How to use Instantly to schedule and automate follow up emails

If you’re tired of chasing down leads and remembering which prospects you never heard back from, you’re in the right place. This guide is for anyone who wants to use Instantly to make sure follow-up emails actually get sent—without spending half their life in their inbox. Whether you’re running cold outreach, sales, or just need to keep projects moving, automating follow-ups will save you time and a few headaches. Let’s cut through the fluff and get your emails working for you.

What Instantly Does (and What It Doesn't)

Instantly promises to automate cold email outreach, including sending scheduled follow-ups if people don’t reply. It’s built for sales teams, agencies, and solo founders who want to send personalized campaigns at scale, but hate the idea of blasting spam.

Here’s what works:

  • Automated follow-ups: You write once, and Instantly sends your sequence on autopilot.
  • Scheduling: Pick when each follow-up goes out (days after no reply, specific times, etc.).
  • Personalization: Insert variables (like {{FirstName}}) so your emails don’t read like spam.

But don’t expect magic. Instantly can’t:

  • Guarantee your emails hit the inbox (deliverability is a moving target).
  • Write good follow-up copy for you.
  • Replace the need for testing and tweaking—automation isn’t “set and forget.”

Step 1: Get the Basics Set Up

Before you can automate anything, you need to get the basics dialed in.

1.1. Connect Your Email Account

  • Go to Settings → Email Accounts.
  • Choose your provider (Google, Outlook, custom SMTP).
  • Grant permissions or enter SMTP/IMAP details.
  • Pro tip: Use a dedicated domain or inbox for cold outreach. You don’t want your main business email to get flagged.

1.2. Warm Up Your Inbox (Don’t Skip This)

If you’re sending cold emails, you need to “warm up” your inbox—basically, send and receive a slow trickle of emails before you start blasting out campaigns. Most people skip this and ruin their deliverability.

  • Use Instantly’s built-in warmup tool, or another service if you prefer.
  • Let it run for at least 2-4 weeks before big campaigns.
  • If your domain is brand new, double that.

1.3. Import or Build Your Lead List

  • Import a CSV with columns like FirstName, Email, Company, etc.
  • Clean your list first—no typos, no role-based emails (info@, sales@), no spam traps.
  • Don’t buy sketchy lists off the internet. You’ll tank your sender reputation.

Step 2: Build Your Email Sequence

This is where the magic (and most of the work) happens.

2.1. Write Your First Email

  • Make it short and personal. If you wouldn’t reply to it, neither will they.
  • Use merge tags (like {{FirstName}}) to personalize.
  • Skip the fake “just following up” line—make each email worth reading.

2.2. Add Follow-Up Steps

  • Click “Add Step” to create follow-up emails.
  • Choose when each should send (e.g., 3 days after no reply).
  • Vary your follow-ups:
  • Change the subject line (sometimes replying to the same thread helps, sometimes a new subject gets noticed).
  • Add value—don’t just say “Checking in.” Offer a new insight or resource, ask a different question, or share a quick story.
  • Keep each follow-up shorter than the last.

Example Sequence:

  1. Initial Email: Quick intro, clear ask.
  2. Follow-Up 1 (3 days later): Reference the first email, add a new point.
  3. Follow-Up 2 (7 days later): Try a different angle or subject.
  4. Follow-Up 3 (10 days later): Last attempt, super short—“Should I close the file?”

Honest take: Three to four emails is plenty. Any more and you start to look desperate or automated.

2.3. Use Conditional Sending (Optional)

Instantly lets you set conditions, like “Only send this step if the recipient hasn’t replied.” It’s on by default, but double-check—nothing kills your credibility like sending a “just checking in” email to someone who already replied.

Step 3: Schedule and Launch

3.1. Set Sending Windows

You don’t want your emails hitting inboxes at 2am or all at once.

  • Go to campaign settings.
  • Set sending days and times (e.g., weekdays, 9am–5pm in your recipient’s timezone).
  • Limit daily sending (start small, maybe 30–50/day, and ramp up if your domain is healthy).

3.2. Throttle and Randomize (So You Don’t Look Like a Bot)

  • Enable random delays between emails.
  • Vary send times within your window.
  • Most people ignore this and get flagged as spam.

3.3. Review Everything Before Launch

  • Check the preview for every step (especially merge tags).
  • Send a test email to yourself.
  • Make sure unsubscribes and reply handling are set up.

Step 4: Track, Tweak, and Don’t Overcomplicate

4.1. Monitor Performance

  • Instantly shows open, reply, bounce, and unsubscribe rates.
  • If you’re getting lots of bounces or no replies, pause and fix your list or copy.

4.2. Iterate—Don’t “Set and Forget”

  • Change up your follow-ups based on what’s actually working.
  • If you’re not seeing replies by the second follow-up, your messaging needs work.
  • Don’t keep adding more emails to the sequence—improve the first few instead.

4.3. Handle Replies Like a Human

  • Instantly can stop sequences when someone replies, but you still need to answer quickly.
  • Don’t automate your actual conversations (that’s how you end up in a “robo-sales” thread on LinkedIn).

What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)

  • Templates: Use them to save time, but rewrite in your own voice. Most built-in templates are painfully generic.
  • Deliverability “hacks”: There’s no silver bullet. Focus on list quality, warming up, and not spamming.
  • Vanity metrics: Opens are nice, but replies and meetings booked are what matter.
  • Promises of “AI-powered” anything: Instantly is solid for automation and scheduling, but don’t buy the hype—good copy and targeting still win.

Pro Tips from the Trenches

  • Keep your lists tight and targeted. The more specific, the better your reply rate.
  • Add a plain-text signature. Skip fancy images or links—they trip spam filters.
  • Test different sending domains. If one starts underperforming, rotate.
  • Don’t CC or BCC. Send individual emails only.
  • Respond fast. Automated follow-ups only work if you’re ready when someone actually responds.

Keep It Simple (and Don’t Sweat Perfection)

You don’t need a 7-step sequence or “advanced hacks.” Start with a straightforward campaign: one good intro email and two or three genuine follow-ups. See what lands. Tweak your copy, keep your lists clean, and don’t expect Instantly (or any tool) to do the hardest part for you—writing something worth replying to.

Automation is supposed to make your life easier, not more complicated. Keep it simple, iterate, and let the results guide your next steps.