Paul Jarvis, a freelancer and educator, shares how he uses Mailchimp’s automation features to build stronger client relationships while streamlining his business. Automation, he says, isn’t about robotic interactions—it’s about simplifying repetitive tasks while maintaining your brand’s voice and personal touch.
Onboarding New Leads with Automation
When a new lead visits your site and fills out an interest form, it can trigger a simple email sequence:
- The first email introduces who you are, what you do, and what kind of projects you take on.
- You can include a short success story, PDF, or video.
- End the email with a quick survey to gauge interest, like: “|SURVEY:Heck ya I would| or |Nah, I’m not interested|”.
- If the lead clicks “interested,” another email sends them to your booking calendar for a call.
- If they don’t visit the booking page, a follow-up email can be scheduled a few days later.
This simple flow saves time, pre-qualifies leads, and helps you focus on the most engaged prospects.
Reconnecting with Past Clients
Repeat clients are gold. They already know your work, and staying in touch with them can lead to more projects. Here’s a way to automate follow-ups:
- Add completed clients to a Mailchimp group like “Leads: Follow up”.
- Create an automation sequence triggered when someone joins that group.
- Send a plain-text check-in email a few weeks after project completion. For example:
“Hey |FNAME|, hope all is well. Just wanted to check in to see if there was anything else I could help your business with?” - Continue sending emails every few months with slight wording variations to stay on their radar.
- Add an unsubscribe link for these follow-ups using: |AUTOMATION:WORKFLOWREMOVEURL|.
This method helps you stay connected without overloading your clients or yourself.
Why This Works
Automating onboarding and follow-ups lets you maintain a consistent, personal presence without constant manual effort. It keeps your brand top of mind, reduces the feast-or-famine cycle, and frees up your time for high-impact work.
Rather than relying on impersonal mass emails or ignoring past clients, automation gives you a scalable way to stay human and helpful—without burning out.