HubSpot marketing automation: When to use sequences vs marketing emails

When it comes to sequences and automated marketing emails, it's not unusual for there to be a bit of confusion. At the end of the day, both options are just forms of sending an automated email—so really what's the difference?

Why choose one over the other?

You might choose to use sequences over marketing emails for several reasons, as the two serve different purposes within the platform.

In this blog we'll break down the differences between sequences and automated marketing emails through a range of different lenses, so you get a better understanding of the use cases for each.  

Let's take a look. 

Personalisation and target audience

Sequences: Designed for one-to-one communication and are highly personalised. They're ideal for nurturing individual leads or prospects, particularly in a sales context.

Marketing emails: Best suited for one-to-many communication, targeting larger audiences with promotional or informational content.

Use case

Sequences: Typically used in sales and customer success processes for:

• Following up with leads or prospects after a meeting or demo
• Nurturing individual relationships
• Automating follow-up tasks and reminders

Marketing emails: Commonly used in marketing campaigns for:

• Broadcasting newsletters, promotions, or product updates
• Engaging larger segments or lists with broader messaging

Automation and timing

Sequences: Focus on automating individual follow-ups with precise intervals. They allow for pausing based on recipient activity, such as replying or booking a meeting.

Marketing emails: Sent to large audiences based on criteria or triggers but don't have the same one-to-one activity-driven automation

Goal 

Sequences: Designed to convert or engage specific contacts over time with personalised touch points.

Marketing emails: Aim to drive awareness, engagement, and conversions across a broader audience.

Metrics and tracking

Sequences: Focus on engagement at an individual level, such as whether the contact has opened, clicked, or replied.

Marketing emails: Provide broader campaign-level metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and overall engagement trends across a list.

Personal touch vs. scalability

Sequences: Maintain a human touch and are often perceived as directly sent by the sales or customer success team member.
Marketing emails: Are more scalable and branded, suitable for larger audiences but may feel less personal.

When to use each?

Use Sequences: When managing a high-touch sales or onboarding process, following up on a deal, or nurturing a high-value lead.

Use Marketing emails: When executing a marketing campaign, promoting an event, or sending a bulk update to a segment.

Example Scenarios

• Marketing emails: The marketing team sends an email blast announcing a webinar to a large segment of the contact database.
• Sequences: A salesperson sends a personalised follow-up sequence to a prospect who downloaded a whitepaper, with emails tailored to their interests.

One of the major use cases for sequences is for reminders of required info or documentation, that continue to be sent out until a reply is received. A sequence streamlines communication, reduces follow-up fatigue, and ensures that important requests are not overlooked.

Benefits sequences for sending reminder emails

Sequences are especially useful for sending a series of reminders to contacts who need to provide information, documents, or take a specific action. Here’s how sequences excel in this scenario:

Automated follow-ups until reply

• Sequences can be configured to stop automatically when the recipient responds to an email. This ensures you don’t send unnecessary follow-ups and keeps communication professional and relevant.
• Example: If you’re requesting required documents from a client, the sequence will send reminders at predetermined intervals until they reply with the necessary information.

Consistent and timely communication

• Sequences allow you to define specific time intervals between reminders (e.g., 3 days, 7 days, etc.), ensuring the contact is reminded regularly without manual intervention.
• Example: For onboarding, you can create a sequence to follow up every 5 days until the client submits their signed agreement.

Personalisation at scale

• Each email in the sequence can be tailored with personalised tokens (e.g., first name, company name, specific request details). This ensures that even automated reminders feel personal and aligned with the contact's needs.
• Example: "Hi [First Name], just a quick reminder that we're still waiting for [Document Name] to complete your application."

Task creation for accountability

• Sequences can also create tasks for your team at specific points in the process. For example, if a contact hasn’t responded after three emails, a task can remind the sender to make a follow-up call or check in manually.

Reducing administrative burden

• By automating the process, sequences save significant time compared to manually sending follow-up emails or tracking who has responded.
• Example: If you're working with multiple clients and each requires document submission, a sequence eliminates the need to track individual responses.

Sequences and automated marketing emails may seem very similar, but they each serve distinct purposes.Understanding their differences can help you use them both more effectively.

Sequences are perfect for personalised, one-on-one communication, especially in sales or customer success contexts, while marketing emails are great for broad-reaching campaigns that engage larger audiences.

By choosing the right tool for the job, you can optimise your automation strategy and streamline your communication, ultimately saving time and driving better results. Whether you're nurturing leads or keeping your audience informed, both methods can be powerful when used in the right context.