If you’re tired of sending emails into the void—and even more tired of chasing people who never reply—this guide’s for you. Whether you’re in sales, recruitment, or just trying to get answers, follow-up sequences can save your sanity. But only if they actually work. Here’s how to set up automated follow-ups in GetAia that don’t just add to the noise, but actually increase your response rates.
Why bother automating follow-ups?
Let’s be real: most people don’t answer your first email. Inboxes are crowded, everyone’s busy, and even good messages get missed. Automated follow-ups mean you don’t have to remember to nudge people—your software does it for you. But the point isn’t to spam. The goal is to stay on their radar without being annoying.
Done right, automation can: - Save you hours of manual tracking and reminders - Make sure no lead falls through the cracks - Gently nudge people who meant to reply, but forgot
Done wrong, it just turns you into a robot clogging up inboxes. Let’s avoid that.
Step 1: Get your basics set up in GetAia
Before you start building sequences, make sure you’ve got the basics covered: - Account: You’ll need a GetAia account. They offer a free trial, but some features (like multi-step sequences) might need a paid plan. - Email integration: Connect your email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). GetAia walks you through this, but it’s worth double-checking your permissions. - Contact list: Import your leads or recipients. Clean up your list first—bad data leads to bounced emails and wasted effort.
Pro tip: Don’t skip verifying your sender domain if you’re using a custom email. It helps you avoid the spam folder.
Step 2: Map out your follow-up sequence (before you touch the software)
The biggest mistake people make? Jumping straight into tools before thinking through what they actually want to say, and when. Automation doesn’t fix bad messaging.
Take five minutes to sketch out: - How many follow-ups will you send? (2-4 is usually enough. More than that, and you risk getting flagged as spam.) - What’s the goal of each follow-up? (Reminder, sharing info, asking a new question, etc.) - Timing: How many days between each message?
Here’s a sanity-check template: - Day 0: Initial email - Day 3: Quick nudge (“Did you see this?”) - Day 7: Offer new value or clarify (“Just checking if you had any questions…”) - Day 14: Polite close (“If I don’t hear back, I’ll assume it’s not a fit…”)
Keep it simple. If you need more complexity, you can always add it later.
Step 3: Build your sequence in GetAia
Now let’s get into the nuts and bolts.
3.1. Create a new sequence
- Go to the Sequences tab.
- Click Create New Sequence.
- Give it a clear name you’ll recognize in a month (e.g. “June 2024 Cold Outreach”).
3.2. Add your first email
- Paste in your initial email template.
- Use personalization tags like {{first_name}} — but don’t overdo it. “Hope you’re well, {{first_name}}!” gets old fast.
- Test your email. GetAia’s preview tool is useful, but send a test to yourself to catch anything weird.
3.3. Add follow-up steps
- Click Add Step.
- Choose how many days after the previous email to wait.
- Write your follow-up message. Keep it shorter and lighter than your first email. Don’t just repeat yourself.
What actually works: - Short, direct follow-ups (“Just wanted to bump this up in your inbox.”) - Adding value (“Saw this article and thought of you…”) - Giving an easy out (“If now’s not a good time, just let me know.”)
What doesn’t: - Guilt trips (“I’ve emailed you three times already…”) - Overly formal language - Using “Re:” in the subject line when it’s not a reply
Ignore: Fancy templates and graphics. Plain-text emails have a better shot at the inbox.
3.4. Set stop conditions
Decide when to stop the sequence. In GetAia, you can set it to: - Stop if you get a reply (almost always the right choice) - Stop if the email bounces - Continue regardless (generally a bad idea)
Trust me—if someone replies, you don’t want to keep pestering them with automated follow-ups.
3.5. Review and activate
- Double-check your timing, subject lines, and content.
- Preview the whole flow.
- Activate the sequence.
Step 4: Add your contacts and start sending
- Upload your list or add contacts one by one.
- Assign each contact to the right sequence.
- Hit send, and let GetAia do its thing.
Pro tip: Start with a small batch. If you’re new to this, don’t blast 500 people on day one. Send to 10-20 first, watch for issues, and tweak as needed.
Step 5: Track replies and refine your approach
Automation isn’t “set it and forget it.” The best results come from tweaking based on what actually gets replies.
What to look for in GetAia’s analytics:
- Open rates: If these are low, your subject lines or deliverability need work.
- Reply rates: This is the number that actually matters. Are people writing back, or just opening and ignoring?
- Drop-off points: If everyone bails after email #2, maybe that one’s not hitting the mark.
Tweak, don’t reinvent
- Change one thing at a time (subject line, timing, content) and see what moves the needle.
- Delete steps that don’t seem to help.
- Keep your best-performing templates handy for future campaigns.
A few things to watch out for
- Spam filters: Too many emails, weird formatting, or sending from a sketchy domain can land you in spam. Stick with simple text and verified emails.
- Unsubscribes: Always include a way for people to opt out. GetAia can handle this automatically.
- Tone: Automated doesn’t mean robotic. Read your emails out loud before you send—if you cringe, so will your recipients.
Common myths and mistakes
- “More follow-ups = more replies.” Not always. Sometimes you just annoy people. Quality over quantity.
- “Personalization fixes everything.” It helps, but clunky mail-merge mistakes are worse than being generic.
- “Automation replaces real relationships.” Nope. Use it to start conversations, then switch to human mode.
Keep it simple, and keep iterating
You don’t need a 10-step sequence or fancy AI-generated copy. Start with a few well-timed, thoughtful messages. See what works. Update, repeat. The best automation is the stuff you barely notice—because it just works.
Set up your first sequence, watch your replies, and tweak as you go. That’s how you actually increase response rates—without becoming just another sender to ignore.