The Difference Between Email Flows and Campaigns (And When to Start Each)

What Are Email Flows?

Email flows (also called automations) are automated email sequences that trigger based on specific customer actions. Someone abandons a cart, they get an email. Someone signs up for your list, they get a welcome series. Someone makes a purchase, they get a follow-up.

Flows run 24/7 on autopilot. You set them up once and they generate revenue every single day. Across 400+ dropshipping clients, flows consistently add 15-25% extra revenue with zero manual work.

The 3 Flows That Do the Heavy Lifting

• Welcome Series: Grows your list and converts new subscribers into first-time buyers
• Abandoned Checkout: Retargets customers who added to cart but did not buy, sometimes with a small discount
• Post-Purchase Upsell: Retargets customers right after purchase to increase profits on autopilot

What Are Email Campaigns?

A campaign is a one-time email sent to a targeted group from your email list. Promotions, product launches, seasonal sales, or customer updates. Unlike flows, campaigns are manually scheduled and sent to achieve a specific goal.

Campaigns let you retarget your entire list. You are already paying for Klaviyo, so you should be using it to convert leads into buyers and keep existing customers engaged.

When to Start with Flows vs Campaigns

Flows are worth starting from $10,000-20,000/month in revenue. Even at smaller scale, they add 15-25% additional revenue on autopilot.

Campaigns become profitable once you have at least 4,000 active profiles in Klaviyo. Below that, the list is too small to generate meaningful campaign revenue.

The conclusion: both are effective, but combining them is where the real results happen.

Key Takeaways

• Flows are automated emails triggered by customer behavior. They run 24/7.
• Campaigns are one-time sends to your email list for promotions and updates.
• Start flows from $10-20K/month revenue. Start campaigns at 4,000+ active profiles.
• Flows add 15-25% additional revenue on autopilot.
• Combining flows and campaigns is where the real profits happen.