Automation Features in Modern Email Tools

I love having AI review specific types of emails I get to see if they're worth my time. Today I helped my friend Alec Cheung - a fellow marketer in the CMO Coffee Talk community I'm a member of - set up one of these AI automations and it turned out awesome, so I wanted to tell you about it (with his permission of course). Here's the backstory: Going through website form submissions was eating up too much marketing team time. The submissions (which have a place for open-ended inputs that make them hard to screen via traditional methods) flow through Pardot and trigger emails that required human review to figure out if they were genuine leads or just spam. Tons turn out to be junk, creating unnecessary work for Alec's team. Others are genuine leads (or actual paying clients) that a human definitely needs to follow up with. Alec posted in our CMO Coffee Talk AI channel a few weeks ago asking for ideas on how to improve their process with AI. This is a super simple automation, so I offered to help if he'd let me share what we did. He was in! Our fix was AI-powered automation using Zapier. Here's the flow: 1️⃣. A visitor submits a form on Alec's company's website. 2️⃣. Pardot sends an email with the form contents to a designated address. 3️⃣. Zapier kicks off the automation. 4️⃣. GPT-4o reads, analyzes, and categorizes the submission. 5️⃣. Based on the categorization, the automation filters the next steps. 6️⃣. If a human needs to attend to the email, it emails them (along with the appropriate categorization, directly in the flag email's subject line). If it does not require a human, then nobody is notified about the form submission. The result is a far more streamlined workflow that will save a lot of monotonous manual effort. And it's CHEAP. It looks like this automation will cost Alec around $0.10-$0.20 per day in AI usage to run - yes, cents, not dollars. It's an incredibly affordable solution for such a big time (and headache)-saver. Alec was new to using Zapier for this kind of task, so we had 2 calls. First, we planned the planned process, and I gave him some homework, and then today we finished everything. (And he gave me the okay to share with you!) While the setup is pretty straightforward, it does require a base knowledge of Zapier, and how to write solid AI prompts (this isn't something for AI newbies to take on alone). For those in CMO Coffee Talk, I'll go much deeper into this automation during our 2/19 mid-week Zoom "What Every CMO Needs to Know About How AI is Evolving in 2025: Automated Workflows, Agents, and Reasoning Models." Also - if you're a marketer and want to explore AI automations, I do get into that in my Foundations of Generative AI for B2B Marketing course (🔗 in bio). --- UPDATE: A recording of the webinar for CMOs I mentioned above is now available! More details at: https://lnkd.in/gxe9EQ69

How an AI-assistant can redefine our Email Management? Let’s decode Co-Pilot integrated with MS outlook. Instead of scrolling top to bottom, you can simply add a prompt “Show me the most urgent emails from today.”, “Summarize emails where I was mentioned in the last week.”, “Flag all emails with action items from this morning.”>>>> instantly we get the most important messages so you don’t waste time digging through clutter. Maily summarization in long thread-Select any lengthy conversation → click “Summary by Copilot.” Will give a summary of whole chain.  Not just summary, more of >> “Schedule a meeting for next week with these participants.”  “List all action items from this thread.” To get action items from a thread. Copilot doesn’t stop at email. It works for all MS apps Integration>> Export directly to your task app or calendar. Inbox rules no longer require digging into complex settings. Just tell Copilot to “Move all receipts to the Finance folder” or “Mark emails from my Someone as important.” The assistant sets up automation on your behalf, keeping your inbox organized without the hassle. Follow-up reminders-can track when you’ve promised to respond or when others haven’t replied. “Remind me if this client doesn’t reply in 3 days.” “Flag emails where I need to follow up before Friday.” This helps you close loops without relying on memory. If someone emails you “Please send this by Friday,” Copilot can automatically note the deadline, remind you in advance, or add it to your calendar. Before a meeting, Copilot can help pull relevant emails and summarize key discussions so you walk in fully prepared.>> “Summarize all updates for tis topic before my 3 PM call.” At last common practice-Drafting or responding to emails becomes easier too. #AI #email #copilot

Email still delivers strong ROI. What’s changed is how leading teams are using it. Here are 7 modern and practical email strategies you can use now and into 2026. 📩 1. AI-Driven Decisioning An example is “next best offer.” Use real-time, historical, and behavioral data to determine the most relevant content, offer, or CTA. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, tools like Movable Ink personalize content based on what users have or haven’t done. 📈 2. Product-Led Lifecycle Messaging Trigger emails based on what users do inside your product. If someone signs up but doesn’t activate, send a reminder. If they complete onboarding but skip a key feature, follow up. Email becomes part of the product experience. 🧱 3. Modular Templates + Guard Rails Stop building emails from scratch. Modular templates let teams assemble emails using approved, no-code blocks. Platforms like Knak help you move faster while staying on brand and rendering correctly across devices. 👁️🗨️ 4. Inbox Retargeting & Re-engagement If someone opens and scrolls but doesn’t click, you can adjust the next email. These behavioral signals help guide follow-ups. A scrolled-but-no-click email may call for a stronger CTA or tighter copy. 🧪 5. Automated Experimentation Go beyond A/B tests. Today’s tools can test dozens or even hundreds of variations at once, subject lines, images, layouts, and more. Platforms like OfferFit by Braze optimize automatically to drive better performance. ⏱ 6. Real-Time Triggers Send the right message the moment someone takes action, like signing up or abandoning a cart. It only works if your data flows smoothly and your systems are well-integrated, but the results are worth the effort. 💰 7. Revenue-Based Measurement Connect email to pipeline and revenue. If your data and attribution are in place, you can measure how nurture programs or product launches actually impact the business. Which do you think is most effective? What would you add? PS: Be sure to check out Knak to scale your email efforts, link in the comments. via Nick Donaldson #marketing #martech #marketingoperations #email

Want to do more with less effort? Harness the power of email automation to streamline your marketing efforts and drive results. From welcoming new subscribers to nurturing leads, email automation allows you to: ✅ Save time by setting up workflows that run on autopilot. ✅ Boost engagement with personalized, timely content. ✅ Convert more leads with consistent, relevant messaging. My 3-step process for making your life easier with automation. 1️⃣ Identify the Right Workflows for Your Business Think about the repetitive tasks you perform manually and how automation can take them off your plate. Start with the essentials: • Welcome Emails: Greet new subscribers with a warm, branded message that sets the tone. • Lead Nurturing: Send tailored content that moves leads closer to conversion. • Abandoned Cart Reminders: Recover potential revenue with timely follow-ups. • Re-engagement Campaigns: Revive dormant contacts with enticing offers or updates. • Choosing the right workflows ensures your automation strategy aligns with your goals and audience needs. 2️⃣ Segment Your Audience for Laser-Focused Targeting Not all subscribers are the same, so why treat them that way? By segmenting your audience, you can deliver content that feels personalized and relevant. • Segment by behavior (e.g., website visits, email clicks). • Segment by demographics (e.g., location, job role). • Segment by stage in the buyer’s journey (e.g., new leads vs. loyal customers). When you speak directly to each group’s interests and pain points, you’ll see better engagement and conversions. 3️⃣ Track and Optimize Your Automation Efforts for Maximum ROI Automation isn’t “set it and forget it” - it’s an evolving process that requires constant fine-tuning. • Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. • Run A/B tests on subject lines, content, and timing to find what resonates most. • Use data to identify gaps and opportunities, then refine your workflows to deliver even better results. • Tracking and optimizing ensures you’re not just automating but automating effectively to drive measurable impact. Don’t let manual tasks slow you down. Automation is your key to scaling smarter, not harder. How are you using email automation to grow your business?