Most email programmes spend their first year doing two things: sending newsletters that nobody opens, and building flows that nobody triggers. The fix isn’t more emails — it’s four focused automations that earn revenue while you sleep.
Flow 1 — Welcome
Triggered on first email capture. Three emails over five days. The job is to set expectations (who you are), deliver the promise (the opt-in incentive) and warm up to the first purchase or booking. For most brands, the welcome flow alone produces 20–30% of total automation revenue.
Flow 2 — Abandoned browse / cart
Often overlooked because it requires onsite tracking, but every ecommerce or service-booking site should have it. A two-email sequence sent within 24 hours of abandonment, focused on the specific item viewed. Personalisation matters more than copy length.
Flow 3 — Post-purchase
Three emails: a transactional thank-you, a usage / setup tip email, and a review request. This is where you lower returns and unlock reviews — both of which compound your future paid and organic performance.
Flow 4 — Win-back
Triggered when a customer hasn’t opened or purchased in a set window (typically 90–120 days). A two-email sequence: a soft re-engagement, then a final email asking permission to keep emailing. Suppressed contacts after that point. This keeps your deliverability healthy and your list audit-ready.
What to measure
Revenue per recipient, not open rate. Open rate has been unreliable since Apple Mail privacy protection. RPR tells you whether the flow is paying for itself — which is the only question worth asking.
Start with one
If you don’t have any of these live yet, start with the welcome flow. It’s the highest-leverage automation in any email programme, and it pays back the cost of a quarter’s ESP subscription inside the first month.