The most essential email marketing flows every eCom Brand must have

Email Marketing can be the life & blood of your business.

When done correctly, any competent email marketer could tell you email can yield as much as 30–50% of a business’s monthly revenue.

However, despite this common knowledge, it’s safe to say most businesses have still not gotten the memo.

It always breaks my heart when I see the amount of store owners who are struggling to grow their business and pump money, effort and love into the front end — Ads, SEO, traffic generation — but never make the jump to greatness because they keep on losing out on money produced by their back-end that would give them the resources to truly grow.

Which is unfortunate, because if they just knew how much they’re leaving on the table, they would put a greater focus on fixing this issue.

For instance, according to research carried out in the Baymard Institute, it’s believed that as many as 81.4% of online shopping carts are abandoned.

So hypothetically, let’s say you sell razors for $30 in your online store.

The sharpest, baddest razors in the business — you almost cut yourself just by looking at them.

And on average, each customer purchases one razor.

Additionally, let’s imagine that each day, 200 new people browse through your website, and 50 of them feel compelled enough to take you on your offer & add some razors to their cart.

On top of that, let’s also say this razor store is making a not so bad 100k per month in revenue.

Follow me so far? Good.

Now, here’s the thing.

Based on the study previously mentioned, let’s just say as an example, 50% of these potential buyers leave their card abandoned (which is a high cart abandonment rate, but stay with me here.)

Maybe their mother called. They had to feed the cat. Or their house was set on fire.

Makes no difference (to you).

The heart of the matter is, life got in the way, and these people didn’t get to purchase your amazing razors. That’s not going to “cut” it.

Now, of course, if you had your abandoned cart flow set up, it’s estimated you could’ve recovered as high as 60% of that lost revenue.

But just for the sake of it, let’s say we don’t recapture as high a percentage this time around.

Instead, let’s say we could only recover 30% of that lost revenue.

So let’s run the numbers.

50 (prospects) x 50% (average abandoned cart %) = 25

25 x 30% (recovered) = 7.5

7.5 x $30 (value of a razor) = $225

So if my basic math didn’t fail me, by not having your abandoned card in place, you would be missing out on $225 worth of razors — per day.

Which of course, at face value, doesn’t seem like much.

But over the course of a month, if this same dilemma keeps repeating, it does add up.

Because $225 times 30… equals $6750. Which could mean an increased turnover of 6.75%.

So to put it simply, getting just ONE of these powerful email flows right, can help you recover as high as 6.7k in your business’s bottom line each month. Revenue you would’ve missed out on otherwise… if it weren’t for your abandoned card flow.

Sidenote: And this is just providing you could only recover 30% of abandoned carts. What if you recovered 40, or 50%? Better still, what if instead of 50 visitors adding to cart, you had 100? Can you notice a trend here? Even when you just managed to pull off a 30% recovery rate, look how steep of an impact it made in your final turnover.

And you know what’s crazy? Your business already had the potential and was super close to making this extra cash — if something hadn’t gone wrong at the very. Last. Step.

No Ad Spend needed. Not a lot of extra work (if you don’t count packaging and working weekends sending out the orders.) By just having a few automated emails in place, this revenue appears as if out of thin air.

And this is providing you only sold razors. What if you sold hair trimmers, toners, and shaving gel too?

Eventually, these products would face the same dilemma as the razors. In other words, even MORE revenue lost.

Do you now see what a huge deal breaker this is?

And the worst part? This is completely avoidable.

Which is why today, we’ll be laying out the 6 most essential email marketing flows every eCom business must have.

These are a compilation of the autoresponder sequences (Email Flows) we’ve noticed have worked best for many of our clients and partners in the past, and have not only proven to help recover lost revenue…

But also increase store conversions, customer retention & LTV (life time value of a customer.)

Disclaimer: All of these flows can be automated in your ESP (email service provider.) You simply set them up once, and you continue to reap the benefits for the lifetime of your list.

Extra Disclaimer: That wasn’t quite true. This mindset is the exact reason why we find issues every single time we look under the hood of a new client’s Email Channel. Over time your email sequences turn into an ugly case of outdated digital spaghetti — a complete mess that nobody actually understands anymore. This is why you need someone to maintain that — an Email Marketing Agency. But I digress.

Let’s begin.

1. The Welcome Flow

Have you ever attended a job interview?

And knew you had to ‘dress the part’… in order to make a good impression which, in turn, would increase the chances you landed that dream job?

Well, this sequence is no different.

The Welcome Flow is the first email someone receives when they sign up for your list. Thus, just like any first impression, it’s imperative you get it right, for it can make or break any future attempt to build a solid relationship with your hopefully soon-to-be customers.

If your first few emails don’t leave your subscribers starstruck, chances are the next ones won’t get opened.

According to 2016 data from Omnisend and 2019 data from Emma, welcome series have approximately a 50% open rate, which is significantly higher than any other email campaign.

Therefore, this is your opportunity to mesmerize, stand out, and introduce future customers into your world. Failing to do so, would only set you up for mediocre results from your email efforts down the line.

Now, let’s dive into a few examples, shall we?

First off, we have Food52.

The main objective your Welcome Flow should achieve is to kick things off on the right foot with your subscriber, giving him a heart-warming welcome & inform him what to expect in later emails.

Food52’s welcome email does exactly that. It’s written in a friendly tone, it lets the reader know what to expect later on, it goes a little bit into the story of why this company was started in the first place, and it even adds in a sprinkle of humor too.

But hey, don’t get too constricted on trying to find the perfect formula to create your own Welcome Flow.

Sometimes, simple is best.

Ideally, your Welcome Flow should:

• Fulfill original the promise from your opt in (i.e. a 10% coupon, an eBook)
• Let them know what to expect
• Tell them who should unsubscribe
• Build curiosity for future emails
• Convey personality or beliefs/methodology
• Polarize
• Ask them to whitelist or filter you (optional)
• Ask them to reply (optional: helps with deliverability)

The more of these you can include, the better.

Here’s another illustration to help get your creative juices flowing. This time, from AllBirds.

We particularly like this welcome email from AllBirds because it’s fun, educational, and playful.

Again, don’t beat your head around this.

Anyone who knows enough about their niche & product can sit down and write a Welcome Flow that gets the job done.

The most important thing is to have it in place.

Jot down a few ideas, and use the simple guidelines described above to punch out your very first welcome email.

Something tells me, you’ll quickly come to realize it’s one of the most crucial flows you can set up for your list.

Alright, on to the next one.

2. The Abandoned Cart Flow

It’s tough to make a list of the most essential Email Marketing Flows for eCom businesses & leave out this pivotal part of the puzzle.

As we’ve already described the importance of having these sequences in place above, let’s instead dive right into some examples on how you can use it to recover some of those lost sales you’ve left on the table.

Beginning with an eCom brand you’re probably familiar with.

With the subject line ‘Where did you go?’, this Dollar Shave Club abandoned cart sequence accomplishes what it sets out to do: 1) remind the customers why he decided to add his product to cart in the first place, and 2) offer an enticing argument on why going back to his cart & purchasing the product is such a great decision.

Once the email is opened, you’re immediately met with some short & punchy bullet points that are easy to read and get the main benefits of their razors across (Hmmm razors, sounds like a great idea for an example!)

On top of that, their imagery shows exactly what you’ll get if you subscribe to the brand’s monthly box, along with offering a very compelling guarantee which makes the offer a no-brainer & encourages the reader to take action.

A general rule of thumb is to keep these emails short & sweet, and to send them as soon as one hour after the prospect abandoned his cart.

Needless to say, there are other things you can add to your abandoned cart email than just bullets & a guarantee. Here’s another example to illustrate it further.

Sometimes carts are abandoned simply because the prospect is still not completely sold on your product, which is perfectly fine.

Hence, applying strategies such as the Adidas’ abandoned cart email example above can come at handy.

Look, social proof sells. It’s the best way to build trust with cart abandoners, as it can make people pause to check out what others have to say about a product. Likewise, it gets them to take a chance with your brand because others are saying good things about it too.

After all, if you had two brand choices to choose from…

One with zero to no testimonials or credibility whatsoever. And another with tons of customer success stories & an avalanche of credibility…

You would probably go with the one with tons of it, right?

Exactly. This is why social proof can help you move mountains when it comes time to encourage a prospect to return to their cart, and buy.

Other examples of the most commonly used strategies are offering coupons, special discounts, free shipping, or anything that can stir them up to complete their purchase.

Sometimes a little extra effort can perform miracles for your email efforts.

WARNING: KLAVIYO IS LYING TO YOU

Huh?

Yes, that’s right. And we’re saying that as a Klaviyo partner.

Here’s why we’re saying that: Klaviyo has Flow Templates (you’ll see them when you create a new Flow) — but the Klaviyo Flow Template that’s called “Abandoned Cart Flow” is not an actual Abandoned Cart Flow…

See that trigger? “When someone Checkout Started”

Wait what?

Let’s break this down. Imagine a customer, let’s call him Mike, walks into a shop.

So far so good, right?

Mike walks in and starts doing things a normal customer would do:

1. He walks through the shop, having a look around.
2. He browses through a few products, has a look and sees if he likes them.
3. Mike decides he likes a few products and puts them into his shopping cart.
4. He now walks to the counter where a cashier is waiting, and pays.
5. Mike briefly talks to the cashier & leaves.

We’re not making sense yet, but we’re getting there. What just happened?

Mike went through a funnel — the same funnel your customers go through every single day.

Now, remember the Flow trigger for Klaviyo’s “Abandoned Cart Flow”?

=> “When someone Checkout Started”

When did Mike start the Checkout process? In step 4, at the counter.

But what if… what if Mike never arrived at the counter? What if he stopped at Step 3 — he puts a few items in his carts and — GASP — leaves the shop?

That’s an Abandoned Cart Event. And it won’t trigger the standard “Abandoned Cart Flow”. Uh oh. You just lost a potential customer.

There is actually a Flow that correlates to every step of Mike’s funnel, but we won’t cover them all in this article.

Over the shock yet? Alright, let’s continue.

3. Browse Abandonment Flow

This type bears some resemblance to the last flow, and relates to Step 2 in Mike’s funnel: He browses through a few products, has a look and sees if he likes them. It gets triggered when he never actually puts something in his shopping cart.

Only difference is this automation does not target behavior with a clear buying intent, but browse behavior instead. It is mostly used by eCom brands to trigger an email every time someone views a product, but doesn’t add to cart.

Thus, it does differ from the previous flow in some areas.

First one is that you have to add a special snippet or tracking tool on your site in order to trace back to the prospect. Unless you use Klaviyo and use a Shop Software that integrates with it — then you should be able to get the Event set up relatively easily.

Second, these emails are not always the first email automation marketers fancy to set up. Usually, abandoned cart emails or welcome emails are the first email automations marketers build out, as these two see higher returns in RPR (revenue-per-recipient.) Browse abandonment emails are a close third however.

And last but not least, this type of flow requires a tiny bit more persuasion & convincing from your part in order to convert the prospect into a customer.

Why is this? Well, it’s for obvious reasons.

After all, both prospects are completely different.

We cannot compare someone who was about to buy, had something pop up & left his products at checkout…

To the mere window shopper who got into your store to wander around & glance at your product line just for the sake of it.

Simply put, the level of interest is not the same.

Conversely, different levels of interest require different strategies. To try & convince a mere window shopper the same way you would with a near buyer will simply not work.

Unfortunately, that’s what we see most of the eCom brands out there trying to do, which can go a great deal to explain why their browse abandonment campaigns tend to fall flat on their stomach.

Don’t let this faze you though. You’re in good hands.

Here are a few examples on how to get this email sequence right.

To begin with, we have the typical browse abandonment email from Timberland.

We say typical, because it includes all of the main elements browse abandonment emails usually contain:

• An eye-catching image of the product you were browsing
• A link to add said product to your cart
• Product recommendations in case the other original product isn’t suitable or to upsell further

Plus, Timberland does take it up a notch by invoking some urgency with the scarcity line in their email — letting the customers know that the item they were checking is limited in stock. A great way to inspire window shoppers to go back & add to cart.

Let’s see another example.

Once again, we find ourselves dissecting another Dollar Shave Club automation email, because it’s simply great.

It has it all: Good copy, a clear CTA, and even funny testimonials. It’s a great example to showcase how adding some brand personality can go a long way into warming up your potential customers & getting them to return to your website.

Coming up with a few ways on how to inject some personality in your emails will not help you stand out, but will also do wonders when it comes time to maintaining a solid relationship with your list.

At the end of the day, we all love a good laugh.

One more thing though — it is super easy to be creepy with this Flow. The recipient probably isn’t expecting your email, and it can weird him out, just like it weirds you out when you get an ad for a product you talked about while your phone was close by. Major “Big Brother” vibes if done wrong.

If you’re worried about that, or simply want to get it right the first time, work with experienced Email Marketers & let’s make it happen.

Speaking about customer relationships, this next flow can truly help you win back some of those subscribers who have long left your emails in the dust.

4. Re-Engagement Flow (Aka Sunset Unengaged Flow)

We’ve already discussed in prior articles the huge dilemma it is to clean up your list every once in a while.

As a general consensus, most email marketers agree it’s best to keep your contacts & try to win back some of those non-engaging subscribers you’re considering to cut ties with. This prevents you from jumping the gun & missing out on potential customers you might have been able to rekindle a relationship with.

In parallel, the re-engagement flow has proven to be one of most effective emails you can send out in order to make this happen.

It’s basic premise is to work as a bridge between those un-engaging subscribers & your brand… by employing some soul-stirring messaging that helps you recapture their attention once again.

Think of it like when you’re used to receiving a message from a certain friend every 2–3 days. But, out-of-the-blue, this friend of yours disappears & stops replying to your messages.

After a while, you’d be asking yourself about that friend, and would even go as far as to ring him a call to see what’s been of his life.

It’s the same thing with this re-engagement flow.

It is typically leveraged to get in touch with unengaged subscribers after about 6-months of inactivity. But it can vary from business to business. You can consider a customer inactive if they haven’t purchased, opened an email, or visited your website in the time frame you choose.

Now, the reason why it’s such a deal-breaker to not have this in place: It’s because when you’re not sending dedicated winback campaigns, you’re running the risk of ignoring your potential customers and, therefore, missing out on sales.

The major benefit from using this type of email is you can avoid falling off with some of those subscribers who can even turn into raving customers down the line.

After all, you’ve put effort into acquiring them in the first place, and it’d be a pity to let them go without giving it a good fight.

Luckily for you, we’ve got you covered.

Here are a few examples to leave a clear picture on how to run this flow for your brand.

Your biggest ally in this re-engagement flow? Humor.

And it’s safe to say, Urban Outfitters is the best example in that regard.

Their winback email simply gets the job done. The perfect blend between humor & emotional appeal. Plus, it’s brand-tailored, which means you won’t find any email out there like theirs. Talk about standing out from the pack.

Not to mention, a good way to find out whether your inactive subscribers are down for the ride or not it’s by giving them the option to unsubscribe from your list right then & there.

Simply put, you make it explicitly clear in your Winback Flow you’re perfectly fine with them leaving your list if they so please. But of course, place it right at the end, and not before doing your best to win them back.

Urban Outfitters did it in a way that came across as cordial & non-hostile. Think if this particular style fits your brand, and implement accordingly.

Humor is not the end all, be all when it comes to re-engagement flows however.

There are other effective ways to set them up.

And this next example helps illustrate this further.

Skincare brand Tula opted for a more ‘special perk’ approach. Offering a 15% off discount in their winback email, and ensuring the subscriber knows that’s not an offer they hand out often.

They also coupled this incentive with other re-engagement strategies that go hand by hand with this approach.

Making sure to highlight customer favorites is a great way to help your subscriber re-familiarize himself with your brand without having to go back to the website.

Additionally, they pair each product with a catchy review from a customer to boost credibility, which is a subtle way to stir up some of those subscribers who might still be on the fence.

All in all, this type of winback approach also works when executed properly.

Use it as a source of inspiration to ignite some win back ideas that help you recover those lost souls.

Here’s the thing with Winback / Sunset Unengaged Flows though — we never implement them right away. Why?

Because most new brands we start working with have… a very unengaged list.

We’ve seen cases of absolute horror when we took over the account, created an Unengaged Segment — only to be greeted by up to 80% of the email list being unengaged.

Imagine having to break those news to the client.

“Hey, you know, your Email List right? The thing that could be the most valuable asset for your business and should generate at least 30% of your total revenue?

Yeah, that thing with hundreds of thousands of subscribers that you spent years building. Exactly.

It’s almost worthless. We have to start working on that right away.”

Ouch.

The words above for the client? They likely apply to you too. Double-ouch.

Here’s how you figure out how big the issue is (click here for the Klaviyo Article on “How to Create an Unengaged Segment”)

Do this right now. Don’t put it off. Don’t continue reading. Not until you have set up this segment.

The image above shows an example for a 60 days unengaged segment — set it up with 180 days instead of 60 to get the 6 months unengaged Segment. Play around with these numbers to get a better feel for how engaged your list is.

Now, if this feel isn’t giving you a very positive impression — we should talk.

You have a problem, this is your intervention.

You need a way to resurrect these dead contacts — and we know how. We’ve done it before, drastically reducing the number of unengaged subscribers… without nuking the list & deleting everyone.

Up to the next one.

5. The Post Purchase Flow (Order/Shipping Confirmation & Thank You)

A pivotal event has just taken place for your business.

‘What is it?’ You say.

Mike has taken the leap, and decided to trust your brand enough to purchase one of your products.

Now, why is this a huge deal?

Because chances are just one month, one week, or a few minutes prior to that purchase… the new customer didn’t even know your brand existed.

In other words, you’ve successfully handled one of the hardest sides of business.

You turned a complete stranger into a customer.

And now, you not only have the chance to retain him as a customer, but turn him into a raving fan — wouldn’t it be great if Mike started telling everyone how much you helped him & how great your company is?

How?

With your post-purchase communication, of course.

The way you handle that post-purchase moment will determine whether your brand becomes a trusted go-to or ‘just another brand I purchased from once’.

Therefore, everything that happens right after someone has placed an order is just as crucial as what happens before this purchase was even made.

Enter: The Post Purchase Flow

These are automated emails that do exactly what the name suggests — emails you send after a purchase is made.

Typically their time frame can vary based on how long it’s been since your customer made their purchase, but the objective is always the same:

Plant a trust benchmark in your customers’ hearts.

Whether we like to admit it or not, the process of buying from a new company you never tried before is always met with some resistance.

You don’t know if the brand is legit. Whether their claims are truthful. Or even if their product will work for you specifically.

There’s always doubt.

So what makes you believe the same thing is not going through your customer’s heads while they’re going through your product line?

That’s why it is so essential to capitalize on this opportunity to build trust with that customer — and not take it for granted.

Which can be done in numerous ways.

It could be by providing your customer with important information about his order while confirming his details.

It could be by telling your new customer more about your brand & products, and why they’ve made the right decision to buy from you.

It could be just a simple thank you letter from the founder, expressing heartfelt gratitude for placing so much trust in his brand.

All these things go a long way to help increase brand awareness & customer loyalty.

And truth be told, the options are plenty.

Thus, this type of flow is not as straightforward as the ones previously mentioned. Mainly because there’s a plethora of ways to play around with it.

As a result, we’ve decided to dedicate an entire article to show you how to get this crucial stage of the customer journey right — find it here.

We dive in extensive detail, and arm you with almost every single resource you need to run this flow for yourself — we keep only the secret sauce.

But for now, just know it is one of the most impactful customer retention instruments you can implement for your business.

As it can help you to not only get more sales down the line… but also get you customers for life.

6. Replenishment Flow

We all run low on household items from time to time.

Whether it’s makeup, skincare, soap, laundry detergent, or squeezing the last remains out of your toothpaste — we all frequently run out of products before we realize we need to restock them.

For many of us, the thought of running out of toilet paper is such a dreadful one we could hardly forget to pick some up at the store.

For others, well… let’s just say memory isn’t their forte.

Either way, this can only mean we all need to restock at some point. And this includes your beloved customers as well.

See, the ability to cultivate loyal customers and influence repeat purchases is one of (if not the most) important thing an eCom brand can do to grow — while also earning recurring revenue.

After all, isn’t it better to have a brigade of customers who purchase from your store every single month rather than just one-off buyers?

I bet it is.

And that’s where the replenishment flow thrives.

It’s a type of email eCom brands employ to remind customers to make their next purchase — around the time when the product they bought is likely running low or almost gone.

But don’t confuse it with a subscription reminder. This flow doesn’t inform customers that their card has been or will be charged, mainly because this contact isn’t automatically repurchasing the product.

A replenishment email simply reminds the customer to place a new order & restock his supply. Nothing more, nothing less.

Better still, it can be automated in most email service providers (ESPs) to help increase customer lifetime value (LTV) and repeat purchase rate.

Now, you’re probably wondering why an eCom brand would need such a flow, as ideally your customers should remember to restock their supply when the time it’s due.

And yes, in an ideal world, this would be the case. But unfortunately, your competitors bombard your customers with alternative products 24/7… and if you don’t make a conscious effort to stay top of mind, they’re likely to restock with the first option they have available (aka your competitor.)

Which would be a shame. And frankly, completely avoidable.

Thus, we’re here to help you get a leg up with the next examples we have coming up.

The replenishment flow is usually viewed in the marketing community as a crossover between a post-purchase email and an abandoned cart email.

And in a way, it does fit that mold. Because you’re nurturing your customer while also treating him as a shopper who’s shown interest in your products before.

Consequently, just like an abandoned cart sequence, it’s a good idea to keep your replenishment flow product-focused. As in, focused on the item you’re stirring them to repurchase.

A perfect example for this is ILIA Beauty.

At the front of their email, it’s an eye-catching GIF with tight surrounding copy that informs the customers it’s time to restock — while mentioning some of the products’ elite benefits.

Not to mention, their email is sharp, to the point, and it leaves no stones unturned as far as the main objective of the email goes (which is to get attention on the product & make the next steps crystal clear.)

Exactly what a well-executed replenishment flow should do.

Magic Spoon’s replenishment email is a masterclass in how to address your customer’s main pain point with your messaging.

Ever run low on your favorite cereal, and you start spilling less into the bowl so it lasts longer?

Chances are you have.

Magic Spoon’s marketing team is aware of this, which is why they went the extra mile in order to address this feeling & tie it back to the replenishment offer.

Pretty brilliant if you ask me. And again, if you notice, the email’s layout makes it extremely easy for the customer to spot the CTA and make their way back to Magic Spoon’s website for their next purchase.

If you can leave with anything from the last two examples and nothing less, is this:

Always make your CTA (or any action you want your prospect to take) outstandingly clear.

Typically, it’s not recommended to give your customer more than two actions to take, as it tends to lead to confusion… and no sales.

Capito?

Bueno. Let’s wrap it up with a summary of everything we’ve covered so far.

In Conclusion

We hope this article has done a great deal to stir you into setting up these flows for your list (if you haven’t done so already.)

To recap, here’s a summary of the 6 types of Flows we covered:

• Welcome Flow
• Abandonment Cart Flow
• Browse Abandonment Flow
• Re-Engagement Flow
• Post Purchase Flow (Order Confirmation, Thank You Series, Upsells — Cross-Sells)
• Replenishment Flow

Take a closer look into these, as they can definitely pull a huge lever for both your list & business.

Doing so will put you well on your way to start generating 20, 30… and even more than 40% of monthly revenue from email alone. Almost on autopilot if a competent agency handles your Email Marketing Channel.

And I can assure you, it will be well worth the effort.

Thanks for reading.