We’re all looking for ways to save time and increase revenue in our businesses. Often those things can’t be achieved simultaneously, but email automation can help.

If you’re not using email automation yet, it’s time to get started.

Just ask Rupert Muir, co-founder of Sydney-based eCommerce specialists EUX Digital Agency. He and co-founder Adrian Rodriguez help their clients optimise their digital marketing strategies every day, with email marketing being a key area of expertise.

They use Mailchimp’s advanced email marketing and automation tools, which enable you to send personalised emails to customers while you sleep, take a holiday or switch off after hours. Fun fact: Mailchimp users can see up to four times more orders with Customer Journey Builder*.

EUX are well-versed in the art of reaching, engaging and converting customers. So we asked Rupert to let us in on a few of their must-know email marketing secrets to driving engagement and sales at all hours.

1. A welcome email is always welcome

First impressions count. Once someone has signed up to your newsletter database through your website or social media, offering a promo code to new subscribers can help build your database and can often be the difference between making that initial sale or missing out. It sends the message that you value new subscribers and want to look after them.

“A welcome email is a very powerful tool in driving sales and maintaining loyalty with your customers,” Rupert tells Kochie’s Business Builders. “When you send them an email saying, ‘Hey, we’re offering you a 10 per cent discount on your first order’, it might encourage them to bump up their order value. It can also encourage customers to stay subscribed to your mailing list so you can build ongoing relationships with them.”

When you set up your welcome email sequence in Mailchimp, Rupert recommends taking the opportunity to share your brand story. “You can set up an automatic trigger in Mailchimp to send customers a discount and make them feel special from the get go. A welcome email is also a great opportunity to put your best foot forward by introducing your business and what sets your products apart.”

Watch more:

2. Create a sequence for abandoned carts

In a 2021 survey by Canstar, 70 per cent of respondents reported abandoning carts while shopping online. After 48 hours your customer’s desire to purchase the item can dissipate so it’s important to give them a timely nudge, advises Rupert.

“An abandoned cart email sequence is one of the most important sequences for your eCommerce business. Abandoned cart emails can be scheduled at any time in the back end of Mailchimp, but we’ve found the optimal times to be one hour, eight hours and 24 hours after a customer has visited your site and abandoned the sale. These emails allow you to reengage with your customer and perhaps offer an incentive like a discount code that expires after 24 hours,” Rupert advises.

An abandoned cart sequence in Mailchimp’s Customer Journey Builder. Image: Mailchimp.

With Mailchimp’s Customer Journey Builder you can also suggest other items the customer might like based on the contents of their cart. Once they’ve purchased, an email automation can keep them updated on processing and shipping times and can help reduce direct enquiries and maintain communication.

3. Offer an incentive to revive a stale customer relationship

In a crowded marketplace, your business can easily fall off a customer’s radar. Sometimes they need a reminder and an incentive to make another purchase or open an upcoming email.

“Automation is a great way to win back lapsed customers who aren’t spending. In Mailchimp you can segment your customer database into customers who haven’t spent for 30 days or 60 days or 90 days and send them a personalised email and incentive. For example, you could say, ‘Hi, we’ve missed you’ and include a promo code to encourage them to come back and purchase from you,” Rupert shares.

You can also create an automated email for customers who haven’t opened any of your marketing emails recently and include a quick survey on their content preferences and interests so you can tailor their emails in the future.

Of course, there’s a lot more you can do to automate email sequences to help you get results. But these are some great ways to dip your toe in and go deeper as you learn more about what you can do with email automation.

Email automation tools can easily integrate with different eCommerce stores and can help your content reach the right customers at the right times.

What else can you do with Mailchimp? Read more at mailchimp.com/guesswork.

This article is brought to you by Kochie’s Business Builders in partnership with Mailchimp.

*Up to 4x more orders through users’ connected stores versus when they used bulk emails. CJB only available on paid plans. Features and functionality vary by plan.

Feature image: AdobeStock

The views, information and opinions expressed in this article are those of the people interviewed and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Intuit, Mailchimp or any of its cornerstone brands or employees. The primary purpose of this article is to educate and inform