Email marketing

Email marketing is the emails a store sends to people who have agreed to receive them: automated flows (a welcome email, cart abandonment, a thank-you after purchase) and one-off campaigns (promotions, new arrivals). It is one of the few channels where the contact list belongs to you, not to an ad platform.

In plain words

There are two different tools. A campaign is when you write one email and send it to the whole list or a segment. An automated flow is an email that fires by itself when a person has done something: subscribed, left a cart, bought. For a store, flows are usually more important than campaigns, because they catch a person at a moment when they're already interested.

What the data says

According to Klaviyo's 2026 benchmarks (over 183,000 platform customers): automated flows make up 5.3% of sends but bring in almost 41% of email revenue. Revenue per recipient in flows is roughly 18 times higher than in campaigns. The average click rate in flows is 5.58%, in campaigns 1.69% (Klaviyo, 2026).

A caveat: this is data from a company that sells the platform, and the sample is its own customers (mostly English-speaking stores). There are no separate recent benchmarks for Ukraine. Take the ratio ("flows are much stronger") as a guide, and count your own numbers from your own system.

Why deliverability got harder

Since February 2024, Google has required anyone sending about 5,000 or more emails a day to Gmail to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC, provide one-click unsubscribe in marketing emails, and keep the spam complaint rate below 0.10%, never reaching 0.30% (Google, sender requirements). From November 2025, Gmail is tightening enforcement: emails that don't comply may get temporary or permanent rejections (Google, FAQ). Anyone who has crossed the 5,000 threshold once stays a "bulk sender" for good.

For a small store this means: even if you send less, set up domain authentication and unsubscribe. That's basic hygiene, not an option.

Consent: what Ukrainian law says

The Law "On Electronic Commerce" (Art. 10) allows sending commercial electronic messages on the basis of the recipient's consent; without consent, only if the person can opt out of further messages. The message must be clearly marked as commercial, and the terms of discounts and bonuses must be clear (text of Art. 10 on kodeksy.com.ua; the site itself advises checking the current wording on zakon.rada.gov.ua). In practice: collect separate consent at checkout and in the subscription form, and store the date and source. If you sell to customers in the EU, GDPR applies too: see GDPR.

What to set up first

1. A welcome email after sign-up.
2. Cart abandonment.
3. A post-purchase email: status, Nova Poshta, how to use the product.
4. Win-back after a set time for those who bought and went quiet (RFM).
5. Campaigns come after flows, for segments rather than the whole list.

Common mistakes

• Judging a campaign by opens alone. Clicks and orders are closer to a sale (Klaviyo's benchmark measures it the same way).
• Buying contact lists: it breaks the consent requirement and damages the domain's reputation.
• The same email for everyone.
• No visible unsubscribe: the person presses "spam", and complaints above 0.3% are a direct path to deliverability problems.

FAQ

Does email marketing work in 2026? Yes: by Klaviyo's 2026 benchmarks, automated flows bring almost 41% of email revenue from 5.3% of sends.

How many emails a day count as bulk sending? Google: about 5,000 or more emails to personal Gmail addresses within 24 hours.

Is consent required for a mailing? Yes: under Art. 10 of the Law "On Electronic Commerce", sending is based on consent; without it, only with an option to opt out.

What matters more: campaigns or flows? For most stores, flows first (cart, welcome, post-purchase), then campaigns.

Related terms

• Cart abandonment
• RFM analysis
• Repeat purchase rate
• Loyalty program
• Messenger marketing: Viber, Telegram, SMS
• CRM for an online store

Sources

• Klaviyo, 2026 email marketing benchmarks — klaviyo.com/products/email-marketing/benchmarks
• Google, Email sender guidelines (requirements for senders of 5,000+ messages) — support.google.com/a/answer/81126
• Google, Email sender guidelines FAQ — support.google.com/a/answer/14229414
• Law of Ukraine "On Electronic Commerce", Art. 10 — kodeksy.com.ua/pro_elektronnu_komertsiyu/10.htm