by Celeste Longbucco A LOT OF people make assumptions when they see the word “automatic.” They imagine it means less human, less eng...
by Celeste Longbucco
A LOT OF people make assumptions when they see the word “automatic.” They imagine it means less human, less engaging, and less insightful.
But the opposite is true for marketing automation — the “automatic” aspect doesn’t cheapen your brand, it makes your voice stronger. With digital automation technology, you can develop consistent, spot-on communication that builds authentic relationships with your target buyers.
Here are four specific ways that marketing automation goes the extra mile to develop real-life connections with consumers:
Send Consistent Communication
When you make a new friend, the consistency of your day-to-day communication dictates how the relationship grows or fizzles. You’re more likely to appreciate a friend who responds to your daily texts than someone who blows you off.
The same goes for marketing: buyers expect consistent interactions with a brand. Instead of failing to juggle relationships with thousands (or tens of thousands) of potential buyers, use automation to connect consistently with your audience via email.
Expert Tip: Always send your email marketing at the same day and time — it sets up a positive expectation for your customers.
Focus on Your Brand Voice Instead of Logistics
Sending regular emails through an automated marketing program creates the opportunity to emphasize and hone your brand voice. Instead of managing a ton of email addresses in Gmail, can use that extra time to work on creating copy that resonates with buyers.
Marie Forleo, for example, personalizes her automated emails with brilliant humor and warm enthusiasm. A recent email from Marie read, “So thanks, truly, for allowing us to travel along your side as you continue to create and expand your life.” You can feel how genuine that connection is for Marie. Automation, more than any other technology, allows those warm-and-fuzzy sentiments to reach a growing pool of readers.
Expert Tip: When you write marketing emails, ask yourself the question, “What emotion or feeling am I trying to evoke in my buyers?”
Stay Relevant with Buyers
Marketing automation enables you to scale your business exponentially without losing your niche as a company. As your business grows, you can stay relevant with your audience by breaking a group into multiple segments that draw on your strengths.
Let’s say you own a chain of local taquerias with two primary sets of buyers: local Spanish-speaking families and young college students. Email automation allows you to send one email to each group rather than bunching everyone together. You keep the conversation relevant by only including the information that benefits each one.
Expert Tip: If your target audience includes native speakers of multiple languages, consider sending out separate emails in different languages to segmented groups.
Personalization Seals the Deal
Personalizing your marketing campaign develops a one-on-one dialogue that goes a step beyond segmentation. To solidify create the same experience of a brick-and-mortar store, automate your marketing to send triggered emails in response to consumer actions. If a prospective client clicks on a guide you wrote or reads an email about a special offer, you can follow-up with a planned, automated email.
Here’s a great example:
“Hey there!
I saw that you expressed interest in our May offer. Is there any more information I can give you to help make that decision? Feel free to reach out to me on my cell phone (xxx) – xxx – xxxx with any questions.
Warmly,
Dan”
Expert Tip: Don’t trigger every customer action with an email. Too much of a good thing is just too much!
By supporting consistent and personalized email marketing, automation technology strengthens the impact of marketers. Can you think of any more reasons to consider automating your communication today?
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