Marketing automation formats

#SmallBusiness60: Episode 10

Let’s talk about marketing automation formats. The most common perception of marketing automation is email. It’s a cheap and  accessible format, and accounts for the majority of marketing comms today.

There are actually a few types of email you can use in your marketing:

• Sequenced, automated email is often referred to as an “email auto-responder”, or just simply “email marketing”. It’s sent by your marketing software in a timed sequence. Usually started by somebody filling in a form and giving consent.
• Broadcast emails are one-off emails, often incorrectly referred to as “newsletters” when senders incorrectly assume their audience wants to hear news from them. But, they never really do. People only ever really care about how you’re going to solve their problems. Broadcast emails are a great format for sharing ideas, tips, or topical content to keep your audience captivated and engaged.
• Finally, single emails: are simply emails sent to one person from your marketing software, usually in a context that is only relevant to the recipient.
• Like, a first meeting follow-up, or quick email after a phone call.

Whilst email is at the core of marketing automation, don’t overlook the opportunity to use either of the following automation methods either:

• Direct mail involves sending letters, postcards, greetings cards or folded newsletters, and;
• Task-based reminders to follow-up: you can use scheduled marketing automation to create tasks in your or a colleague’s schedule, following a trigger or timed after a series of events.

Next time you’re thinking about marketing automation, give some thought to the other formats beyond the simple email auto-responder.