Automated emails are a powerful tool for reaching audiences at scale, but only when marketers use them with intention. Today’s consumers expect timely, relevant messages that look, sound and feel human, even when they know they’re part of an automated sequence.
Done right, email automation can feel less like a system and more like a conversation, thanks to tactics like behavior-based segmentation, emotional timing and AI-powered personalization. Below, 17 Forbes Agency Council members share their top strategies for leveraging automated emails to truly connect and engage with a target audience.
1. Use Personalization To Build Real Connection
The key to leveraging automated emails effectively is personalization. Don’t just automate for the sake of it—use data to craft messages that feel tailored to each individual. When customers feel seen and understood, it builds trust and encourages engagement. Automation should enhance the human connection, not replace it. – Robert Nikic, Why Unified
2. Vary Your Cadence To Keep Readers Engaged
Automation doesn’t mean repetition—it means opportunity. When emails arrive too often, too predictably or are too formulaic, they become wallpaper. People tune out what they expect. Use automation to scale relevance, not routine. Surprise matters. Shift the cadence, change the rhythm and earn attention, because once someone stops noticing your name in their inbox, it’s too late. – Shanna Apitz, Hunt Adkins
3. Respond To Emotional Cues, Not Just Clicks
Don’t treat automated emails like digital ads; use them to build relationships. I design flows to respond to emotional signals, not just clicks. If a user hovers over return policies or stalls at checkout, I send reassurance instead of a promotion. True automation meets the customer at the right emotional moment, making emails feel helpful and memorable rather than pushy. – Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team
4. Lead With Value Instead Of Conversion Pressure
Give value—it’s not the time to try to convert. Make your emails so helpful that they’re getting forwarded around to different departments. Don’t rely heavily on AI to generate emails because they ultimately won’t convert. Use AI as a partner in creation, not as the creator. – Danielle Sabrina, Society22 PR
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5. Use Drip Campaigns With Bite-Sized Messages
Like any other marketing channel, frequency is the key to conversion. One and done never works, so instead, create a personalized drip campaign that offers a series of at least three consecutive emails. Each one should focus on a single key benefit to the consumer. A series builds interest with bite-sized messages that are easy to digest and retain, rather than high-word-count emails. – Terry Zelen, Zelen Communications
6. Get Personal With Dynamic Content
Personalize beyond just names. While using a recipient’s name is a basic personalization tactic, go deeper to create truly engaging automated emails. Consider personalizing content based on past purchases, website browsing history, specific interests or even local weather (if relevant). Dynamic content blocks within your emails can help you deliver this level of tailored messaging automatically. – Frank Rojas, Miami SEM
7. Leverage AI To Optimize Send Timing
For automated emails, use AI to predict optimal send times based on user behavior, such as when they open emails or shop online. This ensures emails hit inboxes at peak engagement moments, boosting open rates and clicks. Set up AI tools to adjust timing dynamically, test results and respect user privacy to build trust. – Meeky Hwang, Ndevr, Inc
8. Avoid Generic Messaging That Feels Like Spam
Maintain the human touch. Consumers are flooded with media, and they’re more sensitive to spam than ever. An automated email that feels vague or disingenuous is going to be ignored—or worse, cause your audience to hit the unsubscribe button. – Evan Nison, NisonCo
9. Trigger Emails Based On Real-Time User Actions
Segment your audience based on behavior, not just demographics. Trigger automated emails based on actions—like browsing history or cart abandonment—for higher relevance and conversion rates. – Boris Dzhingarov, ESBO Ltd
10. Encourage Replies To Boost Deliverability
In your first automated email, ask the reader up front to reply and let you know if they received it. This simple request often generates more responses than anticipated and signals to inbox providers that your emails are valued. That single interaction can significantly boost deliverability rates over time while fostering real conversations, which is the ultimate goal of your email campaigns. – Fernando Beltran, Identika LLC
11. Prioritize Precision And Timing Over Volume
Ditch the “spray and pray.” Whether it’s email or social media, precision beats noise. Automated emails aren’t just about what you say but when you say it. Segment based on real behavior: clicks, views and buys. Talk like a human, not a bot. Hit send when it matters. Timing builds connection. Relevance earns trust. And trust? That’s what drives action. – Monica Alvarez-Mitchell, Pulse Creative, LLC
12. Test And Refresh Sequences Regularly
Don’t set it and forget it. The biggest mistake made with automated emails is assuming one sequence works forever. Review engagement data regularly, test subject lines and timing and—most importantly—write like a human, not a robot. Automation should feel personal, not programmed. If it sounds like a script, it gets skipped. – Jimi Gibson, Thrive Agency
13. Enrich Prospect Profiles To Power Customization
The more information you can collect about your prospects, the better you can customize your email automation. You can build more complete prospect profiles using techniques like B2B2C matching, which provides insights into personal and professional attributes for improved personalization and reach. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.
14. A/B Test Subject Lines And Send Times
Test different subject lines and send times to boost open rates and engagement. What grabs attention in the morning might fall flat at night, and a clever subject for one audience could confuse another. A/B testing helps you find what resonates best with each segment, so your automated emails aren’t just sent, but are also seen and clicked. – Jason Hall, FiveChannels Marketing
15. Use Empathy To Map Emails To User Journeys
Don’t automate without empathy. The most effective automated emails feel like they were written just for the reader because they were built from real behavioral data and pain-led insights. That means mapping emails to where prospects are emotionally and practically in their journey, not just where they fall in your funnel. – Sarah Tourville, Media Frenzy Global
16. Integrate Email Into A Broader Engagement Strategy
Go beyond automation and build an engagement ecosystem. Connect emails to retargeting ads, in-app prompts and dynamic site content shaped by behavior. Embed polls, preference tags or branching logic to gather data and tailor future sends. Drive audiences to exclusive content hubs or gated tools to deepen value. Email should activate journeys, not operate in isolation. – Amy Packard Berry, Sparkpr
17. Personalize With AI While Staying On-Brand
Using AI to personalize emails is easy. Even if your email or marketing automation platform doesn’t have the feature built in, it’s not difficult to add personalized content using an external AI model. The best marketers understand that the most effective campaigns don’t generate custom emails for each recipient, but rather personalize a few specific phrases, ensuring the email remains on-brand. – Mike Maynard, Napier Partnership Limited
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