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    Automate the customer journey with flows

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    5 min read

    Retain customers long-term

    Learn how to build flows that convert first-time shoppers into repeat customers.

    What is retention?

    Retention refers to the process of keeping existing customers and preventing churn after their first purchase. This is key to building a profitable business long-term. With every subsequent order, your customers’ lifetime value increases. This offsets your customer acquisition cost (i.e., what you spent on efforts to get that first purchase) and drives revenue over time.

    Let’s dive into what goes into retaining customers and how flows can facilitate this key step in the customer journey.

    Establish a replenishment flow

    Replenishment flows continue your relationship with customers over time, particularly when you sell products that customers purchase repeatedly within a certain timeframe. The messages in this flow will target previous shoppers with a friendly, well-timed reminder to shop again. For example, SWAK Cosmetics may send a reminder to a mascara purchaser right around the time their mascara will have run out.

    Goal: Remind customers to continuously purchase an item on a set schedule.

    Best practices:

    • Focus on the product you want a recipient to buy again with simple copy, images, and relevant product details.
    • Have a compelling call-to-action, particularly in subject lines to stand out in an inbox.
    • Determine the best time to send, either manually or using predictive analytics. Do you see predictive analytics in your account? If yes, build a repeat purchase nurture series using someone’s Expected Date of Next Order as the trigger, or use your customers’ Average Time Between Orders to inform how long to set time delays before messages in a standard replenishment flow. If no,review purchase data to determine your customers’ average buying cycles. then, set your flow messages send when they’re likely to shop again.
    • Follow up after a brief time delay with a second message that adds an incentive for shopping for those who have yet to buy again (e.g., $10 off their next refill or a special 10% off discount code).

    Build a replenishment flow using Klaviyo’s pre-built template by searching for replenishment in the flow library.

    Replenishment flow that sends after a set amount of time after someone places an order.

    Alternatively, use predictive analytics to trigger your flow. In that case, search for repeat purchase nurture series (based on someone’s expected date of next order) instead.

    Repeat purchase nurture series that sends once someone's expected date of next order has passed.
    Delight customers on their birthday

    Use date-property triggered flows to automatically message someone as a specific date approaches. For instance, send a happy birthday message on a customer’s birthday to show how much you care. Otherwise, you can target messages on a special anniversary or time-based event.

    Goal: Delight customers throughout the year, driving repeat purchases and loyalty.

    Best practices:

    • Include an incentive to shop (e.g., a unique coupon code) as a special surprise.
    • Split your flow to send either email or SMS, taking SMS subscribers down a pathway via text which alerts them right away and can feel more personal.
    • Consider sending half-birthday messages 6 months after someone’s birthday has passed.

    Build this flow using Klaviyo’s pre-built template. Search for birthday in the flow library.

    Klaviyo's standard birthday flow that sends both email and SMS based on what someone has consented to receive.
    Notify customers that an item is back in stock

    Back in stock flows notify shoppers when a product they are interested in is available to purchase. This flow is unique because customers opt into a list right on the product page when an item is out of stock. Once restocked, they’ll receive a message notifying them, even if they hadn’t previously opted into marketing. This means the customer can get just the content they want, and you have the potential to capture a sale for a product that isn’t available yet.

    Pre-requisites: Back in stock flows are only available for certain ecommerce platforms (i.e., Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento 2), and accounts with an inventory-aware custom product feed.

    Goal: Recover conversions for products you plan to restock.

    Best practices:

    • Put the product name right in the subject line of your email, or use an SMS if you have their consent to send text messages. Both methods bring the newly restocked item to their attention right away.
    • Configure your back in stock settings to control how many people receive your notification and set a minimum required inventory; that way, you’ll match your communications to what’s available.
    • Insert an image and any relevant details about the product right into the body of the email or SMS.
    • Consider giving VIP shoppers advanced notice of a restocked item to incentivize brand loyalty.

    Build this flow using Klaviyo’s pre-built template. Search for back in stock in the flow library.

    A flow that will alert customers once an item they are interested in is back in stock. In this template from the Klaviyo flow library, you can choose to send VIPs on a special flow pathway a day earlier than other customers.
    Retain customers long-term