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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.
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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.
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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.
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Lead Nurture Programs
Win-Back 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
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
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
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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.
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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 bronto.com or call
888-BRONTO-1.