Some businesses always seem to know exactly when to send you the perfect email. You sign up for their newsletter, and like clockwork, you receive a warm welcome message. A few days later, they share their best tips and tricks. And somehow, they remember your birthday with a special discount. This isn't magic; it's email flows at work.
Email flows, also known as email workflows, are automation behind the most successful email marketing campaigns. They're how businesses know exactly when and what to send subscribers. Instead of manually crafting and sending each email, you set up a series of automated messages triggered by specific actions or timelines.
When someone subscribes to your email list, abandons their shopping cart, or makes a purchase, they trigger a specific sequence of emails designed to guide them toward the next step in their journey with your brand. Keep reading to learn about email flows and how to set them up.
What are email flows?
Email flows are automated email sequences triggered by specific actions or timelines. They work through a simple process that takes the manual work out of sending timely, relevant emails to your subscribers. Here's how email workflows operate:
- Trigger: A subscriber takes an action, like joining your list or making a purchase.
- Condition: Your email marketing platform checks if they meet specific criteria for a workflow.
- Action: Based on these conditions, an automated email gets sent following your preset rules.
- Follow-up: Additional emails are triggered based on how subscribers engage with previous messages.
Common types of email flows
Every successful email marketing strategy relies on a few essential automated sequences. Let's explore the most critical types of email flows and how they work.
Welcome flow
The welcome sequence begins the moment someone subscribes to your list. This critical sequence introduces new subscribers to your brand and sets clear expectations for what's to come. You'll typically start by providing a special offer or discount to encourage their first purchase, then follow up with messages that promote engagement through social media follows and downloadable resources.
Onboarding flow
Once someone becomes a customer, the onboarding flow guides them through getting started with your product or service. These emails walk customers through essential features and functions, share helpful tips and answers to common questions, and encourage important first-time actions like setting up accounts or making initial purchases.
Abandoned cart flow
When customers don't complete their purchase, the abandoned cart flow springs into action. This sequence reminds shoppers about the products they are interested in, offers compelling incentives like free shipping or special discounts, and creates urgency through deadline-driven offers or notifications about limited stock.
Post-purchase flow
After a customer makes a purchase, the post-purchase flow maintains momentum and builds loyalty. This series begins by confirming their order and sharing tracking information, then moves on to recommending complementary products based on their purchase. The sequence typically concludes by requesting feedback or reviews once they've had time to experience their purchase.
Re-engagement flow
The re-engagement flow helps you reconnect with subscribers who haven't opened or clicked your emails in a while. These messages identify users who have become inactive and implement strategies to bring them back. You might offer personalized incentives to spark their interest again and ultimately confirm whether they want to continue receiving communications from your brand.
Lead nurturing flow
Converting prospects into customers requires a carefully crafted lead nurturing flow. This sequence shares valuable content like case studies and how-to guides that demonstrate your expertise. It builds trust through customer testimonials and user reviews while providing clear calls to action that guide potential customers toward making their first purchase.
Key benefits of using email flows
Email marketing automation has revolutionized how businesses connect with their audience. Here's how these powerful flows can improve your marketing efforts and strengthen customer relationships.
Increase efficiency
Marketing automation eliminates the need to manually send repetitive emails, saving your team countless hours. By setting up smart workflows once, you can automatically deliver targeted messages to thousands of subscribers while focusing on strategic initiatives.
Enhance customer experience
When you engage customers with timely, relevant communications, you create more meaningful interactions. Email flows ensure every subscriber receives personalized messages that align with their journey, whether they're new subscribers, active customers, or need re-engagement.
How email flows boost conversions
Automation helps remind customers about abandoned carts, special offers, and time-sensitive promotions. By delivering the right message at the right time, you can effectively guide prospects toward purchase decisions and turn more browsers into buyers.
Improve engagement
Consistent communication keeps your brand top-of-mind. Through automated flows, you can maintain regular touchpoints with your audience without overwhelming them, ensuring each interaction adds value to their experience.
Reduce churn
You can retain more subscribers by identifying when customers become inactive and automatically initiating re-engagement campaigns. Personalized win-back flows help rebuild connections with dormant customers and prevent them from slipping away permanently.
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How to set up email flows effectively
Ready to start automating your emails? Here's a step-by-step guide to building flows that actually work:
Define the goal of the email flow
Every effective email flow starts with a clear purpose. Begin by identifying exactly what you want to achieve, whether that's offering early access to new products or increasing customer engagement. Then, match these objectives with the most appropriate type of flow, ensuring your strategy aligns with your business goals.
How to choose the right triggers for your email flows
Success depends on timing your emails perfectly. Identify specific customer actions that will initiate your flow, such as signing up for your newsletter, making a purchase, or abandoning their cart. Use behavioral triggers based on customer data to ensure your messages arrive at moments when subscribers are most likely to engage.
Map out the email sequence
Planning your sequence carefully prevents overwhelming subscribers while maintaining momentum. Determine how many emails you'll send and the ideal timing between messages. Create a content plan for each email, including specific calls to action, and ensure the entire sequence follows a logical progression that guides subscribers toward your desired outcome.
Create engaging email content
Your content needs to capture attention and drive action. Write compelling subject lines that stand out in crowded inboxes, and personalize your messages using customer data like first names, purchase history, and browsing behavior. Keep your emails concise and visually appealing, always including clear calls to action that guide recipients toward the next step.
Take advantage of content creation tools to design professional-looking emails that match your brand with branded templates, mobile-responsive layouts, and dynamic content blocks that automatically update based on user behavior.
Use email automation tools
Mailchimp's email marketing platform makes it easy to get started with automation. Our user-friendly interface lets you build flows using drag-and-drop tools while the powerful backend handles complex automation rules.
With features like pre-built templates, customizable triggers, and advanced segmentation options, you can create sophisticated flows without any technical expertise. Plus, our analytics dashboard helps you track email performance and adjust your flows for better results.
Optimize with A/B testing and analytics
Regular A/B testing and optimization help improve your results over time. Track these key metrics to measure success:
- Open rates and click-through rates
- Conversion rates for different email variations
- Revenue generated per email
- List growth and unsubscribe rates
- Time spent viewing emails
- Forward and sharing rates
Use these insights to make smart adjustments to your flows. If open rates are low, experiment with different subject lines or sending times. When click-through rates drop, try new layouts or call-to-action buttons. Pay special attention to which email variations drive the most revenue. These insights can help you refine your entire email strategy. Most importantly, don't change everything at once. Test one element at a time so you know exactly what's moving the needle.
Common mistakes to avoid when setting up email flows
Watch out for these common pitfalls when setting up your email flows:
- Email fatigue from too many messages: Bombarding subscribers with daily emails will tank your engagement rates. Space out your messages and stick to a maximum of 2-3 emails per week in any single flow. Map out your timing carefully to avoid overlap between different flows.
- Generic messaging that ignores customer data: Don't send the same exact content to everyone. Use subscriber information like purchase history, browsing behavior, and previous interactions to tailor your messages. Even simple personalization, like including their first name, can boost engagement.
- Launching flows without proper testing: Never assume your flows will work perfectly right away. Send test emails to yourself and check them on various devices, check all links and images, and verify your automation triggers are working correctly. Run a small pilot with a segment of your list before going full-scale.
- Static flows that never evolve: Your initial setup shouldn't be permanent. Review performance metrics monthly, gather customer feedback, and update your flows accordingly. What worked six months ago might not work today, so keep iterating based on real data.
- Poor segmentation causing irrelevant emails: Sending the same content to your entire list ignores the different needs of your subscribers. Break your audience into meaningful segments based on their demographics, behavior, preferences, and stage in the customer journey. Then, customize your flows for each group.
Start building high-converting email flows today
Setting up effective email flows doesn't have to be complicated. With the right strategy and tools, you can create automated sequences that nurture relationships and drive results.
While automation handles the technical aspects, your unique brand voice and understanding of your customers provide the human touch that truly connects with subscribers. Start with one or two essential flows, measure their performance, and gradually expand your automation strategy as you see results. Ready to get started? Sign up for Mailchimp today.
Key Takeaways
- Email flows automate your customer communication while maintaining a personal touch, helping you engage with subscribers at exactly the right moment.
- Properly set up flows can dramatically increase conversion rates and customer retention while saving you countless hours of manual work.
- The most successful email flows combine strategic timing, personalized content, and clear calls to action to guide subscribers toward desired actions.
- Regular testing and optimization of your flows ensures they continue to perform well and meet your business goals.