The 5 automations behind every good email program

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Today's Email: The 5 automations behind every good email program

Five automations do most of the heavy lifting in a good email program.

If you have all five running well, you're on track to create a successful email program. If you're missing a couple, that's usually where the biggest revenue lift is hiding.

Here they are:

1. Welcome series

Not just a single welcome email. It should be a sequence.

The first 7 days after signup is when engagement is highest and intent is clearest. One "thanks for subscribing" email leaves most of the relationship on the table.

A good welcome series does three things: sets expectations, delivers on the signup promise, and gets one small conversion (a reply, a click, a first purchase).

2. Browse and cart abandonment

Someone looked at a product. Someone added it to cart. They didn't buy.

These are the warmest leads you'll ever have. An email triggered within the hour catches the intent before it cools.

Cart abandonment alone adds 10-15% to revenue for most ecom brands. Close to free money.

3. Post-purchase sequence

The sale isn't the end. It's the start of the next one.

A good post-purchase flow covers shipping updates, product usage tips, review requests, and a soft cross-sell timed to when the first product is actually being used.

One "thanks for your order" email followed by 60 days of silence is the default. It's also why repeat rate stays flat.

4. Replenishment or renewal reminder

If your product runs out or expires, you know roughly when. Email them before they notice.

SaaS: renewal reminders at 30, 14, and 3 days. Consumables: reorder prompts timed to typical burn rate. Services: check-in emails at natural decision points.

This is the highest-ROI automation most brands never build.

5. Win-back sequence

Someone who used to engage has gone quiet for 60 or 90 days.

A structured win-back gives them a real reason to come back, not a generic "we miss you." And if they don't engage with the sequence, you now have clean data to suppress them before they hurt deliverability.

Start with whichever of these you're missing. That's where the lift is.

Best,
Alec

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