This guide takes you through setting up an automated email in Mailpro for a Canadian audience. We’ll use a welcome email as the main example, then show how the same steps apply to birthdays, click follow-ups and deadline reminders.
Before you start: prepare your data
Automations are only as good as the fields they use. Make sure your contacts have:
- an email address with a recorded consent type and date;
- a language field (English or French);
- a province or time-zone field if you want local timing;
- any date fields your triggers need, such as a birthday or purchase date.
Step 1: Log in and create the automation
Log in to Mailpro, open the automation section and create a new automated email. Name it clearly, for example “Welcome FR, Quebec subscribers”.
Step 2: Choose the trigger
- Subscription: the contact joins a list through a form. Ideal for welcome emails.
- Date: a birthday or anniversary field. See birthday emails.
- Link click: the contact clicks a specific link in a campaign. See click-triggered emails.
- Deadline: a set number of days before a date, such as an event or a renewal. See deadline emails.
Step 3: Target the right contacts
Restrict the automation to the relevant list and segment. For a French welcome, filter on language = French. For a consent-renewal reminder, filter on contacts with implied consent whose purchase date is approaching the two-year mark.
Step 4: Write both language versions
Create the English email, then a separate French automation with fully translated content, including the subject line and preheader. Don’t rely on one bilingual email for welcomes; the first message sets the tone, and readers notice when their language is an afterthought.
Step 5: Add the CASL essentials
Include your business name, mailing address and a contact method in the footer, plus the unsubscribe link. Contact details must remain valid for at least 60 days after sending. If the automation is promotional, only contacts with valid consent should enter it.
Step 6: Set the timing
For date-based automations, choose a send hour that suits the contact’s region. If your list spans the country, create separate versions for western and eastern time zones. Avoid statutory holidays for business-oriented messages, and remember that some holidays are provincial, such as Family Day or the Fête nationale du Québec on June 24.
Step 7: Test, activate, review
Send a test to yourself, check links and personalization fields in both languages, then activate. After a week, review the automation’s statistics: opens, clicks and unsubscribes per step. Adjust subject lines or timing and let it keep running.
Example: a bilingual welcome series
A Montreal-based online bookshop might set up two parallel flows triggered by its sign-up form:
- Day 0: welcome and confirmation of what subscribers will receive, with a link to manage preferences.
- Day 3: staff picks, including Canadian authors, with one clear button.
- Day 10: an invitation to follow the shop’s events calendar, from author readings to book fairs.
The English and French flows share the same structure and timing, but each is written natively rather than translated word for word. Contacts who unsubscribe at any step leave both flows immediately.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Sending promotions to contacts without consent. An automation doesn’t change CASL’s rules; filter entry conditions on consent status.
- Forgetting to stop. Add exit conditions so a customer who buys stops receiving the reminder about the product they just purchased.
- Empty personalization fields. “Hello ,” looks careless. Always set fallback text.
- One time zone for everyone. A 7 a.m. Eastern send reaches Vancouver at 4 a.m.
- Stale content. An automation that still mentions last year’s Canada Day offer in August damages trust. Review seasonal flows every quarter.
Ideas for your next automations
- A post-purchase satisfaction survey one week after delivery.
- A reminder email 48 hours before a booked appointment.
- A seasonal re-engagement email before Thanksgiving for customers who haven’t bought in a year.
For the bigger picture, see automated emails for Canadian businesses.