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Automation is when you set up a system to run automatically over and over again.
Why haven’t they set up laundry automation yet?
Automation will save you time while giving you the freedom to do other things. It will also ensure that those little things that you need to do throughout the day will still be done in an efficient and effective manner.
When it comes to marketing techniques and strategies, it may be difficult to do everything all at once, but with the help of automation, you can achieve this feat and increase your revenue at the same time.
ConvertKit is email marketing tool that can help you create automation system so you can achieve your goals. This tool will help you tag subscribers, add them to email sequences, remove them from sequences, and much more.ConvertKit is awesome because it is an email marketing platform designed by bloggers for bloggers so its interface is pretty simple to understand and master.
Automations can help your business grow since you would be able to develop potential customers and convert subscribers to actual paying customers.
First, you need to login to your ConvertKit account and then click on the Automations tab.
You will then see the automation rules section where you can make your own detailed rules. Click on “Add Rule”. Next, a screen indicating triggers and actions can be seen.
Triggers happen when a subscriber will complete a specific action. Examples of this are when they click on a link, completing an email sequence, or subscribe to a form. Actions are what you would want ConvertKit to do or record whenever these triggers are completed.
You can have someone be automatically added to an email sequence once they subscribe to a form you have specified. After you have clicked on “save rule”, you will then be able to see it at the bottom of your Automation Rules list. You can put as many automation rules as you want (I think I’m pushing 50!) since there is an unlimited number that is allowed with ConvertKit. You can also have more than one action that will correspond to a certain trigger.
Tips on how you can use ConvertKit Automation:
Table of Contents
1. Choose Your Own Adventure
You can create your own path sequence that will give your customers options on what they would like to do next. This is like a choose your own adventure style email. This will help you nurture and meet their goals and provide them different options according to those objectives.
For example, if you have multiple categories on your blog you can ask them which topic they are most interested in. Then in the future, you can send them content that is similar to that.
All you would need to do is set up an automation so that when some clicks a link, a tag is added to their account.
2. Opt-out Of A Promotion
There are times when your customers would not be interested in a specific campaign or topic that you are promoting. This is where having customized unsubscribe links will be helpful. Aside from the mandatory unsubscribe button, you can create a custom unsubscribe link that will let your subscriber choose to just opt out of that certain campaign. Once they would click on this link, they would then be tagged.
Here are steps to create this customized unsubscribe link:
- Make a custom URL for that link. Once this opt-out link is chosen or clicked, they will then be redirected to a page where you can put something like “Thank you for updating your email preferences”.
- Make a new automation rule by selecting “clicks a link” under triggers. You can then key in your URL. Under action, you can then choose “add tag”. You will also have the option to name those tags.
- A new segment can also be set up where you can send out broadcasts about a specific campaign that you are sending emails about.
Here is an example from one of my launch emails for my course Pinterest to Profits,
This is super helpful if you are launching a product. A portion of your audience might not be interested in that topic or product so instead of them unsubscribing they can just opt-out of those launch emails.
3. VIP List & End Of Sale Reminders
If you are launching a product and want to build a list of people that are interested in your product you can create a VIP list. This is a group of people that will have early access to your sale and by clicking on the link confirm to you that they are interested in your product. These VIP lists can build momentum for your launch and help your readers feel special.
Here’s how you can set up your VIP list:
- Create your custom “VIP” link that will lead your subscribers to a page stating that they will be sent a last-minute reminder before the sale ends.
- Set up “clicks a link” under trigger, and have the action as “add tag”.
- You can then email the broadcast to the people who have chosen to be notified.
This is also great for those last minute sales reminders. Sending multiple reminders can bother your subscribers, but for those that really do appreciate the last minute reminder, this option is perfect for them.
4. Nurture Sequence
Automatic nurture sequences allow you to lead your customers to buy your product or services.
You can set it up through the following steps:
- Add a new automation rule that will have “clicks a link” as a trigger. You can then enter the URL for the sales page of your product or service. Your action will be “add a tag” and “subscribe to a sequence”. The tag will be something like “interested in (your topic or product)” and the sequence will be made of a series of emails that will have valuable information on your product or that topic.
- The link trigger should be used every time you address your product in your email. If there is someone that would be interested in what you have to offer, then they will be added to that nurture sequence.
5. Learn More About Your Readers & Customers
By tagging your subscribers and potential customers as often as possible, you are learning more and will increase your chances of making money. There are a lot of tags you can use. Some examples are as follows:
- Clicked a promotion
- Clicked a product
- Clicked on my affiliate link
- Clicked to join my group
- Clicked a video
You can easily add new tags for people that opt-in, click on links, complete a sequence, or purchase a product.
6. Move Between Sequences & Keep Them Warm
You can move subscribers between sequences by creating a new automation rule. Your trigger would be “completes a sequence” and you can select that sequence that the customer will be moving from.
Your action will then be “subscribe to a sequence” and you can then choose the sequence that the subscriber will be moving to.
This is great so you can continue to keep the conversation warm with your subscriber.
7. GIVE THEM A Super Special Coupon Code
Triggering a coupon code is similar to adding customers to a nurture sequence, with the addition of sending them to a sales page that has a discount. You can achieve this with the following steps:
- Create an automation rule with a trigger “clicks a link”. Enter the URL for that sales page containing the discount. Use “add tag” and “subscribe to a sequence” for your actions. Make a tag stating “interested in (the name of your topic/product) “ and a sequence that will have emails relating to your product.
- Use the link trigger when you talk about your product in the email. Your interested customers will not only be part of the nurture sequence, but they can also avail of the coupon code.
8. Create Urgency With Deadline Funnel
Similar to the last option you can use a tool called Deadline Funnel to create timers within your emails. For example, when someone opts into one of my content upgrades they are automatically added to a certain tag. When that tag is triggered it sets their timer in Deadline Funnel.
They have a certain window of time to get that coupon, discount, or bonuses before their timer is up. This increases urgency and sales.
9. Add Purchasers To A Tag
Add new members of your course to a tag. Once someone has purchased your product, course, or service you won’t want to continue to send them launch emails and promotions for that same product.
You can integrate ConvertKit with your sales service to add a tag when someone makes a purchase. That way when you send out a broadcast it won’t be going to those that have already ordered.
10. Follow Up With Your Customers
You also can send a follow-up sequence to those that have made a purchase. This is a great way to check in and make sure that they are enjoying the product. This is also awesome for getting feedback and testimonials.
This is strong customer service and your customers will appreciate this.
ConvertKit integrates with many online tools. If you have a specific tool that you want to integrate with ConvertKit try searching “(Name of your tool) integration with ConvertKit.”
I personally use Teachable to sell the majority of my products and they have a super simple integration with ConvertKit.
To set up this automation,
- Click “Add rule” then “purchases a product” and then select Teachable (or whatever tool you have set up your integration with). Then you will select which product.
- On the “Action” side you will select to “Subscribe to a Sequence” and add them to your follow up sequence.
ConvertKit Automations are helpful since you can keep track of how a subscriber got added to your list, add them to your sequences, and also tag them according to their interests. You will be able to answer the needs of your customers by providing them the right content at the right time.
