How to Send Automated Emails in the US

This walkthrough builds a first automation in Mailpro, using an example many American businesses can adapt: a three-email welcome series for a home-goods store that ships nationwide. The same steps apply to birthday offers, renewal reminders and post-event follow-ups.

Step 1: Define the goal and the audience

Write down what the automation should achieve (“turn new subscribers into first-time buyers within 14 days”) and who enters it (“anyone who subscribes through the website form”). Keeping the goal specific makes it easier to measure later.

Step 2: Prepare the contact data

Automations rely on accurate fields. For a US audience, useful ones include first name, state, time zone, sign-up date, birthday and preferred language. Make sure your subscription form collects only what you will use, and that it explains how the data will be used, as state privacy laws such as the CCPA/CPRA expect.

Step 3: Choose the trigger

Log in to your Mailpro account and create a new automation. Common triggers include:

• joining a list, for a welcome email;
• a date field, for birthday emails or renewal reminders;
• a click on a specific link, for follow-ups on a topic;
• a deadline, for reminders before an event or expiry date.

Step 4: Write each message

For the welcome series example:

1. Day 0: thank the subscriber, say what they will receive and how often, and include a first-order code.
2. Day 3: showcase best-sellers or a buying guide.
3. Day 10: remind them the code expires soon, and point to customer reviews and your return policy.

Each message needs your physical postal address and an unsubscribe link, as required by the CAN-SPAM Act. Use a template with these already in the footer.

Step 5: Set timing and sending windows

Decide the delay between steps and check what local time each message will arrive. For a nationwide list, avoid overnight sends: 9 a.m. Eastern is 6 a.m. Pacific. Segmenting by time zone lets each group receive messages at a sensible local hour.

Step 6: Test

Enter a test contact with your own address and a filled-in first name, then one with empty fields. Check each email in Gmail, Outlook and on a phone, click every link and confirm the discount code works at checkout.

Step 7: Activate and monitor

Switch the automation on and review results after the first two weeks: clicks and conversions per step, unsubscribes and complaints. Our page on automated email statistics explains how to read them. Adjust one element at a time so you know what made the difference.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting exit rules: a customer who buys on day 2 should not receive a “complete your first purchase” reminder on day 10. Review who leaves the sequence and when.
• Stale offers: a welcome discount that mentions “this summer” will look odd in December. Review evergreen automations every quarter.
• Mixing transactional and promotional content: keep order confirmations focused on the order, so they remain transactional under CAN-SPAM.
• Too many messages at once: if a contact is in several automations plus your newsletter, check the combined frequency.

Ideas for your next automations

• A reminder ahead of the Thanksgiving shipping cut-off for customers who bought gifts last year.
• A post-event survey the day after a conference or webinar, created with Mailpro surveys.
• An annual check-in on the anniversary of a customer’s first purchase.

For an overview of what automation can do, see automated emails for US businesses.