Automations are a powerful feature that can be used to tag clients based on activity, send automated emails, texts, and campaigns.
You can create 3 types of automation:
Emails
SMS
Tags
All 3 types of automation work very similarly. We will cover how to create email automations in depth. The steps are basically the same for SMS and Tags.
In this article:
Tip 1: You can duplicate any automation to make it easier to create/tweak for new ones. Just click the 3 dots on the right-hand side!
Tip 2: We have pre-populated about 40 email automations for you! (Note that a few are not editable as they relate to purchase receipts). We suggest that you review them, duplicate them, and edit them to bring in your brand elements. Most emails have a generic email header image. This can be done by finding the automation, select the 3 dots to the right > duplicate >edit.
TIP: Go to Canva.com, create a new header image design (search Email Header template), add your colors, logo, and imagery.
Where to Find Automations
Go to Growth Suite > Automations
You will see 3 tabs:
Email: This is where you can create automated emails that go out for things like when a client books a class or when you have a new lead, including creating a drip campaign.
Text Message: Just like email but in text form
Tag: This is great if you want to tag clients, which is important for creating audiences to send marketing messages
Viewing Automation Activity
Click the name of any automation or the 3 dots and "View Logs"
The top of the page tells you information about the automation
The table below has two tabs
Processed: Automations that have gone out
Scheduled: Automations that have not sent but will be sent based on the conditions of the automation
Message Content Column
This will show you what was sent in the automation
This feature only shows content sent after 12/27/23
Emails
Let's go over creating an email automation
Click the yellow + button at the top
Choose "Email" in the pop-up
Input fields: Enter the following fields
Trigger
A trigger relates to an activity a user makes, in most cases related to a user, class, and/or package.
View a list of all Triggers here.
This list also shows you the available Conditions, Recipients, and Variables available for each Trigger.
Conditions: A condition allows you to create a more detailed automation.
For example: You choose the trigger "When a client books a class"
But you want to add additional rules, such as it is their first class or after they have attended the class or if they do not have a package. There are hundreds of possible combinations!
Recipient: Choose who gets the email, either the client or the main contact for the organization
the main contact is the email used as the Sender Email (page two of the setup process).
Timing: Choose when you want the automation to go out
Instantaneously = as soon as the trigger activity happens
Delayed = a fixed period of time that you set after the trigger activity happens
Pattern = a fixed day during the month. E.g., you only want this automation to happen on Sundays. This will be the same email content, subject line, and automation setup, repeatedly deployed based on the pattern interval and frequency selected
Repeating: Choose repeating if you want the automation to go out the same time every week/month. Great for reminding people to book classes.
Relative = Relative refers to the relationship between the trigger happening and when the response fires. For example- A client buys a year paid in full membership. 7 days before the package renews, you want an email to be sent to the client reminding them that their membership is renewing.
Who should receive the email?= Client
IF
TRIGGER = Their subscription is expiring
AND: It's a specific package- The Annual Paid in Full membership
AND: It's supposed to renew
THEN
Send an email reminding the client 7 before their current package ends.
Next, design the Email! This is the fun part. Please reference this other help article.
Enter a subject
Enter the display name that should appear in the inbox, e.g., Your Studio Name
Enter the return email address
When designing the email, you will want to use "variables" that will auto-populate things like the client name, class name, etc. Variables allow your email to feel personal to the audience, by automatically bringing in specifics.
On the top left hand corner click the envelope mail icon
Click any variable to copy it- read the sub text for helpful descriptions
Click the "X" to go back to the editor
Post the variable where you want the content. Click "Save"!
You can send a test email by clicking the 3 dots from the list view
Text Message
These are nearly identical to the email form. You can paste variables into the text input, the character limit is 200.
Tags
Tags are a great way to label clients and create audiences so you can send dedicated one off emails, texts, and more. For example, you might want to tag everyone that is on a specific membership. Use tags to segment your audiences and bring those tagged groups into emails, texts, comms center messages and marketing emails.