Product Specific Follow Up Emails

In this article, we will see how to create an email automation workflow for product specific follow ups.

What are Product Specific Follow Up Emails ?

When a customer purchases a specific product (Let’s say Product A), you can send an automated email thanking the customer for the purchase and include a product recommendation (Product B) to upsell. These emails can help you upsell products and increase the Lifetime Value (LTV) of customers in your store. Also, you can combine a discount coupon in the email.

For example, if a customer has purchased a belt, you can send him/her an automated follow up email recommending shoes that may be a great match for the belt.

Why are Product Specific Follow Up Emails important?

In fact, customer retention is way easier and more cost-effective than customer acquisition. Product specific follow up emails are one of the best ways for increasing customer retention rates in eCommerce stores. Product recommendations in emails are known to increase their click-through-rate by 300% or more and are a reliable way to drive repeat purchases and boost your Lifetime Value (LTV) of customers.

Best Practices

When focusing on sending Product Specific Follow up Emails, some best practices can be followed for better and expected results.

Some of them are listed below:

A Catchy Subject Line

Ensure that it grabs the attention of the customers in their cluttered inboxes. When the subject line seems attractive, your customers will definitely go through the entire content of the Email. Some of the catchy subject lines include:

• Thanks for purchasing! Here's something you'd like

• Laura, this would suit your recent purchase

• Laura, we have a hand-picked product suggestion

• You purchased xxxx, then you'd definitely love this!

Email Content

Since the email is going to serve as a product recommendation email, make sure to include the product image / name / price and the reason why they should consider purchasing it.

Here is an example,

Product Specific Follow Up Email Example

And, the content of the email should be perfectly tailored with the intent to drive the customer back to the store and make them purchase the recommended item. Also, it’s great to start the email with a thank you message for the recent purchase.

Adding a motivation

Discounts are a simple and powerful way to entice your customers to do repeat purchases. Instead of offering something nebulous (like “great deals,” “latest styles,” or “monthly giveaway”), give them a tangible coupon they can use right now.

For example, Here is a 10% OFF on your next order.

Include a CTA

Having a clear CTA is very important, especially when you are sending product recommendation emails. The CTA button should invite the customer to check out the recommended item and purchase it using the discount code.

Creating a Product Specific Follow Up Email Workflow

You can follow the below instructions to create a Product Review Request Email Workflow for your store in Retainful.

1. Login to your Retainful dashboard

2. Go to ‘Automations’ -> Create Workflow -> Choose ‘Product Specific Follow up Emails’

Select the readymade template

3. Give a ‘Name’ to your workflow and click ‘Continue’ to proceed.

Naming the workflow

Now, you will be redirected to the ‘Automation Workflow Builder/Customer journey builder’ immediately.

Trigger

You can find the ‘Trigger’ at the top of the workflow. The trigger lets you determine when a customer can enter into the workflow. By default, the trigger is set to allow all your customers to enter the workflow as soon as they place a successful order.

Since we are going to set up this workflow for a particular product, we have used the ‘Product Name’ trigger rule and added a product name. So, the workflow will trigger only if the particular product is purchased.

Configuring the trigger rule

NOTE: If you set up the Trigger rule like ‘Product Name is Shirt’, customers who purchase the product ‘Shirt’ along with other items will also enter the workflow.

For example, Customer A purchase the product ‘Shirt’ only, Customer B purchase the product ‘Shirt’ along with a ‘Pant’... Both are eligible to enter the workflow.

Wait

The ‘Wait’ block allows you to set up a time delay before the customer moves forward in the workflow. Here, we are going to let the customer wait for 1 day to receive the email.

You can edit and customize the time delay if you want.

Email Settings

Now, we are at the ‘Email’ block of the workflow. You can click on the ‘Email’ block to customize the email subject line, preview text, and email content.

On the right side, you can edit the subject line and preview text of the email. To edit the email content, you need to click on the ‘Edit Email Content’ button.

Editing the Email Block

After clicking on the ‘Edit Email Content’ button, you will be taken to the visual drag-and-drop email editor. There you can customize the entire email as per your preference.

Visual Drag-and-drop email editor

If you would like to change the email template, you can click on the ‘Change template’ button on the left top and select a template of your choice.

Change the Logo: Click on the placeholder logo. On the right side of the panel, you will see the option to change the logo.

Changing the logo

Editing the Email Content: Just "double-click" on any content section to edit the default text on the email. You can use the following shortcodes to personalize the email,

{{billing_address.first_name}} - The First name of the customer

{{billing_address.last_name}} - The last name of the customer.

{{customer_name}} - The full name of the customer (the first and the last name)

Order Summary Block: The order summary block will be automatically replaced with the products customer has bought.

Recommended Product Block: You need to manually upload the image of the product you are recommending to the customer.

Also, add the product name and price as well.

Product Recommendation

Coupon Block: The coupon block serves as the motivation point here. The customer can choose to take advantage of it and purchase the recommended product.

Configuring the Coupon Block: Click on the Coupon Block in the email template to find the coupon settings on the right side. Now, follow the instructions to configure the coupon,

1. Choose the coupon type

2. Enter the coupon value

3. Set up expiry

4. Optional step: You can also set up the ‘Applies to order above’

5. Save

Configuring the coupon block

That’s it. The coupon is configured perfectly now.

Call-To-Action (CTA): The Call-to-Action button in the default email template is linked to your shop using the shortcode: {{retainful_shop_url_with_coupon_code}} This shortcode redirects customers to your store and auto-applies the coupon code when customers click on the CTA button.

If you would like to redirect customers to the recommended product page, you can edit the CTA button link and include the page URL.

Testing Email

Once you have completed editing the email template, you can test the email.

With an email customized, go to the top of the email editor and click the ‘Send Test Email’ button to make sure all of the content is displayed as expected in your inbox.

Testing the email template

Click the "Save" button once you have added the desired content and changed the logo in the email template.

Now, click on the ‘Close’ to go back to the previous page.

Your Product Specific Follow up Email Workflow is ready now.

Product Specific Follow up Workflow

Going Live

If you are ready to Set Live the Product Specific Follow up Email Workflow, you can click on the ‘Start Workflow’ button on the right top to set live the Workflow.

Going Live

Your Product Specific Follow up Email Workflow is set ‘Live’ now.

How to Test Your Product Specific Follow up Email Workflow

You can follow the below instructions to test your Product Specific Follow up Email Workflow.

Requirements

Make sure you have set live the Product Specific Follow up Email Workflow at your Retainful dashboard -> Automation (The status of the workflow should be ‘Live’)

Testing Steps

You can test your Product Specific Follow up Email workflow by placing a successful order in your store. You can consider choosing a low-value product in your store for placing this order.

1. Open your storefront (your online storefront) in a Private / Incognito window (so that you can test like a customer)

2. Add the product to the cart (The product you have mentioned in the trigger rule)

3. Place a successful order

You should receive the follow up email after 1 day.

However, if you would like to test the workflow within a short time span and see if the email comes through correctly, you can try this alternative approach.

Alternative approach

Step 1: Go to your Retainful dashboard -> Automation -> Edit your 'Product Specific Follow up Email workflow'

Step 2: Click on the 'Wait' block, set the time delay for 1 minute, and Save.

Step 3: Click on 'Start Workflow' to set it live or 'Save & Publish' the changes.

Step 4: Visit your store in an incognito / private window and place an order.

You should receive the follow up email after 1 minute.

For example: If you have placed the order at 10:00 AM, you should receive the follow up email at 10:01 AM.

NOTE: Make sure to reset the 'Wait' block time delay to 1 day after testing the workflow. So, you can assure that the follow up email will be sent out automatically after 1 day since a customer placed an order.