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What are triggered emails?
Triggered emails are automated emails that are sent in response to specific actions or behaviors a subscriber takes, or based on certain predefined criteria. Unlike regular email campaigns, which are typically sent to an entire list on a scheduled basis, triggered emails are personalized and sent automatically when a particular event occurs.
Key Characteristics of Triggered Emails:
- Automation: Triggered emails are set up in advance and sent automatically when the trigger condition is met. This saves time and ensures timely delivery.
- Personalization: These emails are often highly personalized because they are based on an individual’s behavior or actions, leading to a more relevant and engaging experience.
- Timeliness: Triggered emails are sent at the precise moment they are most relevant to the subscriber, increasing the likelihood of interaction and conversion.
Types of Triggered Emails:
- Welcome Emails:
- Trigger: When someone subscribes to your email list or registers for an account.
- Purpose: To introduce your brand, thank the subscriber for joining, and often include a special offer or a discount to encourage a first purchase.
- Abandoned Cart Emails:
- Trigger: When a customer adds items to their shopping cart but leaves the site without completing the purchase.
- Purpose: To remind the customer of the items they left behind, often with an incentive like a discount or free shipping to encourage them to complete the purchase.
- Post-Purchase Emails:
- Trigger: After a customer completes a purchase.
- Purpose: To confirm the order, provide shipping details, and offer recommendations for complementary products or services. This can also include requests for reviews or feedback.
- Birthday or Anniversary Emails:
- Trigger: On a subscriber’s birthday or the anniversary of their subscription or first purchase.
- Purpose: To celebrate the occasion with a special discount or gift. These emails help strengthen customer relationships by showing that you remember and appreciate them.
- Product or Service Updates:
- Trigger: When a product or service is updated, restocked, or back in stock.
- Purpose: To inform subscribers of important changes or updates about a product they’ve shown interest in or previously purchased.
- Re-engagement Emails:
- Trigger: When a subscriber has been inactive for a specific period (e.g., hasn’t opened an email or made a purchase in 30 days).
- Purpose: To re-engage the subscriber with a special offer, a request for feedback, or a reminder of the value your brand offers.
- Abandoned Form or Survey Emails:
- Trigger: When a user starts filling out a form or survey but doesn’t complete it.
- Purpose: To remind the user to complete the action, often including a gentle nudge or incentive (such as a discount for completing the form).
- Review or Feedback Request Emails:
- Trigger: After a certain period has passed since a purchase or interaction.
- Purpose: To ask customers to leave a review or feedback about a product they bought or a service they used. This is important for gathering social proof.
- Trial Expiry Emails:
- Trigger: When a user’s free trial period is about to expire.
- Purpose: To remind the user that their trial is ending and encourage them to subscribe or purchase to continue using the product or service.
- Event Reminder Emails:
- Trigger: When a subscriber registers for an event or webinar.
- Purpose: To remind them of the upcoming event, usually sent a day or an hour before the event starts.
Benefits of Triggered Emails:
- Higher Engagement:
- Because triggered emails are sent based on specific actions, they are highly relevant to the recipient, leading to higher open rates, click-through rates, and overall engagement.
- Increased Conversions:
- Triggered emails, especially those related to abandoned carts or post-purchase recommendations, are designed to encourage the recipient to take action, resulting in increased sales or desired outcomes.
- Better Customer Experience:
- Timely and relevant communication, such as welcome emails, birthday offers, or product updates, enhances the customer experience and fosters a stronger relationship with the brand.
- Time-Saving:
- Once set up, triggered emails run automatically, saving time for marketers and allowing for more efficient use of resources.
- Personalization at Scale:
- Triggered emails can be personalized based on an individual’s behavior (e.g., product recommendations, past purchases, or browsing activity), helping to provide a more tailored experience for each subscriber.
- Improved Deliverability:
- Because triggered emails are based on user activity, they are more likely to be opened and engaged with, which in turn can improve your sender reputation and email deliverability.
- Increased Customer Retention:
- By staying in touch with customers at key moments in their journey (e.g., post-purchase follow-ups or re-engagement emails), you can build stronger relationships and encourage repeat business.
How to Set Up Triggered Emails:
- Use an Email Automation Tool: Most modern email marketing platforms (such as Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and ConvertKit) allow you to set up automated email triggers based on specific conditions, like website behavior or user actions.
- Define Your Triggers: Decide which actions you want to track and trigger emails from. This could be based on interactions with your website, purchases, or specific dates (like birthdays).
- Personalize Content: Ensure that your triggered emails are relevant to the recipient. For instance, abandoned cart emails should include the items left in the cart, while post-purchase emails could suggest complementary products.
- Test and Optimize: As with all email campaigns, test different elements of your triggered emails (subject lines, timing, incentives) to see what resonates best with your audience.
Examples of Triggered Email Workflows:
- Welcome Series:
- Trigger: New subscriber or account registration.
- Email Sequence: First email with a thank you, second email with an introduction to your best products, third email with a discount offer.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery:
- Trigger: Cart abandonment.
- Email Sequence: First email reminding about the abandoned cart, second email offering a small discount or incentive to complete the purchase, third email as a final reminder or limited-time offer.
- Re-engagement Campaign:
- Trigger: Inactivity for 30 days.
- Email Sequence: First email asking if they still want to hear from you, second email with an offer or incentive to win them back.
Conclusion:
Triggered emails are a powerful way to automate and personalize your email marketing efforts. By responding to user actions in real-time, you can send timely, relevant, and highly targeted messages that drive engagement, boost conversions, and improve the overall customer experience. Whether it’s a welcome email, a reminder to complete a purchase, or a re-engagement campaign, triggered emails ensure that you’re communicating with your audience at the right moment in their journey.