Flows 101: The Three Every Brand Should Have Before Anything Fancy

It's easy to get pulled toward advanced automation before the basics are solid. But three flows do most of the heavy lifting for most B2C brands, and they're worth getting right before you build anything more complex.

• First, your Welcome Flow: the first few emails someone gets after joining your list. It's your first impression, so it should introduce your brand, not just hand over a discount code.
• Second, Abandoned Cart: a nudge, with some urgency or social proof, for anyone who added something to their cart and bailed before checkout.
• Third, Post-Purchase: Thank You, set expectations for delivery, and leave the door open for a second sale.

If you've only got time to build or fix one flow this month, start with whichever of these three doesn't exist yet, or hasn't been touched in over a year. Old, stale automation often costs you more than no automation at all, since it might be sending outdated offers or broken links.

Which of these three flows is your weakest right now, and what's stopping you from fixing it?