You write a thoughtful email campaign.

You meticulously craft each sentence.

You double-check your grammar, polish your call-to-action, hit send confidently, and then wait, watching your analytics dashboard with anticipation.

Only to find barely anyone opened it.

If you feel anything like the woman in this picture, you're not alone. Many of us have been there, puzzling over disappointingly low open rates. I used to send my emails out like clockwork—10:00 a.m. every Tuesday. It seemed like the quintessential "professional" time, right? But one week, through what I initially thought was an unfortunate mistake, I accidentally scheduled my email for 7:00 a.m. instead.

And then, something unexpected and truly remarkable happened.

My open rate didn't just improve—it soared past 50%. Not only did more people open it, but they also actively engaged: clicking through links, replying with thoughtful responses, and even scheduling consultation calls. This simple timing change transformed my email marketing strategy.

Why Your Emails Might Be Getting Ignored

Your subject lines don't stand out in increasingly crowded inboxes. If it sounds like yet another corporate memo or promotional advertisement, people will scroll right past it. You've got to sound like a real person—human, curious, maybe even a little playful.

You're underusing the pre-header—that valuable second line under your subject. It's prime real estate that most marketers waste. One of my most successful pre-headers was, "You know you want to..." It made people smile, piqued their curiosity—and they clicked.

Your audience feels like a number in a database. Sending identical messages to your entire list? That's a quick way to get ignored or marked as spam. Smart segmentation leads to relevance—and relevance gets opened.

You're keeping inactive contacts around too long. Email platforms increasingly penalize senders for low engagement rates. Regular list cleaning maintains health. It also helps you reach more inboxes effectively.

A Few Proven Fixes That Can Work Wonders​

Brainstorm and test 3–5 different subject lines before choosing. This extra effort helps you get past the obvious, mediocre options and find something truly compelling.

Experiment boldly with send times. You might be surprised what works best for your specific audience—just like I was with my accidental discovery.

Use preview text strategically. Don't just repeat the subject line—tease or build on it to create intrigue.

Regularly clear out unengaged subscribers. It's better to have a smaller, engaged list than a massive one that ignores you.

Want to get your open rates climbing? 

Grab my free Email Open Rate Mastery Checklist—it's packed with battle-tested strategies that helped me consistently hit 50%+ open rates. This comprehensive checklist includes advanced tips on crafting irresistible subject lines, implementing continuous improvement processes, and maintaining a healthy subscriber list. Let's make your next email campaign your most successful one yet.

Feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending list of marketing tasks?

Think about all the repetitive, time-sucking tasks bogging down your marketing team daily—manually creating email campaigns and social posts, entering lead data from forms and events, and updating and segmenting contact lists across different systems. It's a never-ending cycle of inefficient processes that beg for human errors and missed opportunities.

What if we told you could streamline your processes, boost productivity, and drive better results - all without cloning yourself? We're talking about the magic of automation, how it can skyrocket your marketing efforts to new heights.

1. Your Automation Potential Goldmine

So many of these tasks are prime for automation, which can save significant time and costs. Start by pinpointing repetitive, rules-based, or trigger-driven processes like social scheduling, email nurture sequences, lead enrichment, and list segmentation. Then, prioritize high-impact opportunities based on frequency, time-savings projections, and ROI potential. By doing so, you'll be making prudent decisions that can lead to substantial cost savings. Build your automation roadmap accordingly.

2. Leveraging Your Marketing Tech Stack

Audit existing tools like your CRM, email platform, and social media manager—they likely offer powerful automation capabilities ready to unlock. When integrated cohesively, you can create cross-channel automated workflows. Evaluate whether dedicated new solutions are also needed to streamline processes fully.

3. Walking Before Running: Start with the Essentials

Focus automation efforts first on critical areas like email campaigns, lead routing, and social media posting. These high-volume workflows are lower-risk starting points. By starting with the essentials, you'll be guided on a clear path to success. Test and optimize as you roll out automation iteratively before gradually scaling further based on performance data.

4. Soaring Beyond: Advanced Automation Strategies

Once comfortable, explore more sophisticated use cases, such as dynamic content personalization (tailoring content based on user behavior), multi-touch nurtures (engaging leads through multiple touchpoints), predictive segmentation models (using data to predict customer behavior), and AI-powered adaptive experiences (using AI to personalize user experiences). Stay on top of emerging trends to continually future-proof your marketing automation capabilities.

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The benefits of strategic automation are immense—from productivity gains to cost savings to elevated customer experiences. But prioritize quick wins first before progressing to advanced strategies. Start simplifying workloads now to unlock more time for high-impact efforts!

Speaking of simplifying work, are you tired of being a marketing machine stuck in the daily grind?   

Then download our free infographic, Seven Steps to Simplify Your Marketing with Automation, which gives you a roadmap to start automating tedious tasks and processes today. With easy-to-follow steps, you'll learn how to streamline workflows, boost productivity, and drive better results, all while freeing up time to focus on the high-impact projects that really move the needle.
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Tired of spinning your wheels on busywork? Then grab this must-have infographic and start harnessing the power of automation to 10X your marketing team's output!

​By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Solutions

Here's a secret worth knowing: Personalized email campaigns, once considered a luxury for small businesses, are now within reach for all, regardless of the size of your subscriber list.

You don't have to be a superhero to do this!

With the power of automation, you can deliver hyper-relevant 1:1 experiences at scale.
Interested in learning more?

Then, let's dive into this topic so you can learn how to unleash a new level of audience engagement that turns strangers into loyal fans!

1. Robust Data Collection & Segmentation

At the heart of personalized automation lies robust data. It's not just about basic demographics like name and location. You can create laser-focused micro-segments by strategically collecting and segmenting data points around subscriber interests, behaviors, purchase histories, and more. These are perfect for crafting unique messages that truly resonate with your audience.

2. Dynamic Content Blocks

With your rich audience segments defined, leveraging dynamic content blocks within your automated flows is a breeze. These intuitive blocks automatically adjust the email content based on each subscriber's unique data profile. So, every single recipient experiences a tailored journey with customized messages, offers, product recommendations, and more - all delivered at the perfect time without any manual effort. It's automation that's as easy as it is effective.

3. Scalable Cross-Channel Personalization

However, authentic 1:1 engagement extends far beyond the email inbox. The most sophisticated personalization engines enable you to map unified user journeys that adapt the messaging and content experience in real time as subscribers navigate across channels like your website, app, social media, and more. It's a delightfully seamless cross-channel experience guided by automation.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

After our first or second meeting with prospects, I aim for them to book a demo of our CRM, Workestrate. If a prospect doesn't do that within three days, they are automatically sent an email sequence explaining how Workestrate would benefit them. At the end of each email, they can book a demo. If they do indeed schedule one, the sequence terminates, and they are automatically added to my weekly email.

4. Continuous Learning & Optimization

Remember, none of these tactics would matter without a commitment to continuous optimization. Every granular data insight fuels innovative automation that gets more dialed in with each send. It's an ever-evolving cycle of learning and refinement to keep your messaging fresh and relevant, ensuring your audience always receives the best experience.

With the right personalization and automation engine, you can deliver powerfully relevant and cohesive audience experiences unlike anything your competitors can match. So, don't settle for generic, mass-blasted emails. Embrace the scale and 1:1 connection your engaged subscribers crave!

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Speaking of demos, I would love to show you the exceptional benefits of Workestrate! It's an all-in-one CRM with just about everything except the kitchen sink!  

With our CRM, you can create customized customer journeys, which I’ve been talking about, that will help you manage the whole process more seamlessly.
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If you would like to schedule a demo of our CRM, click the button below to schedule some 1:1 time to review what Workestrate can do!

Have you ever wondered how you can scale your business on autopilot? Well, I’ve discovered that automating your email campaigns is a total game-changer. But simply setting it and forgetting it? That's a surefire way to get your messages lost in irrelevant inbox clutter. The key is crafting campaigns that feel like natural, human-to-human conversations at every touchpoint.

Intrigued?

Then, let’s dive into four secrets of automated emails that truly convert, which will inspire you to embark on a journey of learning and growth in your marketing strategy!

1. Establish a Solid Foundation

First, you need a rock-solid foundation of reliable data and strategic segmentation. One-size-fits-all batch-and-blast emails don’t cut it. Your best bet is hyper-relevant messaging tailored to each recipient's unique profile, preferences, and behaviors. By leveraging the wealth of data at your fingertips, you can personalize subject lines, content, calls to action, and more with laser-like precision, making each recipient feel valued and understood.

2. Map the Buyer's Journey

Next, you'll need to map your automated flows to seamlessly guide prospects through every step of the buyer's journey, such as welcome sequences that instantly establish value and nurture streams packed with educational resources that address real pain points. As subscribers move down the funnel, your automated emails will adapt with solutions-focused messaging and irresistible offers primed for conversion.

3. Humanize the Experience

However, the key to crafting emails that convert is humanizing the entire experience to forge authentic connections with your audience. Inject your unique brand voice and personality into the copy. Offer a mix of entertaining storytelling and credible social proof. Most importantly, maintain a genuine, conversational tone that makes each subscriber feel like you're communicating directly with them.

4. Continuous Testing & Optimization

Of course, building high-converting automated campaigns is an iterative process of continuous testing and optimization. Closely monitor each sequence's performance metrics like open rates, click-throughs, and conversions. Identify patterns and opportunities for refinement, whether subject line formulas captivate or content segments spike engagement. An unwavering commitment to data-driven tweaks will keep your messaging fresh and compelling.

With the right automation strategy, you can nurture genuine relationships at scale while more seamlessly enjoying a profitable stream of new sales. So, my advice is to ditch the boring email blasts and embrace the power of irresistible automated emails that truly convert!

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Another thing that helps is giving away freebies weaved throughout the customer journey. Who doesn't want FREE stuff?

So, if you missed it last week, I have a new freebie for you: the Email Open Rate Mastery Checklist. It's a one-pager to help you navigate and master the tricky issue of increasing reader engagement, and who doesn't want that!

There's nothing more disheartening in sales than watching a once-promising lead turn frigid before you can close the deal. You've invested precious time and resources filling your pipeline, only for opportunities to slip away like melting ice.

But what if you could reanimate those frozen prospects and squeeze new revenue from your lead database?

That's the power of automated lead recycling through strategic nurture campaigns. Check out these steps to help you heat up those dormant leads:

1. Separating the Hibernating from the Extinct

Not every cold lead is worth reviving. The first step is to sift out the highest-potential prospects that have gone quiet versus those that were never fit. Implement lead scoring to pinpoint the "hibernating bears" based on their level of engagement, demographic criteria, and behavioral data. These are the dormant leads most deserving of your reanimation efforts.

2. Diagnose the Cause of Cryostasis

For the promising yet currently comatose leads, it's critical to understand what caused them to freeze up in the first place. Was there a lapse in communication? Did a competitor swoop in with a better offer? Dig into their historical activity and communication logs to identify where the disconnect occurred so you can strategically rekindle their interest.

3. Construct Your Targeted Wake-Up Campaigns

Leveraging the insights gleaned from your diagnosis, you can now build automated "wake-up" campaigns tailored to each lead's unique circumstances and needs. Use rich data like previous engagement, content consumption patterns, and demographic traits to hyper-personalize your messaging for maximum relevance. Intelligently stagger your touchpoints based on the predicted level of engagement.

4. Continuous Monitoring and Optimization

Hitting "send" on your nurture flows is just the first step. Closely monitor metrics like email openings, link clicks, and lead scores to identify which reanimation segments respond positively and which remain on ice. Focus on the high-performing campaigns while tweaking or recreating the underperformers. Continuous optimization based on real-time feedback is crucial.


You can breathe new life into cold leads through strategic, data-driven nurture campaigns powered by intelligent automation. Don't let those once-promising opportunities stay in a deep freeze—systematically revive them into a piping-hot sales pipeline!

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Speaking of reviving cold leads, we have a perfect solution for you! We can design an SMS or email reactivation campaign to fit your needs. We guarantee the results, or you will receive a full refund.
Are you intrigued?

​Schedule a strategy call with us to get started!

The typical business leader's inbox is a crowded, noisy place. Every morning, professionals worldwide are greeted by a deluge of promotional emails vying for their precious attention. Many are rapidly deleted or marked as spam without a second thought.

So, how can businesses ensure their messaging resonates with audiences? The answer lies in the power of sophisticated automated email campaigns. By combining intelligent segmentation, behavior-based nurturing sequences, and seamless brand experiences, organizations can cut through the clutter and cultivate long-lasting customer relationships that drive sustainable growth. Let's explore the keys to mastering this marketing automation frontier.

1. Targeted Segmentation

In this era of information overload, a one-size-fits-all email approach won't cut it. Effective automated campaigns leverage segmentation to deliver personalized content tailored to specific audience subgroups. Picture this: a fashion retailer sending trendy new arrivals to college-aged users while promoting timeless classics to an older demographic. Businesses can vastly improve engagement and conversion rates by dynamically populating emails with relevant products, offers, and messaging based on factors like age, location, and purchase history.

2. Nurturing Leads

The sales journey is rarely a straight line. Automated nurture streams allow you to stay top-of-mind with prospective customers by delivering perfectly timed content based on their actions. Imagine a software company sending an introductory video to new signups, followed by customer stories highlighting key features. As contacts progress through the funnel, the emails adapt — consistently guiding them toward conversion without overwhelming their inboxes.

3. Customer Retention

Acquiring new customers is costly, which makes retention a pivotal growth strategy. Automated campaigns focused on cross-selling, upselling, and win-back efforts can maximize customer lifetime value. For example, an online retailer could set up a sequence promoting frequently bought accessories after someone purchases a big-ticket item. A SaaS business might also make recovery efforts by offering incentives for past customers to reactivate their subscriptions.

4. Consistent Branding

Behind every great automated campaign is meticulous attention to brand cohesion. By utilizing template builders and content libraries, marketing teams ensure that every email reinforces a unified look, voice, and value proposition. This professional polish inspires confidence in your company while making your messaging infinitely more memorable and recognizable to your audience.

5. Scalable Efficiency

As any seasoned marketer knows, manual efforts simply don't scale. Automated campaigns enable businesses to broaden their reach exponentially without linearly increasing resource expenditures. Set it and virtually forget it — your sequences will run like a well-oiled machine while your team focuses on higher-level strategy and optimization.


With creativity and an eye toward providing value, automated email campaigns empower organizations to engage their audiences like never before. Through more innovative segmentation, nurturing, retention, branding, and scalability, the possibilities for growth are endless.

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Is your CRM up to snuff with the capability to run automated email campaigns? Or does the capability exist, but you're not sure how to use it?

That's where we come in! Our ElevateCRM services can not only help you with developing automated campaigns, we can also optimize your CRM so that it performs at peak efficiency.
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In today's hyper-connected world, customers expect a seamless and personalized experience across all touchpoints. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns. If you're not tracking how they interact with your marketing efforts, trying to fill in the "word balloons" of what you perceive they are thinking is futile. To truly resonate with your audience, you must understand their behavior and tailor your engagement accordingly. 

Enter behavior-based triggers – a powerful tool that empowers you to deliver the right message at the right time based on your customers' and prospects’ actions.

Here are four steps on how to use these triggers to enhance jour customers' journey:

1. Identifying Behavioral Patterns

The first step in leveraging behavior-based triggers is to identify the key actions and patterns that signify intent or interest. These could range from website visits and email opens to product usage and purchase history. By closely monitoring these behaviors, you can gain valuable insights into your customers' needs and preferences.

2. Defining Trigger Points

Once you've identified the relevant behavioral patterns, it's time to define the trigger points that will initiate personalized engagement. These triggers could be based on specific actions, such as abandoning a shopping cart or downloading a whitepaper, or they could be based on a combination of behaviors over time.

3. Crafting Personalized Engagement Paths

With your trigger points in place, you can create tailored engagement paths that deliver targeted content and offers based on your customers' behavior. For example, if a customer abandons their shopping cart, you could trigger an automated email sequence offering a limited-time discount or free shipping to encourage them to complete their purchase.

4. Nurturing the Customer Journey

Behavior-based triggers aren't just for one-off interactions; they can also be used to nurture customers through their entire journey. By continuously monitoring their behavior and responding with relevant content and offers, you can build stronger relationships and drive customer loyalty.

Closing Thoughts

Implementing behavior-based triggers requires a deep understanding of your customers and a willingness to adapt your marketing strategies accordingly. However, the rewards are well worth the effort. By delivering personalized and timely engagement, you can create a superior customer experience that drives conversions, fosters loyalty, and ultimately, boosts your bottom line.

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As we all know, AI is revolutionizing the way we do business. That being said, how would you like to have a listing of some of the best AI-based marketing tools in one document? Then, this is your lucky day! 

If you're ready to up your marketing game, download my new freebie, 10 Sales & Marketing Automation Tools for Small Businesses on a Budget!  You'll learn what some of the best tools are out there that offer an affordable price tag.

In marketing, drip campaigns are powerful tools for nurturing leads and fostering meaningful engagement. These automated email sequences deliver targeted content to prospects over time, guiding them through the buyer's journey and keeping your brand top-of-mind.

According to The Annuitas Group, nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. That's why drip campaigns are indispensable for any business looking to maximize the effectiveness of their email marketing efforts.

Here's what they can do for you:

1. Personalized Content Delivery

Drip campaigns excel in delivering personalized content tailored to recipients' interests and behaviors. You ensure that emails resonate and drive higher engagement by segmenting your audience and crafting relevant messages for each segment. Dynamic content elements like personalized product recommendations or tailored offers can further enhance the effectiveness of your drip campaigns.

2. Timely Follow-Up and Nurturing

Effective lead nurturing requires consistent communication and timely follow-up. Drip campaigns enable you to stay connected with prospects throughout their journey, delivering the right message at the right time. By automating follow-up emails based on specific triggers or actions the recipient takes, you can ensure that leads receive timely responses and relevant information, ultimately increasing the likelihood of conversion.

3. Lead Qualification and Segmentation

Drip campaigns aid lead qualification and segmentation by monitoring recipient engagement and interactions. Insights gathered help segment the audience based on engagement level, allowing tailored messaging. High-engagement leads can be fast-tracked through the sales funnel, while others receive longer-term nurturing.

4. Relationship Building and Trust Establishment

Building solid relationships with your audience is essential for long-term success. Drip campaigns provide an opportunity to consistently engage with prospects, gradually building rapport and trust over time. By delivering valuable content, addressing pain points, and providing solutions to their challenges, you can position your brand as a trusted advisor and industry authority, increasing the likelihood of conversion when the time is right.

Best Practices

Now that you know the benefits of drip campaigns, here are some ideas you can implement today to take your email marketing to the next level!

• Segment your audience based on demographics, behavior, and interests to deliver personalized content.
• Craft compelling content that provides value and resonates with your audience's needs and preferences. You certainly don't want your drip campaign to be annoying like a dripping faucet! 
• Experiment with different timing and frequency settings to optimize engagement.
• Monitor key metrics and continuously optimize your drip campaigns to drive better results.

By integrating drip campaigns into your strategy and following these best practices, you can effectively engage your audience, nurture leads, and drive conversions. And who doesn't want that?

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How would you like to have a listing of some of the best AI-based marketing tools in one document? Then, this your lucky day! 

So if you're ready to up your marketing game, download my new freebie, 10 Sales & Marketing Automation Tools for Small Businesses on a Budget!  You'll learn what some of the best tools are out there that offer an affordable price tag.