Have you ever received an email notifying you that you’re running low on a certain product and that it’s time to restock?
If yes, don’t worry – no one’s tracking your consumption habits.
It’s just the Replenishment flow in action.
What is a Replenishment flow?
The Replenishment flow is a series of automated emails reminding customers to repurchase a product before they run out of it.
It usually works best for consumable products with predictable usage cycles, such as skincare, make-up, vitamins, supplements, household essentials, and food products.
If you’re selling electronic devices, for example, you wouldn’t want to tell your customers that it’s time for a restock a month or two after they have bought a new laptop. This shows why the Replenishment flow works best for consumable goods.
How impactful is the Replenishment flow?
According to Investopedia, when marketing a product to prospective customers, you only have around a 13% chance of convincing them to make a purchase. The chance is much more significant with repeat customers – 60-70%. And this is where the Replenishment flow comes in.
It targets people who have already placed an order once and aims to convert them into repeat purchasers by sending them a reminder right before they run out of a product.
Customers receiving such reminders are less likely to switch to a competitor brand, as the emails are friendly and personalized and emphasize the product’s benefits.
The probability they’ll place an order again and convert into repeat purchasers becomes much higher.
Therefore, a well-set Replenishment flow can increase the customer lifetime value by keeping clients engaged and building a strong relationship between them and your brand.
How to set up a Replenishment flow in Klaviyo?
If you’re using Shopify, the good news is that you can use the pre-built Replenishment flow template from Klaviyo. Just go to the Flows tab, click Create flow, and type “Replenishment” in the search bar. You’ll see two template options – the first for email and SMS and the second for email only. Choose the one you need and name your flow.
The templates have the Placed Order trigger needed for the flow already built in them, so you’ll only need to add the profile filter – Placed Order zero times since starting this flow.
When you finish the technical part, you need to create the structure. Time delays are crucial for this flow to ensure customers receive the first email when running low on a specific product.
As the Replenishment flow is usually used for products with predictable usage cycles, it’s not hard to determine when you should send the reminder.
For example, if you’re selling vitamins and one package is enough for 30 days, you’ll send the first email 28-30 days after a customer has placed an order.
Note: If you’re using another e-commerce platform, such as WooCommerce or Magento, you won’t be able to find a ready-to-use Replenishment flow template in Klaviyo. You can still manually create your Replenishment flow by clicking the “Build your own“ button on the Create flow page. Name your flow, select the Placed Order trigger, and apply the Placed Order zero times since starting this flow profile filter. Then, you are ready to structure your flow, as mentioned above.
What to include in the Replenishment flow?
When we create a Replenishment flow, we usually include two emails to start with:
- Email #1 reminds the clients that they need to restock.
- Email #2 offers a discount to those who didn’t order via the first email.
The time delay between the first and second emails should be 1-3 days. You don’t want to make it too short because your customers will feel pressured. And if it’s too long, they may decide to purchase from somewhere else. Still, you can test which time delay will work best for you.
The Replenishment flow targets customers who have already purchased from your brand once. They already know your products’ benefits, so you don’t need to repeat them here.
Keep the copy straightforward, and start directly with the important points. Your clients need to restock, and it’s your job to remind them. Your messaging should be clear, exciting, and urgent to motivate customers to reorder quickly.
When it comes to visuals, you can get creative with the banners. GIFs showing products running out or reappearing are a popular choice.
If you have created your Replenishment flow with the template, you can include a dynamic block showing customers the product(s) they have previously bought, making it easier for them to repurchase. They will be able to directly access the products in their cart, rather than looking for them on the website.
Of course, you must include call-to-action buttons, leading to checkout in all emails from the flow. You can also add a product block suggesting more intriguing options to clients. This is more suitable for the second email in the flow, where they can use their discount to buy more products at a lower price
Do I need one Replenishment flow or separate ones for different products?
If the products you offer have similar usage cycles, for example, health supplements that last for a month, then one Replenishment flow will work perfectly for you.
However, if you offer a wider range of products with different usage cycles, you should create separate flows for each product or category. Plus, in this way, you can add that extra personal touch to the emails.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Not setting proper time delays: If you send your first email too soon or too late, the flow will lose its effectiveness. A reminder sent way too early can irritate customers. At the same time, if they receive it way after running out of the product, they may have already purchased an alternative from another store, and your messaging becomes invalid.
- Not applying filters: Setting the flow live without having the proper filter means that people unsuitable for the flow will enter it. This can result in lower soft metrics and increased spam and unsubscribe rates.
- Not including clear call-to-action buttons: Your goal is to make customers reorder quickly. So, buttons like “Restock now”, “Order now”, and “Buy again” will be your best friends in this mission. You can also use buttons that encourage continuation, such as “Continue your jouney”, “Experience X again”, “Relive the moment”, and “Savor X again”.
- Overcomplicating the flow: As mentioned above, the aim is to make people repurchase. Keep the focus on that and avoid trying to do too much, like asking for reviews or social media follows.
Conclusion:
Now that you’ve read this article, you’re ready to craft your own compelling Replenishment flow. Add it to your strategy and watch your revenue grow.
Need help getting it set up?
You can contact us at office@progs.agency or book a call here, and we’ll guide you through every step.If you’d like to know how to get the most out of your email automation, you can read more in our guide to flow optimization.
