Klaviyo Automation Rescue for a Tea Company

Reworking automated email drip campaigns to convert in the wellness and retail space.

Role: Digital Marketing Consultant
Client: An e-commerce brand selling organic teas

Challenge

A successful lead magnet strategy in the fall of 2025 drove several hundred new newsletter subscribers, but the follow-up email drip campaigns had not led to any conversions. The founder of the company contracted Southern Grit Digital to audit and optimize the automations to convert new subscribers to customers.

Opportunities

• Retool automation, creative, and cadences to create a better new subscriber experience
• Capitalize on successful lead magnet ads to convert subscribers to customers

Challenges

• The lead magnets had been running for a while, so the audience was fairly tapped-out
• The focus on discounts had led to inflated open rates without real conversion

Approach

Lead Magnets

• Changed lead magnets from a discount focus to a special bundle offer for new newsletter subscribers
  • Try all 8 of our most popular teas for $35, plus free shipping
• Focused on spring teas and relaunched at the beginning of March
  • Spring bundle was 4 teas for $25 plus free shipping
• A second lead magnet that focused on Zodiac-themed teas was retooled to bundles for Air, Earth, Fire, and Water signs
  • Zodiac bundles were 3 teas for $20 plus free shipping
• Free shipping is not normally available and was a value-add to the lead magnet

Automations

• Audited automations
  • Advised the founder to step away from discount-focused emails
    • While they drove sign-ups, they weren’t engaged subscribers
      • We focused on lower subscriber numbers, but higher engagement rates
• Updated drip campaign creative to orient audiences to the brand and the tea offerings, based on which lead magnet brought them in
  • A welcome email with a link to their bundle deal
  • A spring tea party guide, based on the magnet through which they came in
  • A letter from the founder, using dynamic content tied to each lead magnet
    • If no opens at this point, exit flow
  • A reminder to non-converters about the bundle
  • A guide to brewing the perfect cup of tea
  • To converters: a second thank-you (after the automatic purchase thank-you) email with more recommendations
  • To non-converters: a “try everything” bundle offer with a small discount
    • Only sent to those who opened at least one email after the initial welcome email
  • Openers enter “engaged” newsletter audience, non-openers enter “unengaged” newsletter audience

Outcome

While the new subscriber rate dropped by over 40% from the lead magnets, the drip campaign’s open rates increased from 22% to 41% across all 6 emails. Conversions increased from 0% to 3.8%. AOV came to $23 per conversion.

See more case studies like this in my portfolio.