The period right after a prospect signs up for a new email marketing campaign is crucial—there’s always a lingering moment of doubt that exists between the time an email address has been submitted and upon receiving the first email, Suite101 explains.
This doubt can be eliminated by using email marketing automation to setup a welcome campaign that reassures the recipient that they’ve made the right decision.
Welcome campaigns can be one of the most important factors in securing a lead, and ultimately a sale. According to MarketingProfs, “In most cases, a series of impressions precede a prospect’s taking action. Thus, marketers are building more and more complex programs with a variety of activities to generate and convert new leads.”One of the first impressions a prospect receives is the welcome email—so be sure that you’ve automated it correctly to maintain the recipient’s interest and trust. Suite101 adds that an auto responder can manage expectations of the prospect, who might be turned off if they don’t receive a response after their first inquiry. Email marketing automation is especially effective in avoiding the dreaded “no-reply” period.
“Welcome campaigns are completely automated, delivering emails intended to set communication expectations with new prospects, determine what prospects are interested in and gather information to tailor future messages,” MarketingProfs explains.
Getting the Most From your Welcome Email
To really drive the message home, the campaign should be more complex than a simple “one and done” email. They should typically consist of 3 to 5 emails sent within 30 to 60 days of the initial signup. This allows you to better gauge each prospect’s interest level in your company based on their behavior—such as website activity and email clicks, creating an opportunity to find sales-ready leads.
Suite101 adds that welcome emails are also an efficient way for your business to keep your email list clean, omitting inactive accounts and those that tend to tag email marketers as spam.
The Lyris HQ blog breaks down the ultimate benefits of an automated welcome campaign. First, it creates an immediate engagement with interested prospects, providing a positive brand experience within moments of sharing their email address. It also allows marketers to collect important user data that can be used for segmentation, resulting in more relevant and targeted calls to action. What’s more, the lead nurturing process is streamlined because a positive impression will automatically be made, and lastly, conversions are increased, maximizing your revenue.
This is not to say a welcome campaign won’t succeed without the assistance of integrated automation technology. However, the benefits of using email marketing automation—not to mention the time and money saved—far outweigh the risks.