Email Automation
Automated flows, welcome series, and drip campaigns that convert.
Automation Overview
Email automation sends the right message at the right time, triggered by subscriber behavior. Automated emails have 48% higher open rates than campaign emails because they're contextually relevant.
Automation vs Campaigns
| Aspect | Automation | Campaigns | |--------|------------|-----------| | Trigger | Behavior/event | Manual schedule | | Timing | Personalized | Same for all | | Content | Often personalized | Same for segment | | Effort | Set up once | Create each time | | Examples | Welcome, cart | Newsletter, promo |
Common Automation Triggers
Subscriber Actions:
├── Signs up (welcome series)
├── Abandons cart
├── Makes purchase
├── Views specific page
├── Clicks specific link
├── Downloads content
Time-Based:
├── Days since signup
├── Days since last purchase
├── Subscription anniversary
├── Birthday
Property Changes:
├── Upgraded plan
├── Changed preferences
├── Became inactiveWelcome Series
The most important automation—sets the tone for your relationship.
Ideal Welcome Series Structure
Email 1: Immediate (0 min)
├── Confirm subscription
├── Deliver promised content/discount
├── Set expectations
├── Brief intro to brand
Email 2: Day 1-2
├── Brand story
├── What makes you different
├── Social proof/testimonials
├── Encourage first action
Email 3: Day 3-4
├── Educational content
├── How to get value from you
├── Answer common questions
├── Feature highlight
Email 4: Day 5-7
├── Soft promotion
├── Best-seller showcase
├── Limited-time offer
├── Clear CTA
Email 5: Day 10-14
├── Deeper engagement
├── User-generated content
├── Community invitation
├── Ask for preferencesWelcome Series Best Practices
Do:
├── Deliver value immediately
├── Keep subject lines personal
├── Include clear next steps
├── Match website brand/voice
├── A/B test subject lines
Don't:
├── Overwhelm with too many emails
├── Be too salesy too fast
├── Forget mobile optimization
├── Skip the unsubscribe link
├── Use generic "Newsletter" senderWelcome Email Benchmarks
| Metric | Welcome Series | Regular Email | |--------|---------------|---------------| | Open Rate | 50-60% | 20-25% | | Click Rate | 10-15% | 2-4% | | Conversion | 3-5% | 1-2% |
E-commerce Flows
Abandoned Cart Flow
Most profitable automation for e-commerce (10-15% recovery)
Email 1: 1 hour after abandonment
├── Subject: "Did you forget something?"
├── Show cart contents with images
├── Direct link back to cart
├── No discount yet
Email 2: 24 hours
├── Subject: "Your cart is waiting"
├── Add urgency (limited stock)
├── Customer reviews
├── Maybe small incentive
Email 3: 48-72 hours
├── Subject: "Last chance + [discount]"
├── Final reminder
├── Include discount if using
├── Strong urgencyBrowse Abandonment
Trigger: Viewed product, didn't add to cart
Email 1: 2-4 hours later
├── "Still interested in [product]?"
├── Product image and details
├── Similar products
├── Social proof
Email 2: 24 hours (optional)
├── Price drop alert
├── Back in stock alert
├── Related productsPost-Purchase Flow
Email 1: Immediately
├── Order confirmation
├── What to expect next
├── Tracking info when available
Email 2: Delivery + 2 days
├── How to get started/use product
├── Tips and tutorials
├── Customer support info
Email 3: Delivery + 7 days
├── Request for review
├── Share on social
├── Join community
Email 4: Delivery + 14-30 days
├── Cross-sell related products
├── Replenishment reminder (if applicable)
├── VIP/loyalty program inviteWin-Back Flow
Trigger: No purchase in 60-90 days
Email 1:
├── "We miss you"
├── What's new since they left
├── Personalized recommendations
Email 2: +7 days
├── Special offer to return
├── Discount code
├── Best sellers
Email 3: +14 days
├── Final attempt
├── Larger incentive
├── "Should we say goodbye?"Lead Nurturing
B2B Nurture Sequence
After Content Download:
Email 1: Immediate
├── Deliver the content
├── Brief context
├── What's next
Email 2: Day 3
├── Related resource
├── Educational content
├── Establish expertise
Email 3: Day 7
├── Case study
├── Social proof
├── Problem/solution
Email 4: Day 10
├── Feature introduction
├── How you solve the problem
├── Soft CTA
Email 5: Day 14
├── Direct offer
├── Demo/trial invite
├── Clear next stepNurture by Lifecycle Stage
Subscriber → Lead:
├── Educational content
├── Problem awareness
├── Thought leadership
Lead → MQL:
├── Solution content
├── Comparison guides
├── Case studies
MQL → SQL:
├── Product-focused
├── Pricing/ROI
├── Demo invitationRe-engagement
Re-engagement Campaign
Trigger: No opens/clicks in 60-90 days
Email 1: "Are you still there?"
├── Honest subject line
├── What they're missing
├── Easy re-engagement action
Email 2: +5 days
├── Offer incentive
├── Show best content
├── Ask about preferences
Email 3: +10 days
├── "Last email unless..."
├── Final offer
├── Unsubscribe option prominent
Post-Sequence:
├── No response → Suppress from list
├── Engaged → Move to active flows
├── Changed preferences → Respect themSunset Policy Automation
Automatic List Hygiene:
90 days inactive:
├── Move to "cooling" segment
├── Reduce email frequency
180 days inactive:
├── Trigger re-engagement series
├── One more attempt
No response to re-engagement:
├── Mark as churned
├── Remove from regular sends
├── Keep for annual win-back onlyBest Practices
Automation Checklist
## Before Launching
□ Test all trigger conditions
□ Send test emails to yourself
□ Check all links work
□ Verify personalization tokens
□ Review on mobile devices
□ Set up conversion tracking
□ Define success metrics
## After Launch
□ Monitor first 100 sends
□ Check delivery rates
□ Review open/click rates
□ Watch for unsubscribes
□ Adjust timing if neededTiming Guidelines
| Flow Type | First Email | Sequence Length | |-----------|-------------|-----------------| | Welcome | Immediate | 5-7 emails over 14 days | | Abandoned Cart | 1 hour | 3 emails over 72 hours | | Post-Purchase | Immediate | 4 emails over 30 days | | Nurture | Day after trigger | 5-10 emails over 30 days | | Re-engagement | After 60-90 days | 3 emails over 14 days |
Pro Tip: Start with just two automations: welcome series and abandoned cart. These generate the most revenue and are easiest to set up. Add more flows only after these are optimized.