Chapter 8: Email Marketing Automation
Turn your inbox into a revenue engine—automate, personalize, profit.
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Why This Matters in 2025
- Statistic: AI-optimized email campaigns generate 42ROIforevery42ROIforevery1 spent (Litmus, 2025).
- Reality Check: Subscribers now expect hyper-relevant emails—send generic blasts, and you’ll drown in unsubscribes.
Key Concepts: The AI Email Stack
Predictive Send Times:
- Tools like Seventh Sense analyze when each subscriber opens emails (e.g., 9:32 AM on Tuesdays).
- Case Study: Backlinko boosted open rates by 27% by timing emails to individual habits.
Dynamic Content Blocks:
- AI swaps product recommendations, images, or CTAs based on user behavior.
- Bad Example: A fitness brand sent “yoga mat” ads to runners—18% unsubscribe spike.
Sentiment-Triggered Workflows:
- Detect frustration in replies (e.g., “This isn’t working!”) and auto-route to support.
Case Study: How Bloom & Wild 10X’ed Repeat Purchases
- Problem: Low engagement post-purchase (only 12% opened follow-up emails).
- AI Tools:
- Klaviyo’s AI segmented users by bouquet preferences (e.g., “tropical,” “minimalist”).
- ChatGPT drafted dynamic subject lines: “Your next orchids are 20% off, [Name] 🌺.”
- Result:
- 35% open rate (industry avg: 21%).
- Repeat purchases jumped from 8% to 34%.

Pro Tip: Use ChatGPT to write cold outreach sequences:
“Write a 3-email nurture sequence for [ideal customer] promoting [product].Tone: Friendly, non-salesy. Include a subject line and CTA.”
Workbook Task: Build a Drip Campaign with AI
Your Turn:
- Define Your Goal: Onboarding, cart recovery, re-engagement.
- AI Prompt:
- Copy
“Create a 5-email drip campaign for [goal] targeting [audience].Include subject lines, preview text, and CTAs.”
Example Output:
- Email 1: Subject: “Your [Product] journey starts here 🚀” → CTA: “Watch setup video.”
- Email 3: Subject: “Miss us? 🥺 Your cart’s getting lonely…” → CTA: “Complete checkout (10% off!).”
Bad Example: A SaaS startup auto-sent 7 emails in 3 days—22% marked as spam.
Disaster Avoidance Checklist
✅ Never automate without sunset clauses (e.g., stop emails after 3 unopens).
✅ Always scrub your list for inactive users (AI tools like NeverBounce).
✅ Test AI subject lines against human-written ones (tools like SubjectLine.com).
Myths Debunked
“AI makes emails robotic”:
- Fact: Persado’s AI-generated emotional hooks (e.g., “Don’t miss out”) drive 52% higher clicks.
“Automation is only for big lists”:
- Fact: Startups with 500 subscribers see 3x more conversions with segmented drips.
Visual Design Elements
- Infographic: “The AI Email Flywheel” (Trigger → Personalization → Send → Convert).
- Comparison Chart: Manual vs. AI-driven campaigns (e.g., 15% vs. 35% open rates).
- Sidebar: “From 10% to 40% Open Rates in 30 Days” (A reader’s Klaviyo success story).
Workbook Task
Your Turn:
- Use AI to draft a 3-email drip campaign.
- Set up dynamic content blocks (e.g., location-based offers).
- A/B test AI vs. human subject lines.
(Answers to all workbook tasks provided at the end of the book.)
⏭️ Chapter Nine
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