S14 E5: How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Ecom Marketing (with Liam Millward, Co-Founder and CEO of Instant)
Limited Supply
· with Liam Millward
· October 29, 2025
· 35 min
Summary
Ecommerce brands not leveraging AI for at least 25% of their revenue are already behind. This episode reveals how Instant AI, co-founded by Liam Millward, automates and hyper-personalizes email marketing, generating unique content for each shopper. This approach consistently doubles email revenue and frees up marketing teams to focus on strategy, proving AI is a critical growth driver, not just a trendy tool.
Key takeaways
Implement AI-powered email personalization: Leverage tools like Instant AI to generate unique email content (copy, products, offers) for each shopper based on their real-time behavior and website interactions, ensuring no two shoppers receive the same message.
Automate abandonment flows: Set up AI-driven abandonment flows that dynamically pull in relevant product information, shipping updates, and personalized calls to action, such as "Come back and check out the pistachio dark green travel case," eliminating generic "abandoned cart" reminders.
Integrate website data for real-time updates: Utilize AI platforms that connect with your Shopify store to analyze tone of voice, brand colors, images, and logos, and automatically update email content based on website changes (e.g., free shipping offers), ensuring always-current messaging.
Shift from generic to agentic AI: Move beyond basic generative AI (like ChatGPT for initial copy ideas) to agentic AI that automates complex tasks, makes decisions, and executes entire marketing strategies autonomously, significantly reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.
Measure AI's revenue impact: Aim for AI to drive at least 25% of your brand's revenue. If your current AI implementations aren't achieving this, reassess your strategy and explore more advanced AI solutions that offer measurable uplifts, such as doubling email revenue within 60 days.
Themes
ai in ecommerceemail marketingmarketing automationpersonalization
AI isn’t coming, it’s already here. And if it’s not driving 25% of your brand’s revenue, you’re already behind.
Nik sits down with Liam Millward, founder and CEO of Instant, the platform powering the next generation of AI-driven email and retention marketing. Liam started Instant at 17, went head-to-head with Shopify, and pivoted into a billion-dollar problem: brands wasting time on email marketing that barely moves the needle.
Now, Instant’s AI writes, designs, and personalizes every email—no two shoppers ever get the same message twice. Liam breaks down how Instant became one of the fastest-growing AI tools in eCommerce, the difference between generative and agentic AI, and why most brands are still treating AI like a toy instead of a team member.
If you’re a founder, marketer, or operator trying to figure out where AI actually fits in your business, this is your roadmap.
What’s Instant? They’re the secret weapon to triple your email revenue with AI-powered flows. Instead of blasting the same cart reminders to everyone, Instant ensure every shopper gets a unique email experience:
-Copy, products, and offers that adapt to your shopper’s behavior in real time.
-Emails sent at the exact moment that shopper is most likely to buy.
-11+ abandonment flows live in minutes.
Book a demo by Dec. 31 to get 50% off your first 60 days. Make this BFCM your biggest one yet: instant.one/limited
Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.
Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ
And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.
Follow Nik:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma
Implement AI-powered email personalization: Leverage tools like Instant AI to generate unique email content (copy, products, offers) for each shopper based on their real-time behavior and website interactions, ensuring no two shoppers receive the same message.
What does this episode say about email marketing?
Automate abandonment flows: Set up AI-driven abandonment flows that dynamically pull in relevant product information, shipping updates, and personalized calls to action, such as "Come back and check out the pistachio dark green travel case," eliminating generic "abandoned cart" reminders.
What does this episode say about marketing automation?
Integrate website data for real-time updates: Utilize AI platforms that connect with your Shopify store to analyze tone of voice, brand colors, images, and logos, and automatically update email content based on website changes (e.g., free shipping offers), ensuring always-current messaging.
What does this episode say about personalization?
Shift from generic to agentic AI: Move beyond basic generative AI (like ChatGPT for initial copy ideas) to agentic AI that automates complex tasks, makes decisions, and executes entire marketing strategies autonomously, significantly reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.
What does this episode say about ai in ecommerce?
Measure AI's revenue impact: Aim for AI to drive at least 25% of your brand's revenue. If your current AI implementations aren't achieving this, reassess your strategy and explore more advanced AI solutions that offer measurable uplifts, such as doubling email revenue within 60 days.
