It’s no surprise that follow-up is a key part of converting leads and delighting customers. However, you might be surprised at how many impactful follow-up messages your marketing automation software is missing.
The truth is, there are a lot of emails and texts that businesses forget to include in their automated nurture campaigns – messages that could boost sales, improve customer experiences, and fill in critical gaps in their pipeline.
But don’t panic. We’ve got your back. In this blog, we’ll explore some often-forgotten follow-up messages you can add to your marketing automation software that will maximize engagement and results.
The Just-Because Bonus
Who to send to: Leads and customers
When to send: Anytime!
The element of surprise is one that can work wonders for your business when used in the correct way. Implement this follow-up into your marketing automation software by crafting a fun, appreciative message that gives people a special perk out of the blue. This type of surprise will be a delight to current customers and give leads the nudge needed to take the next step with your business.
Time To Celebrate
Who to send to: Any contact who recently celebrated a birthday, purchase anniversary, membership milestone, or any other significant event.
When to send: Varies per contact (use your small business CRM to track each contact’s important dates)
If you want to gain customer trust and strengthen the relationship you have with your audience, one of the best things you can do is start taking note of customer milestones and celebrating them intentionally. This can be as simple as a short congratulatory email or text, or you can go the extra mile and send a personalized video from one of your team members when something big happens.
A crucial part of this follow-up is using your small business CRM software to keep track of important customer information, such as their purchase history, birthday, membership start date, and more. This will avoid tracking important milestones manually, and you can sync your CRM and marketing automation software so messages are automatically sent when relevant dates pop up.
Post-Support Follow-Up
Who to send to: All customers who used your support services
When to send: Shortly after a support request has been resolved
How you handle customer support says a lot about your business. In fact, this can even make or break your customer’s experience and determine whether they return for repeat business.
One way to encourage positive experiences is sending a follow-up message after every support ticket has been resolved. This shows your customers that you’re on top of things and care about their experience.
Pro tip Go above and beyond with these messages by including blogs and other free resources relevant to the problem they had. You could also send an invitation to a free webinar or discount code to an upcoming event where they can learn more.
There’s so many things you can do with this message, so don’t be afraid to get creative and offer value with this follow-up.
What To Expect
Who to send to: Registrants, customers, and other contacts who take a step with your business
When to send: After a contact registers for an event or completes a purchase
Sending a quick email that outlines what someone should expect can work wonders to calm their nerves, answer questions, boost their trust in you, and set them up for success for whatever they’re about to experience.
Useful instances for this type of follow-up are after someone registers for an event or completes a purchase, but there could be more! Do a quick audit of your customer experience and see if this follow-up makes sense to include in your marketing automation system.
Progress Appreciation
Who to send to: Subscribers and members (if you run a membership/subscription service)
When to send: After they complete tasks or hit progress benchmarks in your program
This next follow-up idea is for coaches, consultants, or anyone who runs a membership program. If you’re searching for a way to engage and delight your customers after they’ve made a purchase, implement uplifting messages as they complete different parts of your program. Not only will this show you care about their progress, but it’ll also encourage them to keep going.
We Noticed You Haven’t ...
Who to send to: Leads or customers who need a nudge
When to send: When something is left unfinished
This final follow-up idea can take on a few different forms, and it all depends on your business, but the basis of it is reaching out to remind someone to complete an action.
You could send it when someone abandons their cart as a reminder to check out, when a new client forgets an onboarding task, when a customer hasn’t scheduled their next appointment, or when a past client might be ready for a reorder or renewal.
No matter what you choose to use it for, this type of follow-up fills in gaps where you could lose leads and customers.
Next Steps To Take in Your Marketing Automation System
Now that you have new follow-up ideas, head on over to your marketing automation software to get them set up. A lot of these won’t take much time at all, especially if you’re a Keap user with access to ready-to-use Proven Automation Templates and a built-in AI assistant to help you craft the copy you need for these messages.
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