Target Shoppers Based on Purchase History Using a Klaviyo Campaign

Use CommentSold Marketing Insights and Klaviyo to create targeted email campaigns based on shoppers' past purchases. Export customer lists by brand or size, import them into Klaviyo, and promote new product drops, offer discounts, or move slow-selling inventory by reaching shoppers who have purchased similar products before.

For example, target your brand enthusiasts. If you have slow-moving inventory from a particular brand or you're about to drop new products for a popular brad, reach out to shoppers who have purchased the brand before and invite them back to shop more. You can also target specific sizes. Have an insane amount of XS or L in your inventory? Run a BOGO promotion and send an email to shoppers who purchase a particular size to help clear that inventory.

Use the table of contents below to navigate to specific sections of this article:

• Export Shoppers Based on Purchase History
• Prepare Your Customer List
• Import Customer List into Klaviyo
• Create and Design a Klaviyo Campaign
• Optional: Create a Segment in Klaviyo
• FAQs

Export Shoppers Based on Purchase History

You can use the Customers By Brand Purchased and Customers By Size Purchased data sets on your Marketing Insights page to export a list of shoppers and their brand and size purchase history.

Please note that the above GIF is from a test store with limited to no data. Your Insights tab will display data.

1. Select Insights in the side menu of your CommentSold dashboard.
2. Select Marketing from the options listed at the top of the page.
3. Ensure you've selected the Yes option for Marketing Emails Opt-In at the top of the tab.
   • If you make changes to the Yes/No buttons, make sure to select the blue Refresh arrow in the top-right corner of the tab to refresh your customer list.
4. Locate the Customers By Brand Purchased or Customers By Size Purchased data sets at the top of the data tables.
5. Select the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of either table.
6. Select Download data from the options listed.

Your .CSV file will download to your device.

Prepare Your Customer List

Klaviyo requires that the Email column be the first column in the CSV file that you import. However, your Customers By Brand Purchased and Customers By Size Purchased both contain a first column that numbers customer rows. You'll need to delete this column and re-save your CSV file, then upload it to Klaviyo.

You can delete this column using any spreadsheet software (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, etc.). The below steps walk through this process in Numbers, the default spreadsheet program for Apple.

1. Select the Numbered column on the left side of the spreadsheet. It is the first column and does not have a column header (i.e., it doesn't have a header like Email, Name, etc.).
2. Once selected, the spreadsheet header bar will appear. You'll see the column is column A.
3. Select the A column header. You should see a small drop-down arrow appear on the left side of the header. You may need to stretch the header to see it.
4. Select the header drop-down and select Delete Column from the options listed.
5. Select File in your Numbers navigation bar at the top of the page, then select Export > CSV.
6. Save the file to your device.

Additionally, both your Customers By Brand Purchased or Customers By Size Purchased exports will contain the purchase history of every customer purchase. This means that you'll need to clean up your export list to ensure you're targeting the right customers with you wish to reach.

• Targeting purchasers of a specific brand? Sort the Brand column to group brands together, then delete the rows (either individually or en mass) for those brands that aren't the brand you're targeting. 
• Targeting purchasers of a specific size? Sort the Size column to group sizes together, then delete the rows (either individually or en mass) for those sizes that aren't the size you're targeting. Be aware of sizes that might have variations (e.g., Sm versus Small versus S).

Import Customer List into Klaviyo

You'll need to upload your list of customers in Klaviyo so that you can send out an email campaign to those users.

1. Select Audience in the side menu of your Klaviyo dashboard, then select List & Segments.
2. Select Create List / Segment in the top-right corner of the page.
3. Select List.
4. Enter a Name for your list, then select Create List.
5. Select Upload Contacts.
6. Either drag/drop your file into the gray field or select the file from your device.
7. Ensure the Email and Name fields are selected, then select Next.
8. Select Yes to confirm your list of customers have opted into emails, then select Import.

Create and Design a Klaviyo Campaign

1. Select Campaigns in the side menu, then select Create Campaign.
2. On the fly-out, enter your Campaign Name and Date. Avoid adding symbols to campaign name such as (%). These symbols maybe reserved to URLs.
3. Select Email as Type, then select Save and Continue.
4. Select your desired list from the Send To drop-down.
5. Select Continue to Content.
6. Choose whether to use a Themed or Basic Template.
   • Which templates do we love? We love the simple layouts of the 1-2 Columns, 1-3 Columns, and 1 Column / Alternating templates on the Basic tab.
7. Confirm the template you choose by selecting Use Template.
8. Build out your email using the tools provided.

Finished? Once you've designed your campaign, you can choose to send it right away or Schedule it to send on a later date.

Optional: Create a Segment in Klaviyo

You can now create a segment within Klaviyo based on brands customers have purchased in the past using Klaviyo's segmenting tool. This will automatically pull customers who meet this criteria into Klaviyo for use in campaigns. This is an alternative to downloading a CSV file from CommentSold and uploading it to Klaviyo.

1. Select Audience in the side menu of your Klaviyo dashboard, then select List & Segments.
2. Select Create New in the top-right corner of the page.
3. Select Create Segment.
   • Definition. Add conditions to the segment:
     • Select What someone has done (or not done) from the drop-down.
     • Using the drop-down to the right side of Person Has, select Ordered Product.
     • Using the next drop-down to the right side, select the frequency.
     • In the next field to the right side, enter the number of products.
     • Using the next drop-down to the right side, select the time period.
     • Select Add Filter.
     • Using the where drop-down, select Brand.
     • Using the equals drop-down, select the desired brand name.
4. Once done, select Create Segment.

If you have multiple variations for a single size (e.g., S, Small, small, s), add an OR definition and repeat the steps for each variation to cover the entire size audience. Most of the time, you can create custom segments like this directly in Klaviyo.

If Klaviyo does not have the required customer information to create a segment, you can still download a CSV file from CommentSold's Insights tab and upload it to Klaviyo.

For more information on creating a segment in Klaviyo, check out this article in their Help Center.

FAQs

How can I target shoppers based on their purchase history?

Use the Customers By Brand Purchased or Customers By Size Purchased data sets on the Insights > Marketing page in CommentSold. Export the data, prepare the customer list, and import it into Klaviyo to create a targeted email campaign.

How do I export customers who purchased a specific brand or size?

In CommentSold, go to Insights > Marketing and set Marketing Emails Opt-In to Yes. Refresh the data if you change the selection. Find the Customers By Brand Purchased or Customers By Size Purchased table, select its three-dot menu, and choose Download data.

Why do I need to edit the exported CSV file before importing it into Klaviyo?

The exported CSV contains a numbered column without a header. Klaviyo requires the Email column to be first, so delete the numbered column and save the file again as a CSV before importing it.

How do I filter the exported list to target a specific brand or size?

Open the CSV in spreadsheet software, such as Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Sort the Brand or Size column, then remove rows that don't match the brand or size you want to target.

Why should I check for size variations in my customer list?

The same size may appear in different formats, such as S, Sm, and Small. Account for these variations when filtering your CSV or creating a Klaviyo segment so you can include the intended shoppers.

How do I import my customer list into Klaviyo?

In Klaviyo, go to Audience > Lists & Segments, create a list, and select Upload Contacts. Upload your prepared CSV, confirm the Email and Name fields, and follow the import prompts.

How do I create an email campaign using my imported customer list?

In Klaviyo, select Campaigns > Create Campaign. Enter the campaign name and date, select Email, choose your imported list under Send To, and continue to the content editor. Choose a template, design your email, and send it immediately or schedule it for later.

Can I create a customer segment directly in Klaviyo instead of importing a CSV?

Yes. Create a segment using the Ordered Product metric and add a filter for Brand that equals the desired brand name. Define the purchase frequency and time period to match your targeting needs.

How can I target customers who purchased a specific size directly in Klaviyo?

Create a segment based on purchase history and filter by the relevant size value if that information is available in Klaviyo. If the size has multiple variations, add OR conditions for each variation. If Klaviyo doesn't have the required data, export the customer list from CommentSold and import it into Klaviyo instead.

What should I include in a purchase history email campaign?

Explain why you're reaching out, highlight relevant products with images and links, and consider offering a discount to encourage purchases. For example, promote an upcoming product drop from a brand customers have purchased before or offer a promotion on products available in a specific size.

Where can I learn more about creating Klaviyo segments?

Read Klaviyo's guide to creating segments for additional instructions.