How to create a churn prevention flow using RFM properties

You will learn

Learn how to build a churn prevention flow based on RFM properties to target customers who are extremely lapsed. Retention flows are useful drivers in helping to win back customers, reaching them at the right time with the right message. You can automatically reach these subscribers at the point in which their customer group changes, potentially reducing the risk of lost revenue and customer churn.

Before you begin

Set up your RFM analysis report and check its data requirements before creating the segment. For this flow, use an RFM model based on purchases.

Create a churn risk prevention flow

To create a churn risk prevention flow, you'll first need to create a segment of profiles in the Inactive RFM group to use as the trigger for your flow. RFM profile properties refresh daily. Profiles enter this flow when an update causes them to join the segment.

Create your segment

If you have not already done so, you will first need to create a segment that includes your Inactive customers. To create this segment:

1. Navigate to Personalization > Customer insights > RFM analysis.
2. Scroll to find the RFM segments card and select Create segment. If the card shows Generate segments instead, go to Audience > Lists & segments and select Create > Segment.

3. Name your segment and apply any tags if relevant. If a setup panel opens, click Create segment to continue to the segment builder.
4. Set the following definition for your segment:
   
   Properties about someone > Current RFM group equals Inactive
   If your RFM model has a name, choose the Current RFM group property with that model’s name in parentheses.

5. Optional: The Inactive RFM group includes profiles that have made at least 1 purchase in the past. If you’d like to target customers who have purchased a specific number of times in the past (e.g., only one-time buyers), but are now in the inactive group, use AND to add the following condition to your segment:
   
   What someone has done (or not done) > Person has Placed Order equals X over all time. Replace X with the number of purchases to target, such as 1 for one-time buyers.
6. Click Create segment to save your segment before setting up the flow.

Set up your flow

You can quickly create a churn prevention flow using the prebuilt flow in the flow library.

1. Navigate to the Flows tab.
2. Click Create flow.
3. Search for Churn Prevention in the flow library and select the version triggered by a segment.
   

4. Name your flow and select the segment you just created for inactive RFM profiles.
5. Select Create flow.
6. Customize your flow emails.
7. Optional: if you want to add additional messages to your flow, add another time delay between them. Make sure this is at least 2-3 days after your last message.
8. When you are done creating your flow, click Review and turn on in the upper right (or Update status if the flow already has messages in Live or Manual status) and select Live. If you’d like to manually approve sends to each profile that enters the flow, select the Manual status.
9. Once you have set your flow status, click Save.

Turning on the flow does not automatically add profiles who are already in the segment. To reach those qualifying profiles, add past profiles after setting the flow’s messages to Live or Manual.

Additional resources