Technology is at a level unseen before. If you run your own business, you should know that setting up automations could save you much of the time normally spent on routine tasks. Automations may sound like a complex process - but the technology behind it is now generally available and quite easy to set up. Read on to see how.
When was the last time you had to take notes and remind yourself to follow up with a client, forward an order, make a blog post, or send a welcome email? If the answer is “recently”, then you should start considering automations. You will be free to focus on more meaningful tasks, with a click of a button.
Here is how you can use automations and save yourself some time:
Design a Workflow
First step to use automations and save time is to analyse your full workflow or customer cycle. Focus on a particular element of your business, for example your customer flow, and start thinking of a visual map of their journey. Use a workflow manager like Wix Ascend, Asana, Trello and set it up online. This is a solid base for any automation set up as these platforms support automations, either natively or via third parties.
Now with your workflow designed, think of how tasks move across the workflow and see if you could find opportunities for automations: can a task move from one step to another after a specific amount of time? For example: you email a client but they don’t reply. Would you always follow up within 2 days? Then you can set up an automation to move the task from “Contacted” to “Follow up” within 2 days, so your workflow automatically stays up to date.
2. Automate emails
You can also link automations with how the “cards” move within your workflow. Creating triggers based on a card being moved to a new step in your workflow could send automatic emails to your contacts. Design an email template with the subject and message you wish to send and link this email to automatically send when triggered via your workflow.
For example: you email a client and are waiting for them to respond. If they do, manually move the card forward in your workflow. If they don’t respond, set up an automation for the card to move to a “Follow up” list in your workflow within 2 days. Here is how the email trigger works: when a card gets automatically moved to your “Follow up” list, trigger to send a follow up email based on a template you have previously designed. If they don’t reply, repeat this process with further follow ups.
This way, your flow will work automatically and you won’t need to spend so much time following up with clients who don’t reply.
3. Create a drip campaign using automations
One great way to convert your website visitors and subscribers into customers is to set up a drip campaign. This is a form of communication that automatically triggers emails scheduled over the course of a few days.
When you set up a drip campaign, your customers can feel more engaged and it is more unlikely that they will unsubscribe. Using the method above to set up automatic emails, you can send subscribers a series of emails based on different topics: a welcome email, a personal or brand story, tips and insights that offer value, tutorials, user engagement emails, and so on.
Here is a useful article on how to leverage the power of Wix Ascend to create drip campaigns.
4. Use third party apps like Zapier to expand your automation capabilities
Platforms like Zapier are a great tool to create automations across different platforms. Do you have a Wix website, capture leads via Typeform, manage your customers workflow in Trello and trigger emails from Mailchimp?
Then Zapier is the tool you need that will link all platforms together. You can now connect to Zapier your accounts across different platforms and make them communicate with each other.
Here is a useful article on how to use Zapier to set up cross-platform automations.
5. Integrate social media with automations and create tasks
Are you finding it difficult to keep track with mentions, messages and posts on social media?
If you find yourself not having sufficient time to post regularly on social media, then a platform like Later can help. With Later. It’s sufficient to just spend half a day creating and designing social media posts, then easily create a schedule to automatically post on social media, including hashtags, captions and more. Later has a free membership and it’s very easy to use.
And if you are looking to manage how your followers interact with you on social media, then Zapier can link up your accounts with tools like Zendesk, Gmail and Slack so you don’t miss anything on social media.
If you are looking for ways to set up your automations, schedule a call with team AST & Partners to discuss how we can help. Use this link to book a 30-minute call: https://calendly.com/astandpartners/30min