Day 1: The 4-Hour Follow-Up That Boosted Engagement by 40%

One extra email. 40% more engagement. Here’s how Jason Resnick did it.

Most welcome emails do the bare minimum.

“Here’s your download.” “Thanks for joining.” Then silence.

Jason Resnick does the opposite.

He adds one more email, sent 4 hours after someone signs up, and turns that small moment into a massive advantage.

The result? His 5-star engaged subscribers jumped from 48% to 67% in just two months.

This lever is a reminder that the best opportunities aren’t always flashy. They’re often invisible to others.

🔍 How Jason Does It

Instead of just one boring “here’s your freebie” email, Jason turns this into an opportunity to “wow” new subscribers and build a deeper relationship with them:

1. When someone joins his list, they get the standard welcome email with the lead magnet link.
2. 4 hours later, he sends a second email only if the person didn’t click the link.
3. The second email is casual and helpful:“Hey, just checking — did you get the download okay?”“Sometimes it ends up buried — here’s the link again just in case.”
4. He closes the email with a soft question to drive replies: “What are you hoping to learn from this?” and “Where are you most stuck right now?”
5. He replies personally when people respond – starting real conversations that lead to coaching, products, or simply better relationships (I know this sounds simple, but a lot of people don’t do this).

🧠 Why It Works

This works because it fixes a bunch of problems creators may or may not realize are happening:

1. People forget fast. Your welcome email might have been opened… but that doesn’t mean they clicked or downloaded your lead magnet. This second touchpoint catches people at a quieter moment.
2. Email platforms reward engagement early. Most inbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) watch what subscribers do right after joining your list. If they click your links or reply, it sends a strong signal that you’re a trusted sender, meaning your future emails are way more likely to hit the primary inbox.
3. Most of these emails feel automated, but not this one. A short, friendly check-in doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels like good service. And people remember that.
4. It creates conversation with your subscribers. Replies are gold in email marketing. They improve deliverability and start relationships that can lead to sales down the line.

📊 Results

• Jason’s engagement score increased from 48% to 67% in 2 months. That’s almost 40%!
• More people actually downloaded and engaged with the lead magnet
• Higher reply rates led to stronger deliverability
• Real conversations led to sales, referrals, and long-term relationships

💡 How You Can Implement It

This might even be considered a “set it and forget it” growth lever, but done right, it pays off for a long time.

1. Clone your lead magnet delivery email and write a second version as a follow-up. Keep it short. This should feel like a quick check-in from a real person, not a marketing campaign.
2. Set the follow-up email to send 4 hours later. Most email platforms allow you to set a delay and send it only to those who didn’t click the link in the first email.
3. In the second email:Reshare the download link.Acknowledge it might’ve gotten lost.Ask a simple question people can reply to without thinking hard.
4. Respond when people reply. This is where trust is built. It also helps you learn more about what your audience needs (which helps you come up with future ideas for products and content).

🛠️ Tools

You don’t need a ton of tools to get started with this. All you really need is:

• An ESP that allows automation + conditional logic (Kit, Beehiiv, etc.)

💭 Final Thought

Most creators set up a welcome email and call it a day.

Jason added one more touch – and it’s working for him every single time someone joins his list.

Want to see it in action? You can sign up to get Jason’s newsletter here – he gives away awesome tips for building a better email list all the time.

See you tomorrow,

Chenell Basilio

P.S. You likely already have half of this setup (the lead magnet email), just add a second email—it’ll take 10 minutes.

P.P.S. If you’re enjoying these emails, did you know there is also a complementary podcast version? Join the 30 Days of Growth email list and follow the steps. You can win prizes from those companies seen below!