The Ins and Outs of Email Automation For Small Businesses 

Email is NOT dead! It’s thriving more than ever, driving meaningful connections and delivering content right to inboxes. Don’t believe it? Ask yourself these questions:

• How many email lists are you subscribed to right now?

• How often do you receive work emails or promotional messages?

• Have you ever discovered valuable insights or offers through an email?

• How often do you send emails yourself?

According to Porch Group Media, 58% of people open their emails first thing in the morning, and another 58% open their emails before checking other social media platforms. These numbers prove that email is one of the most widely used forms of communication today. 

What does this tell us? Email is the next big thing you should invest in! You shouldn’t let this pass primarily because technology like email automation for small businesses exists to make your life easier!

In this blog, we’ll explore what email automation is, how it works, and how Elevate360 makes it easy for small businesses to leverage email marketing and drive growth. 

What is email marketing and automation?

Email marketing uses emails to build connections, share information, and promote products or services directly to your target audience. It’s an essential tool for small businesses that offers one of the highest returns on investment among digital marketing channels. 

Email marketing lets businesses keep customers informed, provide value through content, and encourage engagement. Email marketing results in customer loyalty, increased website traffic, and sales.

However, as powerful as email marketing is, handling it manually can become overwhelming—especially when dealing with a growing audience. This is where email automation comes in.

What is email automation? Email automation takes email marketing to the next level by automatically sending targeted messages based on a subscriber’s actions, preferences, or behaviors. This allows you to send messages to customers at the right time, whether new subscribers, recent buyers, or loyal fans.

Email automation lets you set up workflows for different stages in the customer journey. For instance:

• Welcoming new subscribers with a series of emails that introduce them to your brand,

• Following up on abandoned carts to gently remind customers to complete their purchases,

• Re-engaging inactive customers to spark their interest again with exclusive offers and

• Sending birthday or anniversary messages adds a personal touch to your customer relationships.

Small businesses can set up these workflows and reach customers efficiently and effectively with an email marketing automation platform.

How does email automation work?

Email automation uses workflows that automatically send emails to subscribers when certain conditions are met. 

These workflows rely on triggers—like a customer joining your email list, abandoning a cart, clicking a link, or downloading a lead magnet—to send targeted messages at the most relevant times.

Email automation and segmentation

Forbes reported that personalized emails increase open rates by 26%. This means that when a customer receives an email that feels personal and fits where they are in their customer journey, they are more likely to read your email and convert! All this can be done with segmentation.

Segmentation divides an email list into smaller, more targeted groups based on specific criteria, like demographics, past purchases, or engagement. Instead of sending the same email to everyone, segmentation lets you customize your messages, making them more relevant and personal. It is 

Email automation systems for small businesses can use these segmented lists to trigger specific emails based on a customer’s unique characteristics or actions. For example, a customer who recently purchased a product might receive an automated email with a discount on a related product. In contrast, a new subscriber could receive a welcome email series. 

Combining segmentation with automation allows you to create highly relevant email campaigns that resonate with different audiences, making them feel seen and valued.

Email automation and spam filtering

SPAM is unwanted, unsolicited junk emails, but it can also stand for “Sending People Annoying Messages.” The latter is not the real meaning but gets the point across. No human likes receiving SPAM, and no business wants to be marked as SPAM. 

The solution is spam filtering, which keeps unwanted, irrelevant, or harmful emails out of inboxes. No one wants their emails to be flagged as spam, especially when trying to reach customers. Automated platforms help here by maintaining good email practices and ensuring that messages meet the necessary criteria for deliverability.

Email automation platforms for small businesses often have built-in features to help avoid spam filters, such as email authentication, monitoring sender reputation, and optimizing email content. These tools ensure your messages get into subscribers' inboxes instead of in the spam folder. 

Additionally, automation allows you to control the timing and frequency of your emails to avoid overwhelming subscribers, which can further reduce the risk of being marked as spam.

Other critical elements of email automation

Some additional areas where email automation brings value include:

• Personalization: Have you ever received an email with your name on the subject line? If yes, there’s a high chance you opened it and read the whole thing. That’s because people love being known and called by their names! Automation enables the customization of emails with customer names, personalized recommendations, and tailored offers, making each email feel unique and relevant.

• Analytics and reporting: Sending out emails means nothing if you don’t track and understand the numbers behind them. Automation platforms provide real-time data on open rates, click-through rates, and engagement levels, helping you fine-tune your campaigns for maximum benefit.

• A/B Testing: Many email automation tools offer A/B testing features, allowing you to test different subject lines, content, and call-to-action buttons. This feature lets you see what connects best with your audience and what isn’t. Refined email campaigns can enhance engagement and conversion rates, giving your business better results.

These elements make automation a powerful tool for small businesses looking to scale their email marketing efforts while delivering a more personal, engaging customer experience. 

Choosing the right email marketing automation platform

Selecting the right email marketing automation platform is needed to grow your business, as it impacts everything from subscriber engagement to sales conversions. 

For small businesses, an ideal platform should balance solid features with ease of use so you can save time while reaching your audience effectively. 

Here are key features to look for in fantastic email automation for small businesses:

User-friendly interface

A platform that’s intuitive to use, with easy-to-navigate menus and a straightforward automation setup, can make all the difference. Look for tools with drag-and-drop elements and visual automation workflows.

Advanced segmentation and personalization

Your platform should have detailed segmentation so you can tailor messages for different customer groups. Personalization capabilities enable you to create customized experiences based on customer behaviors and interests.

Automation flexibility 

Effective platforms offer versatile triggers and workflows, allowing you to automate emails for various scenarios, like welcome sequences, abandoned cart reminders, or follow-up emails. The more flexible the automation, the more personal your approach can be.

CRM integration

Your email automation platform should integrate flawlessly with your customer relationship management (CRM) system, providing a centralized hub for tracking customer interactions. This makes managing leads, tracking engagement, and understanding your audience easier.

Analytics and Reporting

Data insights are crucial to optimizing campaigns. Look for real-time analytics platforms, like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, so that you can make informed decisions.

Support and training resources

Platforms offering strong support, tutorials, and community forums can help you maximize your email marketing efforts.

Elevate360: Email automation made for small businesses

Elevate360 provides a complete suite of tools for small businesses to manage email marketing and automation seamlessly. Designed as an intuitive, all-in-one platform, Elevate360 is built to help you grow your business through smarter, more efficient marketing.

Here’s how each feature of Elevate360 is crafted to give you a serious edge:

• Drag-and-drop workflow builder lets you set up even the most detailed automation in minutes without knowing a single line of code. Visualize your entire customer journey and create customized sequences based on every interaction so your emails feel personal.

• Advanced segmentation lets you reach the right customers with messages that matter. Elevate360’s segmentation tools allow you to sort and filter your audience based on behavior, demographics, and past purchases. That way, every email is crafted with the right people in mind.

• Personalized customer connections help you add a unique touch, such as each customer’s name, special offers based on their activity, and content they’re interested in. Every email you send resonates personally, making customers feel valued and connected to your brand.

• Real-time CRM insights give you a 360-degree view of each customer’s journey with the built-in CRM. It lets you track customer behavior and engagement to adjust your marketing strategy and build stronger relationships. Every time a customer clicks, buys, or opens an email, you’ll know—making follow-up and upsell opportunities easier to spot.

• Instant analytics and reporting let you see what’s working and what’s not. The analytics dashboard provides all the data you need to fine-tune campaigns for better open rates, click-throughs, and conversions. 

Elevate360 is built to simplify email marketing, giving small businesses a competitive edge with a streamlined approach that saves time and amplifies reach.

Email is alive and thriving, and so should your email marketing!

Email is anything but outdated. It is thriving and may be the one thing your small business needs to build meaningful connections and drive growth without the hustle. Imagine connecting with your audience on a deeper level, sending the right message at the perfect time, and watching your engagement soar.

This is possible with the right email marketing and automation platform, like Elevate360. It has everything you need to make this magic happen, from personalizing customer journeys to tracking what resonates—all without breaking a sweat. 

Still trying to figure out where to start? No worries! Take our Elevate360 Survey to see which features will best serve your business, or book a Discovery Call to see what Elevate360 can do for you. It’s time to make email work harder (and smarter) for you!