What Is a Follow-Up in Email Marketing?
In email marketing, a follow-up is an email sent after an initial message to continue the conversation or prompt the recipient to take action.
Follow-ups are commonly used to:
- Remind recipients about an offer or deadline
- Provide additional information
- Encourage a response
- Nurture a lead or prospect
- Re-engage someone who didn’t take action
For example, if you send an invitation to a webinar, a follow-up email might be sent a few days later to people who didn’t register.
Why Follow-Ups Matter
Most people don’t act on the first email—not because they aren’t interested, but because they’re busy, distracted, or not ready.
A well-timed follow-up can significantly improve results by increasing:
- Opens
- Clicks
- Conversions
- Replies (in outreach or sales emails)
Follow-ups are a simple way to increase performance without sending more campaigns to more people.
Common Types of Follow-Up Emails
Reminder Follow-Ups
Sent to remind recipients about something they may have missed.
Example: “Just a reminder—our sale ends tonight.”
Educational Follow-Ups
Sent to add value and answer common questions.
Example: “Here are 3 tips to help you get started.”
Behaviour-Based Follow-Ups
Triggered by actions (or inaction), such as:
- Not opening the first email
- Clicking a link but not converting
- Abandoning a cart
- Downloading a resource
Example: “Still interested in this guide? Here’s a quick summary.”
Sales and Outreach Follow-Ups
Used in prospecting to increase reply rates.
Example: “Just following up on my last message—would you be open to a quick call?”
Post-Purchase Follow-Ups
Sent after a purchase to support retention and satisfaction.
Example: “Here’s how to get the most out of your product.”
Follow-Up Best Practices
Don’t Overdo It
Too many follow-ups can feel spammy. For most campaigns, 1–2 follow-ups is enough.
Time It Well
Common timing ranges:
- 24–48 hours for urgent promotions
- 3–7 days for newsletters or content
- 7–14 days for B2B nurturing
Add Value
A follow-up should offer something new—more context, a reminder, an FAQ, a benefit—not just repeat the same message.
Segment When Possible
Don’t send the same follow-up to everyone. Tailor it based on:
- Openers vs non-openers
- Clickers vs non-clickers
- Customers vs prospects
Use Clear Calls to Action
Make the next step obvious: click, register, reply, download, etc.
Follow-Up vs Drip Campaign
A follow-up is usually one or two messages related to a specific email.
A drip campaign (or email sequence) is a planned series of emails sent over time to educate or nurture recipients.
Key Takeaway
A follow-up is an email sent after an initial message to increase engagement or prompt action. Because most recipients don’t act on the first email, follow-ups are one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve results—especially when they’re well-timed, relevant, and value-driven.