How to automate follow up emails with personalized videos using Sendspark and Zapier

If you’re tired of sending the same stale follow-up emails and want replies that aren’t just “unsubscribe,” you’re in the right place. This guide will show you how to automatically send personalized video follow-ups using Sendspark and Zapier. It’s for salespeople, founders, and customer success folks who want replies—and don’t want to spend their whole day copy-pasting.

You don’t need to be a coder. You just need patience, a Zapier account, and a willingness to record yourself on camera (don’t worry, you’ll get used to it).

Why bother with personalized video follow-ups?

Let’s be honest: most automated emails get ignored. But a quick, personalized video can actually get opened and replied to. People like faces. It’s human. Is it magic? No. But it works better than another “Just checking in!” text blob.

That said, video isn’t a silver bullet. If your message is spammy or irrelevant, a video won’t save it. But if you’re genuinely following up with leads, customers, or users—this can give you an edge.

What you need before starting

  • A Sendspark account: This is where you’ll record or generate the personalized video links.
  • A Zapier account: Zapier connects different apps and automates the workflow.
  • An email tool: Gmail, Outlook, or something else Zapier supports.
  • A trigger source: Usually a CRM, form, or spreadsheet with contact info.

If you’re missing any of these, pause and get them set up first.

Step 1: Record a reusable video in Sendspark

Most people think you need to record a new video for every single contact. You don’t. Sendspark lets you record one reusable video and personalize the intro (“Hi, [First Name]!”) with dynamic text.

How to do it:

  1. Log into Sendspark.
  2. Record your “evergreen” video.
    Talk through what you’d say in a typical follow-up. Don’t mention names yet.
  3. Add personalization with variables.
    Sendspark lets you insert variables like {{First Name}} to personalize the video landing page and thumbnail.
  4. Save the video and note the sharing options.
    You’ll use the unique Sendspark video URL in your email.

Pro tip:
If you want real video personalization (like saying the recipient’s name on camera), you’ll have to record each video one by one. That’s more work, but sometimes worth it for top-tier leads.

Step 2: Set up your trigger in Zapier

Zapier runs on “if this, then that” logic. You need to tell it when to send the follow-up email.

Common triggers:

  • New row in a Google Sheet (handy for manual control)
  • New lead in your CRM (like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.)
  • New form submission (Typeform, Gravity Forms, etc.)

How to set it up:

  1. Create a new Zap.
  2. Choose your trigger app.
  3. Pick the trigger event (e.g., “New Spreadsheet Row”).
  4. Connect your account and test the trigger.

What to ignore:
Don’t overcomplicate with fancy filters or branching logic until you’ve seen this work once. Start simple—one trigger, one action.

Step 3: Connect Sendspark to Zapier

This is where people get tripped up. Sendspark’s Zapier integration lets you automatically generate personalized video links for each contact.

How to do it:

  1. Add Sendspark as your next Zapier step.
  2. Choose “Generate Video Link” as the action.
  3. Connect your Sendspark account using the API key.
    (Find this in Sendspark under “Integrations” or “API”.)
  4. Map your variables.
    For example, link the “First Name” column from your trigger source to the {{First Name}} variable in Sendspark.

Heads up:
If you want true video personalization (unique video for each person), you’ll need to record and upload those manually, or use Sendspark’s advanced API (which gets technical, fast). For most people, the dynamic landing page & thumbnail are good enough.

Step 4: Set up the automated email in Zapier

Now we get to the payoff: the actual email that goes out with your video link.

How to do it:

  1. Add your email app as the next Zapier step.
  2. Gmail, Outlook, Mailgun, or whatever you use.
  3. Set the action to “Send Email.”
  4. Personalize the subject and body.
  5. Use variables for name, company, etc.
  6. Paste in the Sendspark video link from the previous step.
  7. (Optional) Add a thumbnail image.
  8. Sendspark gives you a GIF thumbnail. Some email tools let you embed this, which boosts clicks. Otherwise, just use a regular link.

Sample email body:

Hi {{First Name}},

Wanted to send you a quick video message to follow up. Click below to watch:

{{Sendspark Video Link}}

Let me know what you think!

Best, {{Your Name}}

Pro tip:
Keep it short. People won’t watch a five-minute video from a stranger. Thirty seconds is plenty.

Step 5: Test the whole flow

Don’t skip this. It’s where most automation fails—little things like variables not mapping, or emails going to spam.

How to test:

  • Use a test contact (yourself or a teammate).
  • Run the trigger and watch the workflow fire.
  • Open the email, click the video link, and make sure it all looks right.

If something’s broken:

  • Check your Zapier logs for errors.
  • Make sure all variables are mapped and not blank.
  • Double-check your Sendspark video sharing settings.
  • Sometimes, email deliverability is the culprit—check spam folders.

What works, what doesn’t, and what to skip

What works:

  • Personalization gets more replies. Even if it’s just a first name and a thumbnail.
  • Sendspark’s dynamic video pages look slick and don’t require big file uploads.
  • Zapier is reliable for basic flows.

What doesn’t:

  • Over-automation. If you try to automate every possible branch, you’ll create chaos (and probably annoy your leads).
  • Super-generic videos (“Hi there!” with no context) don’t perform much better than text.
  • Overly long or “hard sell” videos get ignored.

What to skip:

  • Don’t bother with 10-step Zaps or adding in a bunch of lead scoring at the start. You can always layer that on later.
  • Don’t use videos for every email. Use them where a personal touch matters (first outreach, big deal follow-ups, etc.).

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

  • Sending to the wrong people:
    Double-check your trigger. You don’t want to send a “Hey, thanks for your purchase!” video to everyone in your CRM.

  • Not testing variables:
    If your video says “Hi, {{First Name}}” and the field is blank, you’ll look like a robot.

  • Not respecting privacy:
    Only send videos to people who expect to hear from you. Or you’ll get flagged as spam.

  • Trying to be too clever:
    Keep the workflow simple at first. Prove it works, then add bells and whistles.

Wrap-up: Keep it simple and iterate

Automating follow-up emails with personalized videos isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little setup and testing. Start with a simple workflow: one video, one trigger, one email. See how people respond. If you’re getting replies (or at least opens), it’s working.

Don’t fall for the trap of endless automation or over-engineering. Make it personal, keep it short, and tweak as you go. You’ll get better responses—and save yourself a ton of time.

And remember: nobody expects Oscar-worthy videos. Just look into the camera and be human. That’s the real shortcut.