Every contact point – a moment when the customer is interacting with the company – is valuable. Together these points create the customer experience and ultimately define what is left in the equation.

It is common knowledge that acquiring a new customer is much more expensive than keeping and developing an existing customership. The same goes for communications. We use a lot of money on advertising to allure new customers and to create contact points. However, we don't always remember that communication that is aimed at an existing customer is much cheaper and often more profitable. 

In January we listed five marketing automation activities that every marketer should do in 2015. Now it's time to take a closer look what it means to ”automate the basic messages in marketing".

Thank you and welcome again – automation lessons from the sales counter

Automated messages are primarily a part of good customer service. Think of a web service as an actual store with sales staff. How does the sales staff operate and pay attention to the customer?

Now move your observations into the digital world and as automated emails.

You can for example:

• welcome a newsletter subscriber
• ask a customer who hasn't made purchases for a while if you can help them
• send a shopping cart reminder and offer assistance if needed
• thank for purchases and give an estimate of their arrival and the contact info of the customer service
• thank for registrating to an event and communicate how things are arranged at the venue
• thank for participating to an event
• ask for feedback
• tell that feedback has been received and how it is reacted to
• thank for a reservation.

Thank you for being our customer – exceed expectations like a top salesman

For many customers good customer service is enough. Those who aim higher, exceeding the customer's expectations and surprising the customer, often win the race.

Now imagine how a professional and enthusiastic salesperson acts when servicing a customer and once again transform it into automated messages.

You can for example:

• remember a birthday
• give thanks on customership anniversary
• recommend additional products that you genuinely believe the customer would like
• give usability tips or recommend additional services
• surprise positively with gifts
• remind about an upcoming event
• remind a buying customer about an upcoming sale
• remind a customer that buys in intervals (e.g. supplements every six months) that it's time to order.

Take advantage of the attention – with style and skills

It is easier to get the customer to open a birthday present than a sales message. Since you have the customer's attention, make sure that the message contains something else as well: an offer, tips, and additional services, a reminder about a sale or about a new store location, for example.

Remember to leave the center stage to the message itself. If the content doesn't match up to the customer's expectations, it is likely that your future messages will go unopened.

Do you want to know more about marketing automation in practice. Contact us and we'll come over!

Liana Technologies LianaCEM is an agile tool for marketing automation.

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