If there's one thing I wish more wineries knew about email marketing, it's that you don't need to be sending newsletters every week to make it work.
In fact, some of the most valuable emails your winery sends might be the ones you don't have to think about once they're set up.
That's where email automations come in.
I've worked with wineries of all sizes, and one thing I see quite often is a decent mailing list, the occasional newsletter, and not much happening in between. Which is a shame, because there's usually a whole lot of opportunity sitting there.
Whether you're using Klaviyo with Shopify or another email marketing platform, a few well-thought-out automated emails can make a real difference to your direct-to-consumer wine sales.
Here are the five I'd start with.
1. A Welcome Series That Actually Welcomes People
Someone has just signed up to your mailing list. Brilliant! But what happens next?
For plenty of wineries, the answer is... not much. They might receive the next newsletter in a few weeks, but by then they've probably forgotten they signed up.
A welcome series gives you the chance to introduce your winery while that initial interest is still fresh. And I'm not talking about three emails that all say buy our wine.
I'd use this opportunity to tell your story. Introduce the people behind the wines, share a little about your vineyard or winemaking philosophy, and explain what makes your winery different. If you've got a cellar door, invite them to visit. If you've got a Wine Club, let them know it exists. And, of course, make it easy for them to explore your wines.
What I'd include:
Email 1: A warm welcome and introduction to the winery.
Email 2: Your story, people, vineyards or approach to winemaking.
Email 3: An introduction to your wines, cellar door or Wine Club.
You don't necessarily need a discount to encourage that first purchase. Sometimes a good story and a little introduction are enough.
2. Abandoned Checkout
We've all done it. Added something to our cart, become distracted, and completely forgotten about it. Your customers are no different.
An abandoned checkout automation is designed to follow up with people who start the checkout process but don't complete their purchase, and these emails can be surprisingly effective. The key is to make them feel helpful rather than pushy.
A simple reminder about the wines they left behind, a link back to their checkout and perhaps a little reassurance about delivery can go a long way.
For wineries, I'd also think about some of the common reasons people hesitate. Shipping costs, delivery timeframes and minimum order quantities can all play a part.
My advice? Don't automatically offer a discount in your first abandoned checkout email. You might be giving away margin to someone who was planning to purchase anyway. Start with a straightforward reminder, see how it performs, and build from there.
3. Post-Purchase Emails: Keep the Conversation Going
Someone has bought your wine. Great! But that shouldn't be the end of the conversation. One of the things I love about the wine industry is that there's so much to talk about beyond the transaction itself.
A post-purchase email is a lovely opportunity to thank someone, share a little more about what they've ordered and encourage them to enjoy the wines.
Depending on the winery, that might include tasting notes, food pairing suggestions, cellaring advice or a behind-the-scenes look at the vineyard. You can also introduce customers to other wines they might enjoy, encourage a return visit to the cellar door or invite them to explore your Wine Club.
The timing matters, though. There's no point sending an email asking someone how they enjoyed their wine before it's even arrived. Make sure your automation accounts for shipping and delivery timeframes, and consider different messaging for first-time and repeat customers.
4. Wine Club Welcome & Member Communications
A Wine Club shouldn't feel like a subscription people only hear about when their credit card is charged.
Your members are some of your most valuable customers, and they deserve a little extra attention.
Depending on how your Wine Club operates, automated emails can help with:
Welcoming new members and explaining their benefits.
Reminding members about upcoming shipments.
Sharing how to update their wine selections or account details.
Celebrating birthdays or membership anniversaries.
Encouraging members to use benefits they might have forgotten about.
I particularly like a welcome series for new Wine Club members. It's a chance to make them feel part of something, explain exactly what they've signed up for and introduce all those lovely little extras that make membership worthwhile.
Just be careful not to overcomplicate things. Your Wine Club platform, Shopify and Klaviyo all need to be sharing the right information for these emails to work properly.
5. Winback & Re-Engagement: Reconnect with Existing Customers
Not everyone who buys wine from you will become a regular customer straight away. Some might purchase once while on holiday. Others might buy a Christmas gift, join your mailing list at a tasting or simply forget about you for a while.
A winback automation gives you a way to reconnect. You could send an email to customers who haven't purchased in six or twelve months, depending on their previous buying behaviour. Rather than jumping straight into a discount, I'd start by sharing something interesting. Perhaps there's a new vintage, an exciting release, a vineyard update or an upcoming event. Give them a reason to remember why they liked your winery in the first place.
It's also worth distinguishing between customers who haven't purchased recently and subscribers who haven't engaged with your emails at all. Those are two different groups and shouldn't necessarily receive the same messaging.
A few things worth remembering
Before setting up a dozen different automations, make sure the basics are working properly.
Your email platform needs to be connected to your website, your customer data needs to be accurate, and your automations need to have the right entry conditions and exclusions.
For example, someone who has already placed an order shouldn't keep receiving abandoned checkout reminders.
And someone who's just joined your Wine Club probably doesn't need three separate emails asking them to join.
It's worth taking the time to map out the customer journey before you start building.
Need help with Klaviyo for your winery?
I specialise in winery email marketing, customer segmentation and automated email journeys, helping wine businesses across Australia and New Zealand make better use of their existing customer data.
Get in touch to discuss your Klaviyo setup or email marketing strategy.
