Email Automation Techniques

I love having AI review specific types of emails I get to see if they're worth my time. Today I helped my friend Alec Cheung - a fellow marketer in the CMO Coffee Talk community I'm a member of - set up one of these AI automations and it turned out awesome, so I wanted to tell you about it (with his permission of course). Here's the backstory: Going through website form submissions was eating up too much marketing team time. The submissions (which have a place for open-ended inputs that make them hard to screen via traditional methods) flow through Pardot and trigger emails that required human review to figure out if they were genuine leads or just spam. Tons turn out to be junk, creating unnecessary work for Alec's team. Others are genuine leads (or actual paying clients) that a human definitely needs to follow up with. Alec posted in our CMO Coffee Talk AI channel a few weeks ago asking for ideas on how to improve their process with AI. This is a super simple automation, so I offered to help if he'd let me share what we did. He was in! Our fix was AI-powered automation using Zapier. Here's the flow: 1️⃣. A visitor submits a form on Alec's company's website. 2️⃣. Pardot sends an email with the form contents to a designated address. 3️⃣. Zapier kicks off the automation. 4️⃣. GPT-4o reads, analyzes, and categorizes the submission. 5️⃣. Based on the categorization, the automation filters the next steps. 6️⃣. If a human needs to attend to the email, it emails them (along with the appropriate categorization, directly in the flag email's subject line). If it does not require a human, then nobody is notified about the form submission. The result is a far more streamlined workflow that will save a lot of monotonous manual effort. And it's CHEAP. It looks like this automation will cost Alec around $0.10-$0.20 per day in AI usage to run - yes, cents, not dollars. It's an incredibly affordable solution for such a big time (and headache)-saver. Alec was new to using Zapier for this kind of task, so we had 2 calls. First, we planned the planned process, and I gave him some homework, and then today we finished everything. (And he gave me the okay to share with you!) While the setup is pretty straightforward, it does require a base knowledge of Zapier, and how to write solid AI prompts (this isn't something for AI newbies to take on alone). For those in CMO Coffee Talk, I'll go much deeper into this automation during our 2/19 mid-week Zoom "What Every CMO Needs to Know About How AI is Evolving in 2025: Automated Workflows, Agents, and Reasoning Models." Also - if you're a marketer and want to explore AI automations, I do get into that in my Foundations of Generative AI for B2B Marketing course (🔗 in bio). --- UPDATE: A recording of the webinar for CMOs I mentioned above is now available! More details at: https://lnkd.in/gxe9EQ69

Want 30% More Revenue Without Paid Ads? Here's How: The fastest way to grow your brand without spending on ads is to set up a Welcome Email Flow for non-buyers. It’s the exact strategy we’ve used to consistently outperform industry averages: 📬 Industry average open rate: 26.5% 📬 Our client average: 50%+ Here's the 4-email flow that delivers consistent revenue without paid acquisition: Email 1 – Right after signup: Welcome new subscribers. Introduce your brand. Say thank you. If you offer discounts, this is the time to share. Subject line ideas: “Welcome!” “You’re part of the family now” “Welcome to [Your Brand]!” Email 2 – 1 to 2 days later: Share your brand story, values, or unique quality standards. Highlight the benefits of shopping with you. Subject line ideas: “You heard it here first” “Learn more about us” “Level up your [insert product] game” Only send if they didn’t convert from Email 1. Email 3 – 2 to 3 days after that: Use social proof: reviews, press, endorsements, retail footprint. Feature popular products. Subject line ideas: “Our customers say it best” “The love is real” “Word on the street” Only send if they didn’t convert from the first two emails. Email 4 – 3 to 4 days later: Build connection through community. Show your team, social channels, or customer care. Subject line ideas: “We’re all in this together” “Let’s be friends” “Meet our team” Only send if they haven’t converted yet. ✅ Pro Tip: Test everything — subject lines, CTAs, timing. Set the tone. Build trust. Drive more revenue — no ads needed.

I set up 37 AI Agents for our $6M ARR outbound agency. These are the 6 AI Agents we deploy across our >$10M ARR clients. I used to spend HOURS trying to figure out what makes a cold email work. Which pain points hit hardest. What signals show someone is ready to buy. When to reach out. How to segment my lists without losing my mind. Now? I run everything through a squad of AI agents (built in n8n) that do the heavy lifting for me. Here’s the team: → 1. COMPANY_ANALYST Analyzes your website, case studies, and G2 reviews. Finds what problems you solve, what ROI you deliver, and what makes you different. Outputs: • Top pain points (ranked 1-10) • Customer impact metrics • Differentiation hooks • Real customer language → 2. PAIN_EXPERT Takes those insights and builds a Pain Point Matrix. Scores each pain by: • Frequency • Financial impact • Time savings • Risk reduction • Emotional relief • Urgency Then ranks them-so you know what matters MOST. → 3. SIGNAL_HUNTER Searches for digital breadcrumbs showing a company feels that pain. Looks at: • Tech stack • Website copy • Job posts • Social posts • Event attendance • Review activity Even gives you ready-to-use Boolean search strings for LinkedIn. (Yes, you get a literal playbook for signals.) → 4. SEGMENT_STRATEGIST Breaks your market into micro-segments (100-200 companies each). Maps the most intense pain for each. Defines how to spot them, what triggers that pain, and what NOT to target. Helps you focus on the best-fit group first. → 5. TRIGGER_SPECIALIST Watches for buying signals in that top segment: • Researching solutions? • Budget approved? • Leadership change? • Tech stack updates? Sets up real-time alerts and tells you exactly when/how to reach out. → 6. CAMPAIGN_BUILDER Takes all this and builds 3 outbound campaigns you can launch. For each: • Campaign name • Target audience • Trigger event • Messaging • Data sources • Personalization fields • Target KPIs • A/B test plan • Launch checklist If you want to see how these AI agents actually work in a real outbound workflow (step-by-step) - I'll be putting together an entire SOP over the weekend, let me know if you want it!

After sending over a billion emails for 600+ brands… here are my 7 top tips for selecting the right audience. You can have the best email creative in the world — but if it lands in the wrong inbox, it won’t convert. Audience is everything. Here’s what we’ve learned at esbconnect after years of powering customer acquisition for brands like Tails.com | B Corp , AA Insurance and ASOS.com : 1. Target by behaviour, not just demographics Look for people who open, click, and act. Intent beats age and gender every time. 2. But… don’t always go for the obvious behaviour When Tails.com wanted to reach new pet owners, you'd assume targeting people engaging with pet brands would outperform, right? Wrong. They were being over-targeted. Instead, we found higher conversion by targeting segments engaging with health, home and subscription offers — less crowded and more curious. 3. Test broad, then narrow Start wide to understand what actually performs — then double down. Too niche too soon and you lose scale and surprise wins. 4. Layer in recency Someone who interacted with an email yesterday is more likely to convert than someone who did 3 weeks ago. Recency = relevance. 5. Don’t ignore ‘non-buyers’ Sometimes your best audience is one that’s never bought from the category — yet. Think curious, not converted. 6. Think beyond income — target by contextual wealth We’ve seen clients waste budget by targeting £100k+ earners assuming they’re affluent. But some of the wealthiest people are those on modest incomes with low outgoings — think high equity, long-term property owners with few financial ties. 7. Make it locally relevant A £1m house in London doesn’t signal the same wealth as it does in Scotland or Wales. Tailor your audience selection to geography and cost of living — precision wins. Audience strategy isn’t guesswork. It’s data, nuance, and constant testing. Want help finding your best segments? We’ve got 17 million opted-in UK profiles and years of experience to test with.

Email still delivers strong ROI. What’s changed is how leading teams are using it. Here are 7 modern and practical email strategies you can use now and into 2026. 📩 1. AI-Driven Decisioning An example is “next best offer.” Use real-time, historical, and behavioral data to determine the most relevant content, offer, or CTA. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, tools like Movable Ink personalize content based on what users have or haven’t done. 📈 2. Product-Led Lifecycle Messaging Trigger emails based on what users do inside your product. If someone signs up but doesn’t activate, send a reminder. If they complete onboarding but skip a key feature, follow up. Email becomes part of the product experience. 🧱 3. Modular Templates + Guard Rails Stop building emails from scratch. Modular templates let teams assemble emails using approved, no-code blocks. Platforms like Knak help you move faster while staying on brand and rendering correctly across devices. 👁️🗨️ 4. Inbox Retargeting & Re-engagement If someone opens and scrolls but doesn’t click, you can adjust the next email. These behavioral signals help guide follow-ups. A scrolled-but-no-click email may call for a stronger CTA or tighter copy. 🧪 5. Automated Experimentation Go beyond A/B tests. Today’s tools can test dozens or even hundreds of variations at once, subject lines, images, layouts, and more. Platforms like OfferFit by Braze optimize automatically to drive better performance. ⏱ 6. Real-Time Triggers Send the right message the moment someone takes action, like signing up or abandoning a cart. It only works if your data flows smoothly and your systems are well-integrated, but the results are worth the effort. 💰 7. Revenue-Based Measurement Connect email to pipeline and revenue. If your data and attribution are in place, you can measure how nurture programs or product launches actually impact the business. Which do you think is most effective? What would you add? PS: Be sure to check out Knak to scale your email efforts, link in the comments. via Nick Donaldson #marketing #martech #marketingoperations #email

How is AI transforming email marketing? Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are revolutionizing email marketing automation. We integrated AI-driven tools for a client to predict the best times to send emails and the most engaging content for each subscriber. The result was a 60% increase in open rates and a 40% increase in click-through rates. According to Statista, the global AI market is expected to reach $190.61 billion by 2025. AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of data and predict user behavior makes it a game-changer for email marketing. The potential of AI in email marketing is incredibly exciting. It's like having a crystal ball that helps you understand and engage your audience better. 🤖 Are you leveraging AI in your email marketing strategy? What results have you seen? Share your thoughts in the comments! If you're curious about how AI can enhance your email campaigns, let's connect for a personalized discussion. #MarketingStrategy #DigitalStrategy #Marketing #DigitalMarketing  ----------- 👍 Like this post? 👀Want to see more?  Ring the 🔔 on my Profile  ⬆️ Connect with me 

ABM tech. It's tempting to chase the latest shiny tool, right? But I've learned that features alone don't win. Integration does. Think of it like building a kitchen. You could have the best oven, fridge, and stove. But if they don't work together, you'll have a mess. I've seen companies with many ABM tools, but the data doesn't connect, and the teams can't collaborate, resulting in not so good ABM results. The key is a unified platform. I mean one that connects your CRM, marketing automation, intent data, and personalization tools. Imagine this... Your intent data shows a target account is researching your solution, and your CRM automatically picks that up and updates this account's profile. Then, your marketing automation triggers a personalized email while your sales team gets real time alerts. That's what I mean by integration. And that's power. It's like having a GPS for your #ABM strategy. You know exactly where you are and where you're going. Of course, this requires careful planning. Start with your data. 👉🏾Where does it live?  👉🏾How does it flow?  👉🏾Which systems need to talk to each other? Tools like Zapier or Workato can help with these integrations. They can connect disparate systems and automate workflows. But don't forget the human element. Your teams need to be aligned. They need to understand how the tech stack works. They need to use it effectively. #b2bmarketing #marketingstrategy

You can’t “prompt” your way out of bad targeting. Yes, AI is great, personalizing Cold Emails is awesome 🔥   But there’s a better hack:   Break your list into smaller targets.   Let me tell you a story 👇   A few months ago a client came to us asking to target: “Ecommerce founders.” That was the whole brief.   So, what do you do?   You ask questions. For example:   → Shopify or Amazon? → Fashion or supplements? → Funded or bootstrapped? → Do they grow through paid ads or organically? → Who’s handling growth?   Then you build the list:   → Shopify brands → Selling skincare → Based in the EU → Running Meta ads → Hiring but no Head of Growth → Founder posts 3x/week on LinkedIn   Now your Cold Email doesn’t need a clever opener. It’s already relevant.   This is how we build Outbound at SalesCaptain. We don’t stop at “industry.” We segment by:   📦 Category → Not just HR software → but compensation platforms, 100–300 headcount, scaling in LATAM, using Gusto   📡 Signal → Not just “growing teams” → Teams hiring SDRs, posting on LinkedIn, with no RevOps function in place   We use AI, but not to fake relevance. We use it to find signals that show who’s actually in-market.   Because in 2025: Signals > prompts Context > copy   The broader the list, the harder the message has to work. Shrink the list. Sharpen the context. Let relevance do the work. Have a nice weekend.   #b2bsales #coldemail #leadgen #gtm #personaliztion #aiinsales

👉 Unlock the secrets of consumer psychology to enhance your email marketing effectiveness 📧 In the crowded space of email marketing, understanding and applying behavioral economics can significantly improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. By tapping into how consumers think and make decisions, you can craft emails that not only get opened but also convert. ▪️ The Scarcity Principle ⏰ : Utilize the Scarcity Principle in your email campaigns to create urgency. Informing recipients that a deal is limited-time only or that only a few items are left can significantly increase the likelihood of immediate action. For example, "Only 3 hours left to claim your offer!" or "Just 5 items remaining at this price!" ▪️ The Paradox of Choice ✅ : Simplify consumer decision-making by limiting the number of options. The Paradox of Choice teaches us that too many options can overwhelm and deter decision-making. Optimize your emails by providing one clear call to action or focusing on a single product or service rather than multiple. ▪️ Personalization and the Liking Bias 🙋♂️ : Leverage the Liking Bias by personalizing your emails. People are more likely to engage with content that appears tailored to them. Use data to address recipients by name, reference past purchases, or suggest items based on browsing history. This not only captures attention but also enhances the feeling of intimacy and relevance. ▪️ Loss Aversion 🔚 : Capitalize on Loss Aversion by highlighting what your customers stand to lose if they don’t take action. Phrasing like, "Don’t miss out on this opportunity!" can be more effective than simply presenting the benefits of an offer. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: Review your current email marketing strategies. How can you implement these behavioral insights to increase open rates and conversions? Test different approaches in your campaigns to see what works best with your audience. #BehavioralEconomics #EmailMarketing #DigitalMarketing #ConsumerPsychology #ServingMarketing #SirviendoMarketing

Have you ever opened an email that felt; it was crafted just for you? Recently I received an email 2 days post an event with the subject line ⬇ “We hope your inbox after “event” was not too overwhelming” The email started with an apology for adding one more email to my already pending task but as the sender too has targets he expected me to understand his plight… (And hell yeah I did 😀) B2b outreach is all about delivering content that resonates on a personal level. It is not limited to just your first name at the top of an email. It's about understanding your unique business needs, your industry challenges, and even the timing you're most likely to engage. But how do we get there? Achieving hyper-personalization involves: ✅Leveraging AI for predictive analytics and personalized content generation. ✅Conducting thorough data analysis to uncover unique customer insights. ✅Understanding customer behavior patterns for tailored interactions. ✅Utilizing CRM tools to remember past interactions and preferences. ✅Employing dynamic content tools to adjust messages based on user data. ✅Integrating real-time feedback to continuously refine messaging strategies. As marketers, it's our cue to step up, dive deep into our customer's world, and craft messages that not only speak to them but resonate with them. But I have to ask: does this level of personalization excite you, or does it tread too close to the line of privacy? Where should we draw the line between personalized and invasive? Let's discuss! #B2BMarketing #HyperPersonalization #EmailMarketing #digitalera #GrowwithSwati