Create channel-specific flow pathways
With conditional splits, you can customize your flow to send folks down a path of messages based on what channel they’ve opted in for. Let’s dive into how to approach building this flow structure in Klaviyo.
Know when to prioritize each channel within a flow
Within your flow pathways, you’ll likely include multiple different channels or even reconnect pathways. This brings up the question: When do you prioritize each type of message (email, text, or push) in a given situation? Select each of the options below to help you determine the best approach for you.
When to prioritize email
It’s often best to prioritize a mobile-first channel (i.e., text or push) for those who have opted in; however, email is still valuable when more relevant, given the use case or to supplement a text/push with additional information.
Default to sending an email if:
- Your subscriber has only opted into email marketing.
- You must share a lengthy amount of information (e.g., itemized receipts, images, multiple links or CTAs that are all important to the message, etc.)
- You are working with a strict budget and cannot prioritize text (as email tends to be less expensive).
- Your industry cannot use text message marketing to reach customers due to SHAFT regulations (e.g., cannabis or alcohol brands). Learn more.
- The majority of your customers are from countries where text is not available. Learn more.
Note: Some agencies have taken the approach of sending both an email and a text at the same time. To do so, drag these into the path back-to-back with no time delay in between. This ensures that you reach them via the channel they prefer if they’ve opted in for both. Only employ this strategy for high engagement automations, like abandoned cart or post-purchase flows. Consider A/B testing this option to find what works best for you; if your engagement declines following this approach, remove one of the messages and re-strategize.
When to prioritize text
Texting tends to have higher engagement and conversion rates than email, and if someone has shared their phone number with you, they are often highly engaged and tuned into this channel. As a result, it is generally a best practice to prioritize text over email whenever possible in your flows.
Keep in mind that text messaging is more expensive than email. Since flow messages are sent automatically, make sure your messaging plan aligns with your budget based on how many people you project will enter this flow in a given timeframe.
Many brands combine text and email, often starting with email and then adding text as a second message in the series. This approach uses fewer credits than starting with a text message.
When to prioritize push
In general, push should take priority over text or email since it is a direct line to your customers, but use this channel sparingly. Only add a push to your flow if your goal is to direct someone to take an important, time-sensitive action, particularly in your mobile app.
Do NOT use push if:
- You intend to reference this information at any other time in the flow or elsewhere.
- Recipients should go to your website (and not your app).
- Recipients must respond (e.g., to submit a review or answer a survey).
- A push notification may come across as strange in the given situation (e.g., a canceled order alert).
If any of the above is true for your flow message, then prioritize text instead.
For more information about when to prioritize one channel over the other, including pros and cons of each, review our Help Center article on the subject.