Follow-up messages – what are they and how can you use them in email marketing?

You send an email, an offer, a summary and… you wait. A day goes by, then another, then a whole week, and still no reply. This rarely means a lack of interest. Far more often, the recipient has put the matter aside for later and simply forgotten about it.

Follow-up messages were created to resolve such situations.

They serve as a reminder of a previous contact and give the other party a specific reason to return to the conversation. In email marketing, this same mechanism operates on a much larger scale.

Follow-up - what does it mean?

A follow-up is an action taken after a previous contact, with the aim of continuing the thread that has been started. Such contact is not a separate type of message or template. It is the next step in a conversation that has already begun.

A follow-up does not have to be an email. A phone call, a message on LinkedIn or a short reminder sent via text message work just as well. Text messages work best where a relationship has already been established. Whether something constitutes a follow-up is determined by the timing and context, not the channel.

It's worth making a clear distinction straight away. A follow-up is not a chaser. A good follow-up brings something new - additional information, an answer to previous questions, or a proposal for a specific next step.

Why send follow-up messages?

Follow-up messages maintain a potential customer’s interest and genuinely increase the chances of making a sale or achieving another objective that matters to us. Decisions are rarely made on first contact, especially when the matter requires analysis, a comparison of offers or the approval of several people.

The first aim is simply to remind them you’re there. Your message is competing with dozens of others, and the recipient has their own priorities. Returning to the subject after a few days is often enough to bring the matter back to the top of their to-do list.

The second aim is more long-term: building a relationship with the client. Regular, courteous contact shows that you take the matter seriously and helps you understand the client’s needs. A reply to a follow-up can sometimes provide information that you were unable to gather during the initial conversation.

There is also a third, less obvious reason. A follow-up organises communication for both parties. The client is left with a message in their inbox setting out the arrangements, whilst you have a point of reference for your next contact.

Failing to follow up has the opposite effect. The matter fizzles out, and in many cases the client ends up closing the deal with a competitor who simply got in touch second. Each subsequent follow-up keeps the potential client’s attention and increases the chances of resuming the conversation.

When should you send a follow-up after the first contact?

The best time for the first follow-up is 24-48 hours after the meeting or conversation. After that, the details begin to fade from memory, and your matter ceases to be a priority.

A follow-up after a meeting is a message summarising what was agreed. It should contain three elements: specific arrangements, the people responsible for individual tasks, and deadlines. Without these specifics, it would be nothing more than a polite thank-you, which doesn’t move things forward.

Once a commercial offer has been sent, the timing is different. The client needs time to analyse it, so getting in touch the very next day can be seen as putting pressure on them. It usually works best to follow up after three or four working days. Ideally, this should include additional information that brings the sale closer to being finalised.

An effective follow-up has its own purpose - new material, an answer to a question, or a suggestion for the next step. Simply asking for a reply doesn't count as one. The aim is to move the matter forward, not just to prompt an answer.

There is no single rhythm that works across every industry. In B2B sales, time intervals are usually measured in days; in e-commerce, in hours.

Effective follow-up messages in email marketing and e-commerce

In e-commerce marketing, the trigger for follow-ups is user behaviour on the website, not the sales representative’s calendar.

The marketing automation system responds to specific events: abandoned carts, abandoned browsing sessions, purchases and newsletter sign-ups. This means that the same logic that works in one-to-one conversations can handle thousands of users simultaneously.

Below are three uses of follow-ups that e-commerce businesses implement most frequently.

#1 - Reminder about abandoned carts

A message about abandoned carts is the simplest follow-up in e-commerce. It reminds the customer of the products they left behind before completing the transaction. The first email is usually sent within 1-3 hours of the cart being abandoned, whilst the intention to buy is still fresh.

The second email, sent after a day or two, should offer something new. This could be information on stock availability, reviews from other customers, or answers to common customer queries regarding delivery and returns. Save the discount for the end of the follow-up sequence, as it gets customers used to waiting for a price reduction.

See also: 10 reasons for abandoned carts in e-commerce >>>

#2 - Post-purchase message and request for feedback

A post-sale follow-up maintains the relationship with the customer after the transaction and gathers feedback on the product. The first follow-up confirms the order, whilst subsequent ones guide the customer through delivery and the first few days of use.

Only send a request for a review once the customer has had a chance to try out the product. For clothing, a few days is sufficient; for electronic equipment, it’s worth waiting longer - for example, two weeks. A request sent too early will mainly gather feedback on the delivery rather than the product itself.

The period between purchase and the request for feedback is a good time for customer education. Instructions for initial set-up, maintenance tips or a short guide to using the service can pre-empt any questions the customer might otherwise ask the support team. This effectively reduces the number of returns and support requests. A customer who knows how to use a product is less likely to consider it a bad buy.

The same sequence paves the way for cross-selling and up-selling. After the customer has been using the product for a while, you can suggest accessories, consumables or a higher-tier service option. A suggestion based on what the customer has actually purchased is received very differently from a random offer in a newsletter.

An effective after-sales follow-up maintains the following order: first, assistance; then, feedback; and finally, a purchase proposal. Reversing these steps makes the entire after-sales communication appear to be merely a pretext for another sale.

Read also: Cross-selling and up-selling in e-commerce: 8 ways to boost revenue >>>

#3 - Contact after signing up or downloading a resource

Signing up for a newsletter or downloading a guide is a sign of interest, which should be followed by a series of messages. The first email delivers the promised resource; subsequent ones expand on the topic and show how else you can help.

This type of follow-up has the most in common with traditional B2B sales. Each subsequent message addresses a different stage of the decision-making process and moves the recipient closer to the next step, which might be a conversation with a consultant or a product trial.

Automation of follow-up messages

Automation takes care of what cannot be maintained with manual sending: a consistent rhythm and a timely response. Instead of having to remember every contact individually, you set the rules once, and the system enforces them for you.

Every follow-up sequence is based on three elements. The trigger determines what sets the sequence in motion - an abandoned shopping cart, a purchase, or a lack of response from the customer after an offer has been sent. The interval specifies how much time elapses between messages. The exit condition stops the sequence the moment the recipient performs the expected action.

This last element is just as important as the first two. Without it, the customer receives a reminder about a shopping cart they’ve already paid for. Or a third email asking about a decision made a week earlier.

In B2B sales, this role is usually fulfilled by CRM tools. The system records the history of contacts, sends reminders about scheduled calls and shows the current status of each matter. In email marketing and e-commerce marketing, this work is carried out by a marketing automation platform, which combines data on recipient behaviour with pre-defined email sequences. Combining both data sources provides a more complete picture of the customer relationship.

Remember that automation doesn’t mean you can stop thinking about content. You still need to write a follow-up message that adds value to the conversation. The system simply replicates exactly what you give it - including poor messages - only on a larger scale.

Would you like to see what such sequences look like in practice? Book a free consultation with an e-commerce expert and find out how to plan follow-ups tailored to your customers’ behaviour.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many follow-up messages should you send?

In B2B sales, 3-5 follow-ups spread out over time are usually sufficient. In email marketing, the number is determined by the condition for exiting the sequence, rather than a fixed limit. The sequence ends as soon as the recipient takes the expected action.

How long should you wait before sending a follow-up?

It depends on what came before. After a meeting or call, 24-48 hours works best; after sending a proposal, three or four working days. In e-commerce, triggered follow-ups run much faster - often within hours.

What is the difference between a follow-up and a reminder?

A reminder simply repeats a previous message. A follow-up adds something: new information, an answer to a question, or a concrete next step. That difference is what stops it reading as pressure.