If you send outreach emails and never follow up, you’re probably leaving a lot of responses (and money) on the table. Most people don’t reply to the first email—sometimes they’re busy, sometimes they forget, and sometimes your message gets buried. Automated follow-ups can fix that, but most systems are either annoying, complicated, or both.
This guide is for anyone who wants to actually get replies without coming off like a robot or a pest. We’ll cover how to use Superwave to set up automated follow-up sequences that don’t suck, with honest tips for what works and what’s not worth your time.
Why Bother with Automated Follow-ups?
Let’s not kid ourselves: most cold emails and outreach messages get ignored. But a well-timed, non-annoying follow-up can double or even triple your response rate. The trick is to automate it so you’re not stuck copying, pasting, and setting reminders in your calendar.
What’s actually worth automating?
- Follow-ups after no response (the classic “just bumping this up”)
- Follow-ups after a link click or partial action
- Drip sequences for onboarding or nurturing
What’s usually not worth automating?
- Aggressive daily emails (no one likes a stalker)
- Massive generic sequences (they get flagged as spam)
- Unpersonalized, “just checking in” spam (you’ll get ignored or blocked)
Superwave makes it pretty easy to automate the good stuff, and skip the garbage.
Step 1: Get Your Superwave Account Set Up
If you haven’t signed up for Superwave yet, do that first. You’ll need:
- Access to the platform (duh)
- Your email connected (Gmail, Outlook, whatever you use)
- A contact list you want to reach out to
Pro tip: Don’t bother setting up automation until you have at least a handful of real contacts. Testing on yourself is fine, but you’ll get more out of it with an actual audience.
Step 2: Map Out Your Follow-up Goals
Before you start building sequences, get clear on what you want. It sounds obvious, but most people skip this and end up with a mess.
Ask yourself:
- Are you trying to get a reply? A booking? A signup?
- How many follow-ups make sense for your audience?
- What’s your “give up” point? (No one wants five emails in a row.)
Keep it simple: Start with 2-3 total emails. You can always add more if people aren’t responding.
Step 3: Draft Your Initial Email and Follow-up Messages
Don’t overthink this, but don’t be lazy either. Each follow-up should add a bit of value or context—not just “bumping this to the top of your inbox.”
- First email: Short, specific, clear ask.
- First follow-up (2-3 days later): Gentle nudge, maybe rephrase your value.
- Second follow-up (4-5 days later): Last try, keep it polite. Maybe ask if they want you to stop following up.
Example sequence:
- Initial: “Hey [Name], saw you’re doing [X]. Quick question about [Y]...”
- Follow-up 1: “Just wanted to check if you saw my note below. Still interested in [Y]?”
- Follow-up 2: “No worries if not interested—just let me know and I’ll close the loop.”
What to avoid:
- Guilt-tripping (“I guess you’re ignoring me…”)
- Fake urgency (“Last chance!”—unless it really is)
- Canned, obviously automated messages
Step 4: Build Your Sequence in Superwave
Here’s the meat and potatoes. Superwave’s sequence builder isn’t rocket science, but it helps to know what each piece does.
4.1 Create a New Sequence
- Go to the “Sequences” tab.
- Click “Create Sequence” (or whatever the button says).
- Name your sequence something you’ll recognize. Don’t call it “Sequence 1”—you’ll regret it later.
4.2 Add Your Emails
- Add your initial outreach email.
- Click “Add Follow-up.”
- Set the delay (e.g., “Send 2 days after no reply”).
- Paste in your follow-up message.
Repeat for each follow-up you want to add.
Superwave lets you:
- Set delays in days or hours (don’t get too fancy—stick to days)
- Personalize with merge fields (like [First Name])
- Stop the sequence if someone replies (use this!)
4.3 Set Triggers and Stop Conditions
- Make sure the sequence stops if the person replies. Otherwise, you’ll look like you don’t pay attention.
- You can also stop if someone clicks a link or books a meeting—depends on your workflow.
Don’t:
- Send more than 3-4 emails in total—you’ll just annoy people.
- Overcomplicate with tons of branching paths. Simple sequences work better.
Step 5: Test Your Sequence Before Sending
This is where most people mess up. Always, always send a test to yourself or a colleague.
- Look for typos, weird formatting, or merge tag fails.
- Check if the timing feels natural.
- Make sure the “stop on reply” setting works—reply to your own test and see if the sequence halts.
Pro tip:
Open your test on both desktop and mobile. Formatting can break in weird ways.
Step 6: Import Your Contacts (Carefully)
Don’t just dump a giant CSV and hit “go.” Start small:
- Import a small batch (10-20 contacts).
- Double-check that names and emails line up correctly.
- Make sure you’re not resending to people who already got your outreach.
GDPR and spam laws:
If you’re in Europe (or emailing people there), make sure you’re not breaking the law. Superwave has some built-in tools for compliance, but ultimately it’s on you.
Step 7: Launch and Monitor
Hit send, but don’t walk away forever. Check on your sequence a day or two after launch.
- Are people replying?
- Is anyone asking to be removed?
- Are you getting flagged as spam?
What to watch for:
- High bounce rates? Clean your list.
- No replies at all? Tweak your subject line or timing.
- Angry replies? Tone down your messaging.
Don’t be afraid to pause a sequence and fix mistakes. Most people won’t even notice if you stop mid-way.
Step 8: Iterate (But Don’t Overthink It)
Here’s the honest truth: you probably won’t nail it on the first try. That’s fine.
- Change one thing at a time—maybe the subject, maybe the interval.
- Don’t obsess over tiny open rate changes. Focus on actual replies.
- If you’re not getting results, ask someone outside your bubble to review your messaging.
What’s not worth your time:
- Chasing “best time to send” research—just pick business hours.
- Endless A/B testing with tiny lists.
- Over-automating—at some point, a personal email works better.
Pro Tips for Better Response Rates
- Keep it short. No one reads long emails from strangers.
- Personalize, but don’t fake it. Use real info, not just [First Name].
- Be direct about your ask. Don’t bury it in a wall of text.
- Know when to quit. If they haven’t replied after 2-3 tries, move on.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Tweak as You Go
Automated follow-up sequences in Superwave are powerful, but only if you keep things human and straightforward. Start small, watch what works, and don’t get lost in the weeds. The best sequences are the ones you actually send—and update when they stop working. Forget perfection. Ship it, see what happens, and make changes as you learn.
Now go set up your sequence, and don’t be that person who never follows up again.