Automations 101: What Automations are Right For Me?

In a world where customers seek a more personalized shopping experience, automated email flows have never been a more important marketing tool. A recent study showed that automated emails generated 41% of all email orders while accounting for only 2% of emails sent in 2023.  

Privy’s Automations are set to trigger in response to specific behaviors and key points in a shopper’s journey. This allows you to send the right communication at the right moment, whether they just signed up with you, forgot about items in their cart, or just completed their first purchase. 

When it comes to prioritizing automations that will make a difference in your email strategy, there are four types that truly stand out. 

Recover more carts with an Abandoned Cart Series

Abandoned cart emails are one of the most impactful automation series you can activate. By targeting those who came to your site, put something into their cart, and left without completing a purchase, you can recover the lost sale. 

To increase the success of your abandoned cart emails, be sure your emails are clear, branded, and have multiple call-to-actions that direct the shopper back to the cart. Don’t forget to add the Cart content block to the body of your email to remind shoppers of the item(s) they fell in love with. 

Club Huey does a great job of this in its abandoned cart emails. These emails include an incentive to bring customers back to their carts. They also show the customer the item that they left behind in their cart alongside a clear call to action. 

Don’t know where to begin? We created a blueprint that you can use when drafting up your first abandoned cart series:

Turn new sign-ups into purchasers with a Welcome Series

You only have one chance at a first impression, and when someone first signs up for your list, a Welcome series is the perfect opportunity to introduce your products, shop, and mission. People buy from people, and by establishing trust and a relationship with your audience early on, they’ll more likely purchase from you in the future. 

When it comes to the Welcome Series, it’s all about branding and storytelling. Don't be afraid to get a little personal, sharing your founder's story and why you started the business. You can create a series of anywhere from 1 to 10 welcome emails. We find that 3 emails within the first week of signup are the most impactful. 

For example, Capabunga has set up three emails in which they introduce themselves, showcase their bestsellers, and follow up with glowing reviews to help build trust.

Perhaps the most impactful content Capabunga delivers in their series is within the first email. By including their story, they put their faces to the brand, further building trust and approachability.

Ready to start creating your Welcome series? We created a blueprint that you can use when drafting up your Welcome series: 

Nurture purchasers to longtime customers with a Post-Purchase Series

The journey doesn’t end when someone completes their first purchase with you! No one wants to feel like just a transaction. If you’re only sending out the basic order and shipping confirmation emails, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to make your customers feel special and appreciated. 

Purchase Follow-Up emails don’t have to be just order updates. Make the post-purchase timeframe a branded experience, passing along helpful and engaging content such as: 

• Care instructions
• A personal thank you note from the founder
• Sustainability initiatives
• Fun things you do on social media
• Testimonials
• Push for a re-order of the product they purchased
• Cross-sell other products that may match their interests. 

A great example of a brand that sends out more customized content post-purchase is TePe Oral Health Care. This brand sends out targeted post-purchase emails based on the product the shopper purchased, providing an instructional guide on how to best use the product.

Ready to start your Post-purchase series? Here is an example of a post-purchase series formula that you can start building out today: 

Re-engage cold customers to drive a repeat purchase with a Customer Winback Series

Did you know that repeat customers created as a result of your actions are 9x more likely to convert, spend 3x your average order value, and are 20% more profitable for your business? That is why customer retention is so important, and having an active Customer Winback series is crucial.

These emails are set to trigger after a certain number of days since your customer’s last purchase. When trying to get these colder customers to purchase again, make sure they feel noticed and that you know they haven’t made a purchase from you in a while. Using subject lines that include phrasing like "It’s been a while" or "We've missed you" makes it clear why they're hearing from you and helps make them feel valued. To create some urgency, consider including a temporary discount or promotion to get them to come back to the site.

Gia Monae Boutique does a great job of this in their Customer Winback Email, which recognizes that it’s been a while since the shopper has come back to the store and offers a 25% off incentive to come back to the shop:

Ready to launch your Customer Winback series? Here is your go-to blueprint for drafting up your Customer Winback email series: 

Remember that one of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to Automations is not having them active at all. Make sure these four series are part of your ecommerce strategy. Otherwise, you're simply leaving money on the table.