Setting Up and Using Email Sequences

What Are Email Sequences?

Email Sequences are a tool within your CRM that automates a series of follow-up emails, sending them over time to a selected group of contacts. Unlike sending individual emails one at a time, a sequence groups multiple messages into a single, connected email thread. This is ideal for processes that require consistent, timed communication, such as nurturing new leads, following up on sales opportunities, sending appointment reminders, or guiding new customers through an onboarding process.

Key Advantages of Using Sequences

Automating your email follow-up with sequences provides several key benefits for your communication strategy.

• Maintains Conversation Context: By keeping all messages in one thread, recipients can easily follow the entire exchange, making your outreach feel more personal and less like disconnected blasts.
• Saves Significant Time: Automate what would otherwise be hours of manual email sending and tracking.
• Stops on Reply: You can configure a sequence to automatically halt further emails if a contact replies, preventing awkward or unnecessary automated messages after a real conversation has begun.
• Flexible Message Format: Create each step in your sequence using either a visually designed, branded email template or a simple plain-text format for a more direct, conversational tone.
• Behavior-Based Triggers: Set conditions so that certain emails are only sent if a previous message was delivered or opened, allowing for more responsive and relevant follow-up.
• Detailed Performance Tracking: Review analytics for the entire sequence and for each individual email step to understand what’s working and what isn’t.

Sequences vs. Other Email Tools

Sequences vs. Regular Email Campaigns

Use a standard Email Campaign when you need to send a single message to a list, whether immediately or on a schedule. Use an Email Sequence when your goal is to send a pre-planned series of multiple, timed follow-up emails that are logically connected.

Sequences vs. Workflow Automation

Workflows are powerful, multi-channel automations that can include a wide variety of triggers and actions beyond email, like updating contact records, creating tasks, or sending SMS. An Email Sequence is a specialized tool focused solely on automating a linear series of email communications. Choose a sequence for straightforward email follow-up series; use a workflow for more complex, branching automations that involve multiple parts of your CRM.

Core Features of Email Sequences

Single-Threaded Conversations

This is the defining feature of a sequence. Every email sent from the sequence lands in the same email thread with the recipient. This continuity helps build rapport and ensures each message provides proper context for the next.

Delays and Conditional Sending

You control the timing and logic of your sequence. Set delays (e.g., wait 2 days) between steps to space out your communication. You can also add conditions to individual steps. For example, you can set a step to send only if the previous email was opened, or to send a different follow-up if it was not opened. This allows for sophisticated, responsive communication paths.

Stop on Reply

When enabled, this feature automatically removes a contact from the sequence the moment they reply to any email within it. This ensures your automated system doesn't interfere with a live, human conversation.

How to Set Up an Email Sequence

Follow these general steps to create and launch an effective email sequence. The exact location of menus may vary, but the core process remains the same.

1. Navigate to the Campaigns area of your CRM and locate the option for Email Sequences.
2. Click to create a new sequence. You will be prompted to give it a descriptive name.
3. Select the contacts, list, or segment you want to receive this sequence.
4. Begin building your sequence steps. For each step:
   • Compose your email using the design editor for a formatted email or the plain-text option.
   • Set the delay for when this email should send after the previous step (or immediately for the first step).
   • Optionally, add conditions based on the open/delivery status of the prior email.
5. Configure the sequence settings, most importantly ensuring Stop on Reply is enabled if appropriate.
6. Review your sequence, then activate it. Contacts will begin receiving the emails according to the delays and rules you've established.

Once active, you can monitor the performance of your sequence and its individual steps through the provided statistics dashboard.