Email automation has become a cornerstone of modern business communication, enabling companies to stay connected with customers and suppliers without manual effort.
As a business grows, managing communications becomes more challenging, and sending each email manually can quickly become overwhelming. That’s where automated emails come into play. Automated emails save time, ensure timely delivery, and help businesses maintain consistent, personalized relationships with customers and suppliers.
Here, we will explore how to send automated emails using tools like Bigly Sales, Mailchimp, Gmail, Outlook, and Quickmail. We will cover step-by-step instructions, highlight best practices, and address common challenges.
Whether you’re a small business owner or managing a larger team, understanding how to automate emails can significantly improve your efficiency and communication quality.
What is Email Automation?
Email automation is sending emails automatically based on pre-set triggers or schedules. Rather than sending each email manually, automation tools allow you to set conditions that determine when an email should be sent and to whom.
These triggers could be as simple as someone signing up for your newsletter or as complex as sending a follow-up email after a purchase.
For businesses, especially those with growing customer bases or supplier networks, automated emails scale communication without adding to the workload.
You can send payment reminders, follow-up emails, order confirmations, promotional messages, and more. With email automation, businesses can ensure their customers and suppliers receive timely, relevant communications without manual effort.
Why Email Automation is Important for Businesses?
The most obvious advantage of email automation is the time it saves. Imagine running a business where you manually send emails every time a customer purchases something or when receiving a shipment from a supplier. It’s simply not feasible as your business scales. Automation removes that burden, allowing you to focus on more important tasks like growing your business or improving your products.
Moreover, email automation allows for consistency in your communication. Customers and suppliers expect reliable, timely information, and manual processes can lead to delays or mistakes. With automation, you can ensure that every recipient receives your emails on time, whether a thank-you message to a customer or an order update to a supplier.
Another major benefit is personalization. With the right tools, you can customize emails based on customer behavior, interests, or previous interactions, which enhances engagement and builds stronger relationships.
Automated emails can serve as routine supplier updates or reminders, keeping supply chain communication smooth and professional.
Steps to Send Automated Emails to Customers and Suppliers
Here are some important steps to sending automated emails to customers and suppliers:
1. Using Mailchimp for Email Automation
Mailchimp is one of the most popular email automation tools available. It’s known for its ease of use, even for those who are not tech-savvy. Mailchimp allows businesses to automate various types of emails, from welcome messages for new customers to reminders and promotions for existing ones. You can also use it to automate your supplier communications, such as sending order confirmations or payment receipts.
To start with Mailchimp, you must set up an account and create a list of contacts. Once you have your contact list, Mailchimp allows you to design your emails using templates. The platform offers a wide range of customizable templates, so your emails can look as professional or creative as you like.
From there, you can set up triggers for automated emails. These triggers can be simple, like sending a welcome email when someone signs up for your service, or more advanced, such as sending follow-up emails when a customer hasn’t engaged with your brand in a while.
One of the best Mailchimp features is its ability to segment your audience. This allows you to create targeted email campaigns for specific groups of customers or suppliers.
For example, you could send special offers to your loyal customers or notify your suppliers of upcoming order deadlines. This level of personalization increases the likelihood that your emails will be opened and acted upon.
2. Sending Automated Emails with Gmail
Gmail might not seem like an obvious choice for email automation, but with the right tools and techniques, it can be an excellent option for businesses. Gmail’s basic functionality doesn’t include automation, but by integrating it with third-party tools like Woodpecker or Google Scripts, you can easily automate email sequences.
For instance, if you frequently send follow-up emails to customers or suppliers, you can set up automated email sequences through Google Scripts or a tool like Woodpecker. Once connected, you can create automated workflows where emails are triggered based on certain actions, like receiving an order confirmation from a supplier or a new signup from a customer.
In addition, Gmail offers scheduling features that allow you to set specific times for emails to be sent. This is especially useful when communicating with suppliers or customers in different time zones. Schedule emails to align with their working hours, ensuring your messages reach recipients at the most opportune times
3. Automating Emails in Outlook
Outlook is a powerful tool for businesses that rely on Microsoft’s suite of products. If you’re already using Outlook for your business communications, you can use its automation features to streamline your emails.
Outlook offers built-in automation through its “Rules” feature. Rules allow you to automatically reply to emails, forward them, or move them to specific folders based on criteria you set. This can be helpful when managing large volumes of supplier or customer emails. For example, if a supplier sends an order confirmation, you can automatically forward it to the appropriate team member or send a reply confirming receipt.
For more advanced automation, you can integrate Outlook with third-party tools that extend its capabilities. Tools like Quickmail or Hyperise can enhance Outlook’s automation features, allowing you to send personalized, automated emails to customers and suppliers. You can even set up sequences to ensure follow-ups are sent if you don’t receive a response within a specific timeframe.
4. Using Quickmail for Automated Emailing
Quickmail is a dedicated email automation tool focusing on email outreach and personalized communication. It’s particularly useful for businesses that need to maintain regular contact with customers and suppliers. Quickmail integrates with your email provider and allows you to set up automated email sequences, ensuring your messages are always timely and relevant.
Setting up Quickmail is simple. Once you create an account and integrate it with your email service, you can start designing email campaigns. Quickmail offers features like follow-up sequences, personalization tags, and email tracking. This allows you to automate email follow-ups, ensuring you never miss a chance to engage with your customers or suppliers.
For example, if a customer hasn’t responded to an offer, Quickmail can automatically send a follow-up email to remind them of the opportunity.
For supplier communication, Quickmail can send regular order updates, reminders about payment deadlines, or notifications about stock availability. By automating these types of emails, you can reduce the manual work required to maintain your supplier relationships, ensuring smooth operations at all times.
5. How to Automate Emails with Bigly Sales
Bigly Sales is an excellent tool for businesses looking to automate email communication, particularly when dealing with customers and suppliers. One of Bigly Sales’ standout features is its ability to handle bulk email sending, allowing businesses to send thousands of emails with just a few clicks.
Bigly Sales is not only easy to use, but it also offers AI-powered email generation. This means you can automatically generate email content tailored to your recipients, saving you the time and effort of writing each email individually. The AI feature analyzes previous customer or supplier interactions and creates personalized content based on that data.
Bigly Sales also allows you to schedule emails, meaning you can set up a campaign once and let the system handle the rest. Whether sending promotional emails to your customers or updating your suppliers about upcoming orders, Bigly Sales ensures that your messages are sent at the most optimal times.
In addition to bulk emails, Bigly Sales offers customizable templates, making it easy to create professional-looking emails that align with your brand. Whether sending a one-time email to a supplier or a recurring newsletter to your customers, Bigly Sales helps you automate the process from start to finish.
Best Practices for Email Automation
Here is the best way to send automated emails when you’re away:
Personalization and Dynamic Content
Even though email automation can handle large volumes of messages, it’s important to remember that personalization is key. No one likes receiving generic, cookie-cutter emails, and with today’s technology, there’s no excuse for impersonal communication.
Tools like Mailchimp, Bigly Sales, and Quickmail offer features that allow you to personalize each email with dynamic content, making each message feel unique to the recipient.
For instance, you can include the recipient’s name, mention their previous orders, or tailor the content based on their preferences. Whether you’re reaching out to a customer or a supplier, personalized emails have been shown to increase engagement and foster stronger relationships.
Timing and Scheduling
Another crucial aspect of email automation is timing. Sending an email at the wrong time can lower open rates, especially if your recipient is in a different time zone or the email lands outside working hours. Scheduling your emails ensures they arrive when your customers or suppliers are most likely to engage with them.
Most automation tools, like Bigly Sales and Mailchimp, offer scheduling features that allow you to choose the perfect time for your emails to be delivered. This is particularly useful for global businesses dealing with customers or suppliers in different regions. By scheduling emails to go out at optimal times, you increase the chances of them being read and acted upon.
Ensuring Compliance with Email Regulations
When sending automated emails, it’s important to ensure that your messages comply with email marketing laws such as GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act. These regulations require businesses to include opt-out options in every email, ensuring that recipients can easily unsubscribe if they choose to.
Most email automation tools, including Mailchimp and Bigly Sales, include built-in compliance features.
These tools automatically ensure your emails comply with the latest regulations, protecting you from legal issues while maintaining a professional and ethical communication strategy.
Common Challenges in Email Automation and How to Overcome Them
While email automation offers many benefits, it’s not without its challenges. One common issue businesses face is over-automation, where emails start to feel impersonal or spammy. This can be avoided by using the personalization features offered by tools like Bigly Sales or Quickmail, ensuring that your emails feel human and relevant to the recipient.
Another challenge is ensuring your emails don’t end up in spam folders. Poorly designed emails or unverified domains can hurt your email deliverability, leading to fewer opens and clicks. To avoid this, regularly test your email templates, use verified sender addresses, and keep your email list clean by removing inactive recipients.
Lastly, segmentation is key to successful email automation. Sending the same email to your entire contact list is rarely effective. By segmenting your audience into smaller, more targeted groups, you can ensure that each recipient receives content that is relevant to them, improving engagement rates and the overall effectiveness of your email campaigns.
What’s the Future of Email Automation?
Email automation is no longer a luxury for businesses—it’s a necessity. Whether managing a small business or a large enterprise, automating your email communications can save you time, improve efficiency, and help you maintain stronger relationships with your customers and suppliers.
Tools like Bigly Sales, Mailchimp, Gmail, Outlook, and Quickmail make it easier than ever to send automated emails, regardless of your business size or needs.
As technology advances, AI-powered tools like Bigly Sales will continue to shape the future of email automation, offering more personalized, relevant, and timely communications.
By embracing email automation today, businesses can stay competitive, grow their audience, and ensure their communications are always on point. So, whether you’re sending bulk emails or personal updates, automation is the key to taking your business to the next level.
