upsell email can also contain other related recommendations or additional information about the product that is purchased.
On the other hand, an abandoned cart email can nudge the consumer towards purchasing. When done well, abandoned cart emails can be an effective tool for rescuing lost sales.
Email Autoresponders for Any Business
One of the common misconceptions regarding an email marketing strategy is that it is only for big companies. This could not be further from the truth. Small and medium-sized businesses can benefit greatly from setting up an email autoresponder system.
Regardless of your email list size, a welcome and a follow-up email are essential email marketing tools. Adding email automation to your strategy can take your email marketing to the next level.
