BBB Business Tip: Top ways to use email automation to drive customer loyalty

Several marketing channels, including social media and video marketing, have quickly risen in popularity in recent years. However, email marketing is still one of the most cost-effective ways to reach and connect with customers. Not only does email marketing provide a potential ROI of between $36 and $41 for every $1 invested, but email automation also allows you to stay top-of-mind with your customers and drive customer loyalty.

If you're still not entirely convinced of the power of email marketing, then consider some of the following statistics before jumping into how email automation can benefit your business.

Email automation stats worth reviewing

Email is an essential part of any successful business. This is true whether you're just starting your business or building a brand that is already widely recognized. Creating and sending email campaigns may seem simple enough when starting out. However, as your business grows, you realize that you need to automate your email campaigns to keep up with your customers. 

Here are some of the statistics that prove the power of email marketing and automation:

• Automated emails can generate roughly 320% more revenue than non-automated campaigns — Campaign Monitor.

• 87% of marketers use email marketers to distribute their content to their audience — Startup Nation.

• Marketing automation emails can generate 18 times more revenue compared to regular emails — Market.us. 

• Automation allows for easier personalization, and personalized ones can generate 50% higher open rates — The CMO Club.

Of course, these are only a few promising statistics proving email marketing and automation to be powerful tools. If you're looking to grow your business in this digital age, email marketing and automation are a must. 

If you're ready to start automating your email campaigns, here are a few tips you should keep in mind. 

5 ways to use email automation to help you drive customer loyalty

Email automation is a great way to build customer loyalty. It can also help you reduce your customer churn rate and help you serve your customers better. However, you may not know how it can be used in your business. Here are five ways to use email automation to drive customer loyalty:

1. Welcome new subscribers to your brand

Arguably one of the most effective ways to build customer loyalty is to make your audience feel welcome when they join your email list, and the easiest way is to welcome them with a personalized message. 

Your audience wants not only to feel like they belong when they join your community but also to be treated like the individual they are. While personalizing each email you send out when your brand is relatively small is simple enough, once you start growing, email automation allows you to do this for many subscribers at once. 

2. Build trust with your account holders and subscribers

Another benefit of email automation is that it can help you build trust with your subscribers and account holders when used correctly. This can be done in several different ways. 

Not only is the constant stream of relevant content coming into their inbox a way of building trust with your audience, but specific campaigns, such as email opt-in or security check-in campaigns, can help you prove to your audience that you are serious about protecting their information.

3. Create a customized experience 

While personalization is key to creating a customized experience for your subscribers, you can use automation to take that experience to the next level. By providing your subscribers with options to choose their email preferences, you can then use those settings to create campaigns based on those preferences and create a truly one-of-a-kind experience for each of your subscribers.

4. Deliver only the most relevant information

A massive part of a successful email marketing campaign is delivering only the most relevant information to each of your subscribers. Once you've properly segmented your audience based on their behaviors and preferences, you can use automation to ensure your audience is only getting the information they want. This will prove that you are a reliable source of information and help you build trust with your subscribers. This, in time, will help you drive customer loyalty. 

5. Build authority amongst your audience and keep them coming back for more

When sending out email campaigns to your audience, you must ensure that you provide them with the information they want to receive. This will help you build authority amongst your audience. Once you prove to be a reliable source of information, they'll be more likely to want to receive your emails in the future, share them with their friends and colleagues, and help boost your overall engagement. 

As you continue nurturing these relationships, word will spread of your brand and knowledge, which can go a long way in building customer loyalty in the long run. 

Continue improving your email marketing strategy with the BBB

Email marketing is still as relevant as ever, and if you're looking to drive customer loyalty, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the tools to help you succeed, such as email automation. 

If you need more information to help you improve your email marketing strategy, check out the BBB business news feed and the BizHQ today for more great information.

BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C. contributed to this article.