Definition
Setting up automation involves configuring your email platform to respond automatically to subscriber behaviours and events. It includes defining triggers (sign-up, purchase, browse), building sequence logic, creating email templates, and testing the full flow before going live.
Setup Phases
- Platform configuration: Connect data sources, set up tracking, configure permissions
- Trigger definition: Map each subscriber behaviour to an automated response
- Sequence design: Plan the number, timing, and content of emails in each flow
- Template creation: Build responsive email templates for each sequence step
- Conditional logic: Add branching rules based on subscriber attributes or behaviour
- Testing: Send test sequences, verify triggers, check suppression logic
- Monitoring: Track flow performance and optimise over time
Best Practice
Start with the highest-impact automation — typically a welcome series — before building more complex flows. Measure baseline performance before launching, then compare to measure lift.
Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Abandoned Cart Email
An abandoned cart email is an automated message sent to customers who added items to their online shopping cart but left without completing the purchase. It is one of the highest-converting email types in ecommerce.
AIDA Model for Email
The AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a classic copywriting framework used to structure email campaigns that guide subscribers from awareness to conversion.
AMP for Email
AMP for Email is a Google-developed framework that allows email messages to include interactive elements like forms, carousels, accordions, and live content. It turns static emails into dynamic, interactive experiences directly inside the inbox.
Anchoring Effect in Email Marketing
The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias where the first piece of information presented (the anchor) influences subsequent decisions, used in email to frame pricing and value perception.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.