According to Google, 91 percent of people spend quality time with their inboxes every day. That means email is the one channel that all of your current and potential members will be on, which is pretty amazing. That’s where email automation comes in. According to Epsilon Email, automated email messages average 70.5 percent higher open rates and 152 percent higher click-through rates than “business as usual” marketing messages. Here are five types of email communication that can easily be automated:

1. Welcome emails

Sending a personalized, automated welcome email is an excellent way to engage with new members to educate them about your association’s benefits. You could also ask them to tell you more about themselves and then provide future resources personalized to their interests.

2. Requests for impact stories

Asking for stories from your volunteers, board, and members can give you valuable content to use in your association’s marketing pieces. Where appropriate, follow an event, volunteer opportunity, or educational experience with an automated thank you message asking for a quick-impact story. For best results, have some personality and include helpful links to your social networks and ways for them to share their experience with others.

3. Anniversary and birthday messages

It’s easy to forget this, but your members are real people who like to celebrate special occasions. Celebrate these occasions with them by sending an automated email that says, “Congrats!” or “Have a special day.” This takes next to no effort but the payback in building relationships is priceless.

4. Thank you messages to members

Set up an automatic thank you email, triggered when a member renews their membership to your association. That way, your thank you message is immediate, and you can follow up later with organizational updates.

5. Data updates

Your database is the heart of your association’s marketing efforts, so it’s necessary to keep it current and complete by updating preference, demographic, and behavioral information. Automation can help you do this. For example, you could use a basic email campaign to lead users to a prepopulated form where they could update their information and provide additional specifics.

As associations, we are always trying to improve how we communicate with current and potential members. Email automation not only improves your association’s bottom line, but also the workflows of your membership and marketing teams. The above are just a few examples of what associations could be doing. Other messages you could automate include membership renewal reminders, daily tips, re-engagement campaigns to win back old members, or a calendar of the year’s events.