Email & Automation
Lifecycle email, automated flows, and retention programs that land in the inbox, not the promotions tab.
Studio AM builds lifecycle email programs on Klaviyo, Customer.io, and HubSpot. Automation flows that run while you sleep, with the deliverability foundation that keeps every message out of the promotions tab.
Most "email is not working" problems are not copy problems.
Nine out of ten audits we run find a deliverability issue before we ever look at the creative. We start with the DNS record and work forward. Only then does the copy conversation begin.
- Write a better subject line
- Try a new email template
- Send at a different time
- Test a different CTA button
None of these fix a DMARC record. None warm up an IP. None clear an engagement-segmentation problem that has been building for 18 months.
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC configuration
- IP warmup and reputation history
- List hygiene and engagement decay
- Inbox placement vs promotions tab
If your open rate is under 22% on transactional-adjacent sends, the problem is almost never your subject line.
Getting to the primary inbox is not a nice-to-have. It is the whole job.
The promotions tab is where email goes to be ignored. Primary inbox is where revenue happens. Every technical decision we make, from domain warmup to authentication records to list segmentation, is designed to get and keep you there.
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup and monitoring
- Domain warmup and IP reputation management
- List hygiene and engagement-based segmentation
- Inbox placement testing on Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo
- Spam trap monitoring and bounce management
Primary inbox, not promotions
Four flows first. Then the calendar around them.
The four core automation flows generate 60-75% of everything email automation will ever produce. We build those first, get them running and converting, then layer the campaign calendar on top.
Welcome series
3-6 emails. Brand story, first offer, education, community invite. Segmented by acquisition source and early behavior.
Abandoned cart
Timed sequence with smart product pulls. Checkout-abandon, browse-abandon, and add-to-cart variants covered.
Post-purchase
Shipping update, how-to-use, review request, cross-sell. The sequence that turns a first order into a second.
Winback
Dormant customer flows with escalating value. Clean unsubscribe exit when nothing works so the list stays healthy.
Deliverability
SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain warmup, list hygiene. Inbox placement testing on Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.
Campaign calendar
2-4 sends per week with segmentation. Subject line testing, pre-flight QA, and send-time optimization.
How we write email that gets read
Most email copy fails at the subject line because it is written last, as a headline for the template. We write the first line of the email body first, then work backward to the subject. If the first sentence cannot stand alone as a text message, we rewrite it.
Subject lines are tested in small cohorts before full send. Preview text is treated as a second hook, not a repeat of the subject. Every send goes through a pre-flight checklist before it touches a single inbox.
Tested in a small cohort first, never guessed
A second hook, not a throwaway repeat of the subject
Must work as a standalone text message
The right tool for your stack.
Platform choice is a business decision, not a preference. We pick based on your data model, team size, and growth roadmap, not on which platform pays the biggest affiliate commission.
Klaviyo
Best-in-class for Shopify and DTC. Deep product catalog integration, predictive analytics, and revenue attribution per flow.
Customer.io
Event-driven automation for apps and platforms. Behavioral triggers, conditional branching, and real-time data sync.
HubSpot
When email is part of a larger sales motion. CRM integration, lead scoring, and deal-stage-triggered sequences.
Mailchimp
Simple and cost-effective for early-stage brands. Good for campaigns, limited for complex multi-step automation.
From audit to live in four phases
Core flows are live within 4-6 weeks of the audit. Revenue impact from welcome and abandoned cart sequences shows in the first send cycle.
Audit
Deliverability health, list quality, existing flows, and revenue split by channel. We find the real problem before writing a line of copy.
Build
Core four flows, segmentation logic, template system. Designed to your brand voice and built around your data model.
Launch
Test sends across inbox clients, QA against deliverability checklist. Nothing goes live until it passes every check.
Optimize
Monthly subject line testing, segment refinement, and flow revision. Numbers reviewed every cycle, not just at quarter end.
What you own at 90 days
Not a report. Not a strategy deck. Actual running assets in your email platform that generate revenue without you touching them.
- Four live automation flowsWelcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, winback — configured, tested, and generating revenue.
- Deliverability foundationSPF, DKIM, DMARC records verified, domain warmup complete, engagement segments in place.
- Segmented list architectureActive subscribers, engaged window, lapsed, and suppression lists structured for healthy sending.
- Campaign calendar13 weeks of scheduled sends with segments, subject line variants, and send-time logic.
- Performance dashboardRevenue by flow, open rates by segment, deliverability metrics. Updated weekly, not monthly.
Email went from 11% of revenue to 34% in six months, mostly by fixing the welcome flow and cleaning up a list we had been afraid to touch for years. Nothing flashy. Just the fundamentals, done right.
Email marketing FAQ
What email platforms do you work with?
Klaviyo for e-commerce. Customer.io or HubSpot for SaaS. Mailchimp or ConvertKit for smaller brands. Postmark and Resend for transactional. We pick based on your stack and roadmap, not on which platform pays the biggest affiliate commission.
What flows do you build first?
Welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase, and winback, in that order for e-commerce. For SaaS we start with onboarding, activation nudges, and renewal reminders. These four cover roughly 60-75% of the revenue automation will ever produce. Campaigns come after the flows are running.
How do you write email copy that actually gets opened?
Subject lines tested in small cohorts before full send. Preview text used as a second hook, not a throwaway. First sentence does the work, not a greeting, not a hope-you-had-a-great-weekend opener. Every email we ship starts with a line that could stand alone as a text message.
Do you handle deliverability too?
Yes. SPF, DKIM, DMARC setup and monitoring, domain warmup, IP reputation management, list hygiene, engagement segmentation. Most "email is not working" problems are deliverability problems in disguise. We audit inbox placement against Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo before blaming copy.
How long before we see results from email automation?
Core automation flows are typically live within 4-6 weeks of the audit. Revenue impact from welcome and abandoned cart sequences shows within the first send cycle. Winback and retention flows compound over 3-6 months as engagement data accumulates.
Ready to start your project?
Let's work together to build something great. Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.