How do you create personalized messages for subscribers using email automation?

When evaluating email automation tools, it's crucial to consider how features like segmentation and dynamic content can directly impact customer retention and revenue for DTC brands. As a professional in the industry, I've seen segmentation based on purchase history lead to insane ROI boosts. Dynamic content that resonates with the customer's journey can create an unreal level of personalization. It's giving your campaigns the edge they need. I rate highly the use of advanced workflows and robust testing to ensure emails look fire across all devices and browsers. Big moves in email automation come from leveraging these tools to their fullest potential.

That is correct! If you want to personalize the email, you must know the persona. You should know the age, location, pain points, biggest challenge, and job titles of your subscribers.

Well, the two most important things here (imo) are to ensure that you are collecting and storing relevant information about your subscribers and then segmenting them properly. This could include their name, location, preferences, purchase history, and any other data that might be useful for personalization. Once you have that information, divide your subscribers into segments based on common characteristics. For example, you might have segments for new subscribers, frequent customers, or subscribers who have shown interest in specific products or topics. These are the pillars of personalization.

Choosing the right email automation tool in email marketing is crucial because it streamlines campaigns, enhances efficiency, and ensures targeted timely communication. The right tool enables personalized messaging, robust analytics, and the ability to adapt strategies based on real-time data, ultimately maximizing engagement and driving better results.

You're tool matters and if you are looking to personalize the content as well as the flows for your subscribers, ConvertKit handles both seamlessly. It allows you to integrate with your CRM, analytics tools, and other marketing platforms to facilitate a holistic view of customer interactions and data. Because it's emails are rendered using Liquid, the language that Shopify sites are built on, you can create hyper-personalized content that resonates well with your readers.

The key here is to actually gather data that allows you to personalize emails. Most of the time, businesses aren't collecting this data at all or they're taking their best guesses and rolling with that. Sending a survey out in your welcome flow as close to the original opt in is something we've been testing across our client portfolio with great success. And we typically gather data into 3 buckets. Demographic data (Who are you) Interest data (What are you interested in) And stage in the buying cycle. That way we can tailor our content to who they are, send relevant email content, and send the appropriate emails to their buying stage.

Email strategy is the most important part of the equation. If your goal is to sell your products or services, then every email needs to be a stepping stone in that direction. That could be an email that is value based which leads to the next email, or a sales focused email based on the subscriber clicking on the sales page a few times in a week. Making that journey for the subscriber in today's market means that you are personalizing it and their content but have your business goals front of mind as you establish your strategy.

understanding what you want to achieve—whether it's increasing sales, building customer relationships, or promoting specific products. Develop a strategy by outlining the steps to reach those goals, considering factors like audience segmentation, content personalization, and the frequency of communication. Regularly assess and adjust your strategy based on performance metrics.

Agree. Defining automation goals and strategies is paramount in email marketing for several reasons. Firstly, it establishes a clear direction for the campaign, aligning it with broader business objectives. Setting specific goals, whether focused on lead nurturing, customer engagement, or conversion optimization, ensures a purposeful and measurable approach. Moreover, a well-defined strategy streamlines the entire automation process, enhancing efficiency and minimizing errors. It enables marketers to deliver more targeted and personalized content, fostering stronger connections with recipients. Ultimately, a thoughtful automation plan not only saves time but also maximizes the impact of email campaigns, driving better results.

Ready to supercharge your email game? Define those automation goals & strategy! First, ask yourself: What's the endgame here? More engagement? Conversions? Maybe both! Next, get into the nitty-gritty: How many emails to send, what sparks them, and the juicy content inside! Personalization is key, so sprinkle in some subscriber magic. And don't forget to sync it all up with your brand vibe! Let's make those inboxes sparkle!

When it comes to writing engaging copy for my audience, I like to start with curiosity – asking questions and providing answers. Creating a valuable flow that sets the tone for your Call To Action. In the real world, we often send similar emails to various contacts. A Helpful Tip: use personalized tokens, like 'Yet another mail merge' for Gmail & Sheets. My power tool for segmentation automation. Open Sheets, go to Add-ons>Get Add-ons> YetAnotherMailMerge. review permissions & add it. Next, in Sheets>Addons>YetAnotherMailMerge> start mail merge This add-on streamlines workflows, a boon for personal & business email users. Wait for some time & once the all emails are sent. Now you have bulk personalized emails from sheets, sent via Gmail.

Make sure to keep your copy easy to read and fun. Use storytelling if you're using it for subscribers. You can get inspiration from Alex Cattoni and Daniel.

Weaving a narrative that subscribers can relate to can significantly increase the engagement and personal touch of automated emails. What I've done create a glossary based on the subscriber's selection of identity. Then based on that selection, set a few other custom fields so that it becomes easier to create the content. For ex: The subscriber chooses that they are an writer. I set: Plural: writers Action: write Perform action: writing This allows me to create better a call-to-action within the content based on the individual. "Join 123 {{ plural }} today and start {{ performing_action }} without worrying about the tech."

keep it simple and engaging. Address the recipient by name, clearly convey the message's value, and include a clear call-to-action. Tailor the content to the recipient's interests or behavior when possible. Test different versions to see what resonates best with your audience and refine your approach based on the results.

Think about where your audience is in their journey and write communications speaking to that. For example - If you are creating a funnel for appointment bookings and you want to reduce no shows/cancellations, you could: - Send them an automated thank you, let them know what to expect (get them excited!) - A few days later, send a testimonial from someone who recently attended an appointment (keep the excitement going) - In the lead up to the appointment, send some exciting benefits they will recieve from attending - Show them you are excited for their appointment also (this is an opportunity for some automated 1 to 1 style messages also) It's all about easing the customers doubts, and keeping the hype going

Periodic reviews of your automation triggers and logic are a must. As your business and customer base evolve, what worked once might need adjustment to stay effective. I suggest monthly reviews to stay on top of emerging trends with your audience.

Optimizing your automations is a game of test-and-learn. Automation also follows a pareto-like pattern. 80% of the gains will come from 20% of the work. Start by setting up key automations like your Welcome Series, Cart Abandons, Post-purchase and Browse Abandons. Then ruthlessly optimize them over 4-8 weeks. Areas to test include: - Subject lines - Offers based on customer cohorts (think high-value vs. low-value customers). - Timing (is it better to send your cart abandon 30 mins or 2 hours after it occurs?) Once you've streamlined your core automations then you can start building the periphery. These automations include branded messages for each part of your fulfillment workflow as well as win-back campaigns.

Consider it akin to perfecting a recipe. Experiment with subject lines, content, and timing. For instance, try contrasting subject lines—like "Exclusive Offer Inside" versus "Last Chance to Save!" Test diverse layouts and visuals. Explore sending times to catch your audience's attention. I once tweaked a subject line from "Get 10% off" to "Unlock Exclusive Savings!" The latter saw a 30% increase in opens. Keep an eye on analytics. They reveal what resonates with your audience. Continuously refine your approach for optimal results.

Test and optimize your email automation! It's like giving your emails a makeover – but with data! Try out different subject lines, images, and layouts to see what grabs attention. Experiment with send times and frequencies to hit that sweet spot when your subscribers are most eager to engage. And hey, why not shake things up with different triggers or conditions? You might just stumble upon the magic formula for more clicks and conversions! But wait, there's more! Keep a close eye on your email analytics – open rates, click rates, conversions – they're your secret weapons for fine-tuning your strategy. So let's get testing, optimizing, and turning those emails into engagement machines! Who's in?

Generally speaking we resend the subscriber survey to client lists 1x-2x per year. And we basically merge all their previous answers in an email that says... Hey I know life happens fast. When you first joined the community here, this is what was important to you. We want to make sure we're sending relevant email and content to you... what's changed? Here are your previous answers: Send us a quick update here: (LINK TO SURVEY). And we get good results with that email. And we get updated info so we can adjust our strategies

Remember to keep your email automations as streamlined as possible. Too often people overcomplicate their automations and their funnel becomes too messy to track effectively. Decide on the end point of your automation first and work backwards. Pin point where the flow should start and then plot 2-3 points in between that offer more value each time until the users get the final CTA. Remember, even when using automations, you are building relationships first and converting second.

Imagine it like curating a playlist. Regularly swap out outdated tracks for new hits and remixes. Similarly, update your email content with fresh offers, testimonials, or user-generated content. In my experience, I've seen the power of refreshing automation with personalized recommendations based on recent interactions. This small tweak resulted in a 15% boost in click-through rates. Always be on the lookout for feedback from your audience. It's like having a compass to navigate the ever-changing landscape of email marketing. Stay nimble and embrace new trends to stay relevant and resonant with your subscribers.

Keeping your email automation on point is key to engaging your audience! Remember, it's not just about setting it and forgetting it – it's about regular maintenance and updates! Make sure to clean out any outdated content like expired offers or broken links. But don't stop there! Consider adding fresh elements like testimonials or even a sprinkle of emojis for that extra pop! And hey, why not ask your subscribers for feedback? Their insights can fuel your improvements! So let's keep those emails fresh, relevant, and most importantly, delightful!

While there are many automation tools and techniques to help me with email automation, I make sure to stay organized and label my automations by goal so that I don't get overwhelmed or lost.

Ensure there are no contradictions or overlaps between different flows. This can happen on accounts that have, for example, SMS & email on separate platforms. It's much easier to create fluid, cohesive customer journeys when everything is on the same ESP.

Biggest personalisation mistake:- Overcomplicating it. You can go broad and still reap the benefits of specificity. Let's say I sell email marketing services to: - ecomm brands - SaaS businesses I can create a lead magnet that solves problems they BOTH share, like:- - a list-cleaning tutorial video - a checklist to stay out of spam - a template for a re-engagement flow to combat churn BUT, I can write a different email sequence for each audience. 1 for ecomm, 1 for SaaS. Then, I can have them specify whether they're an ecomm or SaaS business in the sign up form. The box they tick dictates the content they get. And voila... An automation that serves up super personalised and relevant content, on autopilot.