Let’s dive into the strategies and methods used in the Tailwind onboarding email, featured in Episode 12.

Timestamps

(3:23) Takeaway 1: Convert users by helping them to get to the aha moment

(5:13) Takeaway 2: Use fun to increase engagement, but temper it with relevance

(6:34) Takeaway 3: Use future pacing to help readers get over barriers and into their dreams

(7:19) Takeaway 4: Challenge your defaults to keep yourself fresh

(7:57) Takeaway 5: Get readers hooked with a micro-commitment

(8:45) Listen in on Dawn’s experience collaborating on this project – and her insightful thoughts on the email and flow

Links from this episode

Take a look at the email we’re talking about today

Plan more effective onboarding sequences with my SaaS Onboarding Success Pack

Be more persuasive with the 7 persuasion principles presented in Influence by Robert Cialdini (Pre-fluence is his latest, but I haven't read it, so I can't recommend it.)

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Follow Nikki on LinkedIn

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Let me know what you thought about the episode by emailing podcast@nikkielbaz.com

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode

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How do you convince your audience to take time out of their busy day to set the goals they need to succeed with your software? You make a crazy ask and intro yourself with a little inbox mediation – complete with visualization GIF! Because when you’re talking to an audience using visuals to grow, what better way to help them see their success than having them paint their own imaginary self portrait for the future?

Timestamps

(4:27) How I landed on the big idea for this email flow – and the 3 reasons it worked so well

(6:52) The type of email that I find hardest to write – and why

(8:58) What it was like to write an email flow together with another copywriter

(9:53) How this email changed from its original iteration

(10:16) The reactions this email garnered

Links from this episode

Take a look at the email we’re talking about today

Supercharge your Pinterest and Instagram marketing with Tailwind

Follow Nikki on LinkedIn

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission)

Get your free consult with Nikki when you sign up to ConvertKit using this affiliate link (I'll earn a commission)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode

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Or find on your favorite podcast player

What happens when you know your customers use your product to tap into their inner child? If you’re Sophia Dagnon, you humanize the product and playfully nudge your abandoned customers, helping them experience the post-purchase joy even before they complete their order.

Timestamps:

(3:07) The first step the GetUplift team takes before they touch any copy

(4:42) How the customer research fed this email idea

(6:34) The standard emotion of abandoned cart – and what Sophia focused on instead

(7:37) The little extras that make this abandoned cart shine

(11:03) An excellent A/B split for all abandoned cart sequences

(12:58) Sophia’s tip for testing unconventional things

(17:47) How this sequence gave a feedback loop to optimize further sequences

(18:09) The one thing Sophia would change to improve this email

About our guest

Sophia helps some of the coolest, high-growth brands around connect with their customers' actual needs and increase conversions as the Head of Research and Copy at GetUplift.

Links from this episode:

Take a look at the email we’re talking about today

Follow Sophia on ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Check out her work (or read some cool stuff about CRO & emotional marketing) at getuplift.co Join the newsletter while you’re there, it’s neat

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission)

When you’re stuck, get big picture positioning reminders from Tovala

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

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Let's dive into the strategies and methods used in Hannah's webinar registration email, featured in Episode 9.

Takeaways

(4:38) Takeaway #1: Vanity metrics are so easy to get sucked into

(5:57) Takeaway #2: Sometimes you can turn a "no" into a "yes, if..." 

(7:29) Takeaway #3: You can't please the people you normally please – 100% of the time. 

(8:15) Takeaway #4: Use these two barometers to test if you're oversharing:

#1: Is this helpful for my audience? 

#2: Is sharing this appropriate for my audience? 

(9:41) Takeaway #5: Hit reply on emails that you like! 

Links from this episode:

Take another look at the email we featured in Episode 9

Build your email toolbox when you join Email Mastery.

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

What happens when you know your subscribers are itching to hear your growth story – as it happens – but sharing your vulnerability feels really… scary? If you’re Hannah Shamji, you push past the fear to treat your subscribers as friends – and turnaround more conversions than ever.

Timestamps:

(4:30) How Hannah’s research brain – and TikTok culture – led to this email

(12:51) The balancing-act-slash-experiment that is Hannah’s email list

(14:37) How to set objectives in research so you don’t color the data

(18:09) The measure Hannah used for this email, in absence of replies

(21:29) The ripple effect this email gave to Hannah’s overall personal brand

About our guest

Hannah is a Consumer Psychologist for growth-stage startups. She's also a Cornell Psych Grad & trained therapeutic Counsellor with 10 years of experience in qualitative research. Now she helps clients like HubSpot and Shopify Plus decode how their customers think, so they can connect with (and convert!) the human behind the buyer.

Links from this episode:

Take a look at the email we’re talking about today

Take a look at Jason Fiefer’s email with the full story of Naveen’s reframe

Follow Hannah on ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Get more transparent insights from Hannah at hannahshamji.com/newsletter

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode

Apple Podcasts

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Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

💬 Free consult when you sign up to ConvertKit

Sign up to ConvertKit using this affiliate link and you'll earn a free 30-minute consult that we can use to set up your list strategy, live edit your welcome sequence, or whatever else you want to use our time for.

Terms and conditions here. 

Let's dive into the strategies and methods used in the Rev holiday email, featured in Episode 7.

Takeaways

(2:32) Takeaway#1: Creativity isn’t magic

(3:25) Takeaway #2: Safe risks are the name of the game

(4:28) Takeaway #3: Humor is a vehicle for building connection – not just likeability

(7:03) Takeaway #4: Be understanding of clients/boss’ hesitations to risk

Links from this episode:

Take another look at the email we featured in Episode 7

Get access to Nick's class on creativity when you join Email Mastery.

Get really jealous of Dr. Eric's Fier's patients when you take a look at his site.

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

How do you win back public favor when the NY Times slams your company? They say no press is bad press, and for Nick, the NYT thumbs-down was just the opportunity he'd been waiting for. Here's how his overhaul of the Rev email program rebuilt brand equity, reinvigorated the dispirited team, and grew a cult-like following. 

Timestamps:

(3:14) Why the New York Times slammed Rev – and how Nick took the opportunity to turn around the brand voice by the (sled) reigns

(4:32) How they reduced risk pre-send

(6:59) The follow up email that snowballed the campaign viral-ity

(10:31) Why you shouldn’t plan an airtight content calendar

(13:00) How Nick reapplied media principles and community building methodology to bust expectations

(15:28) The benign violation theory that gives these emails their magic

(19:19) The craziest job offer story that sounds too crazy to be true

(22:23) Why Nick's favorite email lists change so frequently

About our guest

Nick Gaudio is a native West Virginian, ENFJ, Ravenclaw, Scorpio, Wood Ox, and Chaotic Good. He's earned an MFA from The University of Michigan, as well as seven awards from the Press Association as a reporter. Nick has served as a writer and/or email expert for many companies, large to small, B2B to B2C, ecom to SaaS: including theCHIVE.com, Saatva, Rev, Infinite Ranges, RunYourPool, and most recently, Rattle. He lives in Austin with his very patient wife and three toddlers.

Links from this episode:

Take a look at the first email we’re talking about today

Take a look at the second email we’re talking about today

Follow Nick on ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

💬 Free consult when you sign up to ConvertKit

Sign up to ConvertKit using this affiliate link and you'll earn a free 30-minute consult that we can use to set up your list strategy, live edit your welcome sequence, or whatever else you want to use our time for.

Terms and conditions here. 

Let's dive into the strategies and methods used in the Licorice.com feedback request email, featured in Episode 5.

Takeaways

(2:03) Takeaway #1: Show, don't tell. (But, for real.)

(3:32) Takeaway #2: Turn likability into reciprocity by using You vs. We

(5:23) Takeaway #3: Couple logic with inspiration to get over your fear of surveying customers

(6:50) Takeaway #4: Try psychological incentives before physical incentives

(8:32) Takeaway #5: Test best practices

(8:56) Takeaway #6: Listen to your intuition, especially when dealing with humans

(9:29) Takeaway #7: Couple list-wide feedback initiatives with individual, behavior-based surveys

Links from this episode:

Take another look at the email we featured in Episode 5

Take a look at the non-customer version of the email

Take a look at the survey sent to non-customers

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Be more persuasive with the 7 persuasion principles presented in Influence by Robert Cialdini (Pre-fluence is his latest, but I haven't read it, so I can't recommend it.)

Understand when to send feedback / review / upsell / and other strategy emails when you join Email Mastery. Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

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Or find on your favorite podcast player

When you sell out of thousands of pounds of licorice mere months after launch, how do you learn why? And how to do it again? Especially if – like most brands – you’re hesitant to bother your customers? Listen in on how Licorice.com’s customer survey email gave them – not just decision data – but warm and fuzzy validation that has them hitting send on feedback requests without any hesitation.

Timestamps:
(1:31) How a domain name (and COVID-19) moved Jonathan from corporate to ecomm
(3:40) The crazy inspiring feedback this email generated – and how it led to a relationship with one of the world’s wealthiest
(5:19) How the team knows when to survey their customers
(6:40) The survey questions they asked – and the one that got the best responses
(8:02) The A/B test results from their “best practice” sender name
(11:55) The brand Jonathan swipes from for design and structure inspiration
(12:08) The brand that convinces Jonathan that he’s getting real, personal 1:1 emails – despite him knowing he’s in a funnel

About our guest
Jonathan is the co-founder of GOAT Foods, parent company to seven gourmet snack companies.

Links from this episode:
Take a look at the email we’re talking about today
Follow Jonathan on ⁠LinkedIn⁠
Munch on some goodies from the GOAT foods family: licorice.com or pretzels.com or chocolate.com or caramels.com or cashews.com
Get design inspiration from hexclad.com
Dare to remember that the flockfoods.com email’s are automated
Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode
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About this episode

Let's dive into the strategies and methods used in the Valentine’s Day love letter email Devin wrote for the Bit.ly customers, featured in Episode 3.

Takeaways

(1:37) Takeaway #1: Take stock of your customer lifecycle after big changes.

(3:47) Takeaway #2: Don’t be scared to sell. The products you’re pitching provide value, as long as you’re not being too pushy.

(4:46) Takeaway #3: Stop evaluating emails by length. Instead, focus on the outcome of the length.

(6:16) Takeaway #4: Borrow from other media

(8:06) Takeaway #5: Think outside the inbox, especially if you’ve got a team to help amplify

(9:24) Takeaway #6: Try a sentiment rating system

Links from this episode:

Take another look at the email we featured in Episode 3

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

Apple Podcasts

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Or find on your favorite podcast player

What happens when you’re about to hit deadline but legal still hasn’t given you approval? You come up with a new idea – that takes the internet by a storm. Because when you’re not trying to win the conversion battle in one day, you have the freedom to try out of the box ideas like a Valentine’s Day love letter to your customers.

Ideas you don't want to miss:

(4:00) How lack of legal approval actually inspired a better email

(9:05) The elements that gave this email an authentic feeling of caring

(10:50) Why it’s okay that this email’s impressions aren’t measurable

(13:43) How Devin swipes from social media strategy (maybe he should start a podcast called Social Swipes 😜)

(14:50) The viral response the email generated – and how the team snowballed its visibility

(18:04) The only thing Devin would change about the email

(21:42) Why Devin does NOT take inspiration from the emails in his inbox

About our guest, Devin

Bitly's Devin O'Toole is an accidental email marketer and former creative with over a decade of marketing experience across SaaS and retail.

Links from this episode

Take a look at the email we’re talking about today

Follow Devin on LinkedIn

Get all the link tools you need from Bit.ly

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe. ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

💬 Free consult when you sign up to ConvertKit

Sign up to ConvertKit using this affiliate link and you'll earn a free 30-minute consult that we can use to set up your list strategy, live edit your welcome sequence, or whatever else you want to use our time for.

Terms and conditions here. 

Let's dive into the strategies and methods used in the dazzlingly simple email Jo wrote for a pricey EdTech brand we featured in Episode 1. Plus, don't miss the surprise sequel to this email story! 

Takeaways

(1:35) Takeaway #1: Email isn’t dead, but it is getting stale. Instead of chasing new, shiny platforms, how can you do email “fresh”? 

(3:08) Takeaway #2: Don’t scoff – save! Use “bad” emails to inspire good ones. 

(3:48) Takeaway #3: Just do behavioral emails. The work is worth it. 

(4:22) Tip: Gmail will thread – and bump up – a second email that has the same subject line as the previous email. 

(6:02) Takeaway #4: Evaluate your strategy against the big picture. Make sure any cleverness/fun/creativity isn’t getting in the way. 

(7:11) Takeaway #5: Don’t forget the Rule of One. Write to one person. Picture that one persona, and write to them. 

(8:10) Takeaway #6: Don’t underestimate intangible urgency. Structure drivers and motivators as urgency plays. Plus: Know Thy Customer 

(9:32) Takeaway #7: Tease cautiously. Use them for exciting launches or drops, use them if you’re a cult brand, and make sure you include a CTA. 

(10:49) Bonus: 1:1 abandoned cart emails work really well for pricier products 

Links from this episode:

Take another look at the email we featured in Episode 1

Take a look at the surprise sequel abandoned cart email

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe.⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

How do you sell a $20,000 product to a busy school principal who’s never heard of your brand? Well, if you’re Joanna Wiebe, you take inspiration from everywhere and you weave a dazzlingly simple strategy using the famous 9-word email and a missed opportunity you spotted from another brand.

Ideas you don't want to miss

(3:05) Why email isn't dead (despite TikTok stats looking mighty shiny)

(6:02) How one brand's missed opportunity inspired this email swipe

(9:45) Why this email is "not a work of copy genius" – and why that can give you a leg up over AI

(12:50) How sending to a cold list can actually be a fun challenge

(15:11) The technical Klaviyo mistake that almost tanked this email

(17:14) Whether this email would work for a B2C audience

(18:44) Jo's favorite brand to swipe from right now (listen to her pronounce it 5 ways!)

All about our guest, Jo:

The original conversion copywriter, Joanna Wiebe is the founder of Copyhackers and co-founder of Boxcar Email Agency. Her work has driven multi-millions in revenue for the likes of BT, Glowforge, Huel, Tesco, and Wistia. Google, Amazon, LinkedIn, and Shopify trust her to train their teams and customers. And she's a popular speaker at events like Business of Software and CXL Live. You can find her books, articles, and courses at copyhackers.com.

Links from this episode:

Take a look at the email swipe we’re talking about today

Follow Jo on ⁠Twitter⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Get lost in all the the awesome content on ⁠Copyhackers⁠

Hire ⁠Boxcar⁠ to get Jo and team on your emails

Grow your business when you join the Creative CEO Academy (I'll earn a commission.)

Swipe ⁠Hiut's⁠ emails like Jo does

Get Nikki's email musings at ⁠nikkielbaz.com/subscribe ⁠

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Or find on your favorite podcast player

How do you sell a $20,000 product to a busy school principal who’s never heard of your brand? How do you win back public favor when the NY Times slams your company? How do you build community when your huge Earth Day initiative is shut down by a global pandemic?

You send an email of course.

These are real challenges that real brands faced – and solved – with email.

Listen in on email experiments that worked – and didn’t – to inform and inspire your own email strategies.

Every other week, an email expert will share an email story – and the following week, I’ll walk you through the concrete takeaways you can apply to your work.

Subscribe to Email Swipes and never miss another episode!