Email Automation
Email Automation 101: Workflows Every Small Business Should Set Up
Campaigns require you to keep showing up. Automations work while you sleep. For most businesses, a handful of automated flows drive a disproportionate share of email revenue because they reach the right person at exactly the right moment. Here are the workflows to build first.
What is email automation?
Email automation sends pre-written emails automatically based on a trigger—someone subscribes, abandons a cart, makes a purchase, or goes quiet. You build the flow once, and it runs for every customer who meets the condition. This is the difference between a marketing channel that depends on your time and one that scales on its own.
The core flows, in priority order
- Welcome flow: triggered on signup. Introduces your brand and drives a first purchase.
- Abandoned-cart flow: triggered when someone adds to cart but does not check out. Recovers otherwise-lost revenue.
- Post-purchase flow: triggered after a sale. Confirms the order, sets expectations, and drives repeat purchases and reviews.
- Browse-abandonment flow: triggered when someone views products but does not add to cart.
- Re-engagement flow: triggered by inactivity. Wins back lapsing subscribers or sunsets dead ones.
How triggers and conditions work
Each flow has a trigger (the event that starts it), optional conditions (rules that decide who continues), and timed delays between emails. For example, an abandoned-cart flow triggers on “cart created, no order in 1 hour,” then sends a reminder, waits a day, sends a second nudge, and exits anyone who completes a purchase.
Start small and expand
Do not try to build every flow at once. Launch the welcome and abandoned-cart flows first—they deliver the fastest return—then layer in post-purchase and re-engagement. Review performance every month and refine the timing, copy, and offers.
Keep automations human
Automated does not mean robotic. Write flows in a natural voice, use real send-from names, and always include an easy unsubscribe. Make sure transactional automations (order confirmations, receipts) are separate from marketing so a subscriber who opts out still gets essential messages.
Key takeaways
- ✓Automations reach the right person at the right moment and scale without your time.
- ✓Build the welcome and abandoned-cart flows first—they pay back fastest.
- ✓Each flow needs a trigger, conditions, and timed delays.
- ✓Exit customers from a flow when they take the target action.
- ✓Keep transactional and marketing automations separate.
Valter Brandt
Email & Lifecycle Marketing Lead
Valter Brandt leads email and lifecycle marketing at ThisCom, helping small and medium businesses build automated, high-deliverability email programs that drive revenue.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an email campaign and an automation?+
A campaign is a one-time send to a segment (like a newsletter or promotion). An automation is a triggered sequence that sends automatically to each person who meets a condition, such as subscribing or abandoning a cart.
Which email automation should I set up first?+
Start with the welcome flow and the abandoned-cart flow. They are the simplest to build and typically deliver the fastest, highest return for small businesses.
Do I need expensive software for email automation?+
No. Affordable platforms like MailerLite, Brevo, and Mailchimp include automation builders on low-cost or free tiers. The capability is accessible to even very small businesses.
How many emails should an automation contain?+
It depends on the flow: welcome sequences run 3–5 emails, abandoned-cart flows 2–3, and re-engagement flows 2–3. Focus on value per email rather than length.
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