Email: built an owned channel from nothing
Grew the list from 500 to 5,000+ profiles and made email about a quarter of store revenue, on flows I built myself and a segmentation model that doubled open rates.
500 → 5,000+Profiles
~24%Of store revenue
~$13KEmail revenue, last 90 days*
+213%Vs previous 90 days
78% / 22%Flows vs campaigns
35% → 65%Open rate, broad vs segmented
*Revenue figures are halved from the platform’s reported numbers to exclude the free unit in Buy 1 Get 1 orders.
What I built
- — Six automated flows in Klaviyo, from scratch: welcome, abandoned checkout, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase, win-back.
- — Four segments by buying behaviour: Multi-Buyers (VIP), Active Buyers, Lapsed Buyers, Engaged Non-Buyers.
- — 48 campaigns over 15 months, with A/B tested subject lines, preview text and calls to action.
- — Emails captured through the site’s sign-up form; the list grew roughly 10x in 15 months.
- — Best single send: $1,505 from one email.
The numbers
What I learned
Segments are familiarity tiers.
I split the list by purchase count and activity. Repeat buyers are the people who already understand oil fragrance; lapsed and non-buyers are the people who do not yet. That distinction decides what each group needs to hear.
Buyers want more. Non-buyers want answers.
Active and VIP buyers respond to early access, new drops, and how to layer and combine scents. They already like the product. Lapsed and non-buyers respond to objection handling: how to use it, how long it lasts, how it compares to spray. Writing to each group on its own terms took open rates from 35% on broad sends to 65% on segmented ones, and nearly tripled clicks.
Subject lines exist to get the email opened, nothing more.
The subject line points to the preview text, and the preview text states the benefit. People do not care what you are selling. They care what they are buying. So the email sells the solution, not the product.
Cadence.
Three sends a week held engagement without moving unsubscribes above 0.4%. Tested send times; the window that won was 5:30 to 7:00 pm.
Automation carries the channel.
Flows produce 78% of email revenue. The welcome series is the top earner, up 149% on the previous period. Abandoned checkout is second, up 249%.
The emails
Hey there,
32 scents on clearance for Labour Day. More than half are being discontinued. This is the last of them.
This one is for you. It never goes public.
30% off, stacked on the BOGO.
Code: LABOURDAY30
Free shipping starts at Buy 3 Get 3. Six bottles, $73.50. Below that, shipping is added at checkout.
Ends Tuesday, 11:59pm ET.
Affan
Dawam
