Email Marketing Automation: Increase Engagement

A few years ago, I was running a product launch campaign and feeling pretty confident. The content was solid, the list was warm, and everything was scheduled. But by week two, I was buried—replying to the same questions, following up with leads manually, and trying to track behavior across three different platforms. I remember thinking, “This can’t be how everyone does it.”

That campaign taught me a lot—mostly about what not to do. What I really needed wasn’t more time or a better copy. I needed to stop trying to run everything by hand. That’s when I started building out proper email marketing automation—not just for lead nurturing, but for engagement across the board.

This article is a breakdown of what’s actually worked for me—real-world marketing automation strategies and tools that have helped increase engagement without adding complexity.

What is email marketing automation

Email marketing automation is about sending the right message at the right time—without doing it manually every time. It works by using triggers: specific actions, dates, or behaviors that tell your system when to send an email.

Some common examples:

• Welcome emails – Sent automatically after someone signs up

• Cart abandonment emails – Triggered when a customer starts checkout but doesn’t finish

• Birthday emails – Scheduled to go out on a customer’s birthday

• Re-engagement emails – Sent after a period of inactivity

Once the workflows are in place, they run on their own—saving time while keeping communication consistent.

Why automation improves engagement

Reaching out to your customers helps to maintain the connection and keep them engaged. Here are the top reasons why automated emails are effective at enhancing customer engagement. With them, you can:

1. Send emails at the right time

With dynamic triggers, each email is sent at the optimal moment. For example, say someone visits a product page. They receive a follow-up email soon after. This increases the chances of clicks and conversions.

2. Split customers into segments

Behavioral segmentation allows you to track and respond to user actions. You can send content that matches their interests. It feels more personal and builds trust.

3. Minimize errors

Automation reduces mistakes. It ensures that emails are sent out on schedule, saving time and improving workflow. Teams can focus on strategy instead of repetitive tasks.

How to build effective email automation

For the automation to work, you first need to set it up. This is an important step because just setting up a few triggers won’t cut it. You need to understand your audience, use your data well, and build flows that feel natural. Here’s how to do it right.

1. Set clear goals

Start with SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You’re not just “trying to get more clicks.” You’re aiming for something concrete, like:

“Increase open rate by 20% in 3 months.”

Clear goals give your automation purpose. They also make it easier to measure what’s working.

2. Map your workflows

Before building anything, sketch out the customer journey. Where does the user start? What do they do next? What do they need to hear? Highlight key moments—sign-ups, purchases, cart abandonment, and so on.

Set triggers for each one. Keep your logic simple and easy to follow.

3. Segment your audience

One message doesn’t fit all. Break your list into segments. Use data like location, past purchases, or how often someone opens your emails. A new lead should get something different than a long-time customer.

Better targeting = better engagement.

4. Personalize the messages

Personalization goes beyond just using a first name. Mention the products someone has already viewed. Suggest items they might like. Use dynamic content to change parts of the email based on the recipient.

The more relevant it feels, the more likely they are to click.

5. Choose a platform and connect your CRM

Pick a tool that supports automation and integrates with your CRM. Why? Because connected data = smarter marketing.

It keeps sales and marketing aligned and helps you track the whole customer journey.

6. Test and optimize

Don’t guess—test. Try different subject lines. Change the layout. Use A/B testing to compare results.

Small tweaks can lead to big gains.

7. Monitor performance

Keep an eye on key metrics:

• Open rate

• Click-through rate (CTR)

• Conversions

• Unsubscribes

• Bounce rate

Review these regularly. They’ll show you what’s working and what’s not. Use that info to keep improving.

Wenddy Dias, Product Marketing Manager at Albato
At Albato, we use email marketing to engage with our users, provide important updates, and support their journey within our platform. Some of the tools that help us are Selzy and our own automation platform. We use the Albato platform to set up automated emails for both transactional and communication purposes. This helps us deliver timely and relevant information while keeping our operations efficient and scalable. For example, we have a transactional email that’s automatically triggered when a user’s automation fails, notifying them immediately so they can take corrective action. On the communication side, we send a welcome email automatically when a new user registers, helping them get started and explore key features. We also use email marketing for time-sensitive campaigns, setting up automated sequences for users who purchase specific promotional plans or sign up for one of our webinars. This allows us to personalize the experience and maintain consistent communication based on user behavior and interests.

Trends and innovations in 2025

Email marketing doesn’t look like it did a few years ago—and honestly, that’s a good thing. In 2025, the tools are smarter, the targeting is sharper, and there’s way more potential to create emails that actually feel personal, not just personalized.

I’ve seen a big shift in how campaigns perform when I lean into these changes. The more I use automation and data to guide timing and content, the more engagement I see.

Here’s what’s changing in email marketing this year, and how you can make the most of it.

1. Video in emails

Some email tools now support embedded video or animated previews. These short clips grab attention fast—especially on mobile.

Example: A brand launches a new product and includes a 15-second teaser in the email. The video shows how it works, with a CTA to learn more. Result: more clicks and better engagement.

Tip: Keep videos under 30 seconds. Use a thumbnail fallback for email clients that don’t support video playback. And always include captions—many users watch with sound off.

2. Real-time personalization

Real-time personalization changes email content based on live data—at the moment someone opens the email.

Example: A weather app sends a weekly update. When the email is opened, it pulls the current forecast for the user’s city. Or a retailer shows local store hours based on where the person is located.

Tip: To use this, your email platform needs dynamic content blocks and access to up-to-date user data. Great for travel, retail, and events. Make sure the info is helpful and context-aware.

3. Product recommendations

This isn’t new, but it’s way more powerful now. Email tools can track browsing, purchase history, and cart behavior—then recommend items automatically.

Example: A customer looks at hiking boots but doesn’t buy. Two days later, they get an email showing similar boots, top-rated gear, and a discount code. It feels helpful, not pushy.

Tip: Use “if-viewed-not-purchased” logic to trigger product recommendation emails. You can also combine this with loyalty data to suggest upgrades or repeat purchases.

Best email marketing automation tools

Over the years, I’ve tested a lot of email automation tools—some were clunky, some were overkill, and a few became staples in my workflow. The right tool can save hours, improve targeting, and make your campaigns feel a lot more human (without extra effort on your part).

Here are a few email marketing automation tools that I’ve found reliable, flexible, and worth your time—whether you’re just getting started or looking to level up.

1. Mailchimp

Pros:

• Clean, drag-and-drop editor with helpful pre-made templates

• Robust reporting and analytics tools

• Wide selection of integrations and third-party apps

• Generous free plan with 1,000 monthly email sends

Cons:

• Steep price increases as your contact list grows

• Automation features are limited on the free plan

• Learning curve for first-time users

Mailchimp is one of the oldest and most recognizable email marketing tools out there. After testing it, it's clear that Mailchimp tries to do everything—email creation, automation, reporting, and even basic website building—all in one place.

The drag-and-drop email editor feels polished and easy to use, especially if you're starting with one of the many pre-made templates. These templates are categorized by purpose (such as promotions, announcements, or events), so it’s easy to find one that fits. You can fully customize them, and each content block (such as image, button, or social link) feels smooth to work with.

Reporting is a strong point. After sending a campaign, you can quickly see open rates, click rates, and where people are clicking. You also get visual maps of where your subscribers are located and when they're opening your emails. This level of detail makes it easy to improve future campaigns.

Mailchimp integrates with hundreds of tools—Shopify, WordPress, Stripe, and more—so if you're already using other services, you can probably connect them with little effort. This is especially helpful for e-commerce stores or bloggers looking to automate parts of their workflow.

However, Mailchimp isn't perfect. While the free plan gives you a lot—up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month—it limits access to automation features. For example, you can only create basic one-step automations unless you upgrade. And once your audience grows, Mailchimp can get expensive quickly. Upgrading to higher tiers also unlocks multistep automations, advanced segmentation, and A/B testing, but that comes with a steep price.

Another thing to note: Mailchimp tries to be an all-in-one marketing platform. That sounds good on paper, but it means the interface can feel bloated. New users might struggle to find specific features or get lost in settings they don’t need.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Free plan: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, basic email builder, 1-step automations

• Essentials (from $13/month): 5,000 sends/month, multistep automations, A/B testing, custom branding

• Standard (from $20/month): Predictive segmentation, advanced reporting, journey builder

• Premium (from $350/month): Advanced segmentation, unlimited audiences, priority support

2. ActiveCampaign

Pros:

• Powerful and flexible automation builder

• Deep CRM integration for sales and email marketing

• Advanced segmentation and tagging options

• Excellent customer support and learning resources

Cons:

• No free plan (only a 14-day trial)

• Interface can be overwhelming at first

• Price increases quickly as contacts grow

ActiveCampaign is built for users who want more than just email newsletters. This tool is aimed at marketers who want control over complex automations, behavior-based triggers, and customer journeys.

The biggest strength is the automation builder. It’s a visual flowchart-style editor that lets you trigger emails, update contact info, score leads, and more, based on a contact’s actions. For example, you can send a welcome email, wait three days, check if someone opened it, and then follow up differently depending on their behavior. You can also split paths, apply tags, and trigger actions across email and CRM functions. It’s one of the most powerful automation tools available without needing to write any code.

ActiveCampaign also includes a built-in CRM, so you can manage your sales pipeline right alongside your marketing emails. You can automate task assignments, send internal notifications, and move deals through stages based on customer behavior. This makes it a strong choice for small businesses and sales teams.

The downside? There’s no free plan. You get a 14-day free trial, but after that, even the lowest-tier plan requires a monthly payment. And as your contact list grows, the cost rises sharply. The interface is also dense—there are a lot of features, and it can be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, ActiveCampaign offers a large help center, onboarding webinars, and quick support response times, which softens the learning curve a bit.

If you just want to send basic newsletters, ActiveCampaign is probably overkill. But if your goal is to build detailed workflows and track customer engagement from first visit to final sale, it’s one of the most powerful tools available.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Starter (from $15/month for 500 contacts): Email marketing, basic automation, unlimited email sends

• Plus (from $49/month): Landing pages, CRM, sales automation, contact scoring

• Pro (from $79/month): Split automations, site messages, predictive sending

• Enterprise (custom pricing, starts at $145): Custom reporting, HIPAA support, custom domains, account manager

3. HubSpot

Pros:

• Clean, easy-to-use email builder

• Built-in CRM with full contact history

• Powerful automation in higher tiers

• Seamless integration with other HubSpot tools

Cons:

• Limited email features on the free plan

• Advanced automation only available in expensive tiers

• Steep learning curve if you explore beyond email

HubSpot’s email marketing tool is part of a much larger platform, and that’s both its strength and weakness. After testing it, it’s clear HubSpot is ideal if you want your emails tightly connected to everything else, like your CRM, sales pipeline, live chat, forms, and website.

The free email tool is clean and straightforward. The drag-and-drop editor includes a few helpful templates, and it’s easy to personalize emails with contact info pulled straight from the CRM. You can also segment contacts based on things like lifecycle stage, last email opened, or custom form data—however, advanced logic requires a paid plan.

What makes HubSpot unique is how deeply email ties into everything else. Every contact has a timeline of interactions, so you can see email opens, form submissions, page visits, and more—all in one place. If someone downloads a lead magnet or visits your pricing page, you can trigger follow-up emails (with the right plan).

Automation is strong—but only once you upgrade. The Marketing Hub Professional plan unlocks the visual workflow builder, where you can create multi-step automation paths, apply tags, score leads, and move CRM deals forward. It’s comparable to ActiveCampaign’s builder in power, but it comes at a higher cost.

The biggest drawback is the pricing. While the free tools are great for basic needs, you’ll quickly hit limitations if you want advanced automation, A/B testing, or detailed reporting.

That said, if you're already using other HubSpot tools (like the CRM or CMS), adding email marketing feels natural and efficient. Everything is connected, and you don’t need to use third-party tools to sync data.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Free plan: 2,000 email sends/month, basic templates, forms, contact management

• Starter (from $10,44/month for 1,000 contacts): No HubSpot branding, simple automation

• Professional (from $918/month): Advanced workflows, smart content, campaign reporting

• Enterprise (from $3,828/month): Custom objects, team permissions, multi-touch revenue attribution

4. Klaviyo

Pros:

• Excellent e-commerce integrations, especially with Shopify

• Highly customizable automation flows

• Real-time segmentation based on customer behavior

• Dynamic product blocks for personalized emails

Cons:

• No free plan (only up to 250 contacts with limited features)

• Expensive as your contact list grows

• Interface can feel slow or cluttered at times

Klaviyo is built for e-commerce businesses—and it shows. The platform is tightly focused on helping you convert customers and increase sales through highly targeted, behavior-based emails.

The standout feature is automation. Klaviyo’s flow builder is intuitive and powerful. You can set up abandoned cart emails, browse abandonment emails, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back campaigns. Each automation can branch based on behavior—like when someone opens an email or views a product—and you can insert product recommendations that update dynamically.

Klaviyo also excels at segmentation. You can create real-time segments based on almost any customer behavior—site visits, product views, email engagement, location, purchase history, and more. These segments update automatically, which helps you send more relevant messages without manual effort.

Another big plus is the product block. If you connect Klaviyo to Shopify, you can insert personalized product recommendations into any email. These pull in live data like price, inventory, and images. It’s a big help when you're running frequent campaigns and want to automate personalization.

However, pricing is a challenge. While Klaviyo technically has a free tier, it only supports 250 contacts and 500 email sends per month—and includes Klaviyo branding. Once you grow, the cost ramps up quickly. For example, for 10,000 contacts, pricing starts at around $150/month. You get full automation, SMS tools, and reporting—but smaller businesses may find it hard to justify.

Overall, Klaviyo is a top choice if you're running an online store and want to send emails (and texts) that are directly tied to real customer behavior. It’s probably too much for non-ecommerce users, but if sales are your goal, the tool is built for it.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Free plan: Up to 250 contacts and 500 monthly email sends, basic flows, email support

• Email-only plans: Start at $45/month for 500 contacts

• Email + SMS plans: Start at $65/month for 500 contacts, including SMS credits

• Pricing increases based on contact count; all paid plans include full automation, segmentation, and templates

5. Kit

Pros:

• Built-in tools for creators: landing pages, forms, and product sales

• Clean interface with easy-to-follow automation builder

• Strong tagging and segmentation system

• Unlimited email sends on all plans

Cons:

• Fewer email design options (limited templates and styling)

• No advanced reporting features on lower-tier plans

• Price grows quickly with your subscriber count

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is designed with creators in mind—bloggers, course creators, musicians, and solo entrepreneurs. After I tested it with a small blog, it became clear that Kit isn’t trying to be flashy. Instead, it focuses on simplicity, deliverability, and creator-focused tools.

Email creation is very text-first. Kit doesn’t offer the kind of drag-and-drop visual builder you’d find in Mailchimp or MailerLite. Instead, it focuses on simple, responsive emails—more like clean letters than graphic-heavy marketing pieces. You can use a few pre-made layouts, add basic elements (such as buttons and images), and use custom code blocks if needed. For some creators, this minimal approach helps get emails out faster.

Kit includes landing pages and forms, which are useful for growing your list without needing third-party tools. You can also sell digital products and subscriptions directly through Kit, without needing Shopify or Gumroad. This is a big plus for creators who want a simple setup.

However, Kit’s stripped-down approach has limits. Email design options are basic, and if you want custom layouts or rich visuals, you’ll need to work harder or embed your own HTML. Reporting is also fairly simple unless you’re on a higher-tier plan. You get open rates, click rates, and unsubscribes—but there’s not much beyond that.

The free plan is generous, especially if you’re just starting out. But once you start growing, prices rise fast. The features are good, but you’ll want to be sure they’re worth the monthly cost as your list grows.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Free plan: Up to 10,000 subscribers, unlimited email sends, forms, and landing pages

• Creator (from $25/month): Automation, sequences, third-party integrations

• Creator Pro (from $50/month): Advanced reporting, deliverability tools, priority support

• Prices scale with subscriber count (e.g., $79/month for 5,000 subscribers on the Creator plan)

Kit is best for creators who prioritize simplicity and personal connection over visual flair. If you care more about writing than designing, and you want to sell directly to your audience, it’s a strong fit.

6. Drip

Pros:

• Built specifically for e-commerce marketing

• Highly visual, flexible automation builder

• Strong integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom stores

• Advanced segmentation based on real-time behavior

Cons:

• No free plan (14-day trial only)

• Expensive for smaller stores or creators

• Limited design templates and fewer visual email options

Drip is a specialized email marketing tool designed for e-commerce brands. You can use it to build flows that trigger emails when someone views a product, abandons a cart, or completes a purchase. These workflows are built visually with simple logic (like "if X, then Y"), so you can create advanced email sequences without coding.

Personalization is also strong. Drip pulls product data into emails using dynamic content blocks. You can automatically insert recommended products, cart items, or purchase history into emails—very useful for upsells, win-backs, or post-purchase flows.

However, design-wise, Drip is not as strong as some other platforms. There are only a handful of email templates, and the visual editor is pretty basic. It’s functional but lacks the polish or variety found in Mailchimp or MailerLite. That said, if your emails are mostly focused on product-driven messaging, this may be enough.

There’s no free plan—just a 14-day free trial. Pricing starts higher than many general-purpose email tools, and scales based on contact count, so if you're running a very small store or side project, Drip might feel overpriced compared to MailerLite or Kit.

Still, for stores focused on high-converting email sequences and data-driven segmentation, Drip offers serious power without needing a huge marketing team.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• 14-day free trial, no credit card required

• Paid plans: Start at $39/month for up to 2,500 contacts

• All plans include unlimited email sends, full automation, e-commerce integrations, and email support

• Pricing increases with list size (e.g., ~$99/month for 10,000 contacts)

7. GetResponse

Pros:

• All-in-one platform with email, landing pages, webinars, and automation

• Easy-to-use visual automation builder

• Built-in AI email generator and subject line assistant

• Strong free plan with website and sign-up forms included

Cons:

• Interface can feel dated in some areas

• Some advanced features are locked behind higher-tier plans

• Deliverability can vary depending on your list hygiene

GetResponse is a versatile platform aimed at marketers who want more than just email tools. The email editor is straightforward. It offers a mix of drag-and-drop elements, pre-made layouts, and an AI subject line assistant that gives you suggestions based on your content. You can also test multiple subject lines or preview how your emails look on mobile and desktop.

Beyond email, GetResponse includes landing page builders, webinars, and pop-up forms—something few other platforms offer without extra cost or integrations. These extras can be useful if you want to launch a lead magnet, host a webinar, or build a simple website.

Segmentation is solid. You can create static and dynamic segments based on contact fields, behavior, or engagement. Reporting gives you open and click rates, as well as conversion data if you're tracking sales.

Overall, GetResponse feels like a good middle ground between simpler tools like MailerLite and high-end platforms like HubSpot. It’s especially appealing for users who want one tool for email, landing pages, forms, and automation without needing to stack different services together.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Free plan: 500 contacts, unlimited newsletters, 1 landing page, sign-up forms, website builder

• Starter (from $15/month): Unlimited emails, basic automation, A/B testing, integrations

• Marketer (from $51/month): Advanced workflows, event-based triggers, webinars

• Creator (from $58/month): AI course creator, quizzes, and certificates

• Pricing scales with list size (e.g., ~$80/month for 5,000 contacts on Marketing Automation plan)

8. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Pros:

• Generous free plan with unlimited contacts and daily email sends

• Easy-to-use drag-and-drop email editor

• Includes SMS marketing in paid plans

• Built-in CRM and chat features for multi-channel communication

Cons:

• Automation builder is less intuitive than some competitors

• Limited advanced segmentation features on lower tiers

• Email template designs are basic compared to top-tier platforms

Brevo is a solid all-around email marketing platform that aims to cover email, SMS, CRM, and live chat—all in one place. After testing Brevo, it’s clear that the tool is especially appealing for small and medium businesses that want a simple way to reach customers across multiple channels.

The free plan stands out: you can have unlimited contacts and send up to 300 emails per day, which is quite generous compared to other platforms that limit by contacts or monthly sends. The email editor is straightforward, with a drag-and-drop builder that’s easy for beginners but still offers customization options.

Automation is available, but is somewhat basic on the free and lower-priced plans. You can set up welcome emails, abandoned cart sequences, and simple drip campaigns, but more advanced workflows and conditional branching require upgrading.

Brevo also integrates SMS marketing, which can be added to paid plans, making it useful if you want to reach customers by text as well as email without juggling multiple tools.

The platform includes a basic CRM and live chat feature, which can be useful for small businesses that want to track customer interactions and communicate in real time without third-party software.

Template designs tend to be on the simpler side, so if you want highly polished, trendy emails, you might find them a bit limited. The interface is clean, but the automation builder might feel less intuitive compared to tools like ActiveCampaign or MailerLite.

Pricing (as of mid-2025):

• Free plan: Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day, email campaigns, transactional emails

• Starter (from $7/month): 20,000 emails/month, no daily sending limit, removal of Brevo branding

• Business (from $15/month): Marketing automation, landing pages, phone support

• Enterprise (custom pricing): Dedicated IP, SSO, priority support

Summing up

While many email platforms come with native integrations, they often only cover the basics or lock you into limited workflows. That’s fine at first, but as your campaigns grow more complex, those built-in options can start to feel restrictive.

Albato gives you a centralized hub to build and manage automations across all your tools. It supports more apps, more triggers, and more flexibility than most native setups. Whether you’re connecting email to your CRM, eCommerce system, analytics platform, or internal team tools, Albato helps you create custom workflows that actually match how your business runs.