More of an audio listener? Listen now to discover how to automate email sending effectively.

Or download the transcript here

The process of planning and creating automations can be incredibly daunting for some. Not only do you have to worry about the tech and integrations, but you also need to write a tonne of emails.

Or you may find you have started with the best of intentions, but as your business has grown, and you have added more and more automations - you aren’t exactly sure who is getting what anymore.

To simplify things, I’m sharing ten of my favourite tips to help you speed up the creation of your automations and make the process easier —for both now and in the future.

Disclaimer: Not all features I talk about are available with all email marketing software. Or some may have similar functionalities but use different terminology.

Whether you're just starting or have built a complex web of automations, these ten hacks will help you streamline your processes and make email automation a breeze.

Let's break down each hack, explain what it is, and why it's essential for your email marketing strategy.

Hack 1: Map it Out

Before creating your automations, take a step back and map everything out. Use paper or a spreadsheet to plan your automations. Identify how each one is triggered, what emails are included, and what actions follow.

This upfront planning ensures you have a clear blueprint, making the creation process smoother and helping you avoid missed steps or duplicate efforts. Mapping it out also provides a visual overview, which is especially helpful as your automations grow in complexity.

Key things to do:

• Identify how each automation is triggered
• Determine what emails you want to include
• Check if any emails need to go to specific groups
• Decide what the call to action will be
• Plan where you want the subscriber to go next

By doing this, you’ll streamline your workflow and effectively automate email sending.

Hack 2: Routing Automations

Trying to do too much (e.g. ending up with 10 different branches in one automation!) often leads to complexity and mistakes. Instead, separate your “routing automation” from those that deliver emails.

Routing automations manage subscriber data and direct subscribers based on criteria like form responses or tags. They add subscribers to the correct list, fields, tags, and then the email delivery automation.

For instance, imagine a master Calendly booking automation. When someone books an appointment, you can ask, “Is it a discovery call?”. If yes, they’re added to the discovery call confirmation automation. If no, you ask about the next appointment type, “Is it a strategy call?” and so on.

By keeping routing processes separate from your email delivery, you simplify your workflows and reduce errors. Plus, this ensures everyone goes through the same path.

Hack 3: Trigger Tags

Trigger tags are a game changer when it comes to automating your email processes. These tags act as labels that you apply to subscribers based on their actions or attributes.

Rather than starting a new automation manually, set up a trigger tag that automatically moves subscribers to the next sequence.

Instead of using vague commands like "Start other automation," opt for something more specific, such as "Add tag: Trigger: ________."

This approach ensures that subscriber’s transition smoothly from one automation to another.

At the end of each automation, remove the trigger tag. This not only helps you keep track of who is currently engaged in which automation but also allows you to easily manage their progress. If needed, you can even have subscribers revisit the experience.

This approach keeps your automations organised and ensures a seamless flow from one automation to another.

Hack 4: Separate Sign-Up Confirmation/Delivery

Avoid the common mistake of mixing lead magnet delivery with your welcome sequences – and automate email sending the effective way…

Create separate automations for sending out lead magnets and welcoming new subscribers.

This approach ensures subscribers get the right content without receiving the welcome message more than once.

By keeping these processes distinct, you can manage each part of the subscriber journey more effectively. This separation helps you avoid sending duplicate or irrelevant emails, making sure your audience receives only what they need.

Hack 5: Naming Conventions

Struggling to remember what each automation is for? The solution lies in naming conventions. Implement these across all your automations, tags, lists, and forms.

A clear naming system helps you swiftly identify and manage your assets. For instance, use a format like “Action: Noun - More context”. Here are some examples:

• Trigger: _______
• Zap: _______
• Source: ________
• Welcome: ________
• Purchased: ___________

Consistent naming simplifies tracking what each automation does and how different elements are connected. This reduces confusion and makes everything easier to find.

Mastering naming conventions is crucial for effectively learning how to send automated emails and optimising your email marketing strategy.

Hack 6: Gauge Engagement

At the end of key automations, it’s crucial to gauge how your subscribers are engaging with your content.

Review metrics like opens, clicks, and conversions to pinpoint your most active subscribers. This data helps you segment your audience for targeted follow-ups or trigger additional automations based on their behaviour.

By focusing on your most engaged leads, you’ll enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

Here are some practical ways to use this data:

• High Click Rates: Move these subscribers into a sales sequence before sending out newsletters.
• Clicked a Specific Topic Link: Add tag.
• Clicked Sales Links but Didn’t Purchase: Set up a notification to follow up.
• No Opens: Remove these subscribers to keep your list clean and focused.

Hack 7: Repurpose Content

Repurposing content is a smart way to make the most of your efforts and keep your audience engaged.

By taking content from your welcome series or other automations and sharing it with your existing list, you ensure your messaging remains consistent across various channels.

You can also convert social media posts, blog content, or other materials into email content, giving you more mileage from each piece of content.

Here are some ideas for repurposing content effectively:

• Turn welcome series content into blog posts
• Use social media posts as email snippets
• Adapt webinar or podcast transcripts into email content
• Create newsletters from your blog articles
• Reuse testimonials and case studies in multiple email campaigns

Hack 8: Leverage AI

AI tools, like ChatGPT, can seriously boost your email writing process and help you overcome writer’s block.

While the AI built into most email marketing software is handy, it often falls short compared to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT might not be perfect for writing general emails, but it excels when given specific tasks, such as handling abandoned carts. It can inject creativity into traditionally dull content, turning it into something engaging.

Try asking ChatGPT to come up with puns or clever plays on words related to your business.

This can transform generic content into something unique and appealing. Apply the same approach to your subject lines to make them more captivating.

You will need to do a final edit, and automate email sending, but leveraging AI can banish writer’s block.

Hack 9: Saved or Universal Content Blocks

To streamline your email creation process, use saved or universal content blocks.

Think of these as “mini templates.” Instead of starting from scratch with each email, save different sections like headers, footers, or call-to-action buttons.

Saved blocks let you reuse these sections across various emails, making the process faster and more efficient.

Universal blocks go a step further. When you update a universal block, the change applies to all your automation emails. This ensures consistency, saves time, and simplifies updating content across multiple emails.

Embrace the power of these blocks to automate email sending and keep your email campaigns running smoothly!

Hack 10: Conditional or Dynamic Content

Tired of crafting four different versions of the same email just to tweak a few lines for each type of subscriber?

Meet conditional content…

Conditional content simplifies this by showing or hiding parts of your email based on criteria like purchase history or subscriber tags.

Dynamic content takes it a step further, using what it knows about your subscriber to customise each email. For instance, you can create product feeds based on what the subscriber has recently viewed.

With this approach, you only need to design one email and then decide who gets to see each version of specific content blocks. It’s an efficient way to automate email sending and ensures your subscribers receive relevant content without the hassle of creating multiple email versions.

To wrap things up…

I hope you’ve picked up some valuable tips on how to automate email sending. If you’re keen to dive deeper into creating effective email automations, check out my DIY courses: Ecommerce Automations and Services Automations.

Both courses cover the essentials of how to automate email sending, offer detailed steps to build your automations, and provide specific examples tailored to your business. Plus, you’ll get access to a heap of additional automation hacks!

For more insights and a range of other courses, head over to the Email Marketing Superstore at yaelkeon.com/shop.

If you’d prefer a more hands-on approach, I’m also available for one-on-one consultations. Just visit my website and check out the 'Work with Me' page for all the details.