How to use automation to make your marketing truly relevant

Most customers are pretty happy with the marketing messages they get from brands. In fact, 61% feel like the marketing they receive is personalized “just right”. 

But if that’s the case, why do 49% of people only consider marketing messages to be “somewhat relevant”? If personalization is hitting “just right,” shouldn’t messages be “very relevant”? 

Yet, only 15% of shoppers across Australia, Singapore, the UK, and the USA think marketing is “very relevant” to them. 

Of course, being “somewhat relevant” is better than not being relevant at all, but there’s a big opportunity for brands to close the relevancy gap. Sharing genuinely relevant content with your audience will set you apart from the brands that are just doing alright. 

What do you mean by relevance, and how is it different from personalization? 

That’s a very good question, too. Here’s how we break it down: 

• Personalization is knowing who someone is — their name, location, preferences
• Relevance is knowing where someone is now — their needs and intent in the moment 

A customer who bought running sneakers ten months ago gets a personalized email when you use their name in the subject line. The message is relevant when you send them a “how’s the mileage going?” check-in just as their soles begin to wear thin. It’s a message that feels like it came from a brand that pays attention and cares about its experience. 

In this article, we’re going to show you how you can take your marketing from kind of relevant to unforgettable. We’ll dive into the specific automation flows and experiences that will help you close the relevancy gap and create an audience that loves your brand. 

5 automation flows that meet customers in the moment

Flow 1: Abandoned browse (not just abandoned carts) 

Abandoned carts are super-popular and for good reason, too. They’re many marketers’ first taste of automation and have the power to generate some serious money. But they need an action, where an abandoned browse simply needs a customer to look. 

The trigger for this automation flow needs web tracking that speaks to your automation platform, so you can turn page visits into relevant marketing moments. Some moments to think about:

• Repeat page visits 
• High-intent page visit (like pricing or demo)
• High-ticket product pages 

Including reviews and product recommendations can do a lot of good work here. AI product recommendations, like showcasing lookalike items or items ‘also bought’ with the product they viewed, make content feel genuinely tailored (read: “just right”), rather than just pulling in a product image from the browsed page. 

And reviews are a big driver of conversion, especially for spontaneous purchases. A subject line like “Still thinking about it? Here’s what other people are saying,” paired with an email that pulls in your latest reviews, helps convince browsers that you can be trusted to meet their needs. 

Flow 2: Replenishments, renewals, and reminders

Replenishment, renewals, and reminder flows are an underused goldmine for creating unforgettable moments in the customer journey. They say to your customer, “We see you, and we’ve got what you need.”

Reaching out to customers before a product runs out or a contract expires is relevant in its purest form. It’s the right message at precisely the right moment in the customer lifecycle, not just a reaction to an action in the purchase journey. 

To create the perfect flow, you need to know the typical lifespan of your offering. Is it a thirty-day vitamin supply, a three-month subscription, or a year-long contract? Make sure you build in enough time to be seen and connect with your audience. 

A ten-day heads-up before a vitamin supply runs out gives customers time to reorder and receive delivery. A month before a subscription renews, you have time to check in, communicate the value, and upsell new features.

These flows are working harder than just driving sales; they’re naturally inspiring loyalty. Your customer doesn’t have to remember to come back, because you’re remembering for them. A customer who never runs out of a product because they’re promptly reminded to restock will advocate for your brand in the future. You will be their number one pick, every time.  

Flow 3: Back-in-stock notifications 

When a customer browses an out-of-stock item, it frustrates them and is a missed opportunity for you. But it shouldn’t be. Signing up for a back-in-stock notification is one of the highest-intent moments in the customer journey. They want what you’re selling; all that’s left for you to do is close the loop. 

Back-in-stock notifications should feel like a special heads-up from a brand that cares about giving people what they want. That’s why these messages work so well outside of the inbox. SMS (or MMS), WhatsApp, and mobile app notifications are the channels that take this flow from a helpful message in the inbox to a genuine conversion driver. Emails can be missed, but a notification to a customer’s device is impossible to ignore. 

Short, sharp messaging is a must for these messages. “Go, go, go! Align Leggings are back in stock”. Scarcity and urgency tactics also work great to remind shoppers that popular items sell out fast. “It’s back, but going fast! Jenna, grab your Trip Gummies now”. 

Back-in-stock notifications are triggered by customers explicitly telling you what they want. It’s hard to get more relevant than that. 

Flow 4: Birthday and anniversary moments

To create “very relevant” marketing moments, you’ve got to turn up in the moments customers least expect. Like on their birthday. Or celebrating the day someone joined your loyalty program. These moments are often overlooked, but they’re a top reward 43% of shoppers want from a brand. 

Birthdays and subscription anniversaries are just the start. Adding touchpoints like half birthdays, the day they joined your loyalty program, or the day they bought a high-ticket item opens up even more opportunities to connect. Making those messages feel “very relevant” is all about the personalization. Product recommendations showcasing “items you’ll love” or personalized content that dynamically pulls in localized offers are examples of how you can lift these messages to make them moments customers love and interact with. 

Successful birthday and anniversary flows go beyond the expected. Anyone can offer a 10% discount, but brands that stand out deliver moments that build real loyalty and drive repeat purchases. It’s in these unexpected moments that being relevant creates a long-lasting relationship, because you’ve remembered them when they least expected it. 

Flow 5: Post-purchase care sequences

The post-purchase phase of the customer journey is often neglected by brands. After receiving the order confirmation, customers are returned to the business-as-usual pot. They’ll get newsletters and new product launches, but the personal touch is missing. There’s nothing in their inbox that keeps the relationship going; nothing that makes them want to share the experience with their friends. 

Unlike other flows focused on converting customers, this flow is solely focused on deepening your relationship with a customer. Thoughtful campaigns that share how-to content, usage tips, or care guides show customers how much you care. A check-in message with “4 tips to make your Cassie Bouquet last longer” keeps content relevant and helpful, lifting their whole experience, not just pushing for a sale. 

With AI predictive insights, you can layer in customers’ next likely purchase dates and transition naturally from aftercare to timely next-product recommendations. When every touchpoint after the sale feels considered, customers stop thinking of you as a brand they bought from and start thinking of you as a brand they belong to. They’ll choose your brand every time simply because you care; because they trust that their needs and experience are at the core of everything you do.

The right message in the right place

Relevance isn’t just about what you say, but where you say it, too. You have to be where the customer needs you, when they need you. That means matching the channel to the right moment. 

• Abandoned browse is a gentle nudge back to your website — that’s the kind of message email is built to deliver
• Replenishment, renewals, and reminders are an ongoing conversation with existing customers — WhatsApp is a great place to continue the conversation
• Back-in-stock messages are urgent — app notifications or SMS work perfectly here
• Birthday and anniversary moments need to grab attention — personalized website messages are great to pair with email for a seamless customer experience
• Post-purchase sequences are longer form and designed to build deeper customer relationships — there’s no better channel for that than email

Every audience has its nuances. 45% of Singaporean customers prefer interacting with brands via mobile apps. Gen Z is similarly shaking things up in the US, with 44% engaging with brands on mobile apps. On the other hand, email is the channel of choice for 47% of Australian and UK customers.

Cross-channel marketing is about being where your customers need you, when they need you, and nothing drives relevance quite like that. 

Why being “very relevant” really matters

“Very relevant” marketing isn’t just a nice stat to improve. Brands that are “somewhat relevant” are doing just enough but aren’t making customers feel like you really understand them. And that feeling is what drives the loyalty, advocacy, and repeat purchases.

Every time you capture a customer at exactly the right moment, like when they’re running low on a product, when it’s their birthday, or when something they wanted is finally back in stock, you’re building a reputation for your brand that’s impossible to ignore. The more customers trust you to think about what they need, the more you’ll become the obvious choice when it’s time to make their next purchase. 

If your marketing is landing in that “somewhat relevant” 49%, you’re just a couple of automations away from closing the relevancy gap. 

Want to know what your customers are really thinking?

Relevant marketing is just one piece of the puzzle. Our Customer trend index surveyed 4,000 consumers across four markets to find out how they discover new brands, what makes them click, and what makes them loyal. If you want to know what your customers want from you (from the channels they prefer to the rewards that keep them coming back), the full report reveals it all.