How To Use Marketing Automation in 2019

Does marketing automation represent a new phase in the role of marketing in business? Marketing is the lifeblood of every business, big or small. And it’s history goes a long way back, taking its modern form back to the Industrial Revolution.

In recent times marketing has changed our lives radically as it responded to the internet revolution.

With the growth of the internet we first said hello to SEO practices, blog marketing and all those sneaky online tools we learned to use in order to boost brand awareness and sales.

And then Unica came along and brought marketing automation to the table. And changed the game once and for all.

What Is Marketing Automation?

Marketing automation is the software that, well, automates marketing actions. And makes it easier to send emails, manage social media, create successful multi-functional campaigns and complete other website actions.

As Techopedia defines it:

“Marketing automation is the use of software and Web-based services to execute, manage and automate marketing tasks and processes. It replaces manual and repetitive marketing processes with purpose-built software and applications geared toward performance.”

Basically, today marketing automation is the head and heart of every marketing and sales team.

Because, when used effectively, it can speed up and enhance processes to grow revenue faster. Plus, it can reduce human error.

Putting it all together, marketing automation can generate and manage leads, build and manage email marketing campaigns with marketing automation software like Moosend, measure ROI and last but not least align your sales and marketing team.

Not bad, huh?

Do I Need It?

Yes sir you do! And you will agree with me after learning all the benefits it offers. With marketing automation you can:

• Identify, track and engage potential customers online
• Filter your leads based on their level of engagement and interest
• Get a full prospect activity to help your sales and marketing teams align
• Nurture and obtain quality leads
• Offer memorable personalized customer experiences to all types of audiences
• Save time to focus on your marketing strategy
• Improve your sales funnel

Now that you know there is no excuses to postpone it.

So without further ado let’s dive into the best marketing automation techniques and their limitless possibilities.

The Cream Of The Cream Email Marketing Automation Techniques

• Nothing Is Over Yet

Because, hey, good news! According to SaleCycle remarketing report, “the average open rate for cart abandonment emails was 48% in 2018”.

So stop mourning and move on to the money maker: the cart abandonment marketing automation solution.

With the help of this powerful tool you can send automated emails that remind your customers about their incomplete purchase and aim for the heart.

Follow Cratejoy’s example below and add a little sentiment in your email. Make it personal and target at that FOMO feeling to win your customers back.

Image source: Cratejoy.com

You can also add a discount offer or free shipping to allure them even more and quite probably they may proceed to check out eventually.

Extra tip: keep in mind that when shopping online, customers want to do it safe and fast.

If you consider that 27% of carts in 2018 were dropped because the checkout process was too complex or because the site was slow, then you know where you should invest if you want to see your sales go up again. Research shows that the longer it takes to load a page the more likely visitors will bounce. Make sure you use these solutions to optimise your site speed.

• Nice To Meet You

I don’t want to sound like your mother here but you must always be polite to your customers. A welcome email is your No1 chance to make a great first impression so your emails don’t end up in the unread folder for ever and ever.

Think of it as a strong and confident handshake that will help you earn one big smile. And their hearts. And their pockets.

It is also a way to demonstrate the high quality character of your business and set the tone so your customer knows what to expect.

American Apparel’s welcome email had me at first sight.

Image Source: American Apparel

So representative, so clear and oh, so giving. No bells and whistles here, exactly like the brand. But they do welcome you with a 15% off to show they appreciate your subscription.

Actually saying thank you for the subscription is always a good idea, as well as introducing yourself. It is also very common and effective to include a discount code for your customer’s first purchase or share with them a gift guide that matched their interests.

Of course, depending on your business and style you could use something more warm, emotional and traditional.

Like Ben & Jerry’s below.

Image source: Ben & Jerry’s

Whatever you choose, never forget to welcome your subscribers to show your appreciation and melt their hearts. And do start off with a compelling subject line!

1. The Pleasure Is All Yours

Appreciation, as we said before, is a big thing. And not only you must show it when a new kid on the block comes in but also when they choose to make an order from your website.

They gave you their time, preference and money. They deserve some recognition.

So be a sport and thank them like a pro.

Because to maintain a grand relationship with your customer is your best weapon against competitors out there. Just like Tradesy.

Source: Really Good Emails

Keep them informed so they know what to expect for the next few days, let them know when their order is arriving and add some contact information so they can reach you if any questions come up.

In other words, make them feel safe and smart for making this purchase. So they can do it again.

• Win Their Hearts Back

I know. You miss them. They haven’t made a purchase in ages, not to talk about opening your email.

And there’s nothing you can do to win them back, right?

Wrong!

Because marketing automation has got you covered with re – engagement emails.

It’s not an easy job to do, but the results might amaze you.

I know what you’re thinking.

“Is it worth the trouble?

To be honest, it’s more than worth it. Because actually, re – engagement costs cheaper than acquiring a new customer according to Invesp.

5 times cheaper, in fact!

When starting a campaign like this, keep in mind that not every customer disappears for the same reason. So it’s best to segment your mailing list by collecting the right data.

And of course, pay extra attention to your content since it plays a crucial role to your campaign’s success.

The key to success here is honesty. You can tell them that you miss them, express your disappointment for letting them down, or ask them what they would want from you. Offering a sale coupon is also a great idea, because it can make your long lost customers smile and come back to your arms again.

I particularly love Urban Outiftter’s re – engagement email. So fresh and unique, emotional and humorous at the same time.

Image Source: Urbanoutfitters.com

So like their brand, this is an email you can’t ignore and they also don’t miss the opportunity to remind you of their free shipping. Well done Urban Outfitters!

• More Is More

Hooray! You’ve made it! You’ve succeeded in winning a customer. Which means they love you and trust you. So grab the chance to either sell an additional product/ service (cross – selling) or persuade them to buy something more expensive (up – selling).

Unless missing out revenues is your thing.

Increase the order of value of every customer by automating an email sequence right after someone places an order. This email usually recommends a complementary product or can even offer a discount coupon and a reminder of their previous purchase along with an image can bring emotion and remind them of their experience from your e -shop, increasing your chances of up-selling or cross-selling.

If, for example, you are a pet supplier that just sold a dog leash you can send an email recommending a matching dog collar, or offer a promo code for an expensive dog food brand.

Depending on your brand’s style, you can also go bold with a lengthy email, explaining in detail why your subscribers need this special offer.

Medium wants you to take your relationship to the next level by upgrading your plan. And they present their offer in such a way that as a subscriber you can’t disregard.

Clearly – stated benefits and attractive images of stories a Medium fan wouldn’t want to miss craft a compelling up-selling email that matches their brand identity and hits home.

In such a newsletter campaign timing is everything. It’s usually a good idea to send it right after the order has been placed, or upon the delivery date of their previous purchase. This is a pretty effective method since satisfied customers are more likely to appreciate your recommendations and go for another purchase.

Your email must deliver value at the right time and keep in mind that no one likes a pushy seller so beware of that thin line between helpful and annoying.

• Celebrate Your Love

A milestone email is a great way to re-engage with your customers and build loyalty.

So if instead of a casual fling you want to go steady with your customers, show them you care.

You can celebrate the anniversary of a subscription or a purchase by saying thank you and even adding a special sale code to show that you mean it. This way you bond with your readers and take one more step towards boosting your sale.

Popular email newsletter The Skimm takes it to the next level, as they say. They celebrate our 6 week anniversary and to be honest I feel so special.

Upgrading your customer is one fine way to say thank you, along with the freebies they offer. All they’re asking of me is to invite my friends to sign up as well. No one ever said no to one more tote bag! Win win situation if you ask me!

• Blow Out Their Candles

This one is a no-brainer, but not everyone goes for it.

Just imagine how it feels when a friend wishes you a happy birthday while you were sure they wouldn’t remember.

It’s a great feeling that makes you feel special and loved and maybe like buying them a drink. And yes, YOU can achieve that too. With the merits of marketing automation.

No is not the time to be a Scrooge. Since birthdays are associated with gifts and presents, be a top dog on birthday email marketing and give them a coupon, freebie or free shipping.

Not only will your customer feel great but your ROI as well, since according to Fresh Relevance “birthday emails have a 481% higher transaction rate than promotional emails”.

What you absolutely must do is personalize both the subject line and email. You should also create a design that stands out, so give in to animated gifs, colour and funny images to make the most of this special day.

Image Source: Nike.com

Nike uses an adorable, minimal design to wish you a happy birthday. The characteristic orange box is so inviting, as if there is a present in there waiting for you to grab it. And the $20 off is even more charming.

A great way to engage with your birthday boys and girls is keeping them hooked until your next email is to send a pre-birthday email with a discount code and let them know that they’ll get twice the discount upon the actual day of their birthday.

Extra tip: don’t forget to include an expiry date on your code!

• Look What The Cat Brought In

Let’s say you just created a new landing page for a certain offer? Wouldn’t it be great to know who visited so you can reach out?

Well, marketing automation does the trick again by triggering an email campaign sent to everyone who visited your landing page but did not place an order.

Value proposition is key here, so make sure you describe all the benefits your customer will gain by making this certain purchase.

The food aficionados’ magazine Bon Appétit reached out to notify me about their one year subscription offer, up only for a limited time.

Image Source: Bonappetit.com

First, let’s take a moment to appreciate over this beautiful egg image starring.

*blinks starry – eyed*

And now let’s move on to the dessert. The benefits.

Image Source: Bonappetit.com

Along with the magazine you also get a tote and cookbooks and all that is given in a clear way, put simply and with attractive images.

Along with the inviting pictures and strong CTA you should also pay extra attention to the title.

Image Source: Bonappetit.com

I like BA. I asked for their newsletter. So yes please, I want more!

• Weather Sells

Weather has and always will affect the consumer’s behaviour.

And weather based upsell / cross-sell is an untapped goldmine waiting for you to discover it.

Surprisingly, not many brands take advantage of this fantastic marketing automation tool.

So it’s a terrific chance to shine and move your business’s needle.

With the use of real-time data you can create a weather-based email marketing campaign to suggest some useful seasonal products, such as wellies for the rain or new sun cream for the holidays ahead.

Source – Weather unlocked

Starbucks brings weather triggered email into play with the simple occasion of a warm day. By using an attractive image of a dreamy signature cold drink they invite you to cool off at their store.

Talk about some timely marketing!

• One More Welcome

It’s not only e-shops that are entitled to welcome their subscribers.

Think of it as the digital way for your reader to browse your magazine and decide if it suits them after all.

After subscribing to Jocelyn K. Glei’s wonderful blog, I received this:

Image Source: https://jkglei.com/

Now that’s what I call a warm welcome! Love the colours, love the moving image and more than anything else I love the personal tone of the content.

The newsletter explains what I get from subscribing, what they do and also gives me a bunch of links to some of the most characteristic articles running now so I can get a sneak peak of what’s going on and also visit their website right away.

A strategic welcome email sets the right tone and can lead to great results so it deserves your attention.

Wrap Up

Marketing automation techniques are a precious tool you absolutely must get your hands on if you want to optimise conversions.

From a simple welcome email to a happy birthday or a cart abandonment reminder there are only so many ways to enhance your brand awareness and boost your sales low cost and effortlessly.

There are plenty of amazing and simple to use email automation platforms out there so do your research and get ready to get your hands dirty. And don’t forget to stay creative!

Are you already familiar with marketing automation? How did it go?

We’d love to hear your comments and tips!

Featured image by Cratejoy