{"id":113612,"date":"2026-11-05T11:44:13","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/blog\/2026\/11\/05\/email-sms-retention-strategy\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T15:07:57","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T15:07:57","slug":"email-sms-retention-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/blog\/2026\/11\/05\/email-sms-retention-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Email and SMS retention strategy: 6 workflows to copy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Winning a new customer costs more than keeping one who already knows you. Even so, many small businesses put almost all their effort into acquisition and leave their customer relationships to chance.<\/p>\n\n

You don’t need complicated campaigns to retain customers. A few automated workflows that say the right thing at the right time, through the right channel, are enough.<\/p>\n\n

In short: an email and SMS retention strategy relies on 5 or 6 automated workflows: welcome, post-purchase, abandoned cart, birthday, reactivation and payment reminder. Email is for explaining and SMS for anything urgent, at most once per workflow. Tools like Mailrelay, Brevo or Klaviyo combine both channels in the same automation. In Mailrelay you can do it on the free account too, with up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, and add SMS with prepaid credit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Set up your retention workflows for free<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create your free account and combine email and SMS in the same automation, with human support on every plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
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How do you design a retention strategy using email and SMS?<\/h2>\n\n
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  1. Set your goal and how you’ll measure it.<\/strong> For example, more customers buying again within 90 days, or fewer cancelling your service.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Gather permission and data.<\/strong> For email, consent. For SMS, the mobile number and its own permission. Plus the data that will trigger each workflow: sign-up date, purchases or birthday.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Choose the workflows.<\/strong> You don’t need to set them all up at once. Start with one or two and add the rest once they work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Split the channels.<\/strong> Email does the heavy lifting: it explains, shows products and adds value. SMS is kept for alerts that can’t wait.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Measure and adjust each workflow separately.<\/strong> See which email gets opened, where people drop off, and whether the SMS adds anything or just costs money.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    These are the six most useful workflows for a small business:<\/p>\n\n

    Workflow<\/th>When it starts<\/th>Email<\/th>SMS<\/th>Entry point in Mailrelay<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Welcome<\/td>When the subscription is confirmed<\/td>2-4 emails over 1-2 weeks<\/td>Not usually needed<\/td>“When subscriber signs up using a signup form”<\/td><\/tr>
    Post-purchase<\/td>After the purchase<\/td>Thank you, product use, review and related product<\/td>Optional: shipping notice<\/td>“When a subscriber is added to a group” (customers group)<\/td><\/tr>
    Abandoned cart<\/td>When the cart is abandoned<\/td>1 hour and 48 hours later<\/td>One after 24 hours<\/td>“When a cart is abandoned” (WooCommerce plugin)<\/td><\/tr>
    Birthday<\/td>On the date, before or after<\/td>Greeting and gift<\/td>Optional: gift reminder<\/td>“When it’s the subscriber’s birthday”<\/td><\/tr>
    Reactivation<\/td>After months without opening<\/td>2-3 emails<\/td>No: if someone doesn’t open your emails, don’t bother them on another channel without permission<\/td>Segment by “Subscriber score” and “When a campaign is received”<\/td><\/tr>
    Payment or renewal reminder<\/td>Before and after the due date<\/td>Advance notice, due-date notice and late notice<\/td>On the due date<\/td>“When a subscriber is added to a group” (pending payment group)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

    The 6 retention workflows, one by one<\/h2>\n\n

    1. Welcome<\/h3>\n\n

    This is the first workflow you should set up, because it arrives when interest is at its peak. Introduce your brand, answer the most common questions and explain what you’re going to send. In Mailrelay it starts when the contact confirms their subscription.<\/p>\n\n

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    If you run a small business and don’t know where to start, set up a short introduction workflow first. Use it to answer the most common questions: that reassures your customers. It also shows them there’s a way to get in touch with your company, and that builds trust. My advice: before you write it, go through last month’s emails and calls and note down the five questions that come up most. That’s your first workflow.<\/p>\nJose Argudo<\/a><\/strong>, CMO at Mailrelay<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    You’ll find ideas and examples in welcome email<\/a> and, for a longer series, in lead nurturing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    2. Post-purchase<\/h3>\n\n

    After buying, the customer wants to know everything is going well. A useful sequence:<\/p>\n\n