Building Email Sequences
Email sequences allow you to automatically send a series of follow-up emails after your initial message. This is crucial for nurturing leads, onboarding users, or re-engaging contacts without manual effort. Here's how to build them in BuffSend:
1. Start with a Campaign
Sequences are part of a campaign. You first need to create a new campaign and set up the initial email (Step 1).
2. Adding Subsequent Steps (Emails)
- While editing your campaign, find the button or link labelled "Add Step", "Add Email", or similar. Click it.
- This will create a new email step (Step 2, Step 3, etc.) in your sequence.
- Compose Content: Write the subject line and email body for this follow-up email. Remember to tailor the message based on the assumption that the recipient received (but maybe didn't reply to) the previous step.
- Set the Delay: This is the most important part of a sequence. Define how long BuffSend should wait after sending the previous step before sending this one. Common delays are 2-5 days, but this depends on your strategy.
- Example: If Step 1 is sent on Monday, and Step 2 has a 3-day delay, Step 2 will be scheduled to send on Thursday (respecting sending windows).
- Configure Sending Window & Interval: Just like Step 1, you can set specific days/times and the minimum interval between sends for this particular step. This allows you to have different sending patterns for follow-ups (e.g., maybe follow-ups only go out Tuesday-Thursday).
3. Repeat for Additional Steps
Continue adding steps (Step 3, Step 4, etc.) as needed for your sequence, configuring the content, delay, and sending options for each one.
Sequence Logic (Typical Behavior)
- Contact Progression: A contact typically receives Step 1 first. After the specified delay, they are scheduled for Step 2, and so on.
- Replies/Bounces: In many systems (including BuffSend, typically), if a contact replies to any email in the sequence, they are automatically removed from receiving further steps in that campaign to avoid awkward follow-ups after engagement. Similarly, bounced emails will stop receiving further steps.
- Unsubscribes: If a contact unsubscribes, they will be removed from all future mailings.
Best Practices for Sequences
- Provide Value: Each follow-up should offer additional value, address a potential pain point, or offer a different angle – don't just repeat the first email.
- Keep it Concise: Follow-up emails are often best kept short and to the point.
- Reference Previous Emails (Optional): Sometimes lightly referencing the previous email can provide context (e.g., "Just following up on my email from last week...").
- Know When to Stop: Don't overwhelm contacts. A sequence of 3-5 steps is often effective. Have a clear call to action or a natural closing point for your final step.
- Test Your Timing: Experiment with different delays between steps to see what works best for your audience.