Email and SMS marketing for D2C brands

Flows that bring buyers back, written and tested by cohort.

Who it is for: Brands with a growing customer list and repeat products.

Email and SMS marketing

  • Welcome and post-purchaseFirst-order follow-up, reviews and care tips.
  • Abandoned cart and browseReminders that bring shoppers back.
  • Win-backWe time offers for lapsed buyers.
  • CampaignsWe send campaigns for launches, sales and restocks.

Email and SMS marketing: the formats we run

Each one used where it earns.

Welcome and post-purchase

First-order follow-up, reviews and care tips.

Abandoned cart and browse

Reminders that bring shoppers back.

Win-back

We time offers for lapsed buyers.

Campaigns

We send campaigns for launches, sales and restocks.

How we set up email and SMS marketing

Step by step, in the order we do it.

  1. 1
    A platform connected to Shopify

    We use Klaviyo, Shopify Email or a similar tool, connected to Shopify so every order and browse event is available.

  2. 2
    The core flows

    Welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase and win-back flows go live first, because they earn every day.

  3. 3
    SMS under TRAI rules

    SMS runs on a DLT-registered sender ID with approved templates, as TRAI rules require.

  4. 4
    Deliverability set up

    SPF, DKIM and DMARC are set up and lists are cleaned, so emails reach the inbox, not spam.

  5. 5
    Segments by purchase history

    Campaigns go to segments by what people bought and when, not to the whole list every time.

What you get each month

  • Flows checked and improved
  • Campaigns planned around launches and sales
  • A report on revenue, unsubscribes and deliverability
  • List clean-up and segment updates

What we need from you

  • Access to your email and SMS tools, or approval to set them up
  • Domain access to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC
  • DLT registration details for SMS
  • Brand guidelines and upcoming offers

Facts we plan email and SMS marketing around

Checked in October 2026, with the source for each.

SMS needs DLT

Commercial SMS in India must use a DLT-registered sender ID and templates, under TRAI rules.

Source: TRAI

Inbox rules

Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to authenticate with SPF, DKIM and DMARC and offer one-click unsubscribe.

Source: Google and Yahoo sender guidelines

What we do every week

Run by a senior marketer with five accounts at most.

  • Platform set up or cleaned
  • Flows written and designed
  • Lists segmented by behaviour
  • Deliverability checked
  • Revenue per flow reported

Where brands lose money with email and SMS marketing

Discount-only emails

Training buyers to wait for codes erodes margin.

No segmentation

Everyone gets everything.

Ignoring deliverability

Emails in spam earn nothing.

What you will see in every weekly report

You see ROAS and contribution margin side by side, every week.

In every weekly report

  • Revenue from email and SMS
  • Repeat rate
  • Open and click rates
  • Unsubscribe rate
  • What changed, what is next, and what didn't work

Custom reports, built for how you make money

  • Margin by product and size
  • ROAS by city and dark store
  • Repeat orders by cohort
  • RTO by pin code and payment method
  • Marketplace vs website profit

Weekly

Report and call

ROAS and margin by channel, what changed, what is next.

Monthly

Report and call

It compares results against your targets and sets next month's roadmap.

Quarterly

Projections and plan

Realistic numbers from your own data, checked against what actually happened.

The first 90 days

How email and SMS marketing usually starts, from the free audit to the first quarterly plan.

  1. Week 1

    Data and cohorts mapped

  2. Weeks 2 to 4

    Core flows live

  3. Month 2

    Campaigns and tests

  4. Month 3

    Repeat rate against targets

How we run your account

The same operating rhythm on every account, from the first week.

A senior marketer

Owns your account and your targets, with five ad accounts at most.

Weekly report and call

ROAS next to contribution margin, what changed and what happens next.

Live dashboard

Every channel in one view, so you never wait for the weekly call.

Monthly review

Results against the targets agreed in writing, and next month's plan.

Quarterly plan

Projections built from your own numbers, checked against what happened.

Slack or WhatsApp

Day-to-day questions answered by the person who runs your account.

Agency vs in-house vs Mobile First, for Email and SMS marketing

Agency vs in-house vs Mobile First, for Email and SMS marketing
Typical agencyIn-house teamYour growth teamMobile First
MessagesBlasts to the whole listSent when someone remembers
Flows by cohort, timed to each product
COD ordersNo confirmation stepManual calls when time allows
WhatsApp confirmation and a prepaid offer before dispatch
MeasurementOpen and click ratesTotal sales
Repeat rate and profit added by each flow
ChannelsEmail onlyWhatsApp from a phone
WhatsApp, email and SMS planned together

Email and SMS marketing: questions brands ask

Is email marketing worth it for Indian D2C brands?

Yes, for brands with repeat products and a growing list. Flows like abandoned cart and post-purchase run on their own and often become a steady share of revenue.

Should we use email or WhatsApp?

Both. WhatsApp gets attention for urgent and transactional messages; email carries longer content at lower cost. We plan them together so buyers aren't double-messaged.

Which flows should we start with?

We start with abandoned cart, welcome and post-purchase flows. They usually earn the most for the least effort.

Do you need SMS too?

SMS is useful for order updates and short offers, especially for buyers not on WhatsApp opt-in. We use it where it adds to email and WhatsApp.

Which email tools do you work with?

We work with the major email and SMS platforms, or help you choose one if you do not have one yet.

How often should we email customers?

We set frequency by customer group, so loyal buyers and new buyers hear from you at different rates.

Do you design the emails?

Yes. We write and design every email and test versions against each other.

Does SMS still work in India?

For order updates and time-sensitive offers, yes. We use it where WhatsApp or email would not reach the customer.

How do you measure email results?

We track revenue and margin from each flow and campaign, not just open rates.

Can email replace discounts?

Often it can. Useful emails about launches, restocks and how to use the product bring buyers back without training them to wait for codes.

60 seconds

Are we a great fit?

Five questions, no email needed. You get an honest answer on screen.

Email and SMS marketing for D2C brands: A platform connected to Shopify; The core flows; SMS under TRAI rules; Deliverability set up; Segments by purchase history
Email and SMS marketing for D2C brands, at a glance

Talk to us about email and SMS marketing

Tell us about your brand. We read your accounts before the call, so it is about your numbers.

  • Free growth audit, yours to keep
  • ROAS and profit read for every channel
  • WhatsApp reply within one working day

Next: five quick questions, then pick a 30-minute slot.

Before you go: are any of your campaigns losing money?

Our free growth audit shows which campaigns lose money after returns and discounts. A senior marketer reads your accounts within 48 hours, and the audit is yours to keep.