Most creators either ignore email entirely or try to build out a fifteen-step automation on day one. Both fail for the same reason: too little structure, or too much of it before you have the data to back it up. Start with these four.
1. The welcome sequence
Someone just joined your list. They’re at their most curious right now - more curious than they’ll be in a week. A short 2-3 email welcome sequence that introduces who you are, what you make, and one clear next step (a free resource, your best post, your main offer) will outperform a single “thanks for subscribing” email by a wide margin.
2. The abandoned-checkout nudge
If someone starts checkout and doesn’t finish, one well-timed follow-up email recovers a meaningful share of those sales. It doesn’t need to be clever. “Looks like you didn’t finish - here’s the link, let me know if you had a question” converts better than most people expect.
3. The post-purchase follow-up
The easiest way to get a second sale is to make the first one feel great. A short automation that checks in a few days after purchase - “how’s it going, here’s how to get the most out of it” - builds the kind of trust that turns one-time buyers into repeat ones.
4. The re-engagement email
Some of your list will go quiet. Before you delete them or ignore them forever, send one direct email: “still want to hear from me?” People who click yes are worth keeping. People who don’t are worth removing, so your list stays healthy and your open rates stay honest.
What to skip for now
Skip the elaborate, branching, ten-tag automation you saw in someone else’s screenshot. It’s built for their audience size and their offer mix, not yours. Start with these four, watch what actually gets opened and clicked, and only add complexity when you have a specific problem it’s solving.