Automation: Where to Start? – Automation Email Programme?

3 minute read

Upland Admin

This week, Adestra hosted one of our regular round table events – The Email Marketing Intelligence Forum. On the round table I led, we discussed automation. This was a very interesting topic for all on the table, as it was something everyone was looking to do more of, whether they currently do: no automation at the moment but wanted to change that, they do a little automation and wanted to do more, or they do a fair amount of automation but want to do even more.

Three key areas in relation to automation were discussed; data automationcontent automation and automated email programmes.

One topic which came up a fair amount throughout the afternoon was automated welcome programmes. This is a great place to start, if you are not sure how to begin an automation project. As an automated welcome programme helps build a trusting relationship with your newly registered recipient and potential future customer. I can’t think of a company out there who shouldn’t have an automated welcome programme.
When I say “˜automated welcome programme’, I don’t just mean a single triggered email thanking the recipient for signing up, then leaving them to wait 28 days until they next hear from you, when they receive your monthly newsletter.

A welcome programme should consist of a series of emails, providing the recipient with more information about your company / brand / products, when they are highly interested. This should be done shortly after signing up, to receive your email communications. By doing this they have clearly shown they are engaged at the point of sign up, therefore why not use this current interest, before it dwindles.

What should you do?
I would recommend considering what the recipient is wanting from you by signing up to receive your email communications. Which should be clearly reflected within the welcome programme – i.e. the recipient is going to get the information they are after by reading your emails. If the recipient’s requirements are unclear, the program will allow you to gather more information about them. This can be accomplished by using a preference centre, which will allow you to discover the areas of your business they are most interested in, meaning targeted emails can be sent from the very beginning.

If recipient’s are able to sign up to your email communications in a manner of ways, why not tailor the messages within your emails to reflect – making the recipient feel like you are talking to them on a one to one basis rather than one to many.

Lastly be sure to; clearly set expectations within your welcome emails, communicate the frequency of emails – how often they are going to hear from you and the types of emails they are going to receive (so it’s not a surprise when they do).

If you require any advice on setting up an automated welcome programme, do not hesitate to contact your Account Manager or click here to learn more.

Jenna Lovell
Senior Account Manager

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