Email automation is one of those marketing tools that sounds much more complicated than it actually needs to be.
In reality, a good email automation can be as simple as sending someone a helpful follow-up after they’ve filled in a form, downloaded a guide, booked an appointment, or shown interest in your business. Done properly, it keeps your brand warm in their mind without you having to manually chase every single enquiry.
Here’s how to think about setting up a simple Mailchimp email automation, and what to include so it actually helps turn interest into action.
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Start With The Goal
Before you touch Mailchimp, work out what the automation is actually for.
Are you:
- Thanking someone for getting in touch?
- Sending a downloadable guide or incentive?
- Following up after an appointment booking?
- Nurturing someone who is interested but not ready to buy?
- Keeping new subscribers engaged?
This matters because the goal decides the tone, timing and number of emails. A “thanks for contacting us” email should usually go out immediately. A nurture sequence after a download might start straight away, then follow up again a week or two later.
If the automation is linked to a landing page, make sure the page itself is doing its job too. There’s no point building a clever follow-up journey if the form, CTA or message before it is weak.
Read More: Optimise Your Landing Page To Get More Conversions From Ads
Choose The Right Audience
In Mailchimp, your automation needs to be attached to an audience. For smaller or free accounts, there may only be one audience to choose from, which keeps things nice and simple.
If the business already has an established Mailchimp account, it’s worth checking how their audience is organised before building anything new. You don’t want to send a welcome email to the wrong group of people, or accidentally mix up customers, prospects and general newsletter subscribers.
A tidy audience makes the rest of the process much easier.
Build Your First Email
Your first email is the most important one because it lands when the user’s interest is at its highest.
At this stage, you’ll need to set:
- The email name
- The subject line
- The preview text
- The from name
- The from email address
- The email design and content
The subject line should be clear, not clever for the sake of it. If someone has downloaded a guide, tell them their guide is inside. If they have booked an appointment, confirm what happens next. If they filled in a contact form, reassure them that their enquiry has been received.
Then use the email body to be helpful. Keep it short, friendly and focused. You can include links to relevant pages, useful resources or next steps, but don’t overload people with too much at once.
For businesses creating regular content, email automation can also be a brilliant way to keep useful articles, videos and resources in front of the right people.
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Think Carefully About Timing
Timing can make or break an automation.
For enquiries, bookings and downloads, the first email should usually be sent immediately. People expect confirmation straight away, and a fast response helps build trust.
After that, don’t crowd their inbox. If the automation is based around a downloadable incentive or contact form submission, a second email around two weeks later can work well. Any further emails can usually be spaced roughly a week apart.
As a general rule, don’t go wild. A short series of 3 to 6 useful emails is often much better than a never-ending sequence that slowly annoys people into unsubscribing.
Keep The Series Useful
The best email automations don’t just say “buy from us” six different ways.
They help people make a decision.
You could include:
- A useful tip related to the thing they downloaded
- A case study or customer example
- Answers to common questions
- A reminder of the service or offer
- A link to book a call
- A soft final follow-up
This is where email automation links nicely with conversion rate optimisation. You’re not just sending emails for the sake of it. You’re making the journey from interest to enquiry feel easier.
Test Before It Goes Live
Before switching anything on properly, send test emails.
Check:
- The subject line
- The preview text
- The sender name
- Links
- Formatting on mobile
- Spelling
- Images
- Buttons
- Personalisation fields
This sounds obvious, but it’s where a lot of mistakes happen. A broken button or strange-looking mobile layout can undo all the good work you’ve put into the sequence.
If you’re creating the automation for a client, send the emails for sign-off before anything goes live.
Don’t Forget The Form Or Website Connection
Mailchimp can send the emails, but something still needs to trigger the automation.
That might be:
- A website contact form
- A newsletter sign-up form
- A downloadable guide form
- A booking form
- A CRM integration
The exact setup depends on the website, CMS and objective. A WordPress site, Shopify store and standalone landing page may all need slightly different connections.
This is also why tracking matters. Once the automation is live, you’ll want to understand what people are opening, clicking and doing next.
Read More: Google Analytics 4: Understanding Your Data
Need Help Setting Up Email Automation?
Mailchimp automations don’t need to be huge, complicated machines. Sometimes, the most effective setup is a simple, well-timed series of emails that answers questions, builds trust and gives people a clear next step.
If you’d like help planning the right automation for your business, Every Trick can help you connect the dots between your website, content, email marketing and wider digital strategy.
Book a free consultation today and let’s build something that actually follows up properly.