Affiliate Marketing Tips

Delete. Unsubscribe. Mark as spam. These are the reactions many assume email marketing elicits. Yet, while social media grabs headlines, email quietly outperforms, driving $36 for every $1 spent. It's the digital marketing channel that refuses to die – and for good reason. Many marketers overlook it, chasing the latest social media trends, but savvy businesses know its power. Here's why email marketing remains a cornerstone of effective digital communication: → Direct access to your audience: Unlike social platforms, your email list is yours. No algorithm changes can cut you off from your subscribers. → Personalization at scale: Modern email tools let you tailor content to individual preferences, increasing engagement and conversion rates. → Cost-effective: Compared to paid ads, email marketing often delivers a higher ROI. Some studies show returns as high as 4200%. → Measurable results: Open rates, click-through rates, and conversions are easily tracked, allowing for continuous optimization. → Builds long-term relationships: Regular, valuable emails keep your brand top-of-mind and foster customer loyalty. → Versatile content options: From newsletters to promotional offers, emails can serve various marketing goals. → Mobile-friendly: With most emails now read on smartphones, it's a perfect channel for reaching on-the-go consumers. Despite claims of its demise, email usage continues to grow. In fact, many Gen Z consumers prefer email for brand communications over social media messages. The key? Providing value, not spam. Businesses that master the art of helpful, engaging emails will continue to reap the benefits of this powerful marketing channel.

I’ve generated 10,000,000+ email subscribers for clients in the past 2 years. Here’s a simple hack to take your open rate from terrible (30%) to world-class (60%): Nail your welcome email. Your welcome email is the most important email you send to subscribers. It’s your first impression. And a great first impression = better future engagement. → If subscribers take the right actions in your welcome email, your future emails will land in their primary inbox. → If not, they will land in promotions, updates, or spam. Here are two changes you need to make to your welcome email to boost the engagement of all your future emails: 1. Write a subject line that stands out and gives the reader a reason to open. Too many subject lines are uninspired, and give the reader no reason to open. Yours, for the sake of your newsletter, must give the reader a reason to open. Here are some examples you can steal: - Inverse Daily - ❗️wtf - Jon Morrow - Quick favor? - The Hustle - Look what you did, you little jerk... - Tim Bourquin - Who said you could join my newsletter? - Morning Brew - ☕️ Caution: Morning Brew coming in hot 2. Use my WE-PAC framework for writing body copy: - W - Welcome (welcome them to your newsletter) - E - Expectations (tell them what to expect from it) - P - Primary (ask them to move the email to primary) - A - Ask for reply (ask for a simple reply, explain why) - C - Click link (link to your blog, podcast, lead magnet…) Example below! (PAC = the 3 key deliverability actions to make sure your future emails land in their primary inbox.) 3. Measure against these benchmarks. Welcome email open rate: - 30%+ open rate = Very bad - 40%+ open rate = Bad - 50%+ open rate = Okay - 60%+ open rate = Good - 70%+ open rate = Great - 75%+ open rate = Excellent - 80%+ open rate = World class Welcome email CTR: - 1%+ CTR = Very bad - 5%+ CTR Bad - 7%+ CTR = Okay - 10%+ CTR = Good - 12%+ CTR = Great - 15%+ CTR = Excellent - 20%+ CTR = World class Tweak as needed. To recap: Write a great subject line, implement the WE-PAC framework, measure against the above benchmarks, and watch your engagement go up. Hope this helps!

Post 4/5: Affiliate Email = Spam? Only If You Ignore These Rules. If you're into affiliate marketing and think warming up IPs with a generic plan from a blog will get you inboxing… think again. Here’s what actually works to reach the inbox and stay there, especially when your business depends on email: Stop worshiping open rates. Watch behavior trends: ISPs track patterns—how users engage over time, not one blast. One spike doesn’t help. It’s the consistency in CTRs, inbox placement, and user interest that signals your emails belong. What matters: do users click, read, reply, add you to contacts, forward your mail, or scroll with intent? Conversions over clicks: CTR is better than open rate. But conversions prove relevance. Sending traffic that bounces fast or doesn’t convert? You’re hurting your reputation, no matter how clean your metrics look on the surface. Your content must create real value: Don’t chase gimmicks. Give people a reason to stick around—valuable info, timely offers, personality, clarity. Use links that go to protected, secured, real pages—not aggressive redirects. Earn the right to be read. One-size-fits-all warmups? Trash them: Deliverability isn’t about "50 emails on Day 1, 100 on Day 2". You need an ISP-specific strategy. Gmail and Outlook behave differently. Work with a dedicated deliverability consultant who can tailor the warm-up based on your history, audience, and sender reputation. Prevention is everything: Use tools like emailoversight.com before every send to scrub traps, bots, litigators, hard bounces, and low-quality emails. Don’t just clean a list once. Keep it constantly evolving. Random purchased lists? Recipe for short-term disaster: Unless you're sourcing lists from reputable real-time providers with strong targeting signals (geo, interests, recency, etc.) and pairing it with warm content and a good sender setup, you’ll just get blocked. Again and again. Your ESP won’t save you: Blogs written by your ESP might help beginners. But affiliate deliverability is a different game. If you’re serious, work with someone who has years of experience navigating blocks, inbox issues, sender score collapses, and postmaster escalations. Test. Every. Single. Day: Use tools like GlockApps or InboxAlly to test inboxing daily. Run 5–10 rotating templates, track their performance ISP-wise, and tweak relentlessly. What inboxed yesterday may not inbox today. Don’t scale until you sustain: Before ramping up, prove you can inbox and convert for at least 60 days straight. Otherwise, you're just burning your sender reputation. Having a deliverability expert in your corner is non-negotiable. They know how to tailor your strategy ISP-wise, escalate to postmaster teams (where possible), analyze logs, identify traps, rewrite headers, and fix what no blog post can. Deliverability isn't a tactic—it’s a discipline. #email #emailmarketingtips #affiliatemarketing

E-Com brands: The most profitable email flow is the Welcome Sequence. Problem is most brands make the same 3 mistakes and it's costing them $10,000s each week. Here's what they are and how you can fix them: Mistake #1: Treating the Welcome Flow as a Coupon Delivery Machine Your first email should deliver the promised offer, but don’t stop there. Many brands use a tired structure: 1) Here’s your discount 2) Discount reminder 3) Last chance! This approach leaves money on the table. A great welcome sequence should: - Introduce your brand - Build trust - Show how you solve problems and relieve pain - Offer status and help them achieve their goals Mistake #2: Sending the Wrong Type of Emails The first email sets the stage, but real selling begins afterward. To keep momentum: - Share stories to build connection - Highlight your credentials and social proof - Show how you solve their problems better than anyone else - Avoid talking about things only you care about—focus on what matters to your customers. Mistake #3: Sending Too Few Emails If only 5-20% of people buy from the first email, why stop there? Many brands use just 1-3 emails in their welcome sequence. Big mistake. To maximize profits, extend your sequence to at least eight emails.

Aiming for an 8 figure exit? Here’s something most people miss—your email marketing could be the key to unlocking your brand’s full value. Why? Email isn’t just a sales tool—it’s an asset that makes your brand worth more. It creates loyal customers, steady revenue, and reduces your reliance on paid ads. That’s exactly what buyers want to see. Here’s why email matters: ✅Loyal customers = higher value. Buyers love brands with repeat customers because it means reliable income. A strong email strategy builds that loyalty. ✅Steady revenue = bigger offers. Email gives you consistent, low-cost sales. Buyers want to see predictable cash flow, and email delivers. Less reliance on ads = less risk. Ads, while necessary, are expensive and unpredictable. Email makes your brand more stable, which buyers are willing to pay more for. ✅High ROI = scalable growth. Email is one of the most profitable channels. A strong backend shows buyers your brand can grow efficiently. If your strategy focuses only on acquiring customers and ignores email, you’re leaving money on the table.

Email marketing is dead, right? Wrong. Let’s dive into why it works, especially in EdTech. First, it's the only thing you truly own. Even on LinkedIn, it's all about doing everything the algorithm wants so a small percentage of your audience sees your post. And surfacing your posts into your network's feed is getting harder and harder. Second, as long as you follow best practices, test and learn from your audience, you will improve open and click-through-rates Third, You can do things you can't do as well on social media. → It’s targeted. ↳ You can reach exactly who you want. → It’s personal. ↳ Nothing feels more direct than an email, and if you do it right, you'll integrate personalization using features from your email service provider. Pro tip: Include your target audience's personal challenges and goals. → It’s cost-effective. ↳ You can get a lot of bang for your buck if you streamline processes. Just don't cut corners -- triple-check your grammar and test on multiple devices (and think mobile-first!). But let’s get into why it’s especially important for reaching K-12 education administrators. Although they are incredibly busy, they still live in their inboxes. They may not have time during the day to check emails, but they do check them daily—even if it means checking in the evening. → It converts. ↳ Email is generally not the first touch with your audience. Typically, your audience has met you at a conference, downloaded a resource, or signed up voluntarily for your newsletter. Note: The exception to this is email list buys (which can also be effective). With that said, email is designed to convert (to download, reply, sign up, etc.), and since they're generally a "warm" contact, they have a higher chance of doing what your email is designed for them to do! Fourth, it can build community. Emails can create a sense of belonging by sharing stories, highlighting achievements, and fostering a community atmosphere. Fifth, you can track what works and what doesn’t. Open rates, click-through rates, and engagement metrics give you clear insights. Sixth, it can help build trust. When done right, they build trust and authority and can foster a direct line of communication. Remember, make all of your emails count. Do this by providing value. Offer something valuable—be it resources, insights, or tips. So....the next time someone tells you email marketing is dead, tell them they're just not doing it right. :) And remember, in the EdTech world, it's not just about sending emails. It’s about building relationships and providing as much value as possible. How are you using email marketing in your strategy? Share your tips and experiences below!

Just sent over welcome emails for a new client. Here's how we designed their welcome sequence: The Fast Reply • Goal: Get a 10-15% reply rate • Builds sender reputation and helps keeps you out of spam/promo folders • Use a curiosity-based subject line to generate more engagement Set Expectations • Outline what content they'll receive • Ask about their challenges • Come from a founder's email for authenticity Connect on LinkedIn • Protects against unsubscribes • Boosts algorithm reach • Enables DM follow-ups for bounced emails Zero-Party Data Survey • Identify content topics • Improve ad targeting • Gauge buying stage for personalized follow-up Collect Phone Numbers • Improves ad matching rates • Enables future SMS campaigns • Opens re-engagement opportunities Soft Sell with FAQs • Address common objections • CTA: "Questions? Hit reply or book a demo" Social Proof • Showcase results & testimonials • Link to case studies • CTA: Schedule a demo Pattern Interrupt • Re-engage inactive subscribers • Get feedback on their experience • Maintain inbox placement The key? Each email serves multiple purposes beyond just "nurturing." We're looking to improve deliverability/inboxing, build relationships, and sell effectively. How is your welcome flow working for you?

When you walk into a store, the first thing you see is a greeter. - They smile - Offer to help - Make you feel comfortable. That interaction sets the tone for your store experience. Now, your Welcome Series is the online version of that greeter: It’s the first real touchpoint with your new customer. The goal is to: 1. Make a good first impression, 2. Guide them through their journey with your brand, and  3. Build trust right out of the gate. For eCommerce, SaaS, or service-based businesses, this is your chance to roll out the red carpet… 1. First Impressions Matter Just like how a friendly store greeter can instantly make or break a customer’s mood, your Welcome Series can make or break a new subscriber’s first impression. This moment helps them decide whether or not they want to engage with your brand. Welcome emails increase open rates by 50-60% This is way higher than standard promotional emails. That means customers want to hear from you when they first sign up. 2. Building Trust Early On A Welcome Series establishes trust by reinforcing why someone subscribed and how your product or service will meet their needs. How to build trust: - Outline what they can expect from you. Whether it’s the frequency of emails, the type of content, or any special perks, being upfront builds a foundation of trust. - People trust brands with a mission. You'll create an emotional connection if you can articulate your “why” and explain how you solve their problems. 3. Priming the Customer for Their First Purchase You know those store greeters that drop you the hottest deals or most popular products? Your Welcome Series should be doing the same thing. It should guide customers toward making that first purchase by: - Offering a time-sensitive discount in your Welcome Series to make customers feel more comfortable pulling the trigger on their first purchase. - Introducing your best-selling products or services to increase the chances of a purchase. 4. Building Long-Term Engagement You want to use these series as a chance to build a relationship that lasts with: - Educational guides, product tutorials, or thought-leadership articles - Finding out if customers prefer educational content or if they click certain product links to help segment and personalize future emails. - Offering early access to products or VIP benefits helps new subscribers feel valued. 5. Laying the Foundation for Segmentation The Welcome Series is meant to help you understand your customers and segment them for future targeted campaigns. How to use segmentation: - If a customer clicks on a product link but doesn’t buy → Segment them into an abandoned cart series or product follow-ups. - If a subscriber engaged more with educational content than product links → Send them more value-driven content rather than hard sales pitches. A subscriber who feels welcomed and informed is less likely to unsubscribe and more likely to engage with your future campaigns.

Most DTC brands are WASTING their welcome series opportunity. Just audited 5 brands and every single one had the same problem - only 1-2 welcome emails that barely cover their discount. This is KILLING your bottom line. Here's what's actually working in 2025: The welcome series is your HIGHEST ROI automation. When someone joins your list, they're at peak interest in your brand. Instead of a basic "Here's your discount" email, build a complete welcome sequence: 1️⃣ Welcome + Discount Delivery • Place discount code prominently (top of email) • Highlight top unique selling propositions • Create urgency with a time-limited offer 2️⃣ Product Education For technical or innovative products, customers aren't just price-sensitive - they're CONFUSED. One of our red light therapy clients saw 47% higher conversion when we added detailed product education in flows. 3️⃣ Objection Handling Address the top reasons people don't buy: • Price concerns • Product confusion • Comparison with competitors One skincare client increased conversion by 28% by directly addressing skin type compatibility concerns in their welcome flow. 4️⃣ Social Proof Integration Please don't add generic reviews. Here's what we did instead: We found YouTube reviews of a client's tech product from third-party sources and embedded them in emails. And these "educational" emails outperformed standard promotional content. 5️⃣ Final Offer Reminder • Remind about expiring discount • Summarize key benefits • Provide clear next steps This is a proven system generating real EBIDTA impact for DTC brands right now. Take an honest look at your welcome sequence. Ask these questions: Does it educate? Build trust? Overcome objections? Create urgency?

Email isn't just a marketing channel. It's your business BACKBONE. 💪 I've seen countless brands chase the latest social media trends while neglecting their email strategy. Big mistake. While everyone's fighting algorithm changes and paying to reach their OWN followers, email marketers are quietly generating 40X better results than social media. But here's the thing: The real power of email isn't in the ROI stats ($40+ back for every $1 spent is pretty compelling). The real power is in the RELATIONSHIP. Think about it... Social platforms own your audience. Email? That's YOUR direct line of communication. No gatekeepers. No changing algorithms. No pay-to-play schemes. Just you and your customers having a conversation. Why is email the ultimate marketing superpower? 👇 1️⃣ It builds genuine relationships 64% of consumers WANT brands to connect with them. And email hits that sweet spot between too invasive (phone calls or SMS text) and too disconnected (social posts). 2️⃣ No gatekeepers controlling access Unlike social media platforms, which deliberately tank organic reach to boost ad revenue, email lets you reach your audience WITHOUT paying a toll every time. 3️⃣ All other channels should feed your email list Your fancy social campaigns? They should have ONE goal: getting people on your email list where the REAL marketing happens. 4️⃣ Unmatched versatility Images, videos, personalization, segmentation... email does it all without platform restrictions. The most successful brands I've analyzed all follow the same pattern: They use other channels to attract leads. But they use EMAIL to nurture, convert, and retain customers. It's what I call the Email Marketing Flywheel: → Attract with value → Build relationships → Delight consistently → Convert naturally → Retain effortlessly So ask yourself: Are you treating email as just another channel? Or are you recognizing it as the backbone of your entire marketing strategy? Because that's exactly what it is. Your business deserves better than algorithm-dependent marketing. Grow your email list. Nurture it. And watch what happens. ✉️