If you send sales emails, you know the real work starts after you hit send. Following up is the only way most people ever reply. But let’s be honest—manually chasing every lead is a pain, and it’s easy to let them slip through the cracks. If you’re using Swagiq and you want more replies (without losing your weekends to reminders), this guide is for you.
Below, I’ll walk you through setting up automated email follow-ups in Swagiq, step by step. I’ll also flag what actually moves the needle—and what’s just noise.
Why bother automating follow-ups?
Some numbers: Over half of sales replies happen after the first email. The trick is, most people send one email and give up. It’s not that follow-ups are magic—they’re just reminders, and we all need reminders. Automating them isn’t about spamming people. Done right, it’s about making sure you don’t drop the ball, and saving yourself a ton of manual work.
Here’s who gets the most out of automating follow-ups: - Anyone sending outbound sales or partnership emails - SDRs and AEs juggling a lot of leads at once - Small teams without a massive sales ops department - Frankly, anyone who’d rather not copy-paste the same “just bumping this up” email all day
Sound familiar? Let’s get to it.
Step 1: Get your Swagiq account ready
First, make sure you’re set up with the right plan. Swagiq’s email automation features aren’t always included in the free tier—double-check you’ve got access to “Sequences” or whatever they call automated workflows in your version. If you’re not sure, poke around in your dashboard or contact support. (Don’t waste time building a system you can’t use.)
Quick checklist: - You can connect your email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) - You have access to the “Sequences” or “Campaigns” feature - You’ve verified your sending domain (improves deliverability—worth the 10 minutes)
Pro tip: If you’re serious about not ending up in spam, use a real business domain and warm it up first. Swagiq usually has some docs on this, but it’s always worth double-checking.
Step 2: Map out your follow-up sequence before you build
It’s tempting to just jump in and start making emails. But before you do, sketch out what your actual sequence will look like. Trust me—writing them all in the builder is a recipe for confusion later.
A solid follow-up sequence looks like:
- Initial email (your pitch)
- First follow-up (2-3 days later, short and polite)
- Second follow-up (5-7 days after that, maybe add value or reframe)
- Final nudge (optional, a quick “should I close your file?” type)
Don’t overdo it. More than 3-4 follow-ups and you’re flirting with the spam folder and annoying your prospects. If someone hasn’t replied after four touches, they’re probably not interested—or not checking their email.
Write each email ahead of time. Keep them short, friendly, and to the point. Avoid templates that sound robotic or like you’re reading from a manual.
Step 3: Build your sequence in Swagiq
Now you’re ready to use Swagiq’s sequence builder. Here’s how to do it without getting lost in the weeds:
- Go to the Sequences or Campaigns section. (Label may vary depending on Swagiq version.)
- Create a new sequence. Name it something obvious, like “Q2 Outbound – SaaS leads.”
- Add your steps:
- For each email, paste in your draft.
- Set the timing (e.g., “Wait 3 days, then send next step.”)
- Most platforms let you choose between automatic sending or manual review. Use auto-send unless you really want to vet every message.
- Personalize. Swagiq should let you use variables like {{first_name}} or {{company}}. Test these. Nothing kills credibility like “Hi [FIRST_NAME].”
- Set conditions (optional): Some versions let you skip steps if a lead replies or clicks. Use this—no one likes getting a follow-up after they’ve already responded.
What to ignore: Don’t get bogged down in “AI-powered” suggestions or over-complicated branching logic unless you have thousands of leads. Simple sequences work best.
Step 4: Build your list and import contacts
Garbage in, garbage out. If your contacts are messy, so are your results.
- Export your leads from wherever you keep them (CRM, spreadsheet, LinkedIn, etc.)
- Make sure you’ve got first names, emails, and any other variables you’ll use in your emails
- Import your list into Swagiq—there should be a “Contacts” or “Import” button
- Double-check the mapping: make sure “first_name” is actually first names, etc.
Pro tip: Spot-check your list for weird formatting or missing data before you hit send. One “Hi {{first_name}},” is all it takes to lose trust.
Step 5: Test before you launch
Don’t trust that everything works perfectly out of the box. Send a test to yourself (and maybe a skeptical colleague).
Check for: - Weird formatting or broken variables - Timing (do the delays make sense?) - Subject lines (would you open it?) - Deliverability—does it end up in spam?
If something’s off, tweak it now. Much easier than explaining to a hundred leads why they got “Hi , just bumping this up…”
Step 6: Hit send—and actually monitor replies
Once you’re happy, launch your sequence. But don’t just walk away. The point is to start conversations, not just fire off emails.
- Swagiq should track opens, replies, and bounces. Pay attention.
- As soon as someone replies, take them out of the sequence and respond like a human.
- If you’re getting a lot of bounces or spam complaints, pause and troubleshoot. Don’t burn your sender reputation.
What’s overrated: Open rates. They’re unreliable these days because of privacy changes. Focus on actual replies.
Step 7: Iterate based on real results
The first version of your sequence won’t be perfect. That’s normal.
- After a week or two, look at your reply rate. Under 5%? Something’s off—try rewriting your first two emails.
- If most replies are negative or “unsubscribe,” tone down your approach and make it more personal.
- Tweak your timing if you’re getting replies only after the second or third touch.
Don’t change everything at once. Small tweaks = easier to see what actually made a difference.
What works (and what doesn’t) in Swagiq follow-up automation
What actually helps:
- Personalization. Even just a first name and company—don’t skip this.
- Short, clear emails. Nobody reads a wall of text from a stranger.
- Reasonable timing (2-5 days between touches is about right).
- Knowing when to stop (3-4 emails, max).
What doesn’t matter as much as you think:
- Fancy HTML templates. They look like marketing blasts, not real emails.
- Tracking opens or clicks. Reply rate is what counts.
- Over-optimizing send times. Unless your audience is global, don’t sweat it.
What to ignore:
- AI-generated copy, unless you’re willing to rewrite it anyway. It never sounds as good as a real person.
- Sequences longer than four emails. At that point, you’re just annoying people.
Keep it simple and keep tweaking
Automating follow-ups in Swagiq isn’t rocket science. The hard part is actually writing good emails and sticking to a process. Start simple, use real language, and check your results every couple of weeks. Most importantly—don’t let perfect get in the way of done.
If you hit a snag, take a step back. Usually, it’s something simple—like a bad contact list or a missing variable. Keep things human, iterate as you go, and let Swagiq handle the grunt work so you can focus on the replies that matter.