Insights · Follow up · Email marketing
Email automation for small businesses: the five automations to set up first
By Ray A, Head of Marketing and Strategy
Published · 3 minute read
The short answer
Email automation sends the right email at the right moment, triggered by what someone did, without anyone pressing send. For a small service business, the five automations that earn the most are: an instant reply to every enquiry, appointment reminders, quote follow-up, review requests and a reactivation email to past clients. Set up domain authentication first, so the emails reach the inbox.
Most small businesses think of email marketing as a monthly newsletter. The newsletter is the least valuable email you send. The emails that earn the most are the ones triggered by what a client just did. Here are the five I would set up first, in order.
1. The instant enquiry reply
Within a minute of every enquiry: thank them, say who will call and when, answer the most common question and include a booking link. It is the single highest-value email most businesses can add.
2. Appointment confirmation and reminder
A confirmation straight away and a reminder the day before, with an easy way to rearrange. Making it easy to move an appointment stops people simply not turning up.
3. Quote follow-up
Two or three short emails after a quote: checking it arrived, answering the most common objection, and a clear prompt to decide. Quotes left unanswered are often lost to whoever followed up.
4. Review request
Within a day of finishing the work, with a direct link to your Google review form. Automate it so it always happens.
5. Reactivation
A personal email to past clients who have not been in touch for six to twelve months, with a timely reason to come back. An East London aesthetics clinic we work with won back 34 past clients with a simple re-engagement email.
Make sure your emails reach the inbox
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| SPF | Lists the servers allowed to send email for your domain |
| DKIM | Signs your emails so receivers can check they are genuine |
| DMARC | Tells receivers what to do with emails that fail those checks |
| One-click unsubscribe | Required by Google and Yahoo for bulk marketing email |
Google and Yahoo sender requirements for bulk senders, in force since February 2024.
Stay within the UK rules
Under PECR and UK GDPR, you can send marketing email to people who opted in, and to existing clients and enquirers about similar services under the soft opt-in, provided every email offers a simple way to unsubscribe. Service emails, such as confirmations and reminders, are not marketing.
About the author
Ray A, Head of Marketing and Strategy. Ray leads marketing across Lead Gems. He sets the strategy behind every client account, from the offer to the channels, and oversees every campaign so it wins clients, not clicks.
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