How to Create Email Automation in SiteGround Email Marketing

In this guide, you will learn what are email automations and how to create them in SiteGround Email Marketing.

What Is Email Automation and How Does It Work?

Email automation is a feature of SiteGround Email Marketing service that allows you to create a sequence of emails triggered when a contact subscribes to a group.

This functionality lets you create а custom sequence of emails and dispatch it on a specific schedule.

You can create as many automations as you wish and set the trigger to different contact groups, creating unique experiences for contacts who signed up through different forms.

How to Get Started with Email Automation

To start building automation, you have to access your Email Marketing dashboard. Here is how to get started:

1. Log into your Client Area > Services > Email Marketing.
2. Click on the Manage button of the selected service.
3. Navigate to Automations.
4. Click on the New Automation button.
   

   

5. Write the name in Automation Name – a required field. This internal name allows you to organize your automations. Press Continue to start building the automation.
   

   

How to Build Email Automation?

Once you’ve given your automation a name, you’ll enter the Automation builder. Here, you can compose a chain of steps that constitute the automation sequence.

There are three main options to create your own automation:

1. Trigger

The first step is to set a trigger. The trigger is the event that will start the sequence when a contact subscribes via a WordPress form or our Subscribe page.

Click on the Set trigger box, and from the Trigger section on the left, open the Group(s) drop-down menu.

Select one or several existing groups that will trigger the automation.

Once you’ve selected groups, the trigger field will be updated accordingly.

2. Email

Once you’ve set a trigger, you have to create your automation. By default, there is one email step added.

If you leave it as it is, the email will be automatically sent to a new contact who signed up for a group set as a trigger. If you want to schedule sending the first email, you can add a delay between the trigger and the email.

To start building the actual email, click on the Email box in the automation sequence. Go to the Set Up Email section on the left. The Email Name field is for internal naming – your contacts don’t see it.

To create the email contacts will receive, click on the +DESIGN EMAIL button to open the Email Builder.

You can start from scratch or pick one of the templates from the Select Email Templates section.

Once you select a template, it will be used as the base of your email. You can customize the design as you see fit.

Creating an Automation Email is done just like any other email campaign. You’ll find detailed instructions in this guide on how to build an email campaign in Email Marketing.

Press the Done button once you’re ready with the email design.

The thumbnail of your email will appear both inside the Automation builder and the left-hand panel.

You can preview the email directly from here. This is a great way to see the content of the email without having to enter edit mode again.

Of course, if you want to add extra emails, you can do so by using the plus icons (+) between your current steps.

3. Delay

Adding delays between emails is a great way to craft an onboarding experience, create email courses, or introduce new contacts to your business/brand.

To add a delay, click on the + sign below any of your existing steps and choose Delay from the available options.

From the left-hand panel, define the number of hours or days the contact needs to wait for the next step to trigger – the dropdown allows you to choose between Hour(s) or Day(s).

How to Activate the Automation

Once you’re all set with the steps in your automation, click on the Activate button in the top right corner.

In the confirmation window, select Activate again.

You will return to the Email Marketing dashboard, where the automation will be set to status Processing, indicating that it’s preparing for activation.

How to Delete a Step (optional)

If you’ve created a step that you no longer need, you can delete it. Hover over its box and click on the X sign in the right corner.

A pop-up window warning will appear. Press the Confirm button to remove the step.

How to Manage an Email Automation?

Existing automations are listed in the section Email Marketing > Automations > Manage Automations. Depending on an automation’s status, you can perform different actions on it from its Actions menu:

• Pause – the automation is paused and contacts joining the trigger group(s) won’t receive the scheduled emails.
  IMPORTANT! Pausing this automation will immediately stop all scheduled activity. Contacts currently in the automation will exit the process if it’s still paused by the time they reach the next step.

• Preview – view the automation sequence in the Automation builder without pausing.
• Edit – enter edit mode to make changes to your automations.
  IMPORTANT! If you choose to edit an active automation, it will be paused. You must activate it again when you are finished editing it.

• Rename – lets you rename the internal automation name.
• Duplicate – creates a copy of the automation.

How to Duplicate Automation?

Duplicating an existing automation can be used as the base for a new automation. This way, you won’t have to start from scratch. You can reuse the existing automation sequence and design and only change what is needed.

Go to the Automations section in Email Marketing, select the automation you want to duplicate, and select Actions (kebab menu) > Duplicate.

Type the name of the duplicated automation in the Automation Name field, and press Continue to confirm the duplication.

You will automatically enter the Automation Builder, where you can edit the duplicated email automation. Alternatively, you can work on the copy later by editing it from the Automations > Manage Automations section.

How to View Automation Statistics

To view an automation’s statistics, go to the Automations section of your Email Marketing dashboard.

Find the Completed column for the particular automation, and click on the link showing how many times it has been sent.

A pop-up window will appear, displaying the most essential metrics for measuring the automation’s performance.

• Contacts completed – the number of times the automation was fully executed.
• Open rate – the percentage of recipients who opened the automation email.
• Click to open rate – the percentage of recipients who opened the email and clicked on a link inside.
• Unsubscribe rate – the percentage of recipients who received the email and chose to unsubscribe.