In the digital marketing universe, the allure of email marketing automation is undeniable. The concept of crafting a series of emails—or even a multi-channel campaign—that springs to life at the tap of a customer’s action button is not just efficient; it’s transformative.
Yet, the rush to adopt marketing automation often sees businesses skipping crucial preparatory steps, leading to less-than-stellar campaign outcomes. Let’s dive into the essentials of laying a solid foundation for your automation efforts.
Before You Automate: The Strategy Blueprint
Success in email marketing automation doesn’t start with crafting the perfect email or setting up your sending schedule. It begins with strategy. Before diving into the creative aspects, it’s critical to align on your campaign’s goals, understand your target audience deeply, and map out the customer journey they’ll embark on. This strategic phase is where the magic happens.
Imagine the power of a flow chart here. While it might lack the glamour of other tools, a flow chart offers a clear, visual roadmap of your intended program. Consider a past project of mine: a referral campaign for an association, visualized through a straightforward flow chart.
Key Considerations for a Seamless Campaign
Our journey began with a straightforward goal: empower association members to easily refer their peers. The choice fell on an online form as the vehicle for this process. Opting for email as the primary communication channel, we also aimed to gather postal addresses and phone numbers, necessitating a three-step online form.
The submission of this form by a member kicks off the automated process. Crucially, even if additional contact details aren’t provided in subsequent steps, the referral journey progresses.
The Devil is in the Details: Logic and Data Integration
A common stumbling block in automation is underestimating the complexity of the logic and data integration needed. Our campaign required determining both the membership status of the referrer and the referred individual. This necessitated queries to the association’s CRM, a process simplified by the system’s integration with our marketing automation tool. Detailing the required data for these queries is a step you can’t afford to skip.
Curbing Scope Creep and Planning for the Future
Initial excitement can lead to scope creep, a pitfall I navigate by marking potential future expansions on our flow chart. This approach not only captures burgeoning ideas but also ensures that we launch with a manageable scope, allowing for iterative expansion based on initial success.
The Power of Strategic Resends
One tactic to amplify your campaign’s reach with minimal effort is strategic resends. For instance, if a referred individual doesn’t engage with the initial email, we automatically schedule follow-up emails. This simple logic can significantly extend your campaign’s reach without additional resources.
Wrapping Up: The Art of Planning
Embarking on an automated email campaign? Start with your flow chart tool—or even just a pencil and paper. Mapping out your campaign from start to finish not only streamlines setup but ensures you’ve considered all angles.
As we continue to explore the vast potential of email marketing automation, remember: the key to unlocking its power lies in meticulous planning and strategic execution.
Looking for more tips on automation? Check out this post with 6 tips for more effective automated email programs, and this follow-on post with 6 more tips.
Be safe, stay well,
Jeanne
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
