Avoiding Common Pitfalls of Email Automation

Remember when you first learned about all the great features of your CRM? I certainly do. Like those automated email journeys? I remember coming up with endless ideas of automations to keep supporters engaged. After few clicks of a button, my automations were in place and I was ready to unlock long-term efficiency.  

Then reality sank in. The content went out of date quickly, staff signers or branding changed, landing pages were discontinued. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as set-it-and-forget-it fundraising.   

Email automations can make your life easier, but they require thoughtful planning, intentional set-up, and a commitment to regular review.  

Here’s how you can set your automation up for success. 

The Best Laid Plans 

Before you start dreaming up content and pathways, consider the realities of your CRM’s automation software. For example, some platforms will prevent anyone in an automated series from receiving any other messages (even while they are in a waiting period for the next email in your series). That means if someone joined your well-intentioned, brilliantly crafted 2-month-long New Donor Series in November, they’d miss all of your CYE messaging.  

Pro Tip: If your CRM allows you to toggle this feature on or off, include whether you’d like to suppress email addresses currently in an automation or include them in the details of each campaign strategy. 

Consider Your Audience 

The potential for long-term efficiency hinges on easily automated dynamic lists of supporters who share something in common: they are new to your file, just became a sustainer, or are about to lapse. If your audience is too broad or diverse, the same messaging won’t work for everyone.  If you’re working with a static list or it’s a small audience, a mail merge or individual emails from a gift officer could be easier to set up and provide more personal communication.  

Is it Evergreen? 

Email automation series require content that can stand the test of time, which seems to be less and less common. In a world of rapid response and emergency fundraising, it’s difficult to find a message that will last. 

Consider messages and calls to action that don’t rely on the news cycle to be relevant: 

• A reminder about a sustaining gift payment method expiring 

• A note to renew based on someone’s last gift date 

• Welcoming someone to your file 

Pro-tip: Your Welcome Series might seem evergreen, but there will be moments when a more timely message will be critical. Perhaps your organization is in the news, or you’re responding to an emergency. We suggest checking your Welcome Series weekly during these unique periods.  

A common automated series I’ve seen struggle? The reengagement series. Creating an email that will successfully get people who have not opened or clicked on an email recently to engage is already a challenge. Figuring out how to do that in a way that can be evergreen and automated is even more complicated.  Sharing recent updates on programs or statistics is a great tactic. But because it becomes outdated so quickly, it’s much more suited for a one-off email than a series. 

It’s Alive! 

While your email series is live, you want to make sure you are checking in on it regularly. You should check in on a new email automation after the first launch and set up a reminder once a quarter to make sure everything is on track. Here’s what to look for: 

Audience metrics. How many people has each email been going to? Does that match your expectations? You might need to check in on your targeting and spot check recipients to make sure they should have received it. If something did go wrong with your targeting, you might consider an apology email to the list. 

Performance metrics. The KPIs for most automations will differ from typical fundraising emails. For example, an email welcome series commonly has a higher unsubscribe rate than other emails (weird, right!). Pay attention to   open, click, and bounce rates. If you aren’t seeing engagement, you may need to adjust your strategy.  

Then check the content of each message individually. 

Check the sender of each message. Make sure they still work for the organization and that their position hasn’t changed. Take a moment to think about whether they are still the best person to send this message.  

Check to make sure all of the links in the message work. It is easy to forget about an automated series when a web page is moved or a donation form or survey is deactivated.  

Check your content. Metrics and statistics go out of date and stories become less relevant, or someone might decide to revoke permission for their use.  

In conclusion 

An automated email series can be incredibly useful and make our lives as fundraisers easier. But every automation comes with maintenance — and just because you can automate it, doesn’t mean you should. Thinking through each detail before you launch it and checking on it regularly keeps supporters informed and engaged and prevents embarrassing mistakes.