Top 3 Email Workflows: Automated Emails Your Small Business Should Be Utilizing

Let’s start at the very beginning. What is an email workflow? An email workflow is a series of automated emails that are triggered by an event (like getting a new subscriber) or subscriber behavior (like clicking on a link within an email). There numerous reasons why you would (and should) use workflows in your email marketing strategy. Among others, workflows can

1. Save time.
2. Help move leads down a sales funnel.
3. Nurture current customers by providing a more individualized approach.

Now that you know why you should use them, you’ll need an email automation software that can do this for you, such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, or my personal favorite FloDesk.

Okay, let’s get to the good stuff.

3 Email Workflows Your Small Business Should Be Utilizing

01. Welcome Sequence Workflow

All right, you’ve got a new subscriber to your email list, wahoo! Now what? If you’re like many other small business owners out there, they are probably just sitting in your email database waiting for the next email to go out. Great! So when is that following email going out? I know how it goes, we all have?the best of intentions of getting that weekly/monthly/quarterly newsletter out, but then life & business get busy, and the newsletter gets pushed off to the side. Am I right? Here’s the good news, that doesn’t have to happen with a Welcome Sequence workflow.

It’s easy to set up a Welcome Sequence for your new subscribers that takes them through a series of emails that will let them know what they can expect from your newsletter. This automation allows you to take a back seat and just let the good stuff get delivered straight to their inbox, and you don’t have to do a thing! (except to set up?your workflow, of course).

02. New Customer Welcome Workflow

Getting new customers is something that never gets old for small business owners. It’s another reminder that you’re business is thriving and growing. What’s even better than getting new customers? Getting new, happy customers. One way to help ensure your new customers feel welcome is?to set up a New Customer Workflow that’s informative, welcoming, and useful to them.

For example, let’s say you have a tax and accounting business. You have a new customer that’s just decided to use your services. This might be what your New Customer Workflow would look like:

• Add to Segment – Makes purchase, added to the “New Customer” segment.
• Welcome Email – Thanks them for choosing to use your services, tell them a little more about the company.
• Wait two days
• Preparation Email – Reminds them that their scheduled appointment?is approaching. Gives?a list of things that need to be accomplished before that date?(i.e., gather current tax documents, a copy of last year’s tax return, prepare a list of questions they may have, etc.).
• Wait three weeks?(or an appropriate amount of time for the job to be completed)
• Thank You Email – After the job?has been completed, send a follow-up email thanking them for their business.?Provide?a link for a satisfaction survey or review platform. This email?could also provide links to blog articles that could help them plan for next year’s tax return or other financial advice.

03. UpSell Workflow

Just because a customer has already made a purchase or?services have been rendered, doesn’t mean your communication with them should stop. Use this as an opportunity to upsell your products or services. Let’s use the same example of a tax & accounting business that we examined earlier.

If you provided links in your last Thank You email, you could set a condition to add the to new workflow segments based on the links that they click. Let’s say you provided a link to QuickBooks Help, Financial Advising, and Payroll Services. If the condition is met that one of those links are clicked, they will get added to a segment called “Business Funnel.”

This segment then triggers a new UpSell workflow. This new workflow allows you to provide information regarding other services that you offer. They’ve already indicated they are interested in learning more about these services, thus enabling you to cultivate a new lead and potentially getting more work from an already existing client.

Review: Email Workflows Your Small Business Should Be Using

Workflows are endless in how you can choose to use them for your business. The bottom line is, your small business should be using them. If you’re not sure how to get started with email automation, JW Creative can help you out with that. Head over to the contact page and fill out a form, hop on the phone and give me a call or drop me a line via email.