Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over. The parcels have been delivered and your webshop has gained new customers. Yet most of those customers will never buy from you again unless you follow up with them properly now.
In this article, you will read about the email flows you can still set up in December. A flow is a series of automated emails triggered by a customer action, such as a purchase. You set it up once and it keeps working afterwards, even during the quieter months.
Why following up now matters so much
Many buyers from the sales period came for the discount. They do not know your brand well yet. That means the connection is weak, and you build it in the first weeks after the purchase, while they still remember who you are.
Getting an existing customer to buy again usually takes less effort than winning a new one. You have their email address, you know what they bought and you do not need to spend any advertising budget to reach them.
Check these points before you start:
- Have your customers given consent for marketing emails?
- Is your email tool linked to your webshop, so that you can see who bought what?
- Does every email contain a clear unsubscribe link?
- Do you know the cut-off date for orders to be delivered before the holidays?
Is all of this in order? Then you can get started on the three flows below.
Flow 1: a welcome after the first purchase
A few days after delivery, send an email with tips on getting the most out of the product. Note that this should be after delivery, not after the order. An email about your product while the parcel is still on its way feels odd.
Offer service in this email, not a discount. Think of:
- A short explanation of how to use the product for the first time
- Tips for maintenance or for the best results
- A link to your customer service or frequently asked questions
- A question asking whether everything arrived safely
This builds trust. The customer sees that you are still looking out for them after the sale. Use a real reply-to address so that people can respond. This often brings valuable questions and signals.
Want to go a step further? A week or two later, send a second email asking for a review. By then, customers will have actually used the product.
Flow 2: gift ideas for the holidays
Use what you know. Someone who bought a product for themselves may want to give something similar as a gift. An email with three targeted suggestions works better than an overview of everything.
For this you use segments. A segment is a group of customers who have something in common, for example that they bought from the same product category. For each segment, you send a different email with different suggestions.
Keep timing in mind with this flow. It is 14 December, so the last order dates for delivery before Christmas are approaching. State clearly in the email until when you can deliver orders on time. Once that date has passed, change your message. For example, offer a gift card, or write about a gift that can also be given after the holidays.
Choose your suggestions carefully. Three products that really fit the first purchase are stronger than ten random ones. For each product, explain in one sentence why it fits.
Flow 3: preparing the repeat purchase
Do you sell something that gets used up? Then set up a flow that sends a reminder just as it is running low. Think of coffee, pet food, skincare or supplements. This flow keeps working all year round.
It is all about timing. Work out how long a pack lasts on average. Send the reminder one or two weeks before the product runs out. That way, the customer can order before they run out.
A simple set-up looks like this:
- Email 1: a friendly reminder with a button to reorder.
- Email 2: a few days later, for those who did not order. Show them other options, such as a larger pack or a subscription.
- Email 3: only if needed, a small incentive such as free shipping.
Save the discount for last. Many customers will order without one, and this way you do not give away margin that you do not have to.
Do you not sell products that get used up? Then you can focus the flow on something else, such as accessories, parts, maintenance or an add-on to what they already have.
What it looks like in practice
Say you sell coffee beans in one-kilo packs. During Black Friday, a customer orders a pack with a sample blend. What happens next if you have set up the flows?
A few days after delivery, the customer receives an email with tips on grind size and storing beans. It contains no discount, but it does have a reply-to address for questions. At the start of December, a short email follows with three gift ideas for coffee lovers, including the last order date for Christmas. Later still, when the pack is nearly empty, the reminder to reorder arrives.
For the customer, this feels like good service. For you, these are three moments at which you can earn a second purchase without any extra manual work.
After that, keep track of a few things:
- The number of second orders per flow
- The revenue each flow generates
- The number of clicks on your buttons and links
- The number of unsubscribes after an email
Do not look only at the number of opened emails. Since recent Apple Mail updates, those figures give a distorted picture, because emails sometimes automatically count as opened. Clicks and orders tell you more.
Frequently asked questions
How many emails can I send?
Two or three emails per flow are usually enough. Also keep an eye on the total. A customer who is in several flows should not receive three emails a day. Space the emails out and remove people from a flow as soon as they have bought.
Do I always have to offer a discount?
No. In the welcome flow, service works better than a discount. In the repeat flow, it is best to try without a discount first. Use a discount as the last step and only for those who do not respond.
Can I still set this up in time?
Yes, the welcome flow and the repeat flow are not tied to the holidays. You can still launch them this week. The gift flow needs to go live quickly, because the delivery dates for Christmas are running out. Start with that one and set up the rest at a calmer pace afterwards.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Want to know which flows suit your webshop? Book a free 30-minute introductory call with Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort. Together, we will look at your current emails, your customer data and the opportunities you are missing right now. You will get practical ideas you can use straight away, even if you go on to put them into practice yourself.
