7 Methods to Personalize Automated Mailings based on the actions of Subscribers

In the age of personalized marketing, a standard-fits-all method of marketing via email doesn't make sense anymore. Email marketers and businesses that are e-commerce often have a lot of data about their customers, however they mostly fail to use this data to the fullest advantage. As more firms using email marketing it's essential that, you, as an email marketing professional you come up with new strategies to ensure your clients are engaged.

There is a time when using the 'first name' of subscribers in the email was thought as one of the most successful tactics to improve conversions. Sending subscribers timely, behavioral emails which are relevant to their interests is vital to keep them interested about your brand.

Automating and personalization, used together, work wonders. A study compilation indicates that according to Experian, companies who personalize their marketing messages have an increase of 27% in individual click rates, and 11percent more open rates over those who do not personalize. The report also states that trigger emails drive 624% higher results in conversion for the same number of sends as compared to "batch blast" emails.

When it comes to creating custom-designed campaigns for your online store email marketing, it is essential to follow few simple and sophisticated techniques to manage the effectiveness of your emails.

  Be Prepared to Answer the right questions  

For sending automated triggered email messages, you must collect data from your customers. A good way to accomplish this is by asking your customers to choose certain preference choices that will help you in separating the data. If your customers sign up to your emails, ask them their purpose of selecting your emails. Their responses will offer insights that will lead to sending more targeted and relevant email messages.

Here's an example an email from Marisa Murgatroyd, Founder of Live Your Message. In this email, she asks her email subscribers to fill out a brief survey that will enable her to segment the people based on their interests and send them only messages that are the most pertinent to them.

  Build Customer Personas  

After you have received the responses of your customers, build personal profiles of customers out of the information you've gathered. By understanding your customers as well as your email subscribers it will allow you to create customized experiences for the users. This helps give your email subscribers a much better experience and a more targeted.

  Think Location and Time  

Test your emails according to location and time in order to find out what is most effective for your needs. Certain times of day prove to be better when it comes to . Your customers may be scattered across the world in different time zones. Therefore, it is necessary that you cater to all of them. Some customers will respond better to emails if they're sent out at specific times of the day. Be sure to conduct A/B testing for your emails and find out the best time when the customers reach out to your emails and then set the send time accordingly.

  7 kinds of automate emails triggered by subscriber behavior  

After you've gathered enough information to properly classify your email recipients and then create automatic trigger emails that are based on specific segments and actions.

  There are seven types of emails with triggers that you could send out to your clients:  

  1. Welcome Emails

These welcome emails help connect you with your newly joining subscriber. The first email that you send to confirm the signup. It will allow you to filter your list by asking your subscribers about their preferences. You should preferably run the series of welcome messages that include the initial one should be a simple greeting note, introducing your services, the second one will ask about your subscribers' preferences, and the next few emails about promotions and discounts that they can avail for the future purchases they make.

Take a look at the example Welcome Email from Hootsuite. The email guides the subscriber to start using their online tool. This is the first email in the series of emails that are triggered. It it is delivered as soon as the customer decides to sign up.

  2. Absent Cart Emails

Emails about abandoned carts are those that are sent to buyers who've added items to their cart but didn't make it to the checkout. Highlighting the abandoned products and offering a discount or free shipping through checkout is a fantastic option to convince them to finish the purchase.

Have a look at the email sent by The Asics. They've highlighted one the products that have been abandoned by placing it in the top banner and showing the rest of the products in the cart below. They have also displayed items that are cross-sold, which increase the likelihood of a customer returning to the site for a purchase.

3. In Stock Emails

Back in stock emails are those emails that are sent out to clients who wish to purchase a specific item that is out of stock and has chosen to receive an email notification when the product is available in stock. Notifying customers of the availability of the item/s is a great method of bringing them back to your website to purchase the item.

This message from Kauffmann Mercantile is an excellent illustration. This notice is a great tool and service to make your clients feel appreciated.

4. Price Drop Reminders

Price drop emails are sent to those who have left the store probably because of the price of some products that there's no discount. If items that you have previously visited have been discounted price, you should to let customers know about it. It's a great chance to convince customers that were once interested in buying from you.

Look at the following example from the retailer Target, which informed customers of the new discounted price for the items they have in their basket, in addition to other products that are recommended. The message will convince customers to buy the item.

5. Order Confirmation

When customers have completed their checkout and placed an order, send an order confirmation email to them, validating as well as thanking them for having completed the transaction. It will allow them to recheck their purchase and adjust it if necessary. Include a payment receipt and order summary to keep the transaction transparent. Also, give them options to track their order and to provide feedback. Also, you can think about crossing-selling, or presenting similar products.

Here's an illustration of an order confirmation email sent from Amazon. The purchase in question was an ebook, and notice how Amazon recommends similar ebooks at the end of the email.

  6. Order Follow-up Emails

When a customer has placed an order from your website, you need to send order follow-up emails. Set up automatic follow-up emails with relevant product suggestions as well as related suggestions for products. They will also contain information about tracking orders, an information about the purchase and order details.

Look over this email from Etsy to inform the buyer regarding the status of their delivered order.

7. Re-engagement Emails

Re-engagement emails aim to strengthen the bond with those clients and subscribers who don't have opened your emails or didn't purchase from you within a certain period of time. Re-engagement emails that are effective can encourage customers to revisit your website. You can send a series of emails to win back the customers you have lost interest in and draw buyers to your site. It is also possible to include promotions and special discounts that will entice customers to return to your website and make a purchase.

Here is an example of the reengagement emails of Pinkberry that offers its customers complimentary yogurt when they go to a Pinkberry location within 7 days:

  Automated emails work best when they are personalized  

Hyper-personalization is what will keep your email subscribers interested in your business. If you are planning for your email marketing campaigns ensure that you not just add their names in the emails. Making personalized emails that are based on your subscribers' behavior and interests is crucial to ensure the automation of your email marketing campaigns works effectively.

Kevin George is the Head of Marketing for EmailMonks one of the fastest-growing email design and coding companies that specializes in crafting stunning email templates, PSD to HTML email conversion and the free HTML template for email. He loves sharing his knowledge and opinions regarding email marketing techniques and top practices in his email marketing blog.