RFM-Based Automation
What is RFM?
RFM stands for Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value. It is a proven method to segment your customers based on their purchasing behavior:
- Recency - How recently did the customer make a purchase?
- Frequency - How often do they purchase?
- Monetary - How much do they spend?
Flashy automatically analyzes your customers and places them into segments like Champions, Loyal Customers, At Risk, Churned, and more. This process runs weekly in the background with no manual work required.
Why Use RFM Automations?
Not all customers are the same. A first-time buyer needs a different message than a loyal customer who has not purchased in a while. RFM automations allow you to:
- Win back customers at risk of churn before they leave
- Reward your best customers to keep them engaged
- Re-activate inactive customers with targeted offers
- Increase average order value by nurturing promising segments
Businesses using RFM-based marketing typically see higher open rates, better conversion, and stronger customer lifetime value.
How It Works
1. Flashy analyzes your data weekly
Every Saturday, Flashy reviews your full purchase history and assigns each contact an RFM segment.
2. Set up your trigger
Create an automation with an RFM-Based trigger and choose which segment movement should activate it, for example a customer moving from Loyal to At Risk.
3. Choose when to run
Select the day or days and hour when the automation should run. For example, send a win-back campaign every Monday morning or reward new champions every Friday afternoon.
4. Contacts enter the automation
When the trigger is activated, any contacts matching your segment criteria automatically enter the automation flow.
Setting Up an RFM Automation
Step 1: Create a New Automation
Go to Automations and click Create New Automation. Select RFM-Based as your trigger type.
Step 2: Configure the Trigger
- Previous Segment - The segment the contact was in before. You can select Any to match all previous segments.
- New Segment - The segment the contact moved to. You can select Any to match all new segments.
- Day(s) - Choose which days the automation should run. For example Mon and Thu.
- Hour and Timezone - Set the time you want the automation to run.
Step 3: Build Your Flow
Add the steps you want contacts to go through such as sending an email, waiting, checking conditions, sending an SMS, and more. Tailor the message to match the segment movement.
Examples
| Scenario | Previous Segment | New Segment | Suggested Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win back at-risk customers | Loyal / Champions | At Risk | Send a we miss you email with a discount |
| Celebrate new champions | Any | Champions | Send a thank you email with VIP perks |
| Re-engage inactive customers | At Risk | Churned | Send a last chance offer via email and SMS |
| Upsell promising customers | New Customers | Potential Loyalists | Send product recommendations |
Tips for Best Results
- Start simple - Begin with one or two RFM automations and expand from there
- Match the message to the movement - A new champion deserves celebration while a customer at risk needs urgency
- Use multiple channels - Combine email, SMS, and push notifications for better reach
- Review performance weekly - Check how many contacts entered and converted
- Avoid overlapping triggers - Each automation in the same time slot should be unique to prevent duplicates
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is my customer data updated?
Flashy updates your RFM data every week so your automations always use the most recent analysis.
Can I run the same automation on multiple days?
Yes, you can select multiple days such as Monday and Thursday.
Will a contact receive the same automation twice?
No, once a contact enters an RFM automation they cannot re-enter the same automation for 7 days.
Can I have multiple RFM automations?
Yes, you can create different automations for different segment movements as long as they do not share the same time slot.
