Triggered direct mail
Triggered direct mail is postcard automation driven by customer behaviour events rather than a manual send or scheduled broadcast. Instead of mailing a fixed list on a chosen date, a triggered campaign automatically sends a postcard whenever a specific event occurs — an abandoned checkout, a customer reaching a lapse threshold, or a completed order.
How triggers differ from broadcast campaigns
A broadcast campaign sends to a fixed audience at a point in time — like a seasonal sale postcard to your entire customer list. A triggered campaign runs continuously: every customer who meets the trigger condition gets a postcard at the right moment, regardless of when that moment occurs.
Triggered campaigns are more complex to set up once, but require no ongoing management. They run indefinitely, processing new qualifying customers automatically.
Trigger types in TouchDrop
- Abandoned checkout — Customer adds items to cart, reaches checkout, but doesn't complete the purchase. Trigger fires after a configured delay (24–48 hours).
- Win-back / lapsed purchase — Customer hasn't placed an order in X days (configurable). Trigger fires continuously as customers cross the lapse threshold.
- Post-purchase — Customer completes a Shopify order. Trigger fires after a configured delay (typically 7–14 days to time with product delivery).
- Klaviyo segment membership — Customer enters a specific Klaviyo segment. Useful for lifecycle-based triggers already built in Klaviyo.
Why triggered mail outperforms broadcast
Triggered campaigns send the right message at the moment of highest relevance — an abandoned cart postcard arrives when the consideration is fresh, a win-back offer arrives when a customer's lapse threshold is crossed. Broadcast campaigns optimise for convenience (one design, one send) rather than timing relevance. For most DTC brands, triggered campaigns produce higher ROAS than broadcast sends.
Related terms and reading
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