How to Send Recurring Emails in Outlook: Your Recurring Email Outlook Guide

Sending the same emails over and over? It's time to streamline your workflow with Outlook's recurring email feature. In our guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up automated emails. This not only saves time but also ensures you're consistently on top of your email communication.

We'll guide you through setting up a recurring message and email scheduling in Outlook. Learn to automatically send and manage your emails, streamlining reminders and follow-ups. This efficient approach to automatic emails will transform your email strategy.

What Do You Mean By Recurring Emails

Recurring emails in Outlook automate the process of sending the same or similar messages at regular intervals.

This function is invaluable for sending reminders, follow-up emails, or regular updates, eliminating the need for manual repetition and ensuring timely communication.

Benefits of Recurring Messages in Professional Communication

The advantages of using recurring messages in professional settings are clear:

Time Efficiency: Automating repetitive emails helps in saving time and eliminates the tedium of sending the same email message repeatedly.

Consistency in Communication: Whether you’re sending out weekly email campaigns, monthly reminders, or daily follow-ups, recurring emails guarantee that your messages reach your audience on time, every time.

Improved Organization: By regularly sending personalized emails, you maintain continuous engagement with your clients or team. This regular touchpoint can significantly boost your email engagement rates.

When Should You Use Recurring Message or Email

Ideal situations for utilizing recurring emails include:

Regular Internal Updates: Keep your team informed with scheduled email updates about project statuses, upcoming events, or important announcements.

Client Engagement: Maintain a steady stream of communication with clients through follow-up emails and reminders, ensuring you stay at the forefront of their minds.

Marketing and Outreach: For Launching email campaigns regularly, Recurring emails can automate this process, from sending out newsletters to promotional content.

Understanding Outlook's Automatic Emails and Recurring Emails

Outlook's Automatic Emails

Automatic emails in Outlook, often referred to as automatic replies or out-of-office messages, are responses automatically sent to anyone who emails you during a specified period. These are especially useful when you are not available to respond, like during vacations or business trips.

Outlook's Recurring Emails

Recurring emails in Outlook, on the other hand, are emails that are sent automatically on a scheduled basis. This feature is perfect for sending regular updates, reminders, or follow-up emails.

While both automatic and recurring emails in Outlook are designed to streamline communication, they serve different purposes. Automatic emails are best for notifying others of your temporary unavailability, whereas recurring emails are ideal for consistent, scheduled communication.

Types of Recurring Emails You Can Send to Increase Your Engagement

Reminder Emails

Reminder emails are essential for keeping your audience informed about upcoming events, deadlines, or tasks.

With Outlook, you can schedule these emails to automatically remind both you and your recipients of important dates or to share important information or data. This not only saves time but ensures critical deadlines or events are consistently highlighted.

Example 1: A project manager sets weekly reminder emails for team check-ins or project deadlines, ensuring timely follow-up and accountability.

Example 2: A dentist’s office uses reminder emails to inform patients of their upcoming appointments, reducing no-shows and maintaining a smooth schedule.

Marketing Emails

Marketing emails are key for regular engagement with clients or audiences. Outlook's recurring email feature allows businesses to automate their marketing content delivery, keeping customers engaged with updates, offers, or news.

Example 1: An e-commerce store schedules monthly marketing emails to showcase new products, promotions, or exclusive discounts.

Example 2: A software company sends bi-weekly updates about new features or upcoming webinars, keeping their users informed and engaged.

To know more about marketing emails and the best time to send marketing emails, you can read our blog - Insider's Secret: How to Nail the Best Time to Send Marketing Emails

Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are great for sharing insights, updates, or stories regularly. They provide valuable content like industry news, tips, or company updates.

Using Outlook’s recurring feature ensures consistent delivery, keeping your audience informed and engaged.

Example 1: A tech company sends a monthly newsletter with the latest tech trends, product updates, and user tips.

Example 2: A local community group shares a bi-monthly newsletter with community news, events, and member spotlights to foster a sense of community.

Follow-Up Emails

Follow-up emails are crucial for keeping the conversation going after an initial interaction. Outlook's recurring feature can automate these follow-ups, ensuring you stay in touch with clients, prospects, or colleagues efficiently.

Example 1: After a networking event, a salesperson sets up a series of follow-up emails over the next few months to maintain contact with new leads.

Example 2: A customer service team sends follow-up emails post-interaction to gather feedback and ensure customer satisfaction.

To know more about Follow-up emails with examples, you can read our blog - How to Write a Follow-Up Email: Proven Strategies With 45 Examples of Follow-up Emails

Personalized Emails

Personalized emails make each recipient feel uniquely addressed. Outlook allows for recurring emails that can include personalized elements, making each email more relevant and engaging.

Example 1: A fitness coach sends weekly personalized workout tips or motivational messages to clients, based on individual fitness goals.

Example 2: An online retailer sends monthly product recommendations based on previous purchases and browsing history to enhance customer experience.

How to Create a Recurring Email in Outlook

Creating recurring emails in Outlook can be achieved in several ways, each tailored to different needs and preferences:

Calendar Appointment Method

This involves creating an email template and then setting up an appointment in the Outlook calendar with a recurrence pattern. This method requires you to manually send the email when the reminder comes up.

When to Use: Best for personal reminders or to remind a team about recurring events or deadlines.

Steps:

1. Launch Outlook and create a new email.
2. Save the email as a template via the File tab.
3. Click on the Calendar icon and double-click a date to open the Event window.
4. Fill in the details and select the Recurrence button.
5. In the Reminder section, attach the saved email template.
6. Set a reminder for sending the email.

Utilize Boomerang Tool for Outlook

Boomerang is a third-party tool that integrates with Outlook, allowing you to schedule recurring emails easily. You can set the frequency, start and end times, and specific days for the emails to be sent.

When to Use: Ideal for automating marketing emails, newsletters, or follow-up emails without needing to manually send them each time.

Steps:

1. Install Boomerang for Outlook.
2. Compose a new email and click on Send Later.
3. Choose "Schedule recurring message."
4. Set the start and end dates, frequency, and days for the emails.
5. Review the summary and click Schedule.

Auto Follow-Up Feature

If your version of Outlook has the Auto Follow-Up feature, you can use it to set up recurring messages.

When to Use: Useful for regular follow-up emails in sales or project management.

Steps:

1. In Outlook, go to the Auto Follow-Up tab.
2. Select "Recurring Messages" and add a new message.
3. Fill in the details and select frequency (daily, weekly, etc.).
4. Add attachments if necessary and confirm the settings.

Using Delay Delivery

This feature in Outlook allows you to delay the delivery of an email. By setting a specific date and time for the email to be sent, you can create a kind of recurring email. However, this might require setting up each instance separately.

When to Use: Suitable for one-off reminders or notifications that need to be sent at a specific future time.

Steps:

1. Create a new email and go to the Options tab.
2. Click on Delay Delivery and check "Do not deliver before."
3. Set the desired date and time.
4. Send the email, which will be delivered at the specified time.

Power Automate

For a more automated approach, Power Automate can be used to create and send recurring emails directly from Outlook.

When to Use: Great for more complex email automation that integrates with other systems or for very specific scheduling needs.

Steps:

1. Sign in to Outlook and go to Power Automate.
2. Create a new "Scheduled cloud flow."
3. Define the schedule for sending the email.
4. Use the email action to create the content of your recurring email.
5. Save and enable the flow.

How to Send and Schedule Recurring Emails in Outlook

1. Start in Outlook: Open Outlook application and ensure you're logged into your Outlook account.

2. Compose Your Email: Click 'New Email' to begin crafting your message. This could range from reminder emails about upcoming events, to send automatic emails for marketing purposes or to personalized emails for client engagement.

3. Craft Your Message: Write the content of your email, considering its purpose. Whether it's a detailed newsletter or a simple follow-up, the content should be relevant and clear.

4. Implement Email Scheduling: Navigate to the 'Options' tab and select 'Delay Delivery'. Here, you can set the exact date and time for Outlook to automatically send your email.

5. Specify Recurrence: Under the same page, find and set the 'Recurrence'. This feature is key to schedule your email to be sent repeatedly at regular intervals – daily, weekly, or monthly.

6. Finalize Settings and Send: After confirming your email content and scheduling settings, click 'Send'. Outlook will now handle the task of sending this email as per your specified schedule.

Final Thoughts on Sending Recurring Emails from Outlook Account

Final thoughts on sending recurring emails from an Outlook account emphasize the significant efficiency and consistency they bring to your communication strategy.

In Outlook, sending recurring emails is as straightforward as clicking on a dropdown menu. This simplicity ensures you can effortlessly set up and manage these emails, enhancing the effectiveness of your communication strategy. These features are invaluable for ensuring regular updates, follow-up emails, or reminders are sent without fail, enhancing your overall productivity.

Whether it's through automatic emails for marketing campaigns or personalized emails for client engagement, recurring emails in Outlook streamline your email management, making sure your messages are timely and effective.