How to Use Email Automation to Market Your Book
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Have you ever wondered with amazement when a company sends you the perfect email at the perfect time? Chances are it was email marketing automation that made that magic possible. And I have some good news: that same power of thoughtful and targeted email automation is freely available to you as an author.
An automated email sequence begins when a user (for example: your reader) takes an action somewhere online, such as your website. That action triggers a series of one or more emails with a defined overall goal — like expanding your brand awareness or increasing book sales. Alongside the author newsletter, automated email sequences are an impactful marketing tool in your toolbox.
As an author, creating an automated email sequence will allow you to better understand your ideal readers, have them better understand you, and sell more books. In this article, you will learn how to apply effective automated emails to your book marketing strategy — saving you time and helping you achieve your publishing goals!
Where and How to Start
Automated email sequences can be created on platforms like MailerLite, ConvertKit, MailChimp, and Klaviyo — platforms you might remember me recommending in my post about email newsletters.
However, it’s worth noting that an automated email sequence is different from your newsletter. A newsletter might have some overlapping goals with your email sequence (or sequences), but it should also include newer and more relevant types of content. The email sequence, conversely, is less time-bound and more evergreen, meaning it has an entirely separate purpose from your regular newsletter updates.
So, what goes into creating a successful automated email sequence? The first step is understanding your ideal reader and the journey you want to take them on. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started:
What type of downloadable freebie would make the biggest impact on your ideal reader? What would motivate them to subscribe to your newsletter and join your email list?
How long should your ideal reader wait before receiving each email? (It shouldn’t be too long, but it shouldn’t be too short, either. You want your books and emails to stay at the top of their mind!)
What kind of language will encourage your ideal reader to make a purchase?
What content will encourage them to check out your books and engage in your email sequence?
Each email they receive should guide your reader towards your goal — an essential component for email automation success. To give you an idea of some common goals for an author's email sequence, here are three examples:
Generate book orders or pre-orders
Promote a book or book series that is already published
Build an audience of loyal ideal readers
If you’re unsure what your email sequence’s goal should be, ask yourself the following questions:
What are you trying to get your ideal readers to do?
How are you going to carry them toward that goal?
The answers to these questions will help you form your approach and your triggers.
Understanding Triggers
In email automation, it’s essential to understand what a trigger is. A trigger refers to the action that’s prompted when a user completes a specific, predefined task. Some common automation triggers include submitting a form to join an email list or clicking a link in an email. The number of triggers in your sequence will depend on how long your email sequence is.
Now, let’s look at a basic example of an email sequence and identify where those triggers (and the corresponding actions) are.
Example Sequence
An email pop-up appears when the user lands on your website.
The user subscribes to your email list via the pop-up. (TRIGGER 1)
The user receives a welcome email with a free first chapter of your book. (ACTION 1)
The user opens the email and clicks the button to download the free first chapter of your book. (TRIGGER 2)
Two days later, the user receives a time-delayed (automatic) email from you that encourages them to purchase the book if they enjoyed the first chapter. (ACTION 2)
The user opens this email and clicks on the book-buying link. (TRIGGER 3)
One week later, the user receives another time-delayed email containing a promotion on the next book in the series. (ACTION 3)
This sequence might go on for several more triggers and actions before stopping, once the ideal reader has become “converted.” Conversion means that they have fulfilled the goal of your automated sequence — and, hopefully, purchased one of your books!
An Example Sequence in Action
Now that you know about triggers, actions, and some of the features of email automation, you might be asking yourself “what does all this look like in action?”
Using the second email sequence goal I mentioned above, let’s look at how an example sequence can help you promote a book or book series that is already published! (Triggers in bold.)
Email Sequence
The reader subscribes to your email list via your pop-up form, which offers a link to download the first ten pages of one of your books as a free PDF.
The reader immediately receives a welcome email with the freebie and an introduction to you and your books.
The reader doesn’t open the welcome email.
The reader receives the welcome email again one day later.
The reader opens the new email and clicks the button to download the freebie.
The reader receives an email three days after asking what they thought of the freebie and reminding them that the book is available.
The reader opens the email, participates in the poll with their opinion on the freebie, and clicks the book-buying link.
The reader receives an email three days later that shares the inspiration for one of your books or book series.
The reader opens the email.
The reader receives an email sharing your writing playlist for your book or book series one week later.
The reader opens the email.
The reader receives an email with a discount on your book or book series one month later.
The reader opens the email and clicks the discount link.
The email sequence ends.
One important thing to note is that the email sequence for your ideal reader can vary depending on how they interact with each email. That means that you can even trigger actions for someone who doesn’t open an email. As shown in Step 3 and 4 above, the reader’s inaction triggered a reminder email to be sent. This same process can be applied if/when your reader doesn't click the button to download your freebie.
While you should never spam people until you get your desired result, automating a short “did you miss this?” follow-up isn’t just a courtesy — it’s a best practice. On email marketing platforms like MailerLite, you can create two options for each email sequence step that can differ depending on your subscriber’s action (or inaction). This way, the email sequence is tailored to each subscriber and catered to their unique journey.
When crafting automated email sequences, remember to nail down the purpose of each email and make sure it contributes to the sequence’s overall goal(s). There should never be a frivolous message. By following this principle, you will create thoughtful and successful sequences that help you promote your books, sell your books, and build an audience of loyal readers.
Email is a powerful tool in any author’s marketing strategy. Automation helps you leverage its power and apply it to the goals you have for your book while saving you massive amounts of follow-up time. While there is a learning curve, it’s well worth your time to experiment with this tool to determine what works best for your readers (and readers-to-be)!
Zoe Mathers is a social media manager and copywriter from beautiful British Columbia. She strives to help authors grow brand awareness and find their ideal readers on social media. In her free time, she can be found writing her own stories or browsing the shelves of her local bookstores.
Explore her services or scroll through her blog at zoemathers.com.
