The 5 Most Popular Automations You Should Be Sending

The word ‘automation’ should be music to your ears if you’re a business owner or manager.  

Automation helps your business run more efficiently. It minimises time spent doing repetitive tasks—giving you more time to focus on doing what you love.  

When it comes to email marketing, automation might be your new best friend—I know it is for the fitness studio I run with my husband.  

Because while it makes sense to send some content in one-off campaigns, most recurring email communications can be set-up once and sent automatically. 

Thankfully, Mindbody Marketing Suite lets you do both: Build customised email campaigns and send highly targeted automations to your customers. 

But which emails should you automate? We looked at Mindbody Marketing Suite usage data to see which five automations customers sent most frequently this year.  

Here’s the list—and reasons for automating these messages, too: 

1. Happy birthday automation

When building customer relationships, the little things make your business stand out.  

Recognising birthdays, for example, makes clients feel special and shows you care.  

Thankfully, you don’t have to keep track of every individual birthday. Instead, set up an automation that syncs with your business software and sends a birthday email and/or text message on their big day. Make the message(s) even sweeter by including a birthday discount or freebie.

2. First time visitor/welcome automation

First impressions matter. Before a client even steps foot into your business, make them feel welcome with a branded automation. 

That way, when a new client signs up for their first class or service, they’ll immediately receive an email that: 

• Greets them warmly 

• Showcases your brand voice 

• Includes specifics they'll need to know 

Depending on your business, your welcome email might include:  

• What to expect

• How to prepare for their first class/service

• What to wear

• What to bring

• When to arrive

• Where to park  

3. Text opt-in automation

Text message marketing works as a way to reach your customers. In fact, 98% of marketing-related text messages are opened—a much higher percentage than average email open rates.  

To reap the benefits of marketing via text, however, you’ll need a recipient list. 

Encourage sign-ups everywhere—at your front desk, with signage, via email newsletters, and with a text message opt-in automation.  

Use this automated email to communicate the benefits ( i.e., discounts and promotions specific to your text message subscribers) and what to expect ( i.e., content, frequency, etc.) too. 

4. Nurture prospects automation

You know the people who are interested in your business, but haven’t visited yet? An automated drip campaign helps nurture them from prospect to customer–with less outreach from your team.  

When writing your nurture automation(s), think about what prospective customers might want to read. Put to rest any hesitations they might have and make your business as accessible as possible. For example:  

• What concerns can you address?  

• What frequently asked questions can you answer?  

• What additional content/resources can you provide? 

5. Loyalty program automation

Prioritise client retention by rewarding your clients. With the Loyalty program automation, you’ll celebrate class or service milestones, and thank them for their loyalty to your business. By looking at Marketing Suite analytics, your team can celebrate with customers in-person, too.