If you’re tired of remembering which prospect needs a nudge or which client still hasn’t replied, you’re not alone. Automated follow-up sequences can save you hours and a lot of mental bandwidth. This guide is for anyone who wants to set up practical, no-nonsense follow-up automation in Usemotion—whether you’re new to automation tools or just sick of overcomplicated CRMs.
Below, you’ll get a step-by-step walkthrough, some honest advice about the rough edges, and a few shortcuts to skip the fluff and get results.
Why automate follow-ups in the first place?
Let’s be real: nobody actually enjoys chasing people over email. But that’s often what stands between you and a closed deal, a finished project, or just clearing your inbox of “checking in” messages. Manual follow-ups are tedious, easy to forget, and inconsistent.
Automating this process means: - Fewer balls dropped - More responses, faster - Less staring at your “sent” folder, wondering if you should ping again
But automation isn’t magic. If you set it up wrong, you’ll annoy people or look like a robot. The trick is to keep things human (even when a bot’s doing the grunt work).
Step 1: Get clear on your follow-up goals
Before you start clicking around, figure out: - Who you’re following up with (leads, clients, job applicants, etc.) - What you want to happen (a reply, a completed task, a payment, whatever) - How many times you want to follow up, and how often
Don’t overcomplicate this. Most effective sequences are 2-4 emails spaced a few days apart. Nobody likes a pest.
Pro tip: Write your follow-up messages before you build the automation. It’s easy to get lost in the tool and forget what you actually want to say.
Step 2: Set up your contacts in Usemotion
Usemotion isn’t a full-fledged CRM, but it does let you organize contacts decently enough for follow-ups.
- Import your contacts: If you’ve got a CSV or a Google Contacts sync, use it. Manual entry is fine if your list is short.
- Tag or label contacts: Group people by type (“Leads,” “Clients,” etc.) so you can trigger sequences only for the right folks.
What to skip: Don’t waste time tagging every single contact with five different labels. You only need broad categories to start.
Step 3: Draft your follow-up sequence
Now, write out your sequence: - Email #1: Usually a short reminder or nudge. Don’t be passive-aggressive (“Just circling back…” is tired). - Email #2: Slightly more direct. Reference your last note, add value, or offer a quick call to action. - Email #3+: If you’re not getting a response, consider a “breakup” email (“Should I close your file?”). Don’t send more than 3-4 unless you have a really good reason.
Keep these short, clear, and human. Nobody wants a wall of text from a bot.
Honest take: Templates can help, but personalization is what gets replies. Even a single sentence that references the person or context makes a big difference.
Step 4: Build the automation in Usemotion
Here’s where you wire it up:
- Go to Automations: In Usemotion, find the “Automations” or “Sequences” section in the sidebar.
- Create a new sequence: Usually there’s a big “+” or “Create Sequence” button.
- Set your triggers:
- Choose when the sequence kicks off—usually after you send an initial email, when a task is marked incomplete, or after a calendar event.
- You can also trigger based on tags or labels you set earlier.
- Add your follow-up steps:
- For each step, set the delay (e.g., “2 days after last email”).
- Paste in your drafted email. Most tools let you use merge fields like
{First Name}—use them, but carefully. Nothing says “robot” like “Hi {First Name}, I hope you, {First Name}, are well.” - Set exit conditions:
- The most important: stop the sequence if the person replies.
- You can also stop if they click a link or complete a task.
What works: Timing matters more than fancy copy. Send follow-ups two to five business days apart. Mornings are usually best.
What to ignore: Don’t get sidetracked with advanced conditional logic unless you really need it. Start simple—more complexity means more things to break.
Step 5: Test your sequence (don’t skip this)
Before you unleash your automation on real people, test it on yourself or a colleague.
- Send the sequence to a test email. Make sure:
- The emails look right (no weird formatting or “Hi {First Name}” mistakes).
- The timing works as expected.
- Replying to a step actually stops the sequence.
Pro tip: Try replying from your phone to see if Usemotion picks up replies from different clients. Sometimes automations miss replies if someone changes the subject line—worth checking.
Step 6: Launch and monitor
Once you’re confident, start your first real batch. But keep an eye on things:
- Check your outbox: Make sure emails are going out as planned.
- Look for replies: If people are replying but the sequence keeps going, your exit conditions need fixing.
- Be ready to pause: If you see a mistake or get complaints, hit pause fast. Don’t just let it ride.
What works: Start small. Run the sequence for 10-20 contacts first. Clean up any weirdness, then roll it out wider.
Step 7: Tweak and improve
Don’t expect perfection on the first try. Here’s what to pay attention to:
- Reply rates: If nobody’s responding, your copy might be too generic or your timing’s off.
- Negative feedback: If people say your emails feel “too automated” or “spammy,” dial up the personal touch.
- Drop-off points: If everyone replies after email #2, maybe you don’t need a third nudge.
- Subject lines: Sometimes, a boring subject line gets opened more than a clever one. Test a couple.
Skip: Don’t waste time A/B testing five versions unless you have a huge list. For most of us, simple tweaks beat endless experiments.
Things to watch out for (honest pitfalls)
- Deliverability: If you’re blasting a lot of follow-ups, you could end up in spam. Stick to sensible volumes, and avoid “salesy” phrases.
- Tone: Automated emails can feel cold. Never start with “Per my previous email…” unless you want to get ignored.
- Over-automation: The more you try to automate every nuance (“If they don’t click link X, send Y…”), the messier it gets. Focus on getting the basics right.
- Privacy: Don’t automate sensitive or confidential follow-ups. Some things need a human touch.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, iterate fast
Automated follow-ups in Usemotion can save you from a lot of boring, repetitive work. But don’t chase perfection or try to automate every possible edge case right away. Start with a basic sequence, see how it feels, and tweak as you go.
Remember: the best automation is the one you barely notice running in the background—until you get the reply you’re waiting for.
Now go set up your first sequence. You’ll thank yourself next week.