Automated emails are sent by rules you set once. The rule might be “when someone joins the list”, “seven days before a deadline” or “when someone clicks this link”. Below is a walkthrough using Mailpro, with examples drawn from organisations in Ghana.
Types of automated email worth building first
- Welcome series: two or three emails introducing your brand to new subscribers.
- Date-based reminders: school fees, loan repayments, membership renewals, event dates.
- Birthdays and anniversaries: a greeting and a small offer, which Ghanaians often appreciate as a personal touch.
- Behaviour-based follow-ups: triggered when someone clicks a link, for example on a property listing in East Legon.
- Re-engagement: a “we miss you” message to contacts who have been silent for months.
Three ready-made workflows to copy
School fee reminder
Trigger: 14 days before the fee deadline. Email 1 gives the amount in GH₵, the due date and the payment options. Email 2, three days before the deadline, goes only to parents who have not yet paid (update a field when payment is received). An optional SMS on the deadline morning catches the rest.
Fintech welcome series
Trigger: account created. Email 1 is sent immediately with a welcome and security tips, including a reminder that your staff will never ask for a PIN. Email 2, on day three, shows one key feature. Email 3, on day seven, invites questions and links to support.
Event follow-up
Trigger: registration for a seminar in Accra or Kumasi. Confirmation straight away, a reminder with directions the day before, and a thank-you with a short feedback survey afterwards.
Step 1: Prepare your contact data
Automations run on fields. For birthday emails you need a date of birth; for reminders you need the deadline date. Store them in custom fields and import in a consistent date format. If you collect data through a form, tell subscribers why you ask, as Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) expects you to process only what you need for a stated purpose.
Step 2: Choose the trigger
In Mailpro, create a new automation and pick what starts it: a subscription, a date, a link click or a deadline. For a school, “14 days before the fee deadline” is a common choice; for a fintech, “immediately after sign-up”.
Step 3: Write the message
Keep it short and practical. For a fee reminder: amount in GH₵, due date, accepted payment methods and a contact number in +233 format. For a welcome email: what you will send, how often, and one helpful link. Personalise with the reader’s first name.
Step 4: Set timing
Ghana is on GMT all year, so there is no daylight-saving shift to worry about. Avoid sending reminders at night; mid-morning on a weekday tends to suit working parents and business customers. If your list includes diaspora contacts in North America, consider a separate automation timed for them.
Step 5: Add an SMS where it helps
For deadlines that really matter, pair the email with a short text. Mailpro can send automatic SMS from the same contact list. The NCA’s code on unsolicited communications expects consent for promotional texts, so keep reminders factual unless the contact has opted in to marketing.
Step 6: Check consent and unsubscribe
If the automation promotes anything, the contact must have given prior consent under section 40 of Act 843. Mailpro adds an unsubscribe link to each email. Our permission guide for Ghana explains how to record consent.
Step 7: Test and switch on
Add yourself as a test contact that meets the trigger, confirm the email arrives on time and looks right on a phone, then activate the workflow.
Common set-up mistakes
- Wrong date formats on import: 03/06 means 3 June in Ghana but 6 March in US-formatted files. Check a few records after importing.
- No exit condition: a reminder sequence should stop once the customer pays or registers.
- Too many steps too close together: space messages out, or recipients will unsubscribe.
- Forgotten test contacts: remove them before going live so your statistics stay accurate.
Step 8: Review regularly
Automations are easy to forget. Review them each quarter: are fee amounts current? Has the contact number changed? Is the Christmas offer still running in March? Use automated email statistics to spot weak steps, and see the automated emails overview for more ideas.