22 tasks you should consider automating for YOUR business
Updated: May 22, 2019
Time saved = money saved. Marketing automation and automation of internal processes reduce the number of manual tasks for you and your team. It gives you the possibility to follow up with your potential and existing customers the way you would like to (if you only had more time).
Communicate with your (potential) customers
1. Respond immediately to an email contact request
Every minute counts, as every new lead gets colder with time. With the help of automation software, and by adding a “contact us” form to your website, you can respond immediately every time, without even having to think about it.
2. Assign inbound leads to a sales representative
With automation software, you can set up and use an internal form when people call your main line, which (by assigning tasks) ensures that the callers get a follow up.
3. Use a voice mail tag to trigger an email
When leaving a voice message ensure that the potential client/customer receives an email which gives him/her an indication of why you called, when to expect your next call and/or how to contact you.
4. Follow up with new networking connection
Use automation to start communicating to your new contacts immediately, by adding the new emails addresses to your very own email campaign, saying something like:
“Hello again, [First Name]!
It was great chatting with you at the conference this week. If my services can be helpful to you, I’d love to continue the conversation.”
Automation software might even allow you to scan business cards instead of manually adding the email addresses, like Keap by Infusionsoft. Quick, quick.
5. Capture leads by offering free content
By offering free content such as PDFs, videos, eBooks to those who sign up for your newsletters you can receive the contact information to people in your target group. Automate the entire process and a subsequent nurturing campaign, and you will have great gain and little work.
6. Clean up your email list
"The more, the merrier" does not really work when it comes to email marketing. By communicating to people who do not engage (or who report your emails as spam) you reduce the likelihood that you will reach the people you actually would like to communicate to. Automatically add inactive email addresses to an email list, which receives an email asking if they would like to continue to receive emails from you.
Streamline sales
7. Set a framework for your sales pipeline
With the help of a framework, you gain control and make sure that no one gets lost on the way.
8. Focus on your hottest leads
Prioritize. Automation software can help you identify the people most like to become buyers and tailor communication and follow up tasks based on this.
9. Stay engaged with prospects who aren’t ready to buy yet
It is usually not a good idea to propose on the first date. Build your relationship with your customers over time. Use different channels, e.g. monthly newsletters, targeted social media ads. Nurture them and win them over.
10. Send appointment reminders
Send meeting requests, confirmations, reminders and set follow ups if cancellations happen. Automatize. Great for you. Great for the client.
Follow up with your new customers
11. Welcome a new client
Make sure you give a great first impression by showing new customers that you appreciate them. Maybe offer them a discount on their next purchase.
12. Generate repeat business
The probability of an existing customer buying is 60 to 70 percent compared with 5 to 20 percent for a new prospect, keep this in mind. Be proactive and automate your follow ups.
Follow up with your customer when its likely that he/she has started using your product. Send helpful content, tips and tricks, how-to videos, and add on products that might need.
13. Gauge client satisfaction
Find out what you are good at and what you can do better. If the customer is dissatisfied, picking it up sooner than later is definitely better.
14. Ask clients for referrals
Use forms to get referrals and set tasks to ensure that someone follows up with them. Also automate a thank you email (and maybe a discount code) to your customer.
15. Remember every client’s birthday
Ask for the necessary information and make it happen, when the campaign is in place it requires very little work for you, but it adds a nice touch to your business.
16. Gain social media followers
Send your (potential and existing) customers automated emails to remind them what they will find on your social media. If they are not on social media you make it possible for them to tell you, and opt out on these kinds of updates.
Do you have a web shop?
17. Remind a customer about abandoned shopping carts
Send an email after 30 minutes and/or one week later to remind your customer about your products available (and not yet purchased).
18. Stay on top of failed billing charges
Automatize the necessary follow ups to receive new card details from customers with recurring payments.
19. Make it easy for clients to ask for help
Include a "contact us" button in every email. Automate an email confirming you will be in contact as soon as possible, and set a task for someone to follow up.
20. Retrieve lost passwords
Automatize. Easy.
Streamline your event planning
23. Automate the event registration process
Send a confirmation when people sign up or buy their ticket. Send yourself (automatic) updates so you know the number of people to plan for. Send an email prior to the event as a reminder and to let people know what to expect.
24. Promote Facebook events
Get more traffic to your Facebook events by using emails. Based on their actions from the first email you can send them a second email.
Have any more ideas of what to automate? Please comment below!
Pine3 Marketing is a full-service Scandinavian digital marketing agency based in beautiful Cape Town. We are a certified Infusionsoft by Keap partner. Our focus is how you can achieve more with less effort and resources with marketing automation, effective lead generation and measurable marketing. Contact us for a free consultation and more information.
Source: 25 things every small business should automate. Keap by Infusionsoft https://bit.ly/2VCYZyL