10/31/17
10/31/17
Let’s talk email automation.
If you haven’t been using email automation then you’re missing a key aspect of growing and honestly using your email list.
What is the point of having email subscribers if you aren’t nurturing them, providing them with the information they need and want, and then, in the end, monetizing them?!
Isn’t that the point!
Today I want to take a minute to talk about something so important: Email Automation!
I first learned about email automation my first month working in the digital marketing industry. And at the time, I thought it was so genius!
You get to be the hands-on guide and control how people interact with your brand. Plus you get to help them through the steps of your sales funnel to lead to more money in your pocket.
Now doesn’t that sound awesome?!
Heck yes.
So let’s get to the good stuff.
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WHAT IS EMAIL AUTOMATION
You’ve probably heard about social media automation before. Basically where you automate your social media posts and they are sent out without you having to do it yourself every time.
Well, email automation is the same thing.
It’s a way to automate your email list so that it can run on its own without you haven’t to check it every second of every day.
With email automation, you can provide people with freebies they sign up for while you sleep. You can send out 5 emails spaced several days apart while you’re relaxing on the beach drinking a margarita.
And you can tag people based on their interests without knowing them personally or slacking their life!
So yeah. Email automation is a big deal.
And here’s why you need to use it.
WHY YOU NEED TO USE AUTOMATION
Let’s just break down the facts real quick. In case you aren’t drinking the email automation cool-aid yet.
1. It makes your life easier
Let’s talk about the obvious… email automation makes your life a heck of a lot easier. Seriously.
You don’t have to check your email list every day.
You don’t have to worry about emails getting sent out.
All you have to do is sit back and relax knowing that you’ve set the systems in place to run your email while you work on more important things.
2. It will lead to long-term readers
A lot of people that will visit your website will never come back again.
It’s just the reality of it.
But what happens when they visit for the first time and sign up for one of your freebies? Well, you get a second opportunity to win them over!
So don’t blow it!
3. You can make more money!
Oh yeah. I’m talking about real money.
Do you have a sales funnel for your blog?
I didn’t for the longest time. But with your email automation, you get to create the systems to help lead people through that sales funnel. Resulting in more money in your pocket.
With trigger products and your sequences, there are plenty of opportunities to use email automation as your money driver.
HOW TO START AN EMAIL LIST
Okay, okay.
Now email automation sounds great and everything. But if you want to start using it, then you need an email list!
I mean that’s a duh, right?
RELATED: How To Start An Email List
Well starting an email list can actually be a lot easier than you think. The biggest hurdle is picking the platform you are going to use.
I use ConvertKit, and I highly recommend them to any blogger who wants an easy platform that will allow for quick growth. And if you don’t want to switch platforms in the future, then start with ConvertKit.
You may want a free option right now, but once you start to grow, you’ll want something that can grow with you.
So instead of dealing with the hassle, just get started with ConvertKit from the very beginning.
Pssst. You can give ConvertKit a try for FREE with their 30-day free trial.
WAYS YOU COULD USE EMAIL AUTOMATION
There are several different ways that you can use email automation to your advantage.
So let’s break it down to make sure you get the most out of this tool.
1. Give people their freebies immediately
Have you ever wondered how when you sign up for something for free how it’s immediately sent to your email?
Well, maybe you’ve never thought about it.
But that’s email automation at it’s finest.
You can have 34 freebies on your website and you don’t have to actually send out 1 freebie manually if you have the proper systems in place.
With ConvertKit, there are 2 main options on how you can do this.
You can either attach the freebie to the confirmation that is sent once someone signs up for a specific form. Or you could use their automation tools feature so when someone signs up for a form, they are then subscribed to a sequence. And the first email in that sequence includes their freebie!
RELATED: How To Create Free Resources That Will Grow Your Email List
Want more information on the exact steps to follow? Check out the tutorials included in the List Building section of The TCB Vault.
2. Categorize your email subscribers
If you’re a member of my email list, then you should know that with every opt-in you sign up for and with some of the links you click in my email blasts, you are tagged based on your actions and interests.
Creepy, right?
Ehhhh… Yeah. Yeah, it is.
So if someone signs up for my 30 Day Instagram Challenge, they are tagged with an interest in Instagram and Social Media.
That way when I have a specific email or promotion that I want to send out that has to deal with Instagram, I can send it to the people that are actually interested in that topic.
It’s a great strategy to send targeted emails, have more success on your promotions or product launches, and keep your subscribers!
RELATED: 7 Content Ideas Your Email List Will Actually Enjoy
3. Schedule future emails
No one wants to take the time each week to write and send a new email to their email list.
Especially if you are in the launch phase of a new product!
One of my favorite things to do is to batch write my emails and then schedule them to be sent over the next few weeks.
Going on vacation… doesn’t matter. Your email will be sent automatically.
Sick in bed wanting to watch Netflix all day… don’t worry. That email will still be sent.
If you batch write your emails and schedule them for a later time, you create a set-it-and-leave-it strategy which will make your life a heck of a lot easier!
4. Guide people through your sales funnel
Want to make more money with your email list? Introducing sequences.
They will quickly become your besties.
With every new email subscriber you get, you should have them subscribed to a sequence. And in those sequences should be specific emails that are designed to provide them with more information about you, your blog, your business, and what you can offer them.
This is your opportunity to nurture your new subscribers to make sure they turn into long-term followers and readers.
So how do you do that?
Well, you create a sequence that includes at least 3 emails that are designed to provide people with more information. The information they didn’t know they needed.
And then at the end of the sequence, you can offer them more information in the form of your services, paid product, or paid course.
Heck, this could even be an affiliate link that you want people to sign up for!
First, educate. Second, sell.
BABY STEPS TO GET STARTED
If you’re new to the whole email automation world, the best place to get started is with sequences.
You’ll notice that when you have the systems in place to automatically send out emails over a period of time to new subscribers, that you’ll feel like you have your life together.
I’m not kidding.
There is no point in generating new email subscribers if you aren’t doing anything with them.
So start out simple. Write a few 3 email sequences and set the automation in place to have those run while you sleep.
From there, move to on categorizing your audience and batch scheduling your emails.
And don’t be afraid to change the systems you have in place.
I’ve reworked and rewritten my welcome sequence a couple of times to make it reflect my brand, new content, and new products.
As you grow and change, so should your systems.
Never get too comfortable.
And if you have any questions about these strategies, feel free to leave them in the comment section down below.
I’ll see you in another blog post soon.
XO, Cath
KEEP READING…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cathrin (Cath) creates content that encourages bloggers & online entrepreneurs to be themselves, chase their passion, and create their success online. 1 year after started her blog (TheContentBug.com), Cath left her full-time position working in the digital marketing industry to pursue her dreams of being her own boss. In weekly blog posts, sporadic YouTube videos, and constant talking on Instagram stories, Cath hopes to spread her story and be an inspiration to others who desperately want to change their lives.
LEAVE A COMMENT
2 responses to “What Is Email Automation & Why You Need It For Your Email List”
Hi Cathrin, I totally agree that emails are very important as it needs to be automated. I am a fan of email automation and created an app around it.
What kind of freebies do you give to your subscribers when they first opt-in?
Aaron
So I have 10+ different freebies that you can get access to on my website. But with my main email opt-in you get access to a money making guide/challenge and you also get access to a free resource library!