If you’ve ever found yourself forgetting to follow up with leads, clients, or job prospects, you’re not alone. Keeping track of who you emailed, when, and what you said gets old fast. That’s where automating follow up emails comes in. If you’re using MissionInbox, you’ve already picked a tool that promises to make this less painful. The trick is setting it up so it actually works for you—and doesn’t just pile on more stuff to manage.
This guide walks you through automating follow up sequences in MissionInbox, step by step. I’ll flag what works, what’s a waste of time, and common gotchas you’ll want to avoid. Whether you’re chasing sales, handling support, or just hate dropping the ball, this is for you.
1. Get Clear on What You Actually Want to Automate
Before you even log in, take a minute to sketch out your follow up flow. Automation’s only useful if it saves you real effort.
Ask yourself: - Who are you emailing? (Leads, customers, partners, etc.) - What’s the goal? (Book a call, get a reply, remind them of something.) - How many follow ups make sense? (Pro tip: more isn’t always better.) - What’s your timeline? (Days between emails, when to stop.)
You don’t need a fancy flowchart. Just jot down the basics. This keeps you from overcomplicating things later.
What to ignore: Templates with 8+ follow ups. If you wouldn’t want to get that many emails, your prospects don’t either.
2. Prep Your Email Content and List
MissionInbox can’t write good emails for you—yet. Take some time to:
- Write short and clear messages. Avoid the urge to sound “professional.” Just be yourself, and say what you mean.
- Personalize where it matters. If you can, add custom fields for names or companies.
- Create a simple spreadsheet (CSV) of who you’re emailing. Make sure you’ve got:
- Email address (obviously)
- First name (optional, but helps)
- Any other details you want to use in the emails (like company name)
Tip: Don’t overthink personalization. One or two custom touches is plenty. Anything more is usually ignored (or worse, looks fake).
3. Set Up Your Sequence in MissionInbox
Now, log in and create your first sequence. The interface is pretty straightforward, but here’s the real-world walkthrough:
a. Start a New Campaign
- Go to “Sequences” or “Campaigns” (the exact label might shift as MissionInbox updates).
- Click “New Sequence” or similar.
b. Add Your Steps
- For each step, paste in your email content.
- Set the delay between each email (e.g., 2 days after no reply).
- Decide how many steps make sense. For most people, 2–3 is plenty.
- You can usually add conditions, like “stop if they reply.” Always turn this on—nobody wants to get a follow up after they’ve responded.
c. Insert Variables
- Use the {{FirstName}} or similar placeholders for custom fields.
- Double-check your variables match your CSV headers. Typos here break things fast.
d. Upload Your Contacts
- Import your CSV.
- Map the columns to the right fields in MissionInbox.
- If you hit weird import errors, check for stray commas or missing emails in your spreadsheet.
e. Set Sending Limits
- MissionInbox lets you set daily sending caps. Stick to 30–50 emails/day if you’re using a standard email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).
- Sending too many too fast is the quickest way to land in spam.
What doesn’t work: Copy-pasting huge lists or blasting everyone at once. You’ll get flagged as spam and your response rate will tank.
4. Test Before You Send
Don’t trust any automation tool blindly—especially when it comes to email.
Do a dry run: - Send every email in your sequence to yourself (and a friend, if possible). - Check for broken variables (“Hi {{FirstName}}” is a classic fail). - Look for weird formatting, typos, and anything that feels off.
If you’re using links, make sure they work and don’t get flagged as suspicious.
Pro tip: Write your first follow up as if the person forgot to reply, not as if they ignored you. Skip the guilt trips. “Just bumping this up in case you missed it” is plenty.
5. Launch and Monitor Your Sequence
Once you’ve double-checked everything, set your sequence live.
- MissionInbox will show you sent, opened, and responded stats.
- Pause the sequence if you see a spike in bounces or spam complaints.
- If your open rates are under 30%, your subject lines need work—or your list is bad.
- If nobody replies, tweak your content. Usually, it’s too generic or too pushy.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics like “delivered” or “clicked” if your main goal is replies. Focus on what moves the needle.
6. Handle Replies and Stop Automation
This is where most people mess up. Even the best tools aren’t perfect at stopping sequences once someone replies.
- Check your inbox for real replies, not just “out of office” or automated responses.
- MissionInbox is usually decent at pausing sequences for contacts who reply, but double-check this.
- Remove contacts manually if you spot any misses. It’s better to be safe than to keep spamming someone who already responded.
Pro tip: Set a daily reminder (just for the first week or two) to scan your sequence for any weirdness.
7. Optimize and Iterate
Don’t expect perfection the first time. Use real results to improve.
- Change one thing at a time—subject line, message, timing. See what works.
- If you get a lot of unsubscribes, dial it back. If you get good replies, try another test.
- Save your best-performing emails as templates for later.
What doesn’t help: Blindly copying “proven” templates from the internet. People can spot those a mile away. Write like a human.
Pitfalls to Watch Out For
A few things to keep you out of trouble:
- Spam traps: Don’t buy email lists. Ever. It’s the fastest way to get blacklisted.
- Deliverability: Use your real domain and warm it up if it’s new. Don’t use tons of links or attachments.
- Legal issues: If you’re in Europe (or emailing people there), read up on GDPR. At a minimum, always include an easy opt-out.
- Over-automation: If you find yourself creating more steps just because you can, stop and ask: would I want to get this?
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
It’s easy to get lost in automation features and “growth hacks.” Truth is, the basics—short, honest emails sent to real people—work best. Start with a simple sequence in MissionInbox, watch what happens, and tweak as you go. Don’t try to automate your way out of caring.
You’ll save time, drop fewer balls, and (hopefully) annoy fewer people. That’s what automation should do.