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 Core Flows You Need
Here’s a quick overview of the main flows every e-commerce brand should implement:
| Flow | Icon | Description (optional) |
|---|
| Welcome Flow | 👋 | Introduces new subscribers to your brand, offers, and best-selling products. |
| Browse Abandon Flow | 👀 | Reminds customers who viewed products but didn’t add to cart. |
| Site Abandon Flow | 🖥️ | Nudges visitors who bounced without engaging further. |
| Cart Abandon Flow | 🛒 | Recovers lost revenue from abandoned carts. |
| Checkout Abandon Flow | 💳 | Targets shoppers who dropped off at checkout. |
| Post-Purchase Flow | 🎉 | Builds loyalty and drives repeat purchases after a sale. |
| Winback Flow | 🔄 | Re-engages lapsed customers before they churn. |
| Sunset Flow | 🌙 | Protects your deliverability, reduces wasted spend, and ensures you’re only emailing subscribers who are still interested in your brand. |
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 actively 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.
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.
