There are many ways to automate email marketing, and Amanda Green shares the following tips that will ensure you are efficient with your efforts:

1. Segmentation and personalization – both are critical and recipients expect you to know them and their interests
2. Set up triggered emails – focus on sending triggered emails to nurture the leads that come from subscriptions or sign ups on your landing pages
3. Send transactional emails – emails that are sent after consumers purchase a product or service, allowing you to help stay in touch with consumers for a long period of time

Source: http://www.promotionworld.com/se/articles/article/160816-3-actionable-email-marketing-automation-tips-improve-branding