When a subscriber texts your brand, Shopper can step in to respond, guide the conversation, and help drive toward a purchase.
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That said, most subscribers don’t naturally expect a response when they text a brand. Years of one-way SMS marketing have trained them to assume no one’s on the other end. That means if you want Shopper conversations to happen at scale, you need to intentionally create opportunities for subscribers to engage.
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This article covers conversational strategy: where Shopper fits into your automations, how the default flows work, and how to write opening messages that encourage subscribers to start a conversation.
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Shopper is supplemental to your marketing messages. Your campaigns and flows should keep doing what they do best which is driving engagement, announcing sales, and promoting products. Shopper is the layer you add for subscribers who don't convert from those messages.

A simple way to think about it: your first message in a flow does the marketing. If that doesn't convert, the follow-up message opens a conversation. That conversation is where Shopper takes over to help that subscriber complete their purchase.

For example, in a welcome series, your first message might be a standard welcome offer. If the subscriber doesn't purchase, a second or third message could ask a question: "Still deciding? What are you shopping for?" That question opens the door for Shopper to have a real conversation, ask discovery questions, and recommend the right product.
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When you activate Shopper, Postscript automatically creates two automation flows in your account:
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Shopper | Link Clicked Approved Outreach — This targets subscribers who clicked a link in one of your messages but didn't purchase. They've shown interest, so Shopper follows up with a conversational message to help them find what they're looking for.
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Shopper | Welcome Series Approved Outreach — This targets new subscribers in your welcome series who haven't made their first purchase. This is a high-value audience because they just joined your list, which means interest is fresh but they may need help deciding what to buy.
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Both flows use the Outreach Messages you approved during setup (Discovery, Purchase Objection, Offer Proposal, and Offer Nudge messages). You can customize these flows just like any other automation in Postscript.
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These two flows are a strong starting point, but they're not the only places where Shopper can add value.
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As you get comfortable with Shopper, consider layering conversational messages into other parts of your subscriber journey:
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Browse abandonment — A subscriber looked at products but didn't add anything to their cart. A conversational message like "Saw you checking out [product]. Have any questions I can help with?" can re-engage them.
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Cart abandonment — A subscriber added items but didn't check out. Instead of just reminding them about the cart, ask what's holding them back. Shopper can handle objections around price, sizing, shipping, and more.
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Post-purchase — After someone buys, you can use Shopper to suggest complementary products, share care instructions, or just check in. This builds loyalty and creates cross-sell opportunities.
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Campaign follow-ups — After a campaign promoting a specific product or collection, follow up with subscribers who didn't click the link in that campaign. A conversational message can surface what they're actually interested in, even if the campaign topic wasn't it.
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The quality of your opening message directly impacts how many conversations Shopper gets to have. Here are a few principles that work:
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Be specific, not generic. "What kind of [product] are you looking for?" gets more replies than "How can I help you today?" Subscribers respond when they can tell the message is relevant to them.
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Ask a question they can easily answer. "Are you shopping for yourself or a gift?" is a low-friction question. "What's your complete skincare routine?" asks too much upfront.
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Make it feel like a real person reaching out. The message should sound like a helpful text from an associate who works at the store, not like a marketing email shrunk down to SMS.
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Lead with curiosity, not a pitch. The goal of the first message is to get a reply. Once the subscriber responds, Shopper handles the rest by asking follow-up questions, recommending products, and guiding them toward a purchase. The opening message just needs to start the conversation.
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Use your brand persona's name. If you've set up a brand persona in Brand Center (like "Alex" or "Nina"), use it in the opening message. It makes the interaction feel personal and sets the expectation that this is a conversation, not a broadcast.
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Start with the two default flows and see how they perform. Once you're comfortable with the results, expand to other touchpoints. You don't need to add Shopper everywhere at once.
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A good approach is to add one new conversational touchpoint per month and measure the impact. Look at how many conversations Shopper is having, what percentage lead to a purchase, and what kinds of questions subscribers are asking. Those subscriber questions are a goldmine. They tell you what your audience cares about, what information is missing from your site, and what products have the most friction around consideration.
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For guidance on using conversation data to improve your setup, see Keeping Shopper Accurate Over Time.