How Often Should You Update Your Email Automations?
Once you get the hang of setting up automated email campaigns, it’s easy to sit back and watch the conversions roll in. That said, depending on the content of your automations, it’s a good idea to update the designs and copy once in a while to keep things fresh; customers may notice if they’re receiving the same email time and again. Series could become less effective after some time, and customers could perceive you as lazy or uncaring.
So how do you decide the frequency with which to update automation content? The short answer is: it’s dependent on the type of automation you are sending. If you’ve kept up with our blog, we’ve been spotlighting some of the most common and effective automated email campaigns. Here’s the rundown.
Abandoned Cart Campaigns
Abandoned cart email templates can be updated less frequently, because the content is mostly generated by the unique items in a customer’s cart, which means each email is inherently unique. However, if the template contains a coupon code, limited time offer, or seasonal header, you should update those every few months. Additionally, aim to update subject lines quarterly, as some customers may repeatedly abandon carts.
Lapsed Customer Campaigns
If you are sending a customer win-back email series to inactive customers, a subscriber who doesn’t convert initially will receive multiple emails. Additionally, ‘won-back’ customers who convert from a series may lapse again in the future, meaning they’ll receive the same series all over again. It’s a good idea to update these templates more frequently than a customer can lapse twice. Also, since these emails are more likely to have generous incentives to win-back lost customers, you may notice coupon code abuse. If that happens, you know it’s time to update! Limited-time or unique offers are your best bet for avoiding this problem.
Related Purchase Campaigns
When people purchase certain items, related purchase automations serve to suggest- you guessed it- related products for sale (ie: lamps + light bulbs). Since these are dynamic emails dependent on the product originally purchased, they are similar to abandoned cart emails in that they are semi-unique and don’t need frequent updating. Every time customers buy lamps, they will always need light bulbs. Check in on these every few months, and if you notice conversions are down, freshen up your designs, copy, and subject lines.
Welcome Series
As a welcome series is inherently a one-time automation, it technically never needs to be updated. That said, it’s a good idea to monitor its performance and try new tactics for getting new subscribers to convert. Seasonality, inclusion of current promotions, and limited-time offers may increase the performance of your welcome automations, but they also mean you’ll need to update your emails when seasons conclude or offers expire.
The bottom line with all automations is to pay attention to the number of customers receiving your automations and how many times each individual receives them. If you have a large number of customers who frequently abandon carts, it’s a good idea to update that series more often.
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