What Are Email Flows?
Email flows are automated sequences triggered by specific customer actions—joining your email list, abandoning an item in their cart, making a purchase, or even browsing your site without buying.
These flows run automatically in the background, guiding your customers along their journey with relevant, timely, and highly targeted content.
A well-built set of flows allows you to send:
- High-converting reminders to complete a purchase.
- Cross-sells and upsells to increase average order value.
- Relevant educational content to build trust and loyalty.
The beauty of flows is their ability to nurture, convert, and retain customers without manual effort—once set up, they work 24/7.
The Revenue Potential of Flows
Flows should ideally make up around 50% of your email marketing revenue, with the other 50% coming from campaigns.
If you’re only seeing something like 25% from flows, it’s a clear sign you’re leaving money on the table.
By optimising your flows—improving timing, copy, design, segmentation—you can dramatically boost automated revenue without sending more campaigns.
Benefits of Using Flows
- Automated Revenue – Once set up, they generate sales around the clock without constant intervention.
- Takes Pressure Off Campaigns – Your campaigns no longer have to carry the full weight of revenue generation.
- Converts High-Intent Traffic – Flows capture the people already engaging with your brand.
- Recover Lost Sales – Abandoned cart and checkout flows bring shoppers back to complete their purchase.
- Personalised Customer Experience – Flows send messages tailored to where the customer is in their journey, improving engagement and loyalty.
The Core Flows You Need
Here’s a quick overview of the main flows every e-commerce brand should implement:
- Welcome Flow – Introduces new subscribers to your brand, offers, and best-selling products.
- Browse Abandon Flow – Targets shoppers who looked at products but didn’t add anything to cart.
- Site Abandon Flow – Engages visitors who browsed your site but didn’t take further action.
- Cart Abandon Flow – Reminds customers about items left in their cart.
- Checkout Abandon Flow – Targets customers who started checkout but didn’t complete it—often your highest-value recovery flow.
- Post-Purchase Flow – Thanks customers, confirms their order, and recommends complementary products.
- Winback Flow – Re-engages past customers who haven’t purchased in a while.
Bottom line: Flows aren’t just an optional extra—they are the backbone of a profitable email marketing strategy. When optimised, they don’t just recover lost sales, they keep your customer relationships active and profitable.
