Do you wonder why your newsletters often get lost in the inbox or why the effort required for each individual email is so high? Perhaps you have already tried to send out exciting content on a regular basis, but the open rates still remain low and the hoped-for success does not materialize. Many people face precisely these problems: Email marketing costs time, but often doesn't bring the desired results. The good news is that you can use automation to take on many tasks, address your target group in a more targeted way and thus get the full potential out of your newsletter. In this article, you will find out how you can take your email marketing to the next level with the right workflows, tools and tips - without it costing you an unnecessary amount of time.
Table of contents
What is email marketing automation?
Basic principle and advantages
Email marketing automation means that certain emails are automatically sent to your contacts without you having to take action yourself each time. This works, for example, via defined triggers such as a newsletter subscription or a specific click on your website. The biggest advantage: not only do you save time, but you always reach your recipients at the right moment. This ensures more relevance, better open rates and often also more sales because the emails arrive exactly when they are needed.
Difference to manual newsletters
With manual newsletters, you write and send each email individually to your entire list or to specific groups. This takes a lot of time and is prone to errors because everything is done manually. Automated emails, on the other hand, run in the background as soon as a predefined event occurs. You only have to create the content once and specify when and to whom it is sent. This allows you to communicate in a much more targeted and regular way without having to think about it all the time.
Typical areas of application
There are many possible uses for email marketing automation. Automated welcome emails for new subscribers, reminders for abandoned shopping carts in the online store or birthday greetings with a discount code are particularly popular. The reactivation of inactive contacts or regular newsletter series can also be automated. This allows you to address your target group individually and pursue various marketing goals simultaneously without having to be constantly active yourself.
The most important automation workflows
Welcome emails for new subscribers
Many people ask themselves how they can pick up new newsletter subscribers directly. This is exactly what an automated welcome workflow is ideal for. As soon as someone signs up for your newsletter, they automatically receive a friendly welcome email. In this email, you can briefly introduce yourself, explain the added value of your newsletter and perhaps even offer a small welcome gift such as a discount code or exclusive content. The advantage: New subscribers feel directly addressed and know what to expect. This increases the likelihood that they will open your next emails and remain active.
Retrieve shopping cart abandoners
Many online stores struggle with the problem of customers adding products to their shopping cart but not completing the purchase. This is where an automated shopping cart abandonment workflow can help. If a customer leaves the store without making a purchase, a reminder email is automatically sent after a short time. In this message, you can kindly remind the customer of the forgotten purchase, highlight the benefits of the product or offer a small incentive such as free shipping. In this way, you can bring back many potential buyers and increase your sales without having to constantly follow up manually.
Birthday and anniversary emails
Personal occasions such as birthdays or registration anniversaries are perfect opportunities for automated emails. With a suitable workflow, your system automatically recognizes when a contact has a birthday or how long they have been with you. On this day, the person receives an individual message - for example with congratulations, an exclusive offer or a small gift. Such emails show your contacts that you value them and often ensure particularly high open and click rates.
Reactivation of inactive contacts
Many lists contain contacts who have not opened or clicked on any emails for a long time. You can target these recipients with a reactivation workflow. The system automatically recognizes who has been inactive for a long time and sends a special email campaign. In this message, you can ask whether there is still interest, offer special benefits for returning or ask for feedback. This way you can either get active readers again or clean up your list and improve the deliverability of your emails. Take a look at the Low code automation
Tools and requirements
What tools are available and what should you look out for?
There are many tools for email marketing automation, from simple solutions to comprehensive platforms. The best known include Mailchimp, CleverReach, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), ActiveCampaign and GetResponse. When choosing, you should make sure that the tool suits your needs: How many contacts do you want to manage? Do you need special automation functions such as segmentation or A/B testing? Also consider how easy it is to use and whether support is available in German. Many providers offer free trial versions that allow you to try out the most important functions before you make a decision.
Integration with other systems
For your email automation to work optimally, the tool should be easy to connect to other systems. This applies in particular to your online store, CRM systems or analysis tools. Check whether there are ready-made interfaces (APIs) to the platforms you already use. The better the integration, the easier it is to synchronize customer data, automatically update target groups and send personalized emails. Many tools also offer plug-ins for common store systems such as Shopify, WooCommerce or Magento. This saves you time and ensures that all data is up to date.
Data protection and legal aspects
When it comes to email marketing, you must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means that you need clear consent from your recipients before you send them emails. Make sure that the tool is GDPR-compliant and that servers are located in the EU if possible. Many providers advertise with corresponding certificates. You should also use a double opt-in procedure so that no one can register with other people's email addresses. Inform your subscribers transparently about how their data is used and give them the option to unsubscribe at any time. This way you are on the safe side legally. Read more about the no code automation
Best practices for successful automation
Personalization and segmentation
Many people wonder why automated emails sometimes seem like mass-produced goods and generate little response. The key lies in personalization and segmentation. Divide your recipient list into different groups, for example according to interests, purchasing behavior or location. This allows you to send targeted content that is really relevant. Use personalization fields so that each recipient is addressed by name or receives individual offers. The more precisely you respond to the needs of your target group, the higher the open and click rates. Avoid always sending the same thing to everyone - this quickly leads to disinterest.
Testing and optimization
Automation does not mean that you set everything up once and then never touch it again. On the contrary: testing and optimizing is crucial to achieving good results in the long term. Start with A/B tests for subject lines, content or delivery times. Analyze which variants work better and adjust your workflows accordingly. Regularly look at the most important key figures such as open rate, click rate and unsubscribes. It is often worth making small changes, for example to the approach or design. This will help you get more out of your email marketing step by step.
Avoid sources of error
Many people underestimate how quickly errors can creep into automated emails. Therefore, check each automation thoroughly before starting: Are the triggers and target groups correct? Have all placeholders been inserted correctly? Test each email by sending it to yourself or having a colleague read it. Also check the links and make sure that the unsubscribe links work. A common mistake is that recipients receive too many or inappropriate emails - this quickly leads to unsubscribes. Therefore, monitor the frequency and make sure that the workflows are not triggered twice. This will help you avoid embarrassing mishaps and ensure a professional appearance.
Save time with automation
Many people think that email marketing is always time-consuming and tedious. With automation, however, you can outsource many tasks and gain more freedom for other things. The most important workflows run in the background without you having to constantly readjust them. New subscribers are welcomed automatically, shopping cart abandoners are reminded and birthday children are surprised - all without manual intervention. This leaves more time for strategy or creative content, while your newsletter continues to run reliably.
Small steps pay off
Getting started with automation doesn't have to be complicated. Start with a simple workflow, for example a welcome email. Once this is up and running, you can add further automations, such as for shopping cart abandonment or birthdays. This way, your system grows step by step and you always stay in control. Especially at the beginning, it helps to focus on the most important processes and not try to implement everything at once. This takes the pressure off and ensures that you can quickly identify and correct errors.
Test and optimize for more success
Automation is not a sure-fire success. To ensure that your newsletter is really successful, you should test and optimize it regularly. Take a look at which emails are well received and where there are still problems. Adjust content, subject lines or dispatch times to improve the results. Use your tool's evaluations to identify trends and make targeted adjustments. If you keep at it and continue to develop your workflows, you will get the most out of your email marketing and remain successful in the long term.
FAQ on email marketing automation
Why do my open rates remain low despite automation?
This is often because the content is too general or the subject lines do not arouse curiosity. Check whether you are really addressing your recipients in a personalized way and tailoring the content to their interests. The time of sending can also play a role. Test different variants and optimize regularly.
What is the best way to get started with automation?
Start with a simple workflow, for example a welcome email for new subscribers. As soon as this works, you can gradually set up further automations such as shopping cart abandonment or birthday emails. This way you stay in control and don't overwhelm yourself.
Which tools are suitable for beginners?
Tools such as Mailchimp, CleverReach or Brevo are suitable for getting started. They offer intuitive interfaces and many templates for typical workflows. Make sure that the tool is GDPR-compliant and covers the most important functions for you. Many providers have free trial versions.
How can I personalize my emails?
Use personalization fields such as the recipient's name and segment your list according to interests or behavior. This way, everyone receives the content that is really relevant. Individual offers or personal addresses also make a big difference.
What do I need to consider when it comes to data protection?
You need clear consent from recipients (double opt-in) and should explain transparently how the data will be used. Use tools that are GDPR-compliant and have servers in the EU. Always offer a simple unsubscribe option.
How do I prevent recipients from receiving too many emails?
Monitor the frequency of your workflows and make sure that automations do not overlap. Many tools offer options to set sending limits or exclude contacts from certain workflows if they are currently going through another automation.
What do I do with inactive contacts?
Start a reactivation workflow to target inactive recipients. Ask about interest, offer an incentive to return or ask for feedback. If there is no response, you can remove the contacts from your list to improve deliverability.
How can I measure the results of my automation?
Regularly analyze key figures such as open rate, click rate and unsubscribes. Use A/B tests to compare different variants. Most tools offer clear evaluations with which you can identify trends and optimize them in a targeted manner.
What are typical mistakes in automation?
Common errors include incorrect triggers, duplicate emails, missing personalization or incorrect placeholders. Test each automation thoroughly before starting and check regularly that everything is working as planned.
Do automations need to be revised regularly?
Yes, because the needs of your target group and the technical possibilities are changing. Review your workflows regularly, test new ideas and adapt content, subject lines or sending times to remain successful in the long term.