5 techniques to make Automated Emails sound natural

Discover the secrets to crafting automated emails that feel personal and engaging, ensuring your audience stays connected and interested.

There's a growing concern amongst business owners, marketers, content writers and the general public that emails are sounding too much like automated robots.

The result?

An increasing number of people avoid email as a form of marketing communication altogether.

Email can be an incredible way to reach out to your audience, keep customers sticky and have them purchase more products and services from you.

In this article, we'll share common techniques that will have your target market open all of your automated emails AND take the action that you want them to.

"The less you know about someone, the more robotic and automated your emails are going to sound"

Personalisation

Personalisation is the easiest way make automated emails sound natural. This goes way beyond something like inserting a person's name. A well thought out CRM system can help you store personalised details about a Contact such as:

• Where you met them: This comes in handy when following up after a networking event. An automated email would have something like "Hi [First Name], it was great to meet you at [name of event] [time of event]". An example of this would be "Hi Sarah, it was great to meet you at the Sydney CBD Chamber event last night..."
• Their sporting interests: As an example, you might use personalisation when sending a bulk email to all of your contacts who are interested in a sport when the Olympics are on Instead of sending a generic email like "What do you think of the Olympics?" - you could use personalisation to write an email like "I hope you're as excited as I am about the Hockeyroos beating New Zealand", or "I hope you're as excited as I am about Ariarne Titmus winning gold in the swimming pool!"
• Products they've purchased: Personalisation can also be used based on products or services they've purchased in the past. "Hi [First Name]. Hope you're keeping well. I wanted to reach out quickly and let you know of an article I wrote this week about how to get more from [Product Name]. They've just released a feature that helps with...".

At Ucidity, we're always banging on about gathering as much data as possible from your contacts.

Why?

Because data gathering helps with personalisation.

The less you know about someone, the more "robotic" and automated your emails are going to sound.

By effectively leveraging this data, you can craft messages that truly resonate on a personal level. This strategic approach not only captures the recipient's attention but also fosters a sense of loyalty, as individuals are more inclined to engage with content that feels relevant and meaningful to them. When recipients perceive that an email speaks directly to their interests and concerns, they are more likely to open, read, and act upon it. This level of engagement can lead to stronger relationships and increased brand affinity, ultimately driving better results for your email marketing efforts.

The Pub Test

One of the biggest pitfalls in automated emails is writing in a tone and using language that you'd hear a robot using in a sci-fi movie.

To avoid this, shift your content to natural language and a conversational tone. Write as if you are speaking directly to the recipient, using simple and clear language. Tools like Chat GPT or HubSpot's in-built AI Gen tools can really help with this.

Avoid jargon and overly formal phrases. Instead, opt for a friendly and approachable style that reflects your brand's personality. This approach helps to humanise your emails, making them more relatable and engaging.

Our tip - imagine you're talking to a friend at the pub. Would you use the language in your email? If not - then consider making it more conversational.

Include "Dynamic Content"

Dynamic content allows you to tailor different parts of your email to different segments of your audience. This can include personalised recommendations, location-based offers, or content that aligns with the recipient's past interactions.

What this looks like is writing an email to an entire segment of your your database - but having that email have slightly different content based on who you're sending it to. It's an extension of Personalisation.

An example of this would be adding a paragraph to your email that is dependent on what industry their business is a part of. Let's see what this would look like - we've highlighted the Dynamic Content in italics so it stands out:

• For the Cyber Security industry
  Hi [First Name],
  Welcome to Cyber Security Awareness Week. To acknowledge the importance of incredible organisations like yours, that help CEO's sleep at night, we'd like to introduce you to an opportunity to co-present at an upcoming webinar.
  This webinar will be held on...
   
• For the Manufacturing industry
  Hi [First Name],
  Congratulations on your recent celebration of Australian Manufacturing Week - we're we celebrated Gen 4 of manufacturing and how Australia is leading the way in drone technology. To help get the word out there about your incredible manufacturing organisation, we'd love to we'd like to introduce you to an opportunity to co-present at an upcoming webinar.
  This webinar will be held on...

Using dynamic content effectively means striking a balance between personalization and automation. Ensure that the dynamic elements you incorporate add value to the recipient and enhance their experience with your brand.

Testing and Refining Your Automated Emails

Even the best-crafted automated emails can benefit from ongoing testing and refinement. A/B testing different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, call-to-action buttons, and content layout, can provide valuable insights into what resonates most with your audience.

Regularly review your email performance metrics to identify areas for improvement. Continuously refining your approach ensures that your automated emails remain effective and engaging over time.

In Summary

This article addresses a growing concern: many automated emails sound impersonal and robotic, leading audiences to avoid email marketing altogether. To combat this, businesses should:

• Prioritize Personalization: Move beyond just using names. Leverage CRM data like where and when you met, sports interests, or past purchases to craft relevant and meaningful messages that feel personal.
• Use a Conversational Tone: Avoid stiff, robotic language. Instead, write as if you're speaking to a friend, using natural, conversational phrases that pass the "pub test" for relatability.
• Incorporate Dynamic Content: Customize sections of your emails to suit different audience segments. For example, industry-specific content shows recipients that you understand their unique needs.
• Test and Refine Constantly: Regular A/B testing of elements like subject lines and call-to-action buttons can help you understand what works best, ensuring emails remain effective and engaging.

By adopting these strategies, marketers can create email communications that feel personal, engaging, and relevant, fostering stronger relationships and driving better results.