Email Automation Guide 2026: How to Make Money While You Sleep

Imagine sending the right email to the right person at exactly the right moment — without lifting a finger. That is the power of email automation, and in 2026, it is no longer a luxury reserved for big corporations. With tools like Brevo, even solo entrepreneurs can set up sophisticated automated email sequences that work around the clock.

In this guide, we will cover the most profitable email automations you can set up today, with practical examples you can implement immediately.

What is Email Automation?

Email automation is the process of sending pre-written emails to subscribers automatically based on specific triggers or schedules. Instead of manually sending every email, you set up the sequence once, and it runs continuously in the background.

Think of it like having a salesperson who never sleeps, never takes a day off, and consistently delivers the perfect message to every customer at the ideal time.

The 5 Most Profitable Email Automations

1. Welcome Email Series

The welcome sequence is your first impression and arguably the most important automation you will ever create. New subscribers are at their peak interest level when they first join your list — their open rates are typically two to three times higher than regular campaigns.

A strong welcome series consists of three to five emails spread over one to two weeks. The first email should arrive immediately after signup, thanking them for joining and delivering any promised lead magnet. The second email, sent two days later, should share your story and what makes your business unique. The third email should provide your most valuable piece of content. The fourth and fifth emails can introduce your products or services naturally.

In Brevo, you set this up by creating an automation workflow with the trigger “Contact is added to a list.” Then you add each email with time delays between them.

2. Abandoned Cart Recovery

If you run an e-commerce store, abandoned cart emails are pure gold. Studies show that roughly 70 percent of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout. A well-crafted recovery sequence can bring back 10 to 15 percent of those lost sales.

The ideal abandoned cart sequence includes three emails. The first email goes out one hour after abandonment — a gentle reminder that items are waiting. The second email follows 24 hours later, perhaps addressing common concerns like shipping costs or return policies. The third email arrives 48 hours after abandonment and might include a small discount or free shipping offer to seal the deal.

Brevo integrates directly with Shopify and WooCommerce, making abandoned cart automation setup straightforward.

3. Post-Purchase Follow-Up

The relationship with your customer should not end at the purchase. Post-purchase emails keep customers engaged and drive repeat business. Send a thank-you email immediately after purchase, a product tips or how-to-use email three days later, a request for feedback or review after two weeks, and a related product recommendation after 30 days.

4. Re-Engagement Campaign

Over time, some subscribers stop opening your emails. Rather than keeping inactive contacts on your list (which hurts your deliverability scores), set up a re-engagement automation that triggers when a contact has not opened any email in 90 days.

Send them a compelling email with a subject line like “We miss you” or “Is this goodbye?” Include a clear call-to-action to stay subscribed or update their preferences. If they still do not engage after two or three attempts, remove them from your active list. A smaller, engaged list is far more valuable than a large, unresponsive one.

5. Birthday and Anniversary Emails

Personal milestone emails have some of the highest engagement rates in email marketing. If you collect birth dates during signup, set up an automated birthday email with a special offer or discount. Anniversary emails (marking one year since they joined your list or made their first purchase) also perform exceptionally well.

Brevo’s automation builder supports date-based triggers, making these campaigns easy to set up.

Best Practices for Email Automation

Always test before activating. Send yourself through the entire automation sequence to check timing, links, and content before it goes live.

Segment your audience. Not every automation should go to every contact. Use Brevo’s segmentation features to ensure the right people receive the right messages.

Monitor and optimize. Check your automation performance monthly. Look at open rates, click rates, and conversion rates for each email in the sequence. Replace underperforming emails with new versions.

Do not over-automate. While automation is powerful, flooding inboxes with automated messages will lead to unsubscribes. Be strategic about frequency and always prioritize value over volume.

Keep content fresh. Review and update your automated sequences every quarter. What worked six months ago might feel stale today.

How to Set Up Your First Automation in Brevo

Setting up automation in Brevo is surprisingly simple. Log into your account, navigate to the Automations section, and click “Create a New Workflow.” Choose from pre-built templates or start from scratch. Select your trigger event, design your emails, set your timing delays, and activate the workflow.

Brevo offers several pre-built automation templates including welcome series, abandoned cart, page visit triggers, and date-based triggers. These templates give you a working framework that you can customize to fit your business.

Start Automating Today

Email automation is one of those rare marketing strategies that gets more effective over time. Every automation you build today will continue generating results for months and years to come. Start with a welcome series — it is the easiest to set up and delivers the most immediate impact.

→ Get Started with Brevo Email Automation — Free Plan Available