If you already have an automated flow that performs well, you don't need to build a new one for your Retention.com contacts. Clone the flow you already trust, point the clone at your Retention.com list, and adjust the copy and filters for an audience that is new to your brand.
Start with what's working. Don't reinvent your strategy.
When to use this
This is a good fit if:
You already have an automated flow that performs well
You'd rather adapt something proven than build a new sequence from scratch
You want your Retention.com contacts running through a flow you already understand
The steps below use Klaviyo as the worked example. The same approach works in any email platform, but the exact names of triggers and filters will vary by ESP.
Step 1: Clone the flow — don't rebuild it
From inside your email platform, copy the existing flow so the original stays untouched and keeps running for its current audience.
Give the clone a clear name, like "Retention.com Contacts [Clone]"
Keep it to 3 emails — trim the clone down if your original is longer
Step 2: Point the trigger at your Retention.com list
This is the step that matters most. Change the clone's trigger to:
👉 When someone is added to the Retention.com list
A clone inherits the trigger from the flow you copied. If you don't change it, the clone will keep listening to the original source and no Retention.com contacts will ever enter it. This is the most common reason a cloned flow sends nothing.
After you turn the clone on, check back and confirm you can see contacts actually entering the flow.
Step 3: Exclude people who have already purchased
Add a flow filter so existing customers don't get an introductory sequence:
Placed order — zero times over all time
The exact filter will look different depending on your ESP, but there should always be an exclusion that removes leads who have already made a purchase.
Step 4: Set the timing
Recency and relevancy drive performance with these contacts.
Email 1 → within 15 minutes of being added
Email 2 → 24 to 48 hours later
Email 3 → 24 to 48 hours later
Don't wait. If someone hits your site once and leaves, they won't remember who you are a week later. Sending immediately is where we've seen the best results.
Step 5: Rework the copy
Your original flow was almost certainly written for people who filled out a form. These contacts did not. Reframe the messaging before you turn the clone on.
Don't use:
"Welcome to the family!"
"Thanks for subscribing!"
"Thanks for joining!"
"Welcome to our newsletter!"
Try instead:
"Thanks for stopping by!"
"We saw you checking this out!"
Lead with the offer, not the word "welcome." A few more things that help:
Email 1 → put your best foot forward. Introduce the brand, offer an incentive, and say why someone should choose you
Email 2 → reiterate the offer and add best sellers or best-of content
Email 3 → create urgency, add social proof and brand education
Be clear about what makes you different. If you do something unexpected, that's the headline — don't bury it
Always include a clear, single-click way to opt out. An opt-out is required for Retention.com products, and it protects deliverability and customer trust.
Step 6: Optional — add a conditional split after Email 2
To stop emailing people who aren't paying attention:
After Email 2, wait 2 days
Add a conditional split on has opened an email at least once since starting this flow
Yes → receive Email 3
No → exit the flow
Step 7: Move into campaigns after the flow
The cloned flow isn't the end state. Once contacts finish the sequence, fold the engaged ones into your regular campaign sends.
In the Send to audience, include R! New and R! Engaged
In the Don't send to audience, include R! Non-openers and R! Low engagement
Excluding the non-openers and low-engagement segments protects your deliverability and keeps you focused on your most responsive contacts.
Keep optimizing
Run A/B tests on your subject lines, copy, CTAs, and offers or discounts. This audience doesn't always respond to the same things your opted-in subscribers do, so it's worth learning what lands.
What success looks like
You can see Retention.com contacts entering the cloned flow
The first email goes out within 15 minutes
Prior purchasers are filtered out
No signup or opt-in language anywhere in the copy
Every email has an obvious way to opt out
Engaged contacts continue on into your regular campaigns
Quick summary
Clone the flow you already like — don't rebuild it
Change the trigger to when someone is added to the Retention.com list
Exclude anyone who has already placed an order
First email within 15 minutes, then 24 to 48 hours between the rest
Strip out "welcome" and "thanks for subscribing" language
Include a single-click opt-out
Target R! New and R! Engaged in campaigns afterward