Five Emails from Brands that Inspire Marketing Automation

Triggered emails – communications that are sent based on a certain activity from a customer – can be a great way to deliver the right content at just the right time. These automated marketing efforts, such as asking a buyer to review a product they purchased the previous week, or reminding a browser that they left un-purchased items in their shopping cart, can be utilised in a direct and simple way to evoke a specific response.

In these examples you would be encouraging your customer to re-visit your site, where you can then recommend similar products they may like or persuade them to finalise their purchases.

A well-managed automated marketing campaign can make the difference between a happy, engaged and repeat customer and losing someone altogether. So long as the message is relevant, timely and provides value a triggered email can be a quick and easy way to boost sales and solidify relationships.

Below are five examples of triggered emails that you can learn from for your own marketing efforts.

1. 1. Uber – the welcome email (http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-1187575178-jpg/uber-welcome.jpg?t=1405269434127)

      This is an automated email that welcomes new registrations. It is simple and straightforward and says thank you to customers for signing up. It also includes easy instructions to get started, and this invites them to go back to the service straightaway, rather than signing up and forgetting about it.

1. 1. Dropbox – the re-engagement email (http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-1200739289-jpg/dropbox-1.jpg?t=1405269434127)

      This email is sent to re-engage people who signed up but have not yet installed the software. The message is personalised directly to the recipient and the email is brief and highlights the specific advantages of Dropbox. It is short and sweet and very informative.

1. 1. ModCloth – the date/time trigger email (http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-1187425770-jpg/mad-cloth-(6-months-together).jpg?t=1405269434127)
      This is sent to people who have been subscribed to the email list for six months to celebrate their “anniversary”. The real purpose is to drive people back to the site and make a purchase, encouraged by the coupon code for money off.

1. 1. Amazon – the thank you email (http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-1203336296-jpg/amazon-ty-email.jpg?t=1405269434127)

      This is not just an attempt to get visitors back to the site but also to find out more about them. It is sent to thank a customer for a purchase and ask them to review it. Based on this, Amazon can then recommend other products they may be interested in.

1. Zappos – the confirmation email (http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/file-1199601063-jpg/Blog-Related_Images/zappos-confirmation-email.jpg?t=1405269434127)

   This is a seemingly obvious email to send – it alerts customers that their package has been shipped – but the level of personalisation makes it stand out. It includes a picture of the items ordered, which helps to reignite excitement, and confirms order details and expected delivery date. This is also a great example of a brand email with a quirky personal tone.