How to Create a Profitable Automated Email Campaign

Automated email campaigns are perhaps the best way to facilitate your online marketing efforts. In this article, I have put together nine tips for you to follow so that you can create successful automated email campaigns.

1. Why You Need an Autoresponder

As someone who has put together many marketing campaigns online, I can tell you that an autoresponder is vitally important for any successful email campaign. While some organizations dive-in before formulating their autoresponder strategy, this is ill-advised.

An autoresponder is the foundation of your “constant contact” with customers; it is the engine that enables you to build new relationships and enhance existing ones. Thus, your choice of autoresponder is vitally important for your successful, automated email campaign.

2. Choose A Quality Autoresponder Service

There are different autoresponder services and they have different packages for different levels.  You need to figure out how much you want to spend on the service. Three of the most popular services are Constant Contact, iContact, and MailChimp.

3. Subscribers Must Agree To Receive Email From You

People must give you their consent to receive email from you.  They enter their name and email address and that is their consent.  However, you must include the link to unsubscribe in every email you send.  This will reduce your spam complaints too. Reputable email providers, such as those mentioned above, provide this service by default.

4. Determine The Amount Of Emails In A Sequence

You need to learn how many emails to send out in a sequence to be successful.  If you do not send enough, you will be forgotten.  If you send too many, you will be viewed as a spammer.  There are certain autoresponder services that limit the number of emails you may send out in a sequence.  It is thought that it takes from 12 to 15 emails to turn a subscriber into a buyer. 

Use these three elements to gauge the amount of emails you need to send:

• Level of Engagement
• Content
• How long it will take to deliver your entire message

5. Determine The Frequency of Emails

You also have to determine the frequency of your emails.  Weekends have the lowest open rate, so stick with weekdays.  At the start of a sequence, do not space the emails too far apart.  Subscribers are ready to receive what you have.  Start by emailing ever other day.  Then spread them out over three days.  As you get to the end of the sequence, separate them by one week.

6. Determine The Subject Line

You can use your company name in the email subject line, or you can use interesting copy.  This is controversial among marketers, so the best bet is to address a problem in the subject that will be solved in the email.

7. Keep Emails Short and Direct

You can use personalized fields in your emails through your autoresponder.  Keep the messages short.  If they are longer, break them up into sections.  Try not to scare subscribers by having too much in there.  Speak directly to subscribers and use, “you”.  The subscriber basically only cares about how the information in the email is going to benefit them.

8. Provide Quality

You must always deliver quality.  Otherwise, you will lose your subscribers and damage your reputation.  Test products or services before you promote them.  As long as you solve problems, or provide beneficial information, you will retain your subscribers. 

9. Balance Quality Content With Sales Pitches

You can keep your subscribers opening emails through delivery of quality content.  Marketers argue over the best way to maintain balance between free content and pitches.  Always remember that the more you give, the more you will receive.

Learning how to create valuable email sequences will facilitate the process of converting subscribers into buyers.  Make sure you always give them something valuable.  Do not turn yourself into a spammer.  Quality content will ensure your success!

Author Bio

Ivan Ho, early thirties, successful entrepreneur and online marketer for over 6 years. Host of OMT Wired Up “Online Money Talks” an online podcast tutorial that teaches people how to make money online with their ideas using Social Media, Blogging, SEO, Email Marketing and other Internet Marketing Strategies. Get a copy of his FREE ebook “25 Magic Rules To Online Success” on his website OMTWiredUp.com.