Email automation sequences: 6 flows every business needs

Resolution protocol

1. 01

   Flow 1: Welcome sequence (3–5 emails)

   Day 0: Welcome + delivery of lead magnet. Day 2: Your origin story (1 paragraph max). Day 5: Your best resource (most-read post, best case study). Day 8: Soft offer. Day 14: Social proof + stronger offer. Open rates on welcome sequences: 50–80%. Your best chance to make an impression.

2. 02

   Flow 2: Abandoned cart (ecommerce) / abandoned demo request (SaaS)

   Email 1 (1 hour after abandonment): 'Did something go wrong?' — plain text, no images. Email 2 (24 hours): show what they left + one testimonial. Email 3 (72 hours): a small incentive or urgency trigger. This sequence recovers 10–15% of abandoned carts. Nothing else in email delivers this ROI per email.

3. 03

   Flow 3: Post-purchase onboarding

   Day 1: confirmation + what to expect. Day 3: how to get the most value (your top feature or quick-start guide). Day 7: check-in ('any questions?'). Day 14: success story from a customer with similar profile. Day 30: review request. This flow is your single biggest lever for retention.

4. 04

   Flows 4–6: Winback, upsell, and re-engagement

   Winback: 90 days post-churn, 3-email sequence with your strongest new feature or offer. Upsell: triggered by product usage crossing a threshold — 'you've reached 80% of your plan limit'. Re-engagement: 90 days of no open → 'still want to hear from us?' + explicit opt-in. Remove anyone who doesn't confirm.