WHITE PAPER Automate, Increase Engagement, & Drive Revenue with Triggered Messages
Automate, Increase Engagement, & Drive Revenue with Triggered Messages According to academic literature, the average maximum, continuous adult attention span is less than 30 seconds and the focused attention span is less 8 seconds. Those facts mean you have precious little time to get your subscribers attention, keep it and, as a result, optimize where it matters. Based on these statistics, it comes as no surprise that relevance and timeliness drive responses and generic mass messaging comes up short. In order to compete for inbox-, mind- and walletshare with your customers, your messages have to relate to them instantly. An easy, and often overlooked, way to expand a successful email marketing program is to include trigger-based email campaigns. Since these are activated by specific actions and behavior, your email marketing will be more relevant, more effective and ultimately increase conversions. When leveraging trigger-based workflows in your email marketing program, it is important to consider the following best practices to ensure your triggered campaigns are successful. Defining Trigger-Based Messaging A real-time message, or triggered message, is one that is generated based on a meaningful change or event in a customer behavior or profile. Online behaviors can include purchases, abandoned carts, browser history or other action-based behaviors. For brick and mortar stores, offline triggers can include in-store purchases or customer service calls. It is important to note that all triggered messages require an explicit opt-in except for transactional messages such as order and shipping confirmations, or administrative emails such as password reminder notifications or warranty updates. Types of Trigger-Based Email Campaigns There are two primary types of trigger-based email campaigns. You can incorporate both into your email program or you can begin with one initially and expand as you gain confidence in your efforts. 1. Action Based Triggers: These triggers are sent when a direct action taken by a customer or prospect. They can include a response to a sales inquiry, opt-in, conversion or notification of an abandoned shopping cart. 2. Recurring Triggers: Recurring triggers are profile-based. These triggers can include birthdays, reorder or other recurring business rules that can initiate an automated campaign. This trigger type provides your email marketing program with a great amount of possibilities depending on your existing data. For most retailers, recurring triggers are the easiest to incorporate into an email marketing program. However, due to its immediacy and reactionary nature, action based triggers may reap the most return. Consider implementing both if applicable to your business situation.
Calibrate Before You Automate Yes, implementing automation into your email marketing program can help exceed your goals and expectations. But, as with any other strategy, you first need to consider its implications and external influencing factors to ensure optimal performance. Define Business Rules A well-defined trigger-based program can create a significant return. Be certain to recognize where it s appropriate to create trigger-based campaigns and where there may be little benefit. For example, creating a business rule that sends a message that includes an up-sell opportunity only makes sense if the product that is promoted matches the customer s interest. Or, maybe you should consider promotional opportunities such as discounts or free shipping on future purchases based on a recent conversion. The possibilities are limitless for how you can use triggerbased email campaigns. However, always be cognizant of the impact on the customer and use these considerations in building your business rules. You want it to be a positive experience that reinforces trust. Set Frequency Limits Imagine receiving multiple messages within a short amount of time from the same sender. In order to create a successful campaign, you must be mindful of your subscribers and their opt-in preferences. Once you have established your business rules, review your plan and determine occasions where a customer may be sent too many messages over specific period of time. A welldesigned trigger-based program will prevent over-fatiguing your opt-in list. Most reputable Email Service Providers enable frequency limits. Keep in mind, sending messages too frequently only creates unengaged (and slightly irritated) subscribers. Remember Recency When was the last time the customer or prospect received something from you? As the saying goes, timing is everything. If possible, create business rules around when your prospect or customer was last sent a message. For example, if you can predict when the product should be used up based on the purchase date, such as with make-up or hair care products, then you can send a reminder email and try to capture the repeat purchase behavior. Automate Where Possible You ve created your business rules, but need to integrate them into your email program. Now is a good time to double-check and find ways that you can automate systems that weren t previously using these trigger-based rules. Automation not only allows you to react quickly to your customers needs and wants, but also increase productivity. By automating programs such as remails, welcome messages to new subscribers and shopping cart abandonment notifications, you re able to not only increase efficiency to focus where it matters, but also reap the financial rewards of automation. Set Your Email Marketing Success in Motion Get your automated, trigger-based messaging started with these programs: Welcome Programs Welcome Programs are an excellent way to introduce your brand to a new subscriber and engage new customers. The period after subscription is a prime time to reach your customers when they are most interested and likely to respond. Triggered by an opt-in, this series of messages can include a bi-weekly drip of exclusive deals, social links and order options. Other triggers can include a first-time download, purchase, sales inquiry or registration. Another idea is to use a welcome program as the time to get to know your customers likes and dislikes. By including a message within your series that allows subscribers to identify their interests, you ll be able to better market to them and increase conversions in the future and help them control their own email inbox by avoiding irrelevant messages. Cross-Sell and Up-Sell Programs Sending the right cross-sell and up-sell recommendations at the right time is critical to increasing repeat purchases and enhancing the customer experience. Leverage automated messaging to suggest similar or related products and accessories via a post-purchase trigger to customers who have opted-in. To start, consider setting up a trigger to send a message to subscribers who purchased your top products that includes complementary accessories, care products or even extended warranty information. For an advanced strategy, utilize recommendation engines such as MyBuys or igodigital to ensure a more personalized customer experience.
Lead Nurture Programs Bridging the gap between you and your subscribers is only a nurture campaign away. Lead Nurture Programs allow you to build a relationship with customers through their interests and behaviors. Create action-based email triggers that create relevant, personalized dialogues over time to encourage purchases. This type of program also gives online retailers the opportunity to utilize a customer s online behavior as a catalyst for timely interactions. For example, if your customer clicks on a certain number an amount of time, automate an education-focused campaign and pre-sell products through personalized communications. Customer Satisfaction Programs Build an automated message that triggers when a customer makes a high dollar value purchase to request the satisfaction of the shopping experience. Customer Satisfaction Programs not only help moderate your customer service efforts and product quality, but also ensures a smooth transition into customer retention. Want to increase your brand awareness and gain valuable feedback simultaneously? Include a survey or product brand s commitment to customer satisfaction. Including a product review opportunity in your satisfaction program validates your product quality and gives shoppers input from the voice of their peers during the research stage of the customer lifecycle. Abandonment Programs According to Forrester Research, 59% of online shoppers place items into their cart and fail to complete abandoned shopping cart situation, trigger a message to your customer regarding their left-behind items. Abandoned cart reminders are promotional messages and require an opt-in though they are often mistakenly considered transactional messages. A subject line similar to Don t Forget the Items in Your Cart, serves as a great reminder for customers to log-in and checkout. Offer an incentive to complete the purchase as a second attempt if Win-Back Programs Whether we as marketers like to admit it or not, subscribers fall off the grid and become inactive. Win-Back Programs, also called Reengagement Programs, allow you to reconnect with your customers and give them a reason to reactivate. If a customer has not returned to your site or made a purchase in an extended period of time, then integrate a win-back email that entices the customer to return. To ensure you win back their business, make certain you encourage an immediate action. Make them an offer they can t refuse through a limited-time special promotion or strong call-to-action. Also, don t be afraid to mention all the reasons why your subscribers fell in love on orders over a certain amount or exclusive monthly promotions to your subscriber base. Date-Triggered Programs information, don t forget to use special dates as an excuse to show your appreciation. Date-triggered Programs, such as birthday and anniversary emails, are excellent opportunities to send your well wishes and also offer your customers a special deal on their special day. When gathering information on your customers, make an effort to request dates for commonly celebrated events. This simple gesture could mean a big payoff for your top-line revenue. Best Practices to Consider You have created your business rules as well as found ways to integrate into your current email marketing program; now it s time to think about best practices. From Line Make certain that the from line in all your triggered messages is recognizable and consistent. Reinforce your brand by using your corporate name. Inconsistent sender names will only cause confusion to your subscribers and potentially result in increased unsubscribes and decreased deliverability. Remember, trigger-based messages are still part of your email marketing strategy and deserve just as much attention to every detail.
Content Content should never be a second thought, so plan for your content and promotions. Remember, that despite the fact that these are triggered campaigns, the message that you communicate to your customers should align with your business objectives and their interests. Use HTML where applicable Triggered messages have significantly higher open rates versus standard promotional emails. Make certain your brand experience extends beyond promotional messages. Through HTML, you can incorporate your brand, as well as the look and feel of your other marketing touches. But also remember to polish the text version and make sure it works well on mobile devices. For some, that will be the only version they see. Customization A vital part to creating an ongoing dialog with customers is customizing your message to the individual recipient. Consider including dynamic content in your campaigns. Your customers are far more likely to respond to messages that include information that relates to their preferences, behaviors or past purchases. However, just like any other email marketing campaign, don t leave it on its own. Test and review and find ways to optimize your trigger-based email program to increase your return on investment. Trigger-based email campaigns are an effective way to communicate with your customers and prospects. Through automated workflows, you are able to present a tailormade message to your customers that align their needs with your offering. In addition, once up and running, they are success in motion. Take these concepts and best practices, and create your automated campaigns today. About Bronto Bronto Software provides the leading marketing platform for retailers and other commerce-focused companies to drive revenue through email, mobile and social campaigns. Over 1,000 organizations including Party City, Armani Exchange, Timex, Samsonite, and Trek Bikes rely on Bronto to increase revenue through interactive marketing. The company won the Stevie Award for Best Customer Service in 2009 and 2010, was named a CODiE Award Finalist for Best Marketing Solution in 2011 and is one of Inc Magazine s top 100 fastest growing software companies. For more information, visit or call 888-BRONTO-1.