Everyone’s banging on about AI email automation like it’s some revolutionary new thing.. Spoiler: it’s not that different. But there ARE differences worth knowing about, especially if you’re about to spend money on it.. Let me break it down without the corporate bullshit..
Regular Email Automation (The Old Way)
This is what you’ve probably been using for years, even if you didn’t call it that.
What it does:
- Someone signs up → they get Welcome Email #1
- 3 days later → they get Email #2
- They click a link → different email sequence triggers
- They buy something → confirmation email + receipt
- They abandon cart → reminder email
It’s basically: IF this happens, THEN send that email.. You write the emails once. Set up the rules. It runs on autopilot.. Tools: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite , you know the drill.
The limitation: Every email is the SAME for everyone. Sarah gets the exact same Welcome to our newsletter email as Dave, even though Sarah’s interested in toast and Dave’s all about almond croissants.
AI Email Automation (The New Way)
Same concept, but the emails aren’t identical anymore.
What it does differently:
- Personalizes the actual CONTENT based on what it knows about the person
- Writes variations of emails on the fly
- Adjusts tone/style based on previous interactions
- Can reference specific things the person did, not just trigger sequences
- Learns what subject lines work better for different people
Example:
Regular automation: Hi [First Name], here’s our weekly newsletter.
AI automation: Hi Sarah, noticed you clicked on our toast recipes last week, here are 3 more you might like. Also, that almond croissant place you asked about just opened a new location.
The AI actually writes different versions based on behavior, interests, previous emails, etc.. Tools: HubSpot (AI features), Salesforce Einstein, some fancy Zapier + ChatGPT setups, or custom builds.
So What’s Actually Better?
Depends what you need.. Stick with regular automation if:
- You’re sending the same message to everyone anyway order confirmations, receipts, standard welcome sequences
- You’ve got a small list under 500 people
- Your emails work fine and people engage
- Budget’s tight regular automation is cheaper
Consider AI automation if:
- You’ve got a big, diverse audience with different interests
- Personalization actually matters to your business
- You’re drowning in manual email replies
- You’ve got budget it’s pricier
- You’re selling multiple products/services to different segments
The Honest Truth
Most small businesses don’t need AI email automation yet.. If your regular email automation is working, people open emails, click links, buy stuff, you’re fine.. AI email automation shines when you’ve got:
- 1,000+ subscribers
- Multiple customer segments
- Complex product lines
- Time to set it up properly it’s not plug-and-play
Don’t let some LinkedIn guru convince you that regular automation is dead or that you’re leaving money on the table. You’re probably not.
When AI Email Actually Helps
Where I’ve seen it work brilliantly:
1. Response drafting AI reads incoming customer emails and drafts replies for you to approve/edit. Saves hours.
2. Personalized recommendations E-commerce with hundreds of products. AI suggests products based on browsing/purchase history.
3. Re-engagement campaigns AI figures out why someone went quiet and crafts a specific win-back email.
4. Support ticket routing AI reads support emails and auto categorizes them, sends initial responses.
But here’s the thing: all of these require VOLUME to be worth it. 3 support tickets a week? Just answer them yourself.. 300 support tickets a week? Yeah, get AI involved.
The Bottom Line
Regular email automation: Set rules, write emails once, runs forever. Cheap. Effective for most.. AI email automation: Writes personalized variations on the fly. Expensive. Worth it if you’ve got serious volume and diverse audiences.
My advice: Don’t upgrade to AI email automation just because it sounds fancy.. Upgrade when regular automation stops working or you’re manually personalizing 50+ emails a week.. Otherwise? You’re just paying more for tech you don’t need.
Want to know if AI will actually help YOUR business? Try this.