This article explains how to build a purchase-based automation that nurtures customers after buying from a specific product category.
Once a customer has made their first purchase, the focus shifts from activation to retention. This retention automation helps you stay relevant by following up based on what customers buy and how they engage. By combining product-specific communication, behavioral splits, and targeted offers, you can encourage repeat purchases and strengthen long-term loyalty.
Before you get started
Entry criteria
To make the communication meaningful, define which purchases should trigger the automation. For example, you may want to include only customers who bought from a specific category such as linen clothing.
Labels
Labels facilitate tracking the contacts and assigning them different communication. With labels you can segment on contacts that are in specific automation.
Conditional splits
A conditional split divides contacts based on a condition, such as whether they returned a product or opened an email. This way you can ensure that communication stays relevant and tailored to customer behavior.
Trigger splits and time delays
A trigger split is useful when you want to make sure that activities within a workflow are triggered by certain actions, such as a purchase. If the action isn’t performed, you can wait until a certain time has passed, for example 14 days, before sending the customer forward in the automation.
This can be compared to a time delay, which simply postpones the next action with your chosen time regardless of the customers’ actions.
How it works
This automation is triggered when a customer purchases a product from a selected category, ensuring that all follow-up communication is relevant from the start.
A time delay accounts for delivery, while a conditional split ensures that customers who return the product don’t receive irrelevant messaging. Customers who keep their purchased item receive tailored content, such as care instructions and product recommendations.
The automation then adapts based on engagement. Customers who interact with the email are treated differently from those who don’t, allowing you to personalize the follow-up communication.
Finally, a time-limited promotion is assigned to encourage repeat purchases. Trigger splits are used throughout the flow to measure whether customers convert, giving you clear visibility into the effectiveness of the automation.
Setting it up
Flowchart
Trigger: Product purchase (specific category)
Track: Set label (for example "Retention – Product category")
Wait: Delivery time delay
Check 1: Was the product returned?
- If yes: Remove label and exit or reroute
- If no: Send product-related email (care guide and recommendations)
Wait: 1 week
Check 2: Did the customer open the email?
- Opened: Check for purchase
- Not opened: Assign promotion and send offer email
Check 3: Has the customer made a purchase?
- If no: Send promotion email
Final check: Did the promotion lead to a purchase?
End: Remove label and evaluate outcome
Step-by-step
1. Click Automation in the left-hand menu, hit New automation and select the trigger Product purchase.
2. Configure the entry conditions as desired by hovering on the trigger and clicking Edit (the pencil icon). You could, for example, select a specific product category that the contacts must have purchased from.
3. Click the plus sign below the trigger, choose Activity, and select Set label. This facilitates tracking the contacts that have entered the flow. It could, for example, be Retention campaign – Product X.
4. Add a time delay to consider the estimated delivery time. Click the plus sign below the entry trigger, select Time delay and configure it to match your average delivery times.
5. After the delay, click the plus sign and choose Condition under Splits. Configure the trigger to check whether the customers returned the specific product.
6. Remove the label from customers that didn’t keep the item (plus sign, Activity, Remove label). Then either have them exit the automation or route them elsewhere, to avoid irrelevant messaging. The ones that have kept the product should receive an email with content relating to the purchase. If the theme is linen clothing, for example, include a textile care guide and perhaps some related product recommendations. Add the email via the plus sign and then Activity.
7. Set a one-week time delay after the email. Then split the customers based on whether they opened the email or not. On the Opened branch, add a trigger split configured to check whether the customers made a purchase.
8. On the Not opened branch, choose Assign multichannel promotion by clicking the plus sign followed by Activity. Then add an email to inform the customers about the offer and encourage new purchases. Repeat this step for the No purchase branch on the trigger split for the customers that did open the first email. By hovering on a component and selecting Copy, it’s super easy to add repeat activities to other branches in the automation flow.
9. Add a new trigger split after the email to see whether the customers redeemed the promotion. This way you can measure the effectiveness of the incentive and identify customers who remain inactive. Remove the label from customers that redeem the promotion.
Remember to Save and Activate the automation to get it going.
Common mistakes to avoid
Not narrowing the trigger to a specific product or category
If all purchases should trigger the automation, the communication may become irrelevant. Always define clear entry criteria.
Sending follow-up too early
Without a delay for delivery, customers may receive product-related communication before they have received their order.
Not handling returns
Customers who return their purchase should not receive product care or recommendation emails. Always include a conditional split for returns.
Ignoring engagement signals
Failing to split contacts based on email opens can lead to repetitive or irrelevant messaging.
Not assigning the promotion before sending the offer
If the promotion is not assigned before the email is sent, customers may receive an offer they cannot redeem.
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