Trigger-based / Scheduled emails

Are you interested in the idea of communicating to your customers via email, but have concerns with maintaining a regular email communications program? If you have information that is not time specific, you should consider trigger-based or scheduled email communications.

How do Trigger-based / scheduled emails work?

Trigger-based or scheduled emails are simply email messages that are sent based on an action or a specific time. Triggers that can be used to send the automated emails can include:
a. Signing up to/unsubscribing from a database
b. Submitting a form
c. Updating their profile on your website
d. Time-related (i.e. 1 month after subscribe)
e. A specific time (i.e. 25th December 2010).

Here are some exampled of how these emails could be used as part of your email communications activity:

- When a customer subscribes, send a welcome email with an overview of what they can expect to hear from the brand and links to the most frequently sought information on the brand’s website.

- 2 weeks after a customer subscribes, send a request for feedback via email – “How have you found the information on our site? How can we improve the content for you?”

- Send happy birthday emails if you collect this information about your customers - you could even include some special birthday offers

- When a customer signs up to an event or enters a competition, send a confirmation email that includes links to related information, and/or other upcoming events/competitions

- Send an email reminder 1 day before an event is due to commence with relevant details

- "We miss you" emails - send communications with special offers to/ask for feedback from customers who haven't made any purchases in the last 6-12 months.

- Send specific messages to customers who update their details online. These customers are saying "I want to keep on hearing from you" - think about how can you communicate with this highly engaged audience.