Automation is a powerful tool that allows businesses to streamline processes, reduce manual work, and enhance customer experience. One such automation is connecting Stripe, a popular payment processor, with MailerLite, an email marketing platform. This integration enables you to automatically add customers who make a purchase through Stripe to your MailerLite email list, where you can nurture them through targeted email campaigns. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up automation from Stripe to MailerLite.
Why Automate Stripe to MailerLite?
Enhancing Customer Engagement
When a customer makes a purchase, it’s crucial to engage with them immediately. By automating the process of adding new customers to your MailerLite list, you can send a welcome email, offer upsells, or simply thank them for their purchase. This quick interaction can significantly boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Saving Time and Reducing Errors
Manual data entry is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. Automating the transfer of customer data from Stripe to MailerLite ensures accuracy and frees up your time to focus on other aspects of your business.
Building Your Email List
Every Stripe purchase is an opportunity to grow your email list. With automation, every customer who completes a purchase is automatically added to your list, ensuring you don’t miss out on potential leads. You Can Also Read This Buying a Laptop in Taiwan Online: A Complete Guide
Prerequisites for Setting Up Automation
Before you begin, you’ll need to have the following:
- Stripe Account: Ensure that your Stripe account is fully set up and operational.
- MailerLite Account: You’ll need a MailerLite account with access to automations and integrations. If you don’t have one, sign up for an account.
- Zapier Account: Zapier is a third-party service that connects different apps together. While there are other methods, using Zapier simplifies the process of linking Stripe with MailerLite.
- Basic Understanding of Automation: While this guide will walk you through the steps, having a basic understanding of automation concepts can be helpful.
Step 1: Setting Up Stripe
Creating a Stripe Account
If you haven’t already, go to Stripe’s website and create an account. You’ll need to provide your business details, bank account information, and verify your identity.
Setting Up a Product or Service
In Stripe, navigate to the “Products” section and set up the product or service you’re selling. This is what customers will purchase, triggering the automation to add them to MailerLite.
Enabling Webhooks
Webhooks are a way for Stripe to communicate with other platforms. To enable webhooks, go to the “Developers” section in Stripe, then click on “Webhooks”. Here, you’ll add a new endpoint that will be used by Zapier to detect purchases and trigger the automation.
- Click on “Add endpoint”.
- Enter the URL provided by Zapier once you set up your Zap (we’ll cover this in the next step).
- Select the events you want to trigger the automation. For instance, you might choose “checkout.session.completed” to trigger the automation when a purchase is completed.
Step 2: Setting Up MailerLite
Creating an Email List
In MailerLite, create a new email list where customers will be added after they make a purchase through Stripe. Name this list something descriptive, like “Stripe Customers” to keep your lists organized.
Designing an Email Campaign
Next, design an email campaign that will be sent to new customers added to your list. This could be a welcome email, a thank-you note, or an introduction to your services.
- Go to the “Campaigns” tab in MailerLite and click on “Create Campaign”.
- Choose “Regular Campaign” and click on “Next”.
- Select the newly created email list as the recipients.
- Design your email using MailerLite’s drag-and-drop editor.
- Save your campaign.
Setting Up an Automation Workflow
MailerLite allows you to create automation workflows that are triggered when a subscriber is added to a list. This is perfect for sending follow-up emails after a Stripe purchase.
- Navigate to the “Automation” tab in MailerLite.
- Click on “Create Workflow”.
- Name your workflow and select the trigger “When a subscriber joins a group”.
- Choose the email list you created earlier (e.g., “Stripe Customers”).
- Add steps to the workflow, such as sending an email, waiting for a few days, and then sending a follow-up email.
- Activate your workflow.
Step 3: Connecting Stripe to MailerLite via Zapier
Creating a Zapier Account
If you don’t already have a Zapier account, sign up at Zapier’s website. Zapier offers a free plan that should suffice for basic automation needs.
Setting Up the Zap
A “Zap” is a workflow in Zapier that connects two or more apps together. In this case, we’ll create a Zap that triggers when a purchase is made in Stripe and adds the customer to your MailerLite email list.
- Log in to your Zapier account and click on “Make a Zap”.
- Choose Stripe as the Trigger App.
- Select the “New Charge” trigger event. This event is triggered whenever a purchase is completed in Stripe.
- Connect your Stripe account to Zapier by following the prompts.
- Test the trigger to ensure that Zapier is receiving data from Stripe.
Connecting MailerLite to Zapier
Now that you’ve set up the trigger, it’s time to connect MailerLite as the action app.
- Choose MailerLite as the Action App.
- Select the “Add Subscriber” action event. This event will add the customer to your specified MailerLite list.
- Connect your MailerLite account to Zapier by following the prompts.
- Map the fields from Stripe to MailerLite. For instance, map the customer’s email address from Stripe to the email field in MailerLite.
- Choose the email list where you want the customer to be added (e.g., “Stripe Customers”).
Testing and Activating the Zap
Before you activate your Zap, it’s crucial to test it to ensure everything is working correctly.
- Click on “Test & Review” in Zapier.
- Zapier will simulate a purchase in Stripe and check if the customer is added to your MailerLite list.
- Check your MailerLite account to see if the test subscriber has been added.
If the test is successful, click on “Turn on Zap” to activate the automation.
Step 4: Monitoring and Optimizing Your Automation
Monitoring the Automation
Once your automation is live, it’s important to monitor its performance. Check your MailerLite lists regularly to ensure that new customers are being added after making a purchase in Stripe.
Analyzing Email Campaign Performance
Review the performance of your email campaigns in MailerLite. Track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to determine how well your emails are engaging new customers.
Making Adjustments
Based on your analysis, make any necessary adjustments to your automation. For example, if your welcome emails are not getting high open rates, consider revising the subject line or content. Similarly, if customers are not converting from your follow-up emails, you might want to tweak your offer or call to action.
Step 5: Advanced Tips and Best Practices
Segmenting Your Email List
As your email list grows, consider segmenting your audience based on their purchase behavior. For instance, you could create separate segments for one-time buyers and repeat customers, allowing you to send more targeted emails.
Personalizing Emails
Use MailerLite’s personalization features to include the customer’s name, purchase details, or other relevant information in your emails. Personalized emails tend to perform better and can make your customers feel valued.
Automating Additional Touchpoints
Beyond the initial purchase, consider automating additional touchpoints in the customer journey. For example, you could set up an automation to send a discount code after a certain period or a request for a review after they’ve had time to use the product.
Staying Compliant with GDPR
If you have customers in the European Union, ensure your automation is compliant with GDPR regulations. This includes obtaining explicit consent before adding customers to your email list and providing an easy way to unsubscribe.
Conclusion
Setting up automation from Stripe purchases to MailerLite is a powerful way to streamline your business operations and enhance customer engagement. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a seamless process that automatically adds customers to your email list, allowing you to nurture them through targeted email campaigns. With a little setup and ongoing optimization, you can turn every Stripe purchase into an opportunity to build long-term customer relationships.
