How to Get the Most Out of Email Automation: Best in Class Insights from Hannah Spicer
Email marketing should be a key focus for any business, as it’s long been one of the highest converting and lowest cost marketing channels.
In this Best in Class Insights article, Email Marketing Specialist, Hannah Spicer, shares her tip for how to get the most out of email automation. Over to Hannah…
Another brilliant thing about email is that you own the data and therefore the relationship with the customer, and you’re not at the whim of constant algorithm changes.
So, now that I’ve convinced you of the importance of email marketing, let me share how to do it successfully.
The key is to combine your regular email sends (sometimes called campaigns, newsletters or trade sends eg. New In / Sale Launch) with automation - also known as triggered emails or flows.
Automated emails are set up to trigger on your customer taking an action, such as a welcome email when someone first subscribes to your newsletter, or an abandoned checkout email when a customer doesn’t complete their purchase.
Automations don’t have to stop after one email however. You can craft a whole series of emails that take your customer on a considered journey that is not only relevant to what their behaviour on your website is, but also focussed on getting them to complete a desired action.
Let’s think about a post purchase automation for example.
Many retailers make the mistake of only focussing on getting new customers to their website to shop. But what about after they shop with you? What happens then?
What you want to do every time someone shops with you, is to give them a brilliant after sales service, that keeps them engaged with your brand and coming back to shop with you again and again.
Repeat customers are not only more valuable, but also likely to be advocates for your brand, leaving positive reviews, engaging with you on social and recommending you to their friends, all of which help with your acquisition goals.
POST-PURCHASE AUTOMATED EMAIL FLOW EXAMPLE
EMAIL 1 - 1 day after purchase.
Thank the customer for shopping with you (mention whether it’s their first or repeat purchase). Make them feel good about choosing to shop with you whilst they wait for their order. This could be by messaging about your brand story and your sustainability credentials. You’re not including a commercial call to actions here - it’s all about brand content that builds your relationship with them.
EMAIL 2 - approx 5 days after purchase.
Aim to send this when they have received their delivery and make them feel confident and excited about using your product for the first time. If this is a beauty product, give them directions on how to use it and integrate it into their daily routine. If it’s apparel, inspire them with styling ideas and tell them how to wash and care for their item. Include customer service links here in case they have any questions or issues, and invite them to tag you on social media for that all important unboxing moment.
EMAIL 3 - a few weeks after purchase.
Check in to see how they’re getting on with the product. Ask for them to leave a review. Remember to personalise these emails with their name and purchase information so they feel very relevant and targeted.
EMAIL 4 - around 1-2 months after purchase.
Inspire them to shop again. This could be by showing them your new arrivals, or sending personalised cross/up sell recommendations depending on what they bought previously. If you’re working with a great email tool, like Klaviyo, this can be done using their product recommendation algorithm.
EMAIL 5 - around 3-4 months after purchase.
Target customers who have only shopped with you once over all time, and incentivise their second purchase. This can be with a unique offer code. Don’t forget to follow up with a reminder when this code is about to expire.
THE FINAL WORD
The above is just one example of an email flow that is incredibly effective for e-commerce businesses, but there are many more journeys you can set up that will drive more revenue for your business and keep your subscribers happy with personalised communications.
If you’d like a bespoke email strategy for your e-commerce business, please get in touch.
CONNECT WITH HANNAH.
Hannah Spicer is an email marketing expert with over 20 years experience working with premium and luxury retail brands, including Harvey Nichols and Kurt Geiger. She founded Hannah Spicer Consulting in 2019 to help ambitious brands build their customer conversion and retention, by crafting impactful strategies that transform email marketing and CRM into a dream experience.