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Create an Email or SMS Sequence

Written by Grace from Ivorey™
Updated over a month ago

Before You Dive In

This article is one step from our Master Help Guide: All About Email Marketing. We recommend starting with the visual walkthrough video and examples inside the Master Help Guide before diving into the technical setup below.

Each Master Help Guide acts as your project plan - teaching you the feature, laying out the steps in the right order, and linking to every resource you’ll need along the way.

There are multiple ways you can set up email/SMS sequences inside of Ivorey™, and it all depends or your unique use case. Below are the four options that you can choose from, in the order of most to least common. Please ensure to read through them ALL to find your best fit.

This guide is perfect if you want to:

  • Schedule campaign or broadcast emails in advance

  • Create an automated email/SMS sequence that runs based on certain triggers (e.g. post-purchase emails, onboarding sequence, etc.)

  • Create an automated email/SMS sequence to nurture leads or clients after booking a call

  • Create an automated email/SMS sequence that runs on a specific date and time (e.g. for a live event)

Option 1: Email Campaign at Set Dates/Times

Campaign emails are perfect for any email you want to send at a specific date and time. Whether it's sending a one-off newsletter, or an entire sales campaign - we strongly suggest this option for anything with a specific sending date. Watch the training below for how to send an email campaign at a set date and time.

Click here for the written instructions

  1. From the Ivorey™ main menu, go to [Marketing] > [Emails] > click the [Create Folder] button > and give it a name for your specific sale/campaign event
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  2. Inside the folder, create each email that will go out in your campaign. You can either start from blank, our use an existing template that we've already added into your account
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  3. Edit each email, ensuring to add the subject, preview line, and link buttons up correctly
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  4. Schedule the exact date and time you want the email to go out, and select the recipients (refer to our guide on segmenting your email list here)
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  5. Use the Resend to unopened feature to automatically resend your email with a new subject line (e.g. 24 hours later), to anyone who didn’t open it (if applicable)
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  6. We always suggest testing your emails before sending them live! Send yourself a test and check it on desktop and mobile for best results


Option 2: Evergreen Email or SMS Sequence

If you want to set up an email sequence that sends at set intervals, after a certain event, workflows are the best option for this. For example, if someone downloads a freebie from your website, you could create a nurture sequence that emails them every X days after they opted in. Or if a client purchased a product, you could send them an automated welcome/onboarding sequence.

This means each person will receive the emails at certain days apart, but its always based on the unique time they entered the workflow (instead of an exact date/time like the campaign option above). Watch the training below for how to set up an evergreen email sequence, with fixed wait times.

Click here for the written instructions

  1. From the Ivorey™ main menu, go to [Workflows] > and open the [Bonus Workflows] folder, to use on of our workflow templates (e.g. opt-in workflow for once someone submits a form, or post-purchase workflow for after someone buys from you), or create your own by clicking the [+ Create Workflow] button > and select [Start from Scratch]

  2. If creating your own workflow, ensure to add your Trigger (e.g. when a form is submitted, or leave it blank if you plan to manually add people later)
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  3. Add an action > select or search for 'Send Email' > choose your first email template or write the email in plain text.
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    ​Note: Remember all email templates are located inside Marketing > Emails > Templates. Once you customise or create them there, they become available to pull into any workflow.
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  4. Add an action > select or search for 'Wait' > set it to your preferred wait time (e.g. wait 1 day, or 6 hours) ​

  5. Continue adding steps that alternate between Send Email → Wait → Send Email → Wait until your sequence is finished
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  6. At the end, decide:
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    1. If you want to keep contacts in the workflow (e.g. if you plan to continue adding onto this sequence in the future) then add a final Wait step (e.g. wait 1000 days). This will just hold them in the workflow after the sequence is finished, in case you want to add to it later
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    2. If you want to move them into another workflow, add the 'Add To Workflow' action > and choose where to send them next
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    3. If you're happy for them to exit automatically, don’t add any wait at the end - they’ll finish and exit the workflow once the last step is done
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  7. Once finished, at the top right corner, toggle the workflow to Publish > and click the [Save] button
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Note: We always suggest testing your workflows before launching them live, to ensure they fire as intended. To do this, publish your workflow and perform the trigger, which will pull you into the workflow and start performing the actions. Then check the Execution Log tab, to see if any step had an error.

Option 3: Email or SMS Sequence Before/After Calendar Bookings

If you use Ivorey™ calendars, our Calendar Guide shows you how to set up standard booking confirmation and reminder emails. But if you want to send extra emails, for example to nurture your contacts before or after their appointment, you can create a workflow email sequence for that. Watch the training below to learn how to send an email sequence based on an appointment time.

Click here for the written instructions

  1. From the Ivorey™ main menu, go to [Workflows] > click the [+ Create Workflow] button > select [Start from Scratch] > and give your workflow a clear name​

  2. Click to add a [Trigger] > and select or search for 'Customer Booked Appointment' > then in the filter drop-down, select the specific calendar you want this to apply to. If no filter is applied, this workflow will trigger for any appointment that's booked through any Ivorey™ calendar
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  3. Add an Action > Send Email (or Send SMS). Either:
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    1. Write the email directly and personalise it with custom values (e.g. {{contact.first_name}})
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    2. Or select a branded email template that you've customised
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  4. Control timing by adding the 'Wait' action in anywhere you'd like a delay to occur:
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    • No wait means the email sends immediately

    • Time delay (e.g. wait 1 day)

    • Event/Appointment based (e.g. 2 days before, 1 hour before, or 1 day after the appointment)
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  5. Ensure you use the correct Wait type, depending on your calendar type, as this is an important distinction. If this appointment is booked through a:
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    1. Meetings Calendar - use Event / Appointment Time

    2. Services Calendar - use Event / Service Booking Time
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  6. Continue building the sequence with additional Wait and Email (or SMS) steps until you’ve mapped out the full journey
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  7. At the end, decide:
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    1. If you want to keep contacts in the workflow (e.g. if you plan to continue adding onto this sequence in the future) then add a final Wait step (e.g. wait 1000 days). This will just hold them in the workflow after the sequence is finished, in case you want to add to it later
      ​

    2. If you want to move them into another workflow, add the 'Add To Workflow' action > and choose where to send them next
      ​

    3. If you're happy for them to exit automatically, don’t add any wait at the end - they’ll finish and exit the workflow once the last step is done
      ​

  8. Once finished, at the top right corner, toggle the workflow to Publish > and click the [Save] button
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Note: We always suggest testing your workflows before launching them live, to ensure they fire as intended. To do this, publish your workflow and perform the trigger, which will pull you into the workflow and start performing the actions. Then check the Execution Log tab, to see if any step had an error.

Option 4: Email or SMS Sequence at Set Event Times (Advanced)

The final option is to create an email sequence via workflows, that waits for before or after a certain event date/time that you get to manually choose. This could be in reference to a special deadline, live event, or any other type of event.

This is the least common option, as your email objectives can almost always be achieved by using the 3 options above. However, if don't want to follow our best-practice recommendation of sending an email campaign (option 1) for any fixed date/time emails, you can learn how to do this via workflows in the training below.

Click here for the written instructions

  1. From the Ivorey™ main menu, go to [Workflows] > click the [+ Create Workflow] button > select [Start from Scratch] > and give your workflow a clear name​
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  2. Click to add a [Trigger] to start the workflow, or leave it blank if you plan to import contacts manually ​

  3. Add the Actions for your workflow:
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    1. Option 1: Countdown - This is where you set the Event Time once, and then continue adding wait steps, based on intervals (such as waiting for 2 days before the event, then 1 day before the event etc.). To do this, continue rotating between these actions:
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      1. Set Event Time (for the event time you want all the wait steps to reference)
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      2. Wait (change the filter to x days/hours before or after the event time)
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      3. Send Email / Send SMS
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      4. Wait (change the filter to x days/hours before or after the event time)
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      5. Send Email / Send SMS
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      6. Continue repeating the Wait → Send Email / Send SMS steps until your sequence is finished
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    2. Option 2: Exact Time - This is where you can set the exact Event Time, based on when you want each individual email to send, and then add a wait step to wait for that exact event time. To do this, continue rotating between these actions:
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      1. Set Event Time (for the exact date/time you want the email/sms to send
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      2. Wait (change the filter to "Exact Time")
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      3. Send Email / Send SMS
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      4. Repeat, consistently setting new times
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      Note: We don't suggest this option if you're only sending emails, as it's far easier to achieve via an email campaign instead (refer to Option 1: Email Campaign at Set Dates/Times in this guide)

  4. For each email, you can either:

    1. Write a text-only email directly and personalise with {{contact.first_name}}
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    2. Or pull in a branded email template (which can be created and managed in Marketing > Emails > Templates)
      ​​

  5. Once finished, at the top right corner, toggle the workflow to Publish > and click the [Save] button
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Note: It's critical to always ensure Ivorey™ has the correct Event Date/Time to reference, as well as the correct wait steps and filters. If not, you'll risk all your emails/SMS's sending out to your contacts at once, with no waiting in between. We always suggest testing your workflows before launching them live to ensure they fire as intended. To do this, publish your workflow and perform the trigger, which will pull you into the workflow and start performing the actions. Then check the Execution Log tab, to see if any step had an error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Campaign and a Workflow?

A Campaign is for sending one-time emails (e.g. newsletters), while a Workflow is for creating evergreen, automated sequences that are triggered by a specific event or action.
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How can I see how an email looks before it sends?

When you are editing the Send an Email action within your workflow, you can add your email address into the Test Emails field and click Send Test Email to get a preview.
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How do I get the time zone to display in my calendar emails?

To get the time zone (e.g. AWST) to display in your automated calendar appointment emails you will need to go into your calendar email templates and change the custom value from ({{appointment.timezone_offset}}) to {{appointment.timezone}}, using the custom value element inside the email builder.
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Can I mix emails and SMS's in the same sequence?

Yes, Ivorey™ allows you to combine email and SMS messages within a single sequence so you can engage your contacts through multiple channels.

How do I schedule messages within a sequence?

Each message can be scheduled based on a specific delay, after a contact is added to the sequence, or after a previous message is sent. You can choose hours, days, or specific times.

Can I personalise messages in a sequence?

Absolutely, you can completely customise the messages in your sequence. Use custom values like First Name, Last Name, or other contact fields to make your messages feel personal and relevant.

How do I activate or pause a sequence?

Once your sequence is ready, click Activate to start sending it. You can pause it anytime from the sequence dashboard if you need to make updates or stop sending temporarily.

How can I track the performance of my sequence?

Ivorey™ provides analytics for each sequence, including open rates, click-through rates, and delivery stats, so you can see which messages are performing well.

Can I duplicate an existing sequence?

Yes. duplicating a sequence allows you to reuse a proven sequence without building it from scratch.

Who receives the messages in a sequence?

Messages are sent to contacts you add to the sequence. You can add contacts manually or set up automations to enroll contacts based on triggers, like form submissions or tag updates.

Is there a limit to how many messages I can include in a sequence?

Ivorey™ does not impose a strict limit to the number of messages in a sequence, but it’s best practice to keep sequences concise and engaging to avoid overwhelming your contacts.

How can I check if my emails have gone through after triggering a series of emails through a workflow and sending bulk emails through contacts?

To check the status of emails sent through a workflow and bulk sending, you can check the contacts specifically, by clicking on the contact name in Contacts. To view your enrolments inside your workflows, click on your workflow and then click on the Enrolment History tab.
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What to do if a contact is not receiving emails from a workflow?

This can be caused by a few issues, such as DND (Do Not Disturb) settings (refer to our DND guide), or an invalid email address. Check the Execution Log to see what the error might be. Or refer to our Workflow Triggers guide.​
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How to trace the source of an email sent to a contact?

To find the source of an email a contact received, navigate to Contacts, then click into the client's contact details and locate the email. Click on the (···) three dots next to the email, to view the details. Under Source, if it's a workflow, you can click on the workflow link. This will take you directly to the workflow from which the email was triggered.
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Why aren’t workflow emails sent all at once after a 'wait until exact time' step?

Workflow emails aren’t sent in a single batch at the exact same time. When a “wait until a specific time” step is used, contacts are released at or after that time based on the account’s timezone.

Once released, emails are added to the sending queue and sent gradually to protect deliverability and avoid email provider throttling. When many contacts are released at once, this can result in emails being delivered minutes or even hours apart.

This is normal behaviour. The workflow is functioning correctly, and queue-based sending helps ensure emails are delivered successfully rather than blocked or marked as spam.

Need Help?

Hit the support chat widget inside Ivorey™ - we can:

  • Drop any of the templates into your account if you can't find them

  • Walk you through any of the steps

  • Troubleshoot anything that’s not working

We’re here and ready to help via the chat widget in the bottom right of your Ivorey™ account. Or if you are looking for done-for-you support, you can browse our current services here 🤍

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