Automating your campaigns is a fantastic way to ensure you send email campaigns at the right time, to the right person – you just need to decide what the right message is.
Whether based on an action or inaction, automated (aka triggered/drip) email campaigns can be used to target subscribers throughout the 5 stages of the email marketing lifecycle to move them through to the next stage/action for them.
To do this you need data – you need to understand your data and have it accessible within your email platform to use as trigger, stop and personalisation points for these automated campaigns.
But with so many fantastic opportunities to engage, excite and convert customers around the lifecycle, where do you start adding and optimising your automated campaigns?
When it comes to pharmaceutical email marketing strategies, here are our 4 top automations we suggest you start with to have the maximum initial impact:
1. Abandoned Browse
When a website visitor (who is also already an opted in email subscriber on your list) browses product pages, content or anything else on your website and then doesn’t go on to convert (in any way you define – such as completing a contact form to speak to a rep), you can trigger a (series of) email(s) to encourage them back to continue their journey with you and take the next action./
You can also use the data from their behaviour on the website to serve up relevant information and further content recommendations (based on what they were browsing) to support their decision-making process (such as FAQ’s, how to contact a rep, key information, inspirational content).
2. Welcome Email / On-boarding Email Series
The first time a prospect registers for your email program (whether at a live event, by signing up for a webinar, on your website/portal registration forms or when speaking directly to a rep), this is your chance to make a great first impression, and particularly for pharmaceutical businesses to introduce your brand and products, as well as the key benefits available to the subscriber, and even to encourage that direct conversation with a rep (if they haven’t already – or carry on from that initial conversation if they have).
Focus on the first 24 hours and first 30 days after someone subscribes and consider what the end goal of your series is. Then work backwards – what do they need to know/see/view/explore before they will be ready for that action.
3. Rep Triggered Follow Ups
If you use a platform such as Veeva , your reps have the ability to directly send emails to their sales list. Create a series of email templates and modules that can be used by the reps to follow up with key information and content that supports the relationship as the subscriber progresses around the lifecycle.
4. Abandoned Form Email Campaign
If you have any forms on your website, ensure your gather the email address and opt in in the first step and that way, if the form is abandoned after this but without full completion, you are able to follow up and encourage the subscriber to either complete the form or contact their rep for more assistance.
Consider your timing between emails, content in each and how the series may branch off or change based on new data points as the subscriber completes more actions with your company.
And don’t forget to create your campaign hierarchy to keep track of which campaigns will be triggered when and to whom so that you can stop and start new automations as the subscriber behaviour evolves.
