You’ve worked hard to create a good contact database, but is that base working for you right now?

Are they just sitting in that database, doing nothing?

If so, you’ll need to find a way to get them involved.

Here are 11 email marketing workflows that will improve automation and engagement:

1. The Welcome Email Workflow

When this should trigger: When a contact subscribes to your newsletter or blog.

This email workflow should happen when your contacts decide to get to know more from you. For example, you can warmly welcome them to your community, remind them what they’ll be getting from your blog, and show them some of your best rated pages to get them started.

This is the point where first impressions count, so use a good template from Benchmark Email, and use Inbox Checker to ensure your email looks good on all email platforms.

2. The New Customer Welcome

When this should trigger: When a contact upgrades to a paying customer.

Another welcome should come about when a contact decides to become a paying customer. This email should welcome them, give them any extra information they need, and train them in using your product if needed. It’s a good way to ensure users stay engaged with you.

Use State of Writing or UK Writings to ensure you’re writing clear, easy to understand copy, and Easy Word Count to make sure you’re sticking to the point.

3. The Lead Nurturing Workflow

When this should trigger: When a contact has downloaded a few different top of the funnel materials.

If your contact has been engaging for a while with your content, then it’s time to give them a nudge in the right direction. This workflow should send them an email that pushes them towards more middle of the funnel content. Include content that you’ve found to be successful in converting your leads in the past.

4. The Re-Engagement Workflow

When this should trigger: When a contact hasn’t engaged in a while.

This should trigger after a set period of time, and give the contact reasons to come back. Try sending them a special offer or deal in order to entice them to come back. You need to make a good impression, so use Essayroo to proofread these emails and Boom Essays to edit them.

5. The Abandoned Cart Workflow

When this should trigger: When a contact leaves something in their shopping car without buying it.

This happens a lot in e-commerce, but there are plenty of ways you can bring those customers back. Send an email reminding them they left their cart, and even maybe send an offer to entice them back and finish the purchase.

6. The Event Workflow

When this should trigger: When a contact signs up for an event.

Use this workflow to keep contacts in the know as you set up and run an event. You can use it to send out log in details for webinars, addresses and dates, and to send out additional information after the event.

7. The Engaged Contact Workflow

When this should trigger: When a contact downloads, clicks or visits pages a certain amount of times.

The more engaged your audience is, the more likely they are to share your content. Determine how often they should engage before you get in touch, and design an email that encourages them to share their favourite content with others. Academized and Academadvisor have guides that can help you persuade those contacts to get involved.

8. The Internal Sales Rep Workflow

When this should trigger: When certain posts are being viewed frequently and you need to alert the sales team.

It’s not just customers who should be getting emails from email workflows. This workflow requires you to determine how many views a post should get before an email is sent to your sales team. This should show them that your contacts want more content like this.

9. The Upsell Workflow

When this should trigger: When a customer has bought something from you.

Communication shouldn’t stop after a customer buys something. Have a workflow that sends the customer an email to upsell them on their purchase, or sell them a complementary deal. This can work well if you sell many different products that they could be interested in.

10. The Purchase Reminder Workflow

When this should trigger: When the customer will need to buy a product again from you.

Depending on what you sell, you may have customers who need to buy from you periodically. For example, if you sell contact lenses customers will need to buy from you after a certain amount of time. Set up a workflow based on their last purchase date, to remind them that they need to buy again.

11. The Customer Success Workflow

When this should trigger: Once customer success metrics are reached.

Customer success metrics will be different for every company, but you’ll want to build case studies of how your customers have reached success with you. Send an email once they hit a certain level, asking them if they want to be featured as a case study. Use Cite It In to include examples of why this can work well for them.

These workflows will help automate a lot of your communication with your contacts, and help convert them into customers. Have you used these before? Have they worked for you? Let us know in the comments.