How to streamline your workflow with automated email reminders

Are you frustrated by the never-ending cycle of sending manual email reminders? Do you spend too much time on tasks that seem both repetitive and avoidable? 

We know it better than anyone. 

Seriously, that’s why we launched Content Snare in the first place.

Tracking deadlines and email-prodding clients can be a drain on your resources — not to mention your patience and nerves. The simple way to free yourself from sending countless emails is to automate the process.

In this post, we’ll show you the most common types of reminders and some of the best tools to automatically send notifications to your clients. 

Let’s dive in!

What are automated email reminders?

Automated email reminders are pre-scheduled email messages. You can send them to individuals or groups to remind them of:

• Events
• Tasks
• Content request forms 
• Deadlines
• Appointments

You can set up these (and many other types of reminders) in advance using email marketing platforms or dedicated data collection tools. That way, you make sure that your clients get notified and prompted to take the necessary actions on time. 

Related: How to write a reminder email: 5 steps (with examples)

Common types of automatic email reminders

Different businesses use different types of automatic email reminders, but some options apply to pretty much all industries. Here are some common types:

1. Incomplete form reminders

Incomplete form reminders are triggered when a client starts filling out a form but abandons it before completion. These reminders gently encourage clients to finish the entire process. 

2. Meeting reminder emails

It’s hard to build successful client relationships without face-to-face meetings, but these events also require careful planning. Sending automated emails can prevent no-shows and last-minute cancellations. This email reminder often includes the following details:

• Meeting date
• Time
• Location (physical or virtual)
• Any other technical details

3. Unpaid invoice reminders

Cash flow is paramount for any business, and sometimes you just have to remind clients of pending payments. You can schedule these notifications at various intervals after the due date, progressively becoming more assertive (yet polite) as time goes on.

Timely reminders help reduce late payments, so you can maintain a healthy financial relationship between you and your clients.

4. Content requests

Content gathering is common among creative businesses like digital marketing agencies. 

However, many companies struggle to get the right content — in a timely manner — from their clients. That’s when you need to send weekly or daily or weekly reminders. 

Auto reminders encourage clients to provide necessary inputs for ongoing projects, so you can get the resources to deliver your product as promised. 

5. Follow-up reminders

Following up after landing a new client is a sign of professionalism. A follow-up reminder email helps you to gather feedback or answer questions that your client might have. 

Related: How to write follow up emails to your clients (and 5 templates)

6. Event reminders

Some companies host events like webinars or conferences, but let’s face it — people forget about these things all the time. 

In this case, sending automated event reminders can boost attendance by keeping your colleagues and/or clients informed. These automated reminders typically include: 

• Event details
• Links to relevant resources
• Pre-event preparation information

7. Subscription email reminders

Businesses with a subscription-based model have to keep clients engaged long-term. They do it with subscription email reminders that gently nudge clients to renew their subscriptions or adjust their plans.  

Best tools to automatically send reminders

Many tools can help you successfully automate reminders. For instance, you can use a dedicated document collection software or a more traditional email platform — it depends on your particular business needs.

Our goal is to introduce you to some of our favorite tools — each with its own unique features and use cases. Let’s take a look.

Content Snare

Content Snare is a tool that streamlines the process of gathering information, content, and documents from clients. Our platform helps you achieve a smoother collaboration with clients by automating multiple data collection procedures.  

Automated reminders are one of the most important Content Snare features — they let you focus on the actual work instead of wasting time on back-and-forth emails.

Our ready-made templates with default schedules are super simple, but you can also take full control of your workflow by:

• Customizing your messages
• Sending reminders based on your own schedule
• Personalizing your emails
• Including SMS in your reminder email for urgent notifications

These and many other features make Content Snare one of the best tools for businesses that frequently gather information from their clients. 

Best for: Accounting practices, digital agencies, law firms, and other service-oriented companies that collect lots of info and documents.

SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a popular tool for conducting online surveys, but it also offers robust emailing features. This software sends email invitations for your surveys, and you can follow up with the recipients by sending:

• Automated email reminders
• Thank You messages

The system lets you set up a series of pre-scheduled email messages to remind participants to complete their surveys. Overall, SurveyMonkey is a great tool for conducting market research, customer satisfaction surveys, or employee feedback assessments. 

Best for: Customer-oriented businesses conducting online surveys with lots of respondents. 

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is an all-encompassing CRM system with many use cases. It mainly assists businesses in nurturing leads and driving conversions. 

Like Content Snare, ActiveCampaign lets you choose from the existing templates or create your own email reminder from scratch. A couple of advanced features are particularly interesting:

• Determine how your contacts filter through email reminders
• Choose how to respond to your subscribers when they do or do not open your message

All these features are based on user behavior, so you can trigger different actions accordingly.

Best for: Email marketing and sales professionals with a strong focus on lead nurturing. 

Set yourself free — create automated email reminders

You have more important things to do than sending email reminders manually. 

Automation will help you work smarter and faster, so you can improve client relationships and ultimately make more money. Your only job is to pick the right tool and set your reminder settings. Are you ready to give it a go?