Before you start

✅ This feature is available in our Glod plan(US$29) and above. Please go to Ako Marketing > Service Plan to make sure your current plan is on Platinum plan or above.
✅ If you haven't installed Ako Marketing App, click here to install.

Step 1: Complete Sender Information

  1. From Ako Marketing > go to "Loyalty Program", in the "Programs" section, click on "Email".
  2. Under the "Preview" section, click on "Complete sender info" and enter your "From Name" and "Reply-To Address". (Input the email address where customers can reply to your emails.)
  3. To add your logo to the emails, click on "Change Logo" to choose an image from your Shopify files or click on "Upload images" to use another image from your device. Once an image is selected, click "Done", then the logo will be visible in the emails.
  4. Click on "⋯" > "Settings" to edit the footer.
  5. There are 2 types of footer available. Depending on where you’re located, you might need to include a physical postal address in your emails, for more information, please refer to the Shopify help center.

Step 2: Enable email notifications and customize your email copies

You will find 11 types of email notifications available:

Automatic notifications

How to trigger

Reward earned

When a customer earns a reward from completing an action. (e.g., Log in with a social account, upgrade to a new tier.)

Points earned

When a customer earns points from completing an action. (e.g., Place an order, upgrade to a new tier.)

Referrer reward earned

When the customer's referred friend places their first order.

Referred friend reward earned

When the referred friend enters a referral code or signs up using the referral link from the referrer.

Celebrate a birthday

Sent on customer's birthday.

Reward Expiry - 14 days

Initial reminder sent 14 days before the reward expires. *You can adjust the number of days.

Points Expiry - 14 days

Initial reminder sent 14 days before the points expire. *You can adjust the number of days.

Reward Expiry - 1 day

Final reminder sent 1 day before the reward expires. *You can adjust the number of days.

Points Expiry - 1 day

Final reminder sent 1 day before the points expire. *You can adjust the number of days

VIP Tier unlocked

When customers upgrade or downgrade a tier.

VIP Tier renewed

When customers meet the extension conditions and are eligible to remain in the same tier.
  1. Click "Edit" on the notification you want to customize.
  2. Each notification has their default email copy. Edit your version here, preview it, and switch the "Email Notifications Status" to "On" once you've finished editing.

Step 3: Learn Email variables

While customizing the notifications, you will notice email variables such as {{points}}, {{rewardTitle}}, etc. Do not delete these variables, as they serve specific purposes for your email copies:

Variables

Purposes

Examples

{{customerName}}

Display the customer's first name and last name saved in their Shopify profile.

Hi {{customerName}}
 = Hi Joanne Chai

{{points}}

Refers to the number of points earned by the customer for completed actions.

You've earned {{points}} points.
 = You've earned 500 points.

{{rewardTitle}}

Name of the reward that customers have completed.

You completed {{rewardTitle}}, and earned {{discountTitle}} reward!
= You completed Write a product review, and earned 10% off discount reward!

{{discountCode}}

Display the discount code that customers have earned.

You earned {{discountTitle}} reward, here's the discount code for you: {{discountCode}}
= You earned 10% off discount reward, here's the discount code for you: 2AOP358Y2Q8E

{{discountTitle}}

Indicates the title to which the discount code belongs.

You’ve earned {{discountTitle}} reward!
= You've earned 10% off on orders over $30 reward!

{{expiredDate}}

Refers to the expiry date of rewards or points held by customers.

Use your {{points}} points before it expires on {{expiredDate}}
= Use your 500 points before it expires on 2024-02-29 GMT+8

{{vipTier}}

Refers to the name of each VIP tier. Customers will see their current tier name in the email.

You’ve become {{vipTier}}!
 = You've become Silver!

{{checkoutRewardTitle}}

Refers to the checkout discount title that customers can apply to their orders when they unlock a new tier.

You’ve earned {{checkoutRewardTitle}}

= You’ve earned Silver exclusive 5% off !

Step 4: Customizing reminder frequency for reward / points expiry (optional)

  1. Ako Marketing offers twice the frequency for sending reminders about reward and points expiry. The frequency is 14 days ahead, and 1 day ahead by default, if you need to change the number of days, there are 4 expiry templates with little bell 🔔 within the Email Notifications section, click Edit on the one you need to customize.
  2. Within the email template, Click on Edit in Notifications. Or, you can navigate to Settings > Notifications.
  3. Adjust the number of days for initial and final reminders about reward and points expiry. Edit the "Countdown reminder" for the initial reminder and set the "Last chance reminder" for the final reminder. The reminder range can be set from 1 to 30 days. 
After making your edits, click on "Edit Email" to review the email content and enable email notifications by switching the status to "ON".


Step 5: Send test email

On each email template you can click "Send test email" to preview how the email notification looks. You can send up to 20 test emails across all notifications per day.