Automations 101

In a world where customers are looking for 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:

1. Abandoned Cart Emails
2. Welcome Emails
3. Purchase Follow-Up Emails
4. Customer Winback Emails

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Abandoned Cart Emails

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

A good Abandoned Cart Series:

Is clear, branded, and contains multiple call-to-actions leading to the recipient’s cart.

Uses a Cart Summary content block to reveal what the recipient left behind.

Incentivizes your recipient to complete their purchase.

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Examples

Club Huey does a great job of this on their abandoned cart emails, which includes an incentive to bring them back to their cart. They also show the customer the item that they left behind in their cart, alongside a clear call-to-action:

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Best Practices

If you’re not sure how to time your series or what kind of content belongs in each email, we put together this formula for you to follow:

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Welcome Emails

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 be more likely to purchase from you in the future.

A good Welcome Series:

Gets personal and tells your brand’s story and mission.

Shines a spotlight on your best sellers + brand initiatives.

Includes social proof that builds trust and motivates purchases.

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Examples

Capabunga has a set up 3 emails where they introduce themselves, showcase their bestsellers, followed by glowing reviews to help build trust.

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Best Practices

Ready to activate your Welcome Series? Here’s a great blueprint to start with:

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Purchase Follow-Up Emails

The journey doesn’t end when someone completes their first purchase with you! No one wants to feel like just a transaction, and 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.

Some good Purchase Follow-Up ideas include:

A personal thank you note from the founder.

Care instructions so that they know how to look after their purchase.

Sustainable or philanthropic initiatives that their purchase contributed to.

A restock reminder, or a cross sell to promote other products.

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Examples

TePe Oral Health Care sends out targeted post-purchase emails based on the product the shopper purchased, providing a custom instructional guide on how to best use the product.

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Best Practices

Ready to start with Purchase Follow-Up emails? Here’s a great formula to start with:

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Customer Winback Emails

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.

A good Customer Winback series:

Makes your customer feel noticed and appreciated by using their first name.

Creates urgency around an incentive to use on their next order.

Is positive and friendly (i.e., “We missed you!”), rather than a sales pitch or guilt trip.

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Examples

Blooms of Hawaii uses a friendly subject line, addresses their customer by their first time, and reminds them of their limited-time incentive in their Winback Series:

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Best Practices

If you’re not sure how to time your series or what kind of content belongs in each email, we put together this formula for you to follow: