Automated marketing is the most important thing your business isn’t doing. Imagine a world where your customers are being communicated to without any effort and where targeted email or text messages hit your customers at just the right time with content specific to them. That’s the heart of automated marketing. Once you set up and calibrate your campaigns, it does the heavy lifting for you.

Most marketing software will allow you to set up automated messages based on, and using, any data that you collect from customers. One type of message that you definitely want to set up is the welcome message. The welcome message is the first part of the on-boarding process. The best way to engage a new customer is to give them the tools and information that will allow them to succeed.

Today we will discuss 3 types of simple welcome messages that will help your customers get engaged through automated marketing!

Here are a few examples:

Social Engagement Welcome Message

Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even LinkedIn, your business probably has a social media marketing strategy with a need for more engagement. A great way to get more engagement is to make it as easy as possible for people who already like you to connect with your business. Putting a link right in the welcome message is a great place to start.

Quick tips for this type of message:

1. Say thanks! This person just took a risk and engaged with your business.
2. Let them know the benefits of interacting with your business.
3. While you have their attention, get more engagement. This can be as simple as asking them to “like” you on Facebook.
4. It is also important to be clear and upfront on how to opt out of future messages. (In SMS marketing, this happens automatically with a follow up message.)
5. Set it to go out immediately or the soonest you see as appropriate.

Bounce Back Offer Welcome Message

This is my personal favorite. Let’s get your customers in the habit of frequenting your business. This can be done by offering a bounce back message with an appropriate expiration date.

Quick tips for this type of message:

1. Again, say thanks! This person just took a risk and engaged with your business.
2. Clearly explain the bounce back offer. You should include what the offer is, how to redeem it, and when it expires.
3. Set it to go out immediately or the soonest you see as appropriate.

Reviews Welcome Message

For some businesses it is extremely important to get online reviews. Unfortunately the customers that are motivated to find where to give you review, are usually there because they had a bad experience and want to tell people about it.  Sending a welcome message with a link and instructions on how to give you a review is a way to level the playing field and get a better sample of customers to leave you a review.

Quick tips for this type of message:

1. Thank them for their business. You know the drill.
2. This is usually a good time to use an email as your delivery medium.  It gives you more space for content that can clearly explain where to leave a review.
3. Let them know that they can be honest. An honest review is going to be the most beneficial for your business.

What ideas have you tried for your welcome message? Are you going to implement any of these tips?