Email lists are like gardens — if you don’t prune them, they grow wild and unhealthy. One of the smartest tools in an email marketer’s toolkit is the Sunset Flow. This automated flow isn’t just about saying goodbye; it’s about protecting your sender reputation, improving deliverability, and ensuring that your audience stays genuinely engaged.
In this blog, we’ll break down what a Sunset Flow is, why it’s crucial for eCommerce brands, and how you can set it up for maximum impact, particularly in Klaviyo — though the principles apply across platforms like Mailchimp, Zoho, and others.
A Sunset Flow is a triggered automation designed to re-engage or clean out subscribers who have stopped interacting with your emails. If they don’t respond after a final nudge or two, they’re automatically removed from your main marketing list.
In short: It’s a respectful way to ask, “Are you still interested?” before parting ways.
Sunset Flows are sometimes mistakenly viewed as a negative tactic. However, they are a proactive strategy for fostering a stronger, more loyal community. Remember, email marketing is a two-way street. If subscribers are no longer engaging, it’s kinder and smarter to offer them an exit, keeping your list vibrant and effective.
1. Protect Your Deliverability
Mailbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo track engagement signals (opens, clicks). If a large portion of your audience ignores your emails, your future campaigns could land in the spam folder — even for your most engaged customers.
Low engagement not only affects one campaign but has a cascading impact. Future launches, seasonal promotions, and your BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) emails could be compromised.
Key benefit: Sunset Flows maintain a high engagement rate, boosting your sender reputation.
2. Boost Your ROI
Keeping disengaged contacts costs money, especially on platforms like Klaviyo where you’re billed based on list size.
Trimming the fat helps you allocate your budget toward higher-performing segments. Imagine increasing your email ROI by 20% just by cleaning your list!
Key benefit: Focusing your spend on engaged customers improves your marketing ROI.
3. Respect Your Subscribers
Not everyone wants to hear from you forever. People’s interests change, inboxes overflow, and sometimes they simply move on. Giving people a clean exit option is not just polite — it’s brand-enhancing.
Respecting a subscriber’s choice to opt-out without guilt strengthens your brand’s reputation as customer-centric and trustworthy.
Key benefit: Positive brand perception leads to better long-term loyalty.
1. Identify Inactive Subscribers
- Define inactivity (e.g., no opens or clicks for 180 days).
- Build a segment like “Engagement = None in last 180 days”.
- Include filters to exclude recent purchasers or active SMS/WhatsApp users if integrated.
2. Create a Re-Engagement Email Series
- Email 1: Reminder of value (highlight benefits, new products, or content).
- Email 2: Emotional appeal (“We miss you! Here’s what’s new.”).
- Email 3: Final warning (“Stay with us or we’ll say goodbye!”).
Pro Tip: Keep the tone light, human, and grateful. Adding humour or personalisation can boost final click-throughs.
3. Automate Removal
- If no engagement after the series, automatically unsubscribe or move them to a “Suppressed” list.
- In Klaviyo, this can be done through a simple conditional split after the final email.
Bonus Tip: Always suppress, don’t just delete. Suppression keeps data clean without skewing your historical reports.
- Timing is critical: Don’t be too aggressive; give 180 days of inactivity before starting.
- Offer value: Sometimes a discount code, early access, or loyalty perks can rekindle interest.
- Keep it short and simple: One to three emails is ideal; don’t overwhelm them.
- Make it easy to stay: One-click “Stay Subscribed” buttons work wonders.
- Test your subject lines: Emojis, questions, and first names can increase open rates.
Another tip is to personalise the emails based on what the subscriber originally signed up for. If they joined during a product launch or holiday season, reference that moment to make the communication more relevant.
Setting up a Sunset Flow isn’t about losing subscribers; it’s about investing in the right ones. Your email list is one of your most valuable marketing assets, but it only works if it’s healthy and active. By respecting your audience’s engagement and protecting your deliverability, you set your brand up for sustainable, long-term success.
The beauty of a well-executed Sunset Flow is that it can improve engagement rates, save costs, and uphold the reputation of your brand without sacrificing authenticity.
Ready to set up your own Sunset Flow and supercharge your list health? Let’s chat — I can help you craft an automation strategy that’s polite, professional, and profit-driven!
📢 Need help building your Sunset Flow? [Get in touch today for a free consultation!]
