If you're tired of sending the same follow-up emails and watching leads slip away, you're not alone. The good news? You can automate most of that grind. This guide is for anyone using cold outreach or sales emails who wants better replies without babysitting their inbox. We’ll walk through setting up automated follow-ups in Supersend—what works, what to skip, and what actually moves the needle.
Why automate follow-up messages at all?
Let’s be blunt: Most people don’t respond to the first email. That doesn’t mean they’re not interested—they’re just busy, or maybe your message got buried. A good follow-up can double (sometimes triple) your reply rate. The trick is to automate it, so you don’t go nuts tracking who needs what.
But—and this is key—automation is only as good as the thinking behind it. Mindless spam won’t help you. Smart, well-timed follow-ups will.
Step 1: Get your Supersend account ready
First things first, make sure you have:
- A Supersend account (free trials exist; don’t overthink this)
- Your email connected (Google, Outlook, whatever you use)
- A list of leads (CSV or spreadsheet is fine)
If you’re stuck on any of that, Supersend’s onboarding is actually helpful. Don’t get hung up on perfecting your email list or copy right now—you’ll tweak as you go.
Step 2: Build a campaign, not a single email
Supersend is built around “campaigns.” Think of a campaign as a sequence: first email, follow-up 1 if no reply, follow-up 2, and so on.
- From the dashboard, click “New Campaign.”
- Give it a name you’ll recognize later (not “Test 123”).
- Upload your contact list. Map columns so Supersend knows what’s what (name, email, company, etc.).
- Choose your sending account.
Pro tip: Don’t add 500 people to your very first campaign. Try it with 10-20 leads to make sure your emails don’t look weird, the timing feels right, and nothing breaks.
Step 3: Write your initial email (and don’t overthink it)
Here’s the deal: Your first email should be short and to the point. No one reads long intros from strangers.
- Use the prospect’s name and company if you have it.
- Make it clear why you’re reaching out.
- Ask one specific question or offer one clear next step.
- Skip the fluff and keep it under 100 words.
Example:
Hi {{first_name}},
I saw your team at {{company}} is hiring for sales roles. I help folks automate follow-ups so good leads don’t get lost. Is this worth a quick chat?
You can personalize more, but don’t let “perfect” slow you down.
Step 4: Add automated follow-ups
Here’s where the magic happens. In Supersend, you can stack as many follow-ups as you want, triggered if you don’t get a reply.
- Click “Add Step” after your first email.
- Choose the delay (e.g., 2 days after no response).
- Write a new, short follow-up. Don’t just copy-paste your first email.
A good follow-up is friendly, not pushy. Try a quick nudge or a new angle.
Example follow-up:
Hey {{first_name}},
Just checking back—any thoughts on automating follow-ups at {{company}}? Happy to send more info if that helps.
You can add more steps, but three emails total is usually enough. Anything more and you risk annoying people. (Yes, some “experts” say seven emails is magic. In reality, it depends on your industry and how much you like being marked as spam.)
What to avoid in your sequence
- Don’t use guilt trips (“I haven’t heard from you, did I offend you?”).
- Don’t send back-to-back emails on consecutive days.
- Don’t fake “just following up” with zero value.
Keep it natural. If you wouldn’t say it to someone in person, don’t put it in your email.
Step 5: Set up sending windows and throttle limits
Supersend lets you control when your emails go out—so you don’t look like a robot.
- Choose sensible sending hours (e.g., weekdays, 9am–4pm your prospect’s time zone).
- Set a max number of emails per day (start low: 20–50/day is plenty for most people).
- Randomize send times a bit if you can.
This helps you dodge spam filters and keeps replies manageable. If you blast 200 emails at 8am, don’t be surprised when Gmail hates you.
Pro tip: Warming up a new email account before sending big campaigns will save you headaches. Supersend or third-party tools can help with this.
Step 6: Personalize (but don’t lose your mind)
Supersend supports custom fields like {{first_name}} or {{company}}. Use these for basics, but don’t kill yourself writing a novel for each lead.
- Personalization helps, but the real win is getting the basics right: relevance, timing, and clarity.
- If you want to go deeper, add a sentence specific to the lead’s recent announcement or role—but only if you can do it fast.
A/B test two versions: one with a generic pitch, one where you add a single personalized sentence. See what works.
Step 7: Test your sequence before going live
Seriously, test it. Send the campaign to your own email or a colleague.
- Check for broken personalization fields (nobody wants “Hi {{first_name}}”).
- Make sure links work and emails don’t land in spam.
- Tweak the timing if the follow-ups feel too close together.
This sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many people skip this and end up sending 100 broken emails.
Step 8: Launch, track, and adjust
Hit “Start campaign” and let Supersend do its thing.
- Watch your open rates, reply rates, and bounce rates.
- If you’re getting zero replies, your message needs work. If you’re getting a lot of bounces, your list is junk.
- Adjust your sequence: Try a different subject line, change the timing, or cut a step if people get annoyed.
Ignore vanity metrics. Opens are nice, but replies and conversations are what matter. Don’t tweak for the sake of tweaking—change things when there’s a real problem.
What actually moves the needle (and what’s hype)
Works: - Short, clear emails with a single ask - 1-2 well-timed follow-ups - Sending during the recipient’s business hours
Doesn’t work: - Long email threads with six “just bumping this up” messages - Overly clever subject lines (“Quick question” is dead) - Mass personalization that isn’t actually personal
Ignore: - Fancy HTML templates (plain text is better for cold outreach, trust me) - Gimmicks or fake “RE:” threads - Overcomplicated tracking—just focus on replies
Wrapping up (and keeping it simple)
Automating follow-ups in Supersend isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of upfront work. Start with a small, simple campaign. Don’t chase every trick or trend—just write like a human, check your basics, and let the system handle the grunt work. Iterate as you go, and don’t be afraid to cut what’s not working.
Remember: The best automation makes you more human, not less. Keep it honest, keep it useful, and you’ll see your conversion rates actually improve.