Ah, the promise of marketing automation. Set it up once, sit back, and let the conversions roll in… right?
Not quite.
While automation is brilliant in theory, the reality inside many brands looks more like a haunted house than a high-performing engine. Flows that were lovingly created during onboarding or peak campaign moments slowly drift into irrelevance. Nobody checks if they’re still firing, if they’re still working, or if they’re embarrassing the brand without anyone noticing.
Welcome to the Automation Graveyard where forgotten flows go to die.
Let’s dig up five of the most common culprits, explore why they fail, and show you how to bring them back to life (or bury them properly).
1. The Ghost-Welcome
What it was meant to be:
A warm, engaging first touchpoint to start the relationship.
What it became:
A one-size-fits-all email that says “Hi there!” and... nothing else. Sent once. Never followed up.
Why it fails:
Because it’s vague, uninspiring and often hasn’t been reviewed since it was first set up. There's no context, no personalisation, and certainly no journey that follows.
How to revive it:
Turn your welcome flow into an actual onboarding journey. Include:
- A thank-you message that reflects your brand’s tone
- What they can expect (emails, offers, member perks)
- A spotlight on your bestsellers, values or community
- A smart follow-up that adapts to engagement
2. The Birthday Blunder
What it was meant to be:
A delightful, feel-good moment in the customer journey.
What it became:
A poorly timed “Happy Birthday!” email to a customer who hasn’t bought anything in three years, or worse, already unsubscribed.
Why it fails:
Because it’s often “set and forget” logic that doesn’t check whether the recipient is active, engaged or even still opted in.
How to revive it:
Add conditional logic:
- Only send to customers active in the past 12 months
- Personalise with their favourite category or past purchases
- Replace the generic discount with a unique perk or surprise
3. The Endless Loop
What it was meant to be:
A clever nudge to re-engage browsers or abandoners.
What it became:
An irritating cycle of “Still thinking about it?” emails, even after they bought the product or moved on.
Why it fails:
The automation lacks proper exit conditions or behavioural updates. The system assumes every click equals interest, forever.
How to revive it:
- Include product view or purchase suppression
- Set time limits (e.g. stop after X days or Y messages)
- Add dynamic content that changes based on activity
4. The Post-Purchase Snooze
What it was meant to be:
A thoughtful thank-you, maybe with some cross-sell or education.
What it became:
A single, generic “Thanks for your order!” email followed by... silence.
Why it fails:
Because the brand stopped at the transaction, missing a golden opportunity to build loyalty and increase customer lifetime value.
How to revive it:
Build a layered post-purchase flow:
- Thank them, with clear next steps or care info
- Recommend complementary products
- Ask for feedback or a review
- Trigger loyalty follow-ups based on their purchase
5. The Loyalty Black Hole
What it was meant to be:
A personalised reward experience for top customers.
What it became:
An email that never gets sent because the segment logic broke... six months ago.
Why it fails:
Your loyalty tiers or systems changed, but nobody updated the flow to reflect new data points or customer statuses.
How to revive it:
- Re-sync your loyalty platform with your marketing tool
- Set triggers for milestones (not just status levels)
- Celebrate meaningful moments like anniversaries or engagement streaks
How Often Should You Review Your Flows?
One of the main reasons automations end up in the graveyard is simple neglect. They're launched with the best intentions… and then left to gather dust. But your customers evolve, your business shifts, and your data matures, so your automations need to keep up.
Here’s how to stay ahead:
- Quarterly:
Review your high-impact flows like welcome journeys, abandoned basket, post-purchase and loyalty communications. Check performance, fix logic gaps, and test content updates.
- Every 6 Months:
Run a full audit of your automation library. Identify underperforming flows, duplicate journeys, and outdated setups.
- Every Time Something Changes:
New tools, loyalty programme tweaks, segmentation logic changes, all of these can quietly break automations. Don’t wait for a customer complaint to find out.
A regular check-in rhythm keeps your flows relevant, effective, and aligned with your customer journey. No zombies. No surprises.
How We Keep Automations Alive and Thriving
At Dots & Dopamine, we don’t just build flows. We monitor, test, and evolve them.
Our approach includes:
- Regular health checks and performance reviews
- Behavioural triggers that evolve with the customer
- Smart logic that avoids spam and boosts relevance
- Feedback loops that inform strategy, not just execution
Because automation only works if it’s alive, consistent, and tightly aligned to the bigger brand experience. Anything less is just noise.
