The easiest automation to start with is a welcome series: when someone joins your list, they receive a short sequence introducing your business. We will build one for a fictional Valletta bookshop and café, then show how the same steps apply to a hotel pre-arrival flow.
Step 1: Map the journey on paper
Write down what should happen and when:
- Day 0: welcome email with a thank-you and a 10% voucher.
- Day 3: “What we’re reading” with staff picks, in English and Maltese.
- Day 10: invitation to the monthly book club evening.
Keep it to three or four messages. Longer sequences lose readers.
Step 2: Create the entry point
The trigger for a welcome series is a new subscription. Build a sign-up form with Mailpro’s subscription form tool, with double opt-in enabled so you have a written record of consent, as Malta’s S.L. 586.01 requires for marketing email.
Step 3: Write the emails
Use a consistent template so the sequence feels like a conversation. Personalise with the subscriber’s first name and preferred language. Each email should have one purpose and one button.
Step 4: Build the automation
- In Mailpro, create a new automation and choose “subscription to list” as the trigger.
- Add the first action: send the welcome email immediately.
- Add a delay of three days, then the second email.
- Add a seven-day delay, then the invitation.
The FAQ on creating an automatic email on subscription shows each screen.
Step 5: Add an SMS step if useful
If the subscriber also opted in to texts, add an SMS on the day of the book club: “See you tonight at 19:00.” Maltese mobile numbers are eight digits after +356; store them in international format. SMS consent must be collected separately from email consent in Malta, because the ePrivacy definition of electronic mail covers text messages.
Step 6: Test
Subscribe with a test address and check each email arrives on schedule, links work and the Maltese text displays correctly (ċ, ġ, ħ, ż). Check the unsubscribe link removes you from the flow.
Step 7: Launch and monitor
Activate the automation and check the statistics after a week. Look at the drop-off between emails and adjust subject lines or timing.
Reusing the method: a hotel pre-arrival flow
Swap the trigger for a date field (arrival date) and send: seven days before, a practical guide with transfer options from the airport; two days before, a weather note and restaurant ideas; on the day, an SMS with check-in time. The date-field trigger FAQ explains the setup. Because these are service messages, keep promotions out of them or make sure you have marketing consent too.
Timing note
Mailpro schedules in your account time zone. Maltese accounts typically use CET/CEST, so a “9:00” step will arrive at 9:00 Malta time, which is 8:00 in London and 10:00 in Athens.
For more ideas, see automated emails in Malta and our blog on writing the welcome email.