How many routine emails would you say your sales and marketing teams send every day? If it isn’t that much, is that because you don’t have the manpower to accomplish mass outreach campaigns? If that’s the case, email automation is the perfect solution to staying in touch with customers and prospects economically.

At Microsoft’s 2017 Ignite conference, three new apps were announced that help small businesses streamline everyday tasks. The apps -- Connections, Listings, and Invoicing -- spent a few months as limited previews, but are now available to anyone with an Office 365 Business Premium subscription.

If you have ever received what looked like a personalized email from a huge corporation, there’s a good chance it was actually written with the help of an email automation platform. Email automation saves time and money while strengthening customer relationships, and contrary to popular belief, it is well within most SMB budgets.