Tired of chasing people down after your first email? You’re not alone. Whether you're in sales, recruiting, or just trying to get responses without nagging, follow-ups are a pain. The good news: you can automate them and still sound human. This guide walks you through using Mixmax templates to set up hands-off, effective follow-ups—without falling into the trap of sounding like a robot.
If you’ve never used Mixmax or you’re just not sure where to start with templates and automation, you’re in the right place. We'll get practical, skip the fluff, and help you avoid the classic mistakes.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
- A Gmail or Google Workspace account (Mixmax runs as a Chrome extension)
- A Mixmax account (free plans exist, but automation is limited—see the honest notes below)
- The Mixmax Chrome extension installed and working in your Gmail
- Some basic idea of the emails you want to automate (think: first touch, follow-up, maybe a nudge after a week)
Heads up: Mixmax works best if you’re actually using Gmail as your main email tool. If you’re using Outlook or something else, this isn’t the guide for you.
Step 1: Write Your Email Templates
Don’t skip this. The magic of automation is only as good as your templates. If your follow-up sounds canned, people will ignore you.
How to write a good follow-up template: - Keep it short. Nobody reads a five-paragraph follow-up. - Reference your previous email or reason for writing. - Make it easy for the recipient to reply (ask a clear question or offer a quick call). - Avoid gimmicky language (“just bumping this up…” feels lazy). - Personalize with variables (like first name, company, etc.).
Example Follow-Up Template:
Subject: Quick follow-up
Hi {{First Name}},
Just wanted to check if you had a chance to look at my previous email about {{Topic}}. Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s a better time to connect.
Thanks, {{Your Name}}
Mixmax lets you use variable fields like {{First Name}} or {{Company}}—super useful for bulk sends.
Step 2: Add Your Templates to Mixmax
Once you’ve got your text, it’s time to save it in Mixmax.
- Open Gmail. With the Mixmax extension installed, you’ll see new options in your compose window.
- Click the Mixmax ‘Templates’ button. (It looks like a stack of papers or a lightning bolt, depending on the version.)
- Create a new template. Paste in your follow-up text. Name it something obvious, like “Follow-up #1.”
- Insert variables. Use the curly-brace placeholders (Mixmax will prompt you). Double-check for typos here.
- Save. Repeat for each stage of your follow-up sequence—one for each touchpoint.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate. Two or three follow-ups are usually enough. More than that, and you risk being annoying.
Step 3: Set Up a Sequence (This Is Where Automation Happens)
Templates are just email drafts. To automate them, you need a Mixmax Sequence (sometimes called “mail merge” in other tools).
- In Gmail, click on the ‘Sequences’ tab in the Mixmax sidebar or open the Mixmax dashboard.
- Create a new sequence.
- Name it so you’ll remember (e.g., “Conference Outreach 2024”).
- Add your first template as the initial email.
- Choose your audience (you can upload a CSV, select from contacts, or add manually).
- Add follow-up steps.
- For each follow-up, pick the right template.
- Set the delay (e.g., 3 days after no reply, 7 days after previous email, etc.).
- Set your sending schedule.
- Only send on weekdays? Only during business hours? Choose what fits your audience.
- Review the settings.
- Make sure “Only send if no reply” is checked for your follow-ups—otherwise, you’ll look like a spammer.
What works: - Spacing out follow-ups by at least 2-3 days. - Keeping the sequence under four total emails. - Personalizing the first email at minimum.
What doesn’t: - Sending daily follow-ups (it’s desperate, not persistent). - Using the exact same text each time. - Ignoring replies—Mixmax will stop the sequence if someone responds, but always double-check.
Step 4: Test Your Sequence Before Sending for Real
Don’t trust automation blindly. Test on yourself or a teammate.
- Add your own email address to the sequence.
- Send the sequence.
- Check: Do the variables fill in correctly? Does the timing work? Are the emails hitting spam?
- Adjust templates based on what looks weird, too formal, or robotic.
Pro tip: If your emails look like marketing blasts, people will treat them that way. Read every template out loud—if it sounds stiff, rewrite it.
Step 5: Launch (But Don’t “Set and Forget”)
Ready to go? Start with a small batch first, not your entire list.
- Upload your contacts or add them to the sequence.
- Hit send.
- Watch the first run closely. If replies come in, Mixmax should pause follow-ups automatically for those people.
- If you get a lot of bounces or confused replies, stop and fix your templates.
What to ignore: Fancy Mixmax features like “insert polls” or “calendar links” sound cool but can tank deliverability or make your emails look salesy. Stick with plain text unless you know your audience is into that stuff.
Step 6: Measure and Iterate
No automation is perfect out of the box. Check how things are working.
- Mixmax gives you open and reply rates for each sequence. Look for red flags:
- Open rate < 30%? Maybe your subject line needs work.
- Reply rate < 5%? Templates probably aren’t resonating.
- Make one change at a time—tweak a subject line, rewrite a follow-up, adjust timing.
- Rinse and repeat. Don’t obsess over perfection; focus on steady improvement.
Pro tip: People unsubscribe or mark you as spam if you come off as pushy. If you’re getting a lot of unsubscribes, dial it back.
Real Talk: What Mixmax Automation Gets Right (and What It Doesn’t)
The good: - Makes repetitive outreach much faster. - Templates + variables = less manual grunt work. - Sequences are easy to set up once you get the hang of it.
The not-so-good: - Free plans are limited (no multi-step sequences). To unlock full automation, you’ll need to pay. - Deliverability can suffer if you blast too many emails at once or use spammy language. - Mixmax is a Chrome/Gmail-only tool. If your team uses Outlook, skip it. - Over-automation is a real risk. People can spot a mass email a mile away.
Worth ignoring: Most “advanced” features like embedded polls, link previews, or automated meeting scheduling. They’re fine for internal emails but can look gimmicky to prospects or new contacts.
Keep It Simple and Keep Tweaking
Automating your follow-ups with Mixmax templates isn’t rocket science, but it does take some thought if you want real replies (not just “unsubscribe” clicks). Start with a few solid templates, keep your sequences short, and always test before scaling up. Don’t let the tool do all your thinking for you—automation is only smart if you use it with common sense.
Remember: the goal isn’t to send more emails, it’s to get more real replies. Start simple, pay attention to what works, and tweak as you go. That’s how you make automation actually work for you—not the other way around.