In email marketing, marketing automation refers to software and technology that automates repetitive marketing tasks, manages multi-step campaigns, and delivers personalized messages based on user behaviour or predefined triggers. Instead of manually sending each email or campaign, marketing automation allows you to set up workflows that run automatically when certain conditions are met.
Marketing automation can include actions like:
- Sending a welcome email when someone subscribes
- Following up with cart abandoners after 24 hours
- Nurturing leads with a series of educational emails
- Re-engaging subscribers who haven’t opened emails in 90 days
- Segmenting contacts based on clicks, purchases, or form submissions
For example, when a new subscriber joins your list, an automated welcome series might send three emails over five days introducing your brand, sharing your most popular content, and offering a first-time discount—all without manual intervention.
Why marketing automation matters
Marketing automation saves time, increases consistency, and enables personalization at scale. For small teams or solo marketers, it’s often the difference between staying connected with your audience and falling behind.
Key benefits include:
- Time efficiency – Set up a workflow once and it runs continuously, freeing you to focus on strategy and creative work.
- Better timing – Automated emails are triggered by user actions, so they reach people when they’re most engaged or ready to convert.
- Improved personalization – Automation platforms use data like behaviour, preferences, and purchase history to tailor messages to individual subscribers.
- Higher conversion rates – Timely, relevant messages convert better than generic broadcasts.
- Scalability – As your list grows, automation handles the workload without requiring more manual effort.
Common types of marketing automation
Marketing automation can take many forms depending on your goals and platform capabilities.
Welcome series
A sequence of emails sent to new subscribers, typically introducing your brand, setting expectations, and guiding them toward their first action or purchase.
Drip campaigns
A series of pre-written emails delivered over time, often used for lead nurturing, onboarding, or education. Drip campaigns move contacts through a journey at a controlled pace.
Behavioural triggers
Emails sent in response to specific actions, such as:
- Downloading a resource
- Clicking a link in a previous email
- Visiting a pricing page
- Abandoning a shopping cart
- Making a purchase
Behavioural triggers are highly effective because they respond to demonstrated interest.
Re-engagement campaigns
Automated workflows designed to win back inactive subscribers before they disengage completely. These often include incentives, feedback requests, or content refreshers.
Segmentation and tagging
Automation platforms can automatically assign tags or move contacts into segments based on behaviour, allowing you to send more targeted campaigns without manual list management.
Lead scoring
Some platforms assign points to contacts based on actions like email opens, link clicks, or form submissions. When a contact reaches a certain score, they can be automatically routed to sales or moved into a higher-intent workflow.
How marketing automation works
Marketing automation relies on triggers, conditions, and actions to create logic-based workflows.
- Trigger – The event that starts the automation (e.g., someone subscribes, clicks a link, or reaches a specific date).
- Condition – Optional logic that determines whether the workflow continues (e.g., “if they opened the previous email” or “if they live in Canada”).
- Action – What happens next (e.g., send an email, add a tag, wait three days, move to a new segment).
By combining these elements, you can build workflows as simple or complex as your needs require.
Common mistakes with marketing automation
Automation is powerful, but misuse can damage engagement and deliverability.
Setting and forgetting
Automated workflows aren’t one-and-done. Review performance regularly, update content, and retire workflows that no longer serve your goals.
Over-automation
Not every email needs to be automated. Some messages—like announcements, updates, or time-sensitive offers—work better as one-time broadcasts.
Ignoring the customer experience
Just because you can send 10 automated emails doesn’t mean you should. Map out the subscriber’s journey to avoid overwhelming people or creating redundant touchpoints.
Poor segmentation
Generic automation sent to everyone won’t perform well. Use segmentation and behavioural data to ensure relevance.
Lack of testing
Always test your workflows before launching. A broken automation can send the wrong message, skip steps, or frustrate subscribers.
How to get started with marketing automation
If you’re new to automation, start small and expand as you learn.
- Begin with a welcome series – This is the easiest win. Set up 2–3 emails to greet new subscribers and introduce your value.
- Identify high-value triggers – What actions signal intent or engagement? Cart abandonment, resource downloads, and link clicks are great starting points.
- Map the customer journey – Sketch out the path from subscriber to customer. Where could automation help move people forward?
- Use templates when available – Many email platforms offer pre-built automation templates for common workflows like welcome series, win-back campaigns, and post-purchase follow-ups.
- Monitor and optimize – Track open rates, click rates, and conversions for each workflow. Adjust timing, messaging, and segmentation based on performance.
What makes a good marketing automation platform?
Not all platforms offer the same automation capabilities. Look for:
- Visual workflow builders that make logic easy to understand
- Robust trigger and condition options
- Behavioural tracking (clicks, opens, page visits)
- Segmentation and tagging features
- A/B testing within workflows
- Clear reporting on automation performance
Key takeaway
Marketing automation lets you send the right message to the right person at the right time—without doing it manually. By setting up workflows based on triggers and behaviour, you can scale personalization, improve engagement, and free up time to focus on strategy and growth.