How to Boost Revenue with an Email Automation Funnel ?

by Robert Allison | Apr 3, 2018 | Automation, Email Marketing

By this point, you must have heard about email marketing automation. Some people may see this as the “trendy word” at the moment, while others may be taking this seriously, now, what is this and why it is important?

Email marketing automation makes reference to a piece of software that allows to automate marketing and selling actions or processes. The scope of the actions may vary, from welcoming your new subscribers to segmenting the potential clients that have gone adrift. Usually, the limits you can reach will depend on the nature of your brand and your creativity.

What it is true is that the automation of email marketing makes the repetitive tasks in marketing and selling, to be done with a less effort.

According to VB insight, one statement marketers agree on is that the biggest Benefit of automation is that it saves a lot of time. Other benefits include a higher participation of clients (68%), proper communications (58%) and bigger opportunities such as additional sales (58%).

NOW, WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS? 

• Follow up on actions.
• Focus on abandoned carts.
• Recover inactive clients.
• Welcome new subscribers.
• To segment your audience.
• Focus on different segments.
• Send reminders.
• Create offers based on actions.
• Suggest products based on actions.
• Avoid mistakes when doing follow up.
• Request feedback.
• Winning more subscribers.

BUT, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? 

To be able to apply this conversion funnel, let’s divide the process into 4 cycles:

CYCLE 1: DISCOVERY OR THE BEGINNING OF THE RELATIONSHIP

The first step in the client’s cycle of life is discovery. At this point, the potential client will have heard about your brand, but they’ll probably won’t fully understand your product or service just yet. In this case, the key is in trying to attract the new visitors of your website through a newsletter or email strategy, encouraging them to subscribe and receive tips, offer or some special gift (such as a blank book, a guide, etc.)

Once you have their email addresses, it’s time to break the ice and bring that new user closer to your product or service, so they can start evaluating if that is the answer to their needs.

The welcome email can be a punctual message or it can be a series of different messages that are sent within a few days between one and the other. For example, you could send a welcome email with the offer or gift you had promised to your users in Exchange of their emails first, and then send a tutorial that teaches your new contacts the great things about your product or service.

A third email could include testimonies and content generated by the user, encouraging new clients to tell their friends about you, with a discount especially design for them.

CYCLE 2: EVALUATION OR MUTUAL KNOWLEDGE

If your users keep in touch with you after a certain amount of time, it’s time to send them emails for them to improve their knowledge and comprehension when it comes to your product or service. You can include, for example, case studies, blog articles, guides, etc.

The frequency of the emails will depend on the nature of your contact list, and sometimes you’ll need to do trials alternating the days and hours you send your emails, to make sure you’re getting the best interaction. For some people, a couple of emails during the week may work perfectly, but for others, the key might be in sending one newsletter every two weeks.

Something we must remember is, that even if the user has the intention to purchase or not, the evaluation process is constant. Each and every one of the contact you make with your clients will give them information about you, and this is why it is crucial to take care of the little details. During this phase, is especially important to work in making this relationship with the client stronger. Personalized emails, carefully programmed are details more and more appreciated each time by the consumers.

CYCLE 3: CONVERSION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE RELATIONSHIP

If you appreciate an increase in the number of clicks on the links of your emails, or a bigger interaction in certain pages of your web, you’ll know your contacts are in that exact point of taking the step to conversion (as long as you’re doing your follow-ups properly).

This is the perfect time to send them emails that give them the extra push they need. Whether it is exclusive discounts, recommendations based on recent searches, etc. There are lots of possibilities.

CYCLE 4: RETENTION AND PROLONGING OF THE RELATIONSHIP

Your potential customer has finally become a real client. This is where the retention phase starts, where the goal is for that client to become loyal to your brand and recommend you to their friends.

The first step is a “Thank you” email, that gives the client the opportunity to share their opinion and evaluate your services. Next, once a little while has gone by, you can encourage your users to share content generated by them, such as pictures or quotes, that will help you reach new clients.

Retaining the users is a crucial part of email marketing, and of the sales funnel of every company as well. The purchase cannot be the end of the relationship, because most likely your client or someone around them will need your product or service later on.

Besides, in this phase you can segment your mailing even better, to make your contacts receive campaigns based not only on the interactions and properties of the contact, but also on their relationship with you, and adjusted to previous purchases.

Mailing is a trustworthy tool when it comes to conducting clients through the sales funnel to reinforce the relationship with the users, no matter in which phase of the cycle you’re at. Resources and tools that allows automation, segmentation and personalization will give us the chance to stand out in the user’s inbox, to make sure that our emails are unique and unforgettable.