Using Marketing Automation to Drive Sales

Q: What is marketing automation and how can retailers use it to drive sales?

Jake Fell: Marketing automation is the practice of sending triggered marketing messages (usually e-mails) based on actions customers take and leveraging customer data retailers retain in their point-of-sale/e-commerce back end.

Here is a list of effective automated marketing campaigns that many of our apparel retail clients have implemented:

Happy birthday (and anniversary) e-mails: Send an offer to customers on their birth and anniversary month.

Post-purchase offer and survey: Customers who recently made a purchase are likely to buy again soon. Send customers a survey asking about their experience, along with an offer. This is a great way to gain feedback and drive repeat business.

Re-engagement: Automatically send an offer to customers that haven’t made a purchase in a period of time (such as three months or six months).

Rewards: Automatically send a gift card based on a percentage of dollars a customer has spent in a period of time.

Shopping cart abandonment: Send a message to a customer to remind them to complete their purchase of items they left in their shopping cart.

Welcome offer (with social opt in): Automatically send an offer to people who sign up online or in-store with an offer to save on their first purchase. Include a call to action to engage on social media channels.

Additionally, retailers can track customers who engage with automated e-mails and identify likely buyers. For example, a retailer can identify a customer who opened a birthday e-mail and follow up with a timely phone call wishing the customer happy birthday and reminding them to use their offer.

Another great thing about marketing automation is that minimal effort is needed from retailers once automated campaigns are in place. Marketing automation essentially enables retailers to drive sales in their sleep.