Do you know why Mailerlite automation isn’t working?
So you’ve carefully crafted an email marketing campaign, set up your automation in Mailerlite, and eagerly hit the launch button?
You expect your emails to flow seamlessly, nurturing your leads and driving conversions.
But then, you notice something’s amiss. The automation you relied on isn’t working as expected, and it feels like your email marketing strategy is falling apart.
Mailerlite automation might not work due to misconfigured settings, technical glitches, subscriber list issues, content errors, API or integration problems, high automation volume, or exceeding account limitations.
This quick guide will delve into the intricacies of Mailerlite automation issues, offering solutions and real-world insights to get your email marketing back on track.
Pros and Cons of Mailerlite Automation
The table below provides a summary of the pros and cons of Mailerlite automation:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
1. User-Friendly Interface | 1. Limited Advanced Automation Features |
2. Affordable Pricing | 2. Learning Curve for Complex Workflows |
3. Visual Automation Builder | 3. Limited CRM Capabilities |
4. Advanced Personalization | |
5. Detailed Analytics |
Identifying the Problem:
Before we can fix it, we need to know what’s wrong. So, how do you identify that your Mailerlite automation isn’t working as it should?
Well, here are some telltale signs:
- Emails not being sent
- Delays in sending
- Recipients not moving through your automation.
Why Mailerlite Automation May Not Be Working (Possible Causes):
Your Mailerlite automation hiccup could be due to various reasons.
Let’s dive deeper into why Mailerlite automation may not be working:
1. Misconfigured Settings:
- Trigger Settings: Check if the automation triggers are correctly set. For example, if you want an email to send when a subscriber joins a list, ensure this trigger is properly configured.
- Conditions: Verify that any conditional rules you’ve set align with your goals. Misconfigured conditions can prevent emails from being sent to the right audience.
- Actions: Ensure your desired actions, like sending emails or adding subscribers to segments, are correctly specified within your automation.
2. Technical Glitches:
- Platform Issues: Keep an eye on Mailerlite’s status updates for platform-wide problems. Technical issues on their end, such as server downtime or system maintenance, can disrupt your automation.
- Browser Compatibility: Ensure you’re using a compatible browser, as some features may not work optimally in certain browsers.
3. Subscriber List Issues:
- Cleanliness of Lists: Check your subscriber lists for outdated or incorrect email addresses. These can lead to email bounces, causing automation failures.
- Segmentation: If you’re using segmentation in your automation, confirm that your subscribers are correctly segmented to receive the intended emails.
4. Content Errors:
- Email Content: Review the content of the emails within your automation. Ensure there are no broken links, missing images, or formatting issues that might prevent the emails from being sent correctly.
- Spam Triggers: Avoid using spammy language or excessive exclamation marks in your email content, as this can trigger spam filters and prevent email delivery.
5. API or Integration Problems:
- Integration Health: If your automation relies on third-party integrations, verify the health of these connections. Ensure they are up to date and functioning correctly.
- API Key Validity: Double-check that your API keys are valid and haven’t expired. Invalid keys can disrupt data transfer between systems.
6. Automation Volume:
- Rate Limiting: Mailerlite may have rate limits on the number of emails you can send in a specific time frame. Exceeding these limits can lead to automation delays or failures. Monitor your automation volume to stay within these limits.
7. Account Limitations:
- Account Type: Check if your Mailerlite account type aligns with the volume of emails you’re trying to send. Different account tiers have varying sending limits.
- Billing: Ensure your account is in good standing, and payments are up to date. Account suspension due to billing issues can disrupt automation.
By addressing these specific points, you’ll be better equipped to diagnose and resolve why your Mailerlite automation isn’t working, helping you get your email marketing back on track.
Troubleshooting Steps:
Now that you know what could be causing the issue, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.
Here’s how to test your automation to ensure it’s back on track:
- Verify Settings: Double-check your automation settings, including triggers, conditions, and actions.
- Check for Technical Glitches: Keep an eye on Mailerlite’s status and ensure compatibility with your browser.
- Review Subscriber Lists: Cleanse and segment your subscriber lists for accuracy.
- Inspect Email Content: Scrutinize email content for errors and spam triggers.
- Confirm API and Integrations: Ensure third-party integrations and API keys are functioning correctly.
- Monitor Automation Volume: Stay within Mailerlite’s sending limits and review your account’s billing status.
How to Prevent Future Issues When Using Mailerlite Automation
Nobody likes being in the same situation twice.
Here’s a brief summary of how to prevent future issues when using Mailerlite automation in 7 steps:
- Regular Checks: Periodically review your automation workflows for any discrepancies or errors.
- Update Automation Rules: Keep automation rules up to date to reflect changes in your email marketing strategy.
- Segmentation Maintenance: Continuously refine your subscriber segments to ensure precise targeting.
- Content Quality Control: Maintain high-quality email content with rigorous proofreading and testing.
- Integration Health: Regularly assess the health of third-party integrations to prevent disruptions.
- Monitor Sending Limits: Stay within Mailerlite’s sending limits to avoid delays or issues.
- Billing Oversight: Ensure your account remains in good standing by managing billing and payments diligently.
Mailerlite Alternatives and Workarounds:
In the worst-case scenario, if your Mailerlite automation woes persist, it’s good to have a Plan B.
Let’s explore alternative email marketing tools that could fill the void.
1. GetResponse
GetResponse is a comprehensive email marketing platform that excels in automation.
It empowers marketers to create highly personalized and effective email automation sequences. Here’s how:
GetResponse’s Automation Builder: GetResponse offers a visual drag-and-drop automation builder that simplifies the creation of complex automation workflows. You can easily design sequences based on subscriber behavior, interactions, and custom events.
Behavioral Triggers: It allows you to trigger actions based on specific subscriber actions, such as clicking links, opening emails, or visiting web pages. This granular control helps in sending relevant content at the right time.
Personalization and Segmentation: GetResponse provides robust personalization options and advanced segmentation tools. This means you can send highly targeted emails to specific segments of your audience, enhancing engagement and conversions.
2. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a popular choice for content creators and bloggers who prioritize simplicity and effectiveness in email automation:
Automation: ConvertKit uses a rules-based system called “Automations” that lets you define actions and triggers easily.
This approach simplifies the process, making it accessible for those who might find complex workflows overwhelming.
Subscriber Tagging: You can tag subscribers based on their behavior or interests. These tags then drive your automation rules, allowing you to send the right content to the right people.
3. Brevo
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an e-commerce-focused email marketing platform known for its automation capabilities tailored to online retailers:
E-commerce Automation: Brevo specializes in automation for online stores. It offers pre-built automation workflows for cart abandonment, product recommendations, and customer segmentation.
This helps e-commerce businesses increase sales and customer engagement.
Custom Triggers: You can set up custom triggers that respond to specific actions or events on your online store, such as when a customer abandons their shopping cart or makes a purchase.
4. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is an automation powerhouse designed for businesses looking to optimize marketing and sales processes:
Versatile Automation Builder: ActiveCampaign provides a powerful automation builder with conditional logic, allowing you to create intricate automation sequences. It’s suitable for both marketing and sales automation.
Personalization and Lead Scoring: The platform offers robust personalization options, and you can implement lead scoring to prioritize and nurture leads effectively.
CRM Integration: ActiveCampaign seamlessly integrates with CRM features, making it an all-in-one solution for managing customer relationships and automating marketing campaigns.
5. Mailchimp
Mailchimp, known for its user-friendliness, offers automation features suitable for businesses of all sizes:
Automation Templates: Mailchimp provides a range of pre-designed automation templates, making it easy to set up common automation sequences like welcome emails and abandoned cart recovery.
Behavioral Triggers: You can trigger emails based on subscriber behavior, allowing you to send timely and relevant messages.
Segmentation: Mailchimp’s segmentation options enhance the precision of your email campaigns by targeting specific groups of subscribers.
Mailerlite Automation Case Studies and Examples:
Learning from real-life experiences can be incredibly insightful.
Join me as I share three case studies of companies that faced Mailerlite automation issues and successfully overcame them:
Case Study #1: E-commerce Brand Boosts Sales with Mailerlite Troubleshooting
Challenge: An e-commerce brand heavily reliant on Mailerlite automation found that their abandoned cart recovery emails were not being sent promptly, resulting in lost sales.
Solution:
- Identifying the Issue: The brand’s marketing team closely monitored their automation workflows and noticed delays in the abandoned cart recovery emails.
- Troubleshooting: They reached out to Mailerlite’s support team and discovered that a technical glitch was causing the delays. Mailerlite’s support team promptly fixed the issue.
- Testing and Optimization: After the issue was resolved, the brand performed A/B testing on their abandoned cart emails, optimizing the content and timing for better results.
Outcome: By addressing the automation issue and optimizing its email content, the brand successfully increased its abandoned cart recovery rate by 20%, resulting in a significant boost in sales and revenue.
Case Study #2: Startup Streamlines Marketing with Mailerlite
Challenge: A startup entrepreneur with limited technical expertise faced difficulties setting up complex automation sequences in Mailerlite for their SaaS product.
Solution:
- Expert Assistance: Recognizing their limitations, the entrepreneur sought help from an email marketing consultant with expertise in Mailerlite.
- Customized Automation Workflows: The consultant designed customized automation workflows tailored to the startup’s specific needs, including onboarding sequences and user engagement campaigns.
- Training and Documentation: The consultant provided training and comprehensive documentation to the startup’s marketing team, ensuring they could manage and modify the automation sequences independently.
Outcome: With expert guidance and streamlined automation, the startup achieved a 30% increase in user engagement and a 25% higher conversion rate for their SaaS product, demonstrating the power of effective Mailerlite automation.
Case Study #3: Content Creator Grows Subscribers with Mailerlite Precision
Challenge: A content creator struggled to effectively segment their growing email list to send personalized content, resulting in lower engagement.
Solution:
- Segmentation Strategy: The content creator attended a Mailerlite webinar on advanced segmentation techniques and gained insights into creating tailored subscriber segments.
- Automation Implementation: They implemented automation workflows to send targeted content based on subscriber interests, preferences, and engagement history.
- A/B Testing: The content creator continuously performed A/B testing on subject lines and content to optimize email open rates and click-through rates.
Outcome: By embracing advanced segmentation and automation, the content creator achieved a 40% increase in email open rates and a 20% increase in click-through rates.
Their subscribers felt more engaged and valued, resulting in higher retention and growth in their audience.
Common FAQs About Mailerlite Automation:
I’ve compiled and answered a list of frequently asked questions — here they are:
How do I set up an automation workflow in Mailerlite?
To create an automation workflow in Mailerlite, follow these 8 steps:
- Log in to your Mailerlite account.
- Click on the “Automations” tab.
- Choose “Create New Workflow.”
- Select a trigger for your automation (e.g., a subscriber joins a list).
- Configure the conditions and actions you want for your workflow.
- Design and customize your emails.
- Test your automation to ensure it works as intended.
- Activate your automation, and it will run automatically based on your chosen trigger and conditions.
Why are my automation emails not sending?
Automation emails in Mailerlite may not send for several reasons:
- Check if the trigger conditions are met for your subscribers.
- Verify that your automation is activated.
- Ensure that you haven’t reached your account’s sending limits.
- Review the email content for errors or broken links.
- Check if there are any technical issues with Mailerlite at the time. If all else fails, contacting Mailerlite’s support can help diagnose and resolve the issue.
Can I personalize emails in Mailerlite automation?
Yes, Mailerlite allows for extensive email personalization in automation. You can use merge tags to insert subscribers’ names, email addresses, or other custom fields into your emails.
This level of personalization helps create more engaging and relevant content for your audience, increasing the effectiveness of your automation sequences.
How can I track the performance of my Mailerlite automation?
Mailerlite offers analytics to track the performance of your automation sequences. You can monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribe rates.
Additionally, you can view the progress of subscribers through your automation workflow, helping you identify any bottlenecks or drop-off points.
Analyzing these metrics allows you to refine your automation for better results.
Takeaway
While Mailerlite automation issues can be a headache, they can be fixed quickly.
With the right knowledge and approach, you can fix them and get back to growing your business through effective email marketing.
Remember, as an email marketer, you’re navigating a dynamic landscape, and challenges are part of the journey.