If you know what it's like to run a marathon on a treadmill then you know the joys (AKA frustrations 😬) of managing your email marketing. You need better workflows and conversions and only automation can give you that blessing. 

In this blog, we'll share tips on how to engage your audience through email by learning some email  best practices. By implementing these strategies, you can drive more traffic and conversions for your business, while saving yourself and your team oh-so precious time in the process. 

Understanding Email Automation Best Practices

Automation is your secret spell for business growth, particularly when it comes to email. It allows you to stay connected with customers, sending personalized and timely messages without manual effort. However, just like any powerful spell, it's essential to wield it with care.

First, mastering email marketing isn't about blasting out as many emails as possible. It's about delivering valuable, practical content that resonates with your readers. 

The trick here is understanding trigger points in a customer’s journey and setting up automated emails accordingly - whether welcoming new subscribers or following up abandoned carts. With a strategy designed to connect with your readers, email automation can increase conversion rates by up to 50%.

The Impact of Email Automation on Business Growth

G2 reports show that companies implementing such smart email automation practices experience a 451% increase in qualified leads. Now that's some magical growth. And segmented, targeted, and personalized emails generate 58% of all revenue.

To get those results, though, it might feel like you need to look into a crystal ball to figure out how to make it work altogether. Skip that and just follow our list of best practice tips instead! 

To get the most out of email automation it's important to continually refine your strategy by looking at data analytics instead of taking a generic approach. To truly harness the benefits email automation offers – test different subject lines or tweaking send times can be effective strategies.

Tips for Building an Effective Email List

Having an email list is the gold that builds strong, profitable businesses. How can you build an email list? Here's some practical steps:

1. Create High-Quality Content

Offer valuable content that encourages people to subscribe to your emails. This could be informative blog posts, engaging videos, infographics, or industry insights. Be consistent with your own brand's voice and approach. 

Email automation's efficacy relies heavily on engaging, relevant content aligned with objectives and audience needs. Captivating content with a consistent brand voice is paramount for attention and action. 

-Andre Magrini, Director of North American Sales at Ag Growth International 

2. Offer Incentives

Provide incentives for subscribing, such as exclusive discounts, free trials, eBooks, whitepapers, or access to webinars. 

3. Use Opt-In Forms on Your Website

Place email sign-up forms strategically on your website. Include them on your homepage, blog posts, at the end of articles, and on landing pages.

4. Leverage Social Media

Promote your email sign-up on your social media channels. You can use posts, stories, or dedicated ads to encourage your followers to join your email list. Choose the social media channels where your audience is most likely to spend time. You can automate your social media posts to save time, too. 

5. Run Contests or Giveaways

Host contests or giveaways where entering an email address is part of the participation process. You could offer free coaching, a book, a trial offer, or something else that really inspires people to sign up for your list and stay connected. 

6. Utilize Pop-Ups or Slide-ins

Implement pop-up or slide-in forms that appear when users are likely to subscribe, such as after reading an article or when they are about to leave your site.

7. Create Lead Magnets

Develop lead magnets - resources that are valuable enough for visitors to exchange their email address for. Examples include templates, toolkits, free consultations, or course samples. This is one of the best strategies for improving your lead generation since it offers a small slice of your expertise and a quick win to your readers. 

8. Add Sign-Up to Checkout Process

If you run an e-commerce site, include an option to sign up for emails during the checkout process.

9. Use Email Signatures

Add a link to your email subscription form in the email signatures of your company’s employees.

10. Host or Participate in Events

Use webinars, workshops, and conferences to collect email addresses, either through sign-ups for the event or by offering related resources post-event.

11. Collaborate with Other Businesses

Partner with complementary businesses to co-create content or offers, and share the email addresses collected (with user consent).

12. Offer a Subscription for Exclusive Content

If you have a blog or produce regular content, offer an email subscription to access exclusive content not available elsewhere.

13. Implement Referral Programs

Encourage current subscribers to refer others in exchange for benefits, creating a word-of-mouth effect.

14. Offline Collection Methods

Collect emails in-store, at trade shows, or during any physical events where your business participates.

15. Feedback and Surveys

Offer a chance to join your email list at the end of feedback forms or surveys.

Remember, it's essential to comply with email marketing laws and regulations like GDPR and CAN-SPAM Act. Always ensure that the people on your list have opted in to receive emails from you, and provide an easy way for them to unsubscribe if they choose to.

16. Use Great Subject Lines

There's literally no point in sending a great e-mail if no one clicks it open in the first place. Writing catchy, accurate subject lines piques someone's interest. 

Don’t forget your subject line (and sometimes the preview depending on your customer’s email client) is the most important piece of content in your email. Having a great subject line will dictate your open rate, so be sure to test & learn what subject lines matter for your various email types.

-Rose Jia, Head of Lifecycle and Launch Marketing at Prime Video and Amazon Studios 

17. Segment Your Email Lists

Not all of your followers are interested in the same things. Over 75% of email revenue is generated by triggered campaigns, rather than one-size-fits-all campaigns. The more you can align your reader's interests with the content you send, the more likely they'll be to convert to a paid offer when you make one. Marketers have noted a 760% increase in revenue from segmented campaigns, so it's well worth the effort you put in. 

How To Build Email Automation Workflows (Best Practices)

Automated email workflows can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your email marketing strategy (not to mention save you valuable time). Here are seven of the best ways to build these workflows:

1. Welcome Series for New Subscribers

Create an automated welcome email sequence for new subscribers. The first email should thank them for subscribing, followed by a series of emails that introduce your brand, provide valuable content, and guide them on what to expect from your emails.

2. Abandoned Cart Reminders

For e-commerce businesses, abandoned cart emails can be highly profitable. Set up an automated workflow to send a series of reminder emails to customers who have added items to their cart but haven't completed the purchase. These emails can include product details, a call to action, and even a special discount to encourage a purchase.

3. Post-Purchase Follow-up

After a customer makes a purchase, automate a series of emails that thank them, provide order details, and offer post-purchase support. Later emails can ask for product reviews, offer related products, or provide exclusive discounts on future purchases.

4. Re-engagement Campaigns

Identify subscribers who haven't engaged with your emails for a set period and target them with a re-engagement workflow. This can include a sequence of emails that inquire about their absence, offer special deals, and provide options to update their email preferences.

5. Event-Triggered Emails

Create workflows triggered by specific customer actions or significant dates. This can include birthdays, anniversaries, subscription renewals, or actions like downloading a resource from your website.

6. Educational Series or Drip Campaigns

Develop a sequence of informative emails that are sent out over time. These can be used to educate new subscribers about your industry, products, or services. Each email should provide value and gently guide subscribers towards making a purchase or taking another desired action.

7. Feedback and Survey Emails

Automate the sending of feedback requests or surveys after a customer interaction, such as a purchase or customer service call. This helps in gathering valuable customer insights and shows customers that you value their opinions.

Bonus tips on building automated email workflows:

When building these automated email workflows, it’s important to:

Segment Your Audience: Tailor your workflows based on subscriber data like demographics, behavior, and engagement level to increase relevance and effectiveness.

Personalize Content: Use the subscriber’s name and other relevant data to personalize emails, making them more engaging.

Test and Optimize: Continuously test different elements of your emails (like subject lines, content, and sending times) and analyze the performance to optimize your workflows.

Ensure Compliance: Stay compliant with email marketing laws (like GDPR and CAN-SPAM) by obtaining proper consent and including unsubscribe options in your emails.

By implementing these strategies, you can create effective automated email workflows that nurture your leads, boost customer engagement, and drive conversions.

Leveraging Automation Tools for Efficient Email Marketing

Email marketing can feel like a chore, but it doesn't have to. By leveraging the right automation tools, you can streamline your email service and make your campaigns more effective.

Start by picking an automation software that suits your needs. Look for features such as pre-designed templates, A/B testing capabilities, and analytics dashboards. These features will help in creating engaging emails while also giving insights into what works best with your audience.

The Role of Automation Software in Email Marketing

Automation software plays a crucial role in managing large scale email campaigns effectively. They let you set up automated responses based on certain trigger points like new subscriptions or abandoned carts which save time and effort.

Moreover, these tools provide options for segmentation which is essential for delivering personalized content to different audience segments - making each interaction feel personal and targeted.

In essence, using automation platforms not only makes our work easier but also helps us deliver effective marketing emails that drive engagement and sales.

Need help writing these emails faster? Magical to the rescue! You can even save popular templates and responses to speed things up when you conduct outreach. 

Integrating Email Automation with Social Media

Merging email automation and social media is like mixing potions to create a powerful elixir. These two can amplify your marketing efforts, driving better results for your business.

By sharing personalized content from your automated emails on social platforms, you reach a wider audience segment. It's similar to casting the 'Accio' spell - attracting more potential leads into your marketing funnel.

Linking lead magnets in social posts that require an email address gives access to valuable content while growing your subscriber list simultaneously. It's akin to using the 'Alohomora' charm - unlocking doors of opportunities for new customer acquisition.

The Power of Integration

Emails based on trigger points from social interactions can be highly effective. Imagine it as if you're brewing Felix Felicis, or liquid luck – each interaction acting as key ingredients adding potency to our potion – our emails.

MailChimp explains how this integration works wonders, helping businesses gain leads and increase revenue significantly by delivering effective automated marketing messages tailored per user actions across platforms.

Conclusion

Adding some practical, simple email automation best practices and building efficient workflows is easier than you thought, right? Using these tips will help you and your team not only save time but build a stronger email list of folks just itching to give you their money. 

When you're looking for a tool that will help you with your repetitive email related tasks, try Magical. It's free for your Chrome browser, simple to set up and use, and it saves you on average 7 hours a week. Try it today to see why Magical was named Best Writing Assistant Software for Businesses by Tekpon.