Brands often leave transactional emails (e.g., order shipped) on default Shopify templates. Moving them to a marketing platform like Klaviyo turns these high-open-rate messages into powerful retention tools that educate and build excitement before the product arrives.
Instead of a generic 'thank you' note, product inserts can be a powerful channel to educate customers on achieving better outcomes by using more of the product (e.g., take two pouches instead of one). This drives re-orders and higher lifetime value by directly encouraging increased consumption.
CPG brand Marsman includes a physical 90-day habit tracker with orders. Customers who complete it and submit a photo get a free month's supply. This gamified approach effectively pre-sells three months of product to earn the reward, directly driving repeat purchases and habit formation.
A generic 'your order is coming' email can trigger churn. Instead, segment this flow by order number (e.g., month 1 vs. month 3). This allows for tailored messaging that reinforces the specific benefits a customer should be experiencing at that stage, transforming a transactional reminder into a retention tool.
Don't treat all churned customers the same. Identify your top 10-20% by LTV and create a dedicated, personalized win-back flow for them. This high-touch approach, perhaps requesting an interview, is more effective at retaining your most valuable customers than a generic discount.
A well-designed, branded shipping box does more than enhance the unboxing experience. In dense urban environments and large apartment buildings, it functions as a mobile billboard in mailrooms and on delivery trucks, generating brand awareness at a minimal incremental cost.
Brands often view email and paid ads in silos. Analysis shows a direct correlation: on days an email campaign is sent to the non-customer list, the blended Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) from paid channels drops by 10-11%, proving email's value in warming audiences for paid conversion.
When a subscriber emails to cancel, don't process it immediately. Train support agents to respond with an empathetic message and a link to the self-serve portal. This forces the user through the entire cancellation prevention flow, creating a final opportunity to save them with a targeted offer.
To avoid the promotions tab, use tools like Maverick. They add an invisible script to your email's HTML that tricks providers like Gmail into classifying the email as transactional (e.g., a privacy policy update), dramatically increasing the chances it lands in the primary inbox.