Gmail automations and email marketing on a small scale

[Danteaway]

Hello, I have a question regarding Gmail automations in Airtable.

I'm starting a business and am new to the world of marketing. I have extensive experience using Airtable automations, as I've been using it for years for other purposes, but I have many questions about email marketing tools and the limitations related to email contacts, spam, etc.

My goal is to collect interested leads through a form. After receiving a form submission, I want to automate sending an email via Gmail with details about the services I offer. I also plan to create follow-up automations to re-engage the lead if they don't convert within 1–2 days of filling out the form.

In addition, I want to send other emails periodically to offer new services—but not in bulk on the same day. For example, instead of sending a service offer to everyone in my contact base at once, I’d automate it so that an email is sent only when a lead completes 15 days in the database. In this way, there would never be large-scale email blasts, since my business is small and personalized.

I know how to set up all these automations in Airtable. My concern is whether this approach will cause problems, such as emails going to spam or failing to deliver for reasons I might not be aware of. I wonder if I need to invest in a dedicated email marketing tool now for this or if it’s unnecessary given the scale of my business.

Thanks all for support.

[Ron_Daniel · Accepted solution]

@Danteaway ,

There are pros and cons to the Airtable automation approach. The pros include low cost, a familiar workflow, and simplicity of implementation. (If you go this route, be sure to edit the ReplyTo field—this is hidden under "show more options" in the "send an email" properties.)

That said, the cons often outweigh the pros for email marketing. Gmail and Airtable automations lack features critical to email success, such as reliable deliverability, email compliance tools (e.g., unsubscribes), and analytics like open rates or clicks. Over time, this could mean your emails end up in spam folders or fail to reach leads at all.

My recommendation would be to use a provider like Mailchimp or Constant Contact. These tools offer better email design options, analytics, and deliverability while also managing compliance automatically. They’re built for this kind of work, even at a small scale, and will save you headaches in the long run.