If you’re sick of doing the same email tasks over and over, you’re not alone. Maybe you’re copy-pasting lists, scheduling reminders, or just getting lost in a mess of manual follow-ups. This guide is for anyone using email or messaging in a product or business and wants to get hours back each week with real automation. We’ll focus on Vero, a tool that promises to automate your customer messaging, but honestly, a lot of this applies to any workflow automation. Let’s cut the fluff and get to what actually works.
Why Bother with Automation in the First Place?
The main reason: You shouldn’t have to do repetitive stuff by hand. Automation frees you up for the work that’s actually interesting (or at least less boring). In practice, that means:
- Fewer mistakes from manual entry
- Faster response times (your customers notice)
- Less time spent on “busywork”
- Room to test ideas without getting bogged down
But, fair warning: Automation isn’t magic. You still need to think through your process. If you automate a bad process, you just make bad things happen faster.
Step 1: Figure Out What’s Actually Worth Automating
Before you touch Vero, grab a notepad or open a doc. List out all the tasks you do over and over. Don’t just think “email newsletters”—get specific. For example:
- Welcoming new users with a series of emails
- Sending follow-ups to users who didn’t finish signing up
- Notifying a team when someone upgrades their plan
- Tagging users based on behavior
Look for tasks that are:
- Repetitive (same steps every time)
- Rule-based (if X happens, do Y)
- Not requiring much human judgment
Ignore: Anything that’s truly unique each time, or needs a personal touch. Automation can make these feel robotic if you’re not careful.
Step 2: Map Out Your Ideal Workflow (Before Building Anything)
Let’s say you want to automate “welcome emails.” Map it out step by step:
- User signs up.
- Send a welcome email immediately.
- Wait two days.
- If user didn’t finish onboarding, send a reminder.
- If user completes onboarding, tag them as “Onboarded.”
Draw this out—or at least write it down. Otherwise, you’ll get lost in Vero’s interface trying to figure out what triggers what.
Pro Tip: Start simple. It’s tempting to add 10 steps and edge cases. The more complex your workflow, the more things can break (and the harder it gets to troubleshoot later).
Step 3: Get Your Data into Vero
Automation only works if the tool knows what’s happening in your product. In Vero, this means:
- Events: Things users do (sign up, click, upgrade)
- User Properties: Info about a user (name, plan, location)
There are a few ways to get data into Vero:
- API calls: Most flexible, but you’ll need dev help. (If you’re not technical, get someone who is.)
- CSV uploads: Fine for small lists, but not real-time.
- Integrations: Vero has some built-in integrations (check if your CRM or app is supported).
Don’t skimp here: Bad or missing data is the #1 reason automations don’t work. Double-check that Vero is tracking the events you care about before you build anything else.
Step 4: Build Your First Automation Workflow
Vero calls these “Workflows” (makes sense). Here’s how to actually set one up:
1. Choose a Trigger
This is what kicks off the workflow. For a welcome series, it might be “User Signed Up.” For a re-engagement campaign, maybe “User Inactive 30 Days.”
- Best practice: Start with one clear trigger. Don’t try to combine five things into one workflow until you’ve got the basics working.
2. Add Actions
Actions are what Vero does after the trigger. Typical actions:
- Send an email
- Wait (for a time, or until something happens)
- Add a user to a segment
- Set a property (e.g., “Onboarded = true”)
What works: Simple, direct actions. For example, “Send Email,” then “Wait 2 days,” then “Check if user did X.”
What to ignore: Over-complicated logic. If you find yourself drawing a flowchart with arrows everywhere, split your workflows up.
3. Use Conditions (But Don’t Overdo It)
Conditions let you branch—“if user did X, do this; else, do that.” This is powerful, but easy to abuse.
- Use them for big forks in logic (e.g., “Did user upgrade?”)
- Avoid nesting conditions within conditions. It’s a maintenance headache.
4. Test with Real Data
Before you turn it on for everyone, run it with test users. Check:
- Are the right emails going out?
- Are properties/segments updating as expected?
- Is anyone getting stuck?
Vero’s logs are decent for debugging, but nothing beats checking your own inbox.
Step 5: Launch, Monitor, and Adjust
You’ve built and tested your workflow. Now what?
- Turn it on for a small segment first: Don’t blast your whole user base until you’re sure it works.
- Watch the logs and metrics: Are emails being delivered? Are the right people being triggered? Vero gives you basic stats—use them.
- Look for edge cases: People who sign up twice, people who never open emails, etc. Automation breaks in weird ways.
- Tweak as needed: Don’t be afraid to turn things off, edit, and relaunch. This isn’t “set it and forget it.”
Real-World Examples (and What to Skip)
Good Uses of Vero Workflows
- Onboarding Sequences: Kick off a series of emails when someone signs up, based on their actions.
- Churn Prevention: Detect when someone stops using your product and send a check-in or offer.
- Transactional Notifications: Things like “password reset” or “plan upgraded”—these should be instant and automated.
- Nudges and Reminders: Send a reminder if someone hasn’t finished something (but don’t be annoying).
Not-So-Great Uses
- Highly personalized outreach: If you’re trying to build real relationships, automation can backfire. People notice canned messages.
- One-off campaigns: If you run a special promo once a year, it might be faster to do it manually.
- Complex multi-channel stuff: Vero’s strength is email (and some push). If you want SMS, Slack, and carrier pigeons, look elsewhere.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Assuming Automation = No Maintenance: You’ll still need to check in on your workflows. Things break—APIs change, data stops flowing, people reply to old emails.
- Forgetting About Unsubscribes: Make sure you respect people’s preferences. Vero handles this, but double-check your settings.
- Overcomplicating Workflows: Seriously, keep it simple. The more you add, the more can go wrong.
- Not Testing Enough: Always test with real data, not just test accounts.
Pro Tips for Getting More Out of Vero
- Use Templates: Build reusable email or action templates for consistency.
- Segment Smartly: Don’t send everything to everyone. A little segmentation goes a long way.
- Monitor Deliverability: If your emails aren’t landing in inboxes, it doesn’t matter how slick your automation is.
- Document Your Workflows: Even if it’s just a Google Doc, write down what each workflow does. Future you will thank you.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
There’s a lot you could automate. Focus on what actually saves you time and improves the experience for your users. Start small, ship a basic workflow, and see what breaks (something always does). Once you’re comfortable, layer on more automation.
Don’t chase perfection. Automation is about freeing up your time, not building the fanciest Rube Goldberg machine. If in doubt, cut steps. If something’s not working, turn it off and rethink. You’ll get better results and fewer headaches that way.
Happy automating.