We’ve already discussed the importance of email marketing automation and went over a brief overview, but you might be feeling stuck still. It’s a big process and can be hard to figure out how to even get started.
But, don’t worry. I’ve created a step-by-step guide to take you from zero to email automation hero!
Let’s get into it:
1. Research email marketing automation tools
When you get a wild hair and decide to sit down and start implementing automation, this crucial first step can often be the most overwhelming. There are a ton of options, and if you ask 10 different email experts which one you should use, you’ll get 10 different answers. It’s a jungle out there, but here are a few beginner-friendly platforms to look at first:
2. Choose a suitable email marketing automation tool
As you make your way through the jungle of research, keep in mind the features you’ll need. Do you want it to connect to forms on your website and socials? (hint: you do) Will multiple people on your team need access? Do you need it to connect to your CRM? Do you need to get started on a CRM? Read through the features of each to make sure all your bases are covered.
3. Set up an account with the chosen tool
Thanks, captain obvious!
4. Define your email marketing goals and objectives
You have predefined business goals. Take a look at this post about email marketing metrics and decide which of those align with your overall business and marketing goals. Write down which metrics you’ll track, and set some goals for your email marketing program if you don’t have them already.
5. Create a list of email subscribers
Or, use the list you already have. If you need help building your list with new subscribers interested in your message, contact me and let’s talk about how to make that happen!
6. Import the subscriber list into the email marketing automation tool
The process for doing this might vary slightly depending on which platform you decided to go with, but each should have specific documentation to show you exactly what to do.
7. Design email templates or choose pre-designed templates provided by the tool
Templates are super helpful for streamlining the manual task of creating new emails. If you have elements that are the same for every email, those should be included in the templates. Once those are built, all you have to do in the future is create new messaging and plug it in to your templates.
8. Create a series of automated email campaigns based on your goals and objectives
Put all the emails in a single series in a logical order and set an sending interval that makes sense for your list.
9. Write compelling and engaging email content for each campaign
Create your emails! If you’re doing ongoing nurture or broadcast campaigns, this step will have to be repeated manually whenever you want to send a new email. But the templates from step 7 will help cut down the amount of manual work needed each time you create a new email.
10. Set up triggers and conditions for the email automation
This is where you “program” the automation to do the right thing at the right time. They’re often “if/then” statements. Like, IF someone downloads a pdf from your website, THEN send them the piece of content and drop that contact into your welcome sequence.
11. Test the email automation sequences to ensure they work correctly
Never, ever, EVER implement a new automation sequence without testing first. Run some test actions on your new sequence and make sure it behaves in the manner you expect. If it does, perfect! Go to step 12. If it doesn’t, troubleshoot the issues and fix the problem points before proceeding.
12. Publish the sequence
Again, this process will vary by platform, but your provider’s help documentation will show you exactly how to do this if you hit a snag.
13. Monitor the email marketing performance and make necessary adjustments
Testing is a crucial piece of implementing a new sequence, but it’s impossible to anticipate every single action that could happen with a sequence. So, you’ll want to keep an eye on things as your sequences run. If you see something that you didn’t expect, diagnose the issue and get it fixed asap!
14. Analyze the email marketing metrics and make data-driven improvements
Remember those goals we set in step 4? Keep that goals list handy and track your progress on a regular basis. Most email markers do this monthly, but it depends on the length and type of campaign you’re running. But, no matter the details, you’ll want to keep an eye on the numbers and make adjustments if things aren’t where they’re supposed to be.
15. Continuously update and optimize your email marketing automation
As you get more comfortable with how things work, you’ll come up with ideas and ways you can improve your automations. Keep a priority list of things you want to change. Whenever you’re ready to tackle one of them, go back to step 10 to create test sequences with your new change and follow the steps to make sure it works like you want it to before publishing. Constant testing and improvement is THE BEST way to get your automation program rocking and rolling.
And that’s it! Easy on paper, right? The best way to learn is to just dive in and try it. And, as always, I’m here to provide a helping hand if you get stuck. Drop me a line anytime and ask me anything you want to know more about.
Happy automating!
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