Between firework emojis, red-white-and-blue overlays, and canva-collaged sales blasts, it’s easy to get swept up in the cliché.

At Hustler Marketing, we believe good email marketing isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about building relevance, connection, and revenue, even in the slowest sales season.

So here’s our shortlist of July email marketing campaign themes. No fluff, just smart angles built for eCommerce brands that want to show up with meaning.

1. July 4th: Culture, Not Just Commerce

Independence Day is a high-visibility moment, but a risky one. Audiences are more media-savvy than ever. They can spot a performative “patriotism” email from a mile away.

Instead of going full caps-lock with “FINAL FIREWORK DEALS,” consider:

• Putting customers front and center: Feature stories or UGC from your community that highlight what independence means to them. Think family-owned businesses, solopreneurs, or everyday rituals of freedom and self-expression.
• Curating a holiday essentials guide: Instead of discounts, curate a mini digital magazine featuring bestsellers for long weekends: think picnic picks, travel must-haves, or gear for grilling season.
• Keeping it personal: Share how your team celebrates the holiday. It adds warmth and transparency, and gives people a reason to feel connected.

Tip: If your brand isn’t U.S.-based, use this moment to spotlight your local traditions or creators. The point isn’t fireworks. It’s cultural authenticity.

2. The Summer Slowdown: Campaigns That Stretch

Let’s face it: July can feel like a sleepy month in eCommerce. Conversions dip, people are away, and inboxes are full of brands saying the same thing.

But this is precisely when you can stand out — if you’re willing to zag.

• Tell a story that unfolds over time: Try a 3-part series: “Summer Diaries,” “Behind the Brand,” or “How it’s Made.” Use it to build loyalty, not just CTRs.
• Run a “slow sale”: Instead of 24-hour flash deals, consider week-long specials with rotating offers. Think soft urgency, not hard pressure.
• Leverage summer boredom: Your audience may be more willing to click into thoughtful, beautifully designed emails when they’re half-checked out at their Airbnb. Don’t waste that attention.

Think less heat wave and more heat glow.

3. Heat-Proof Your Value Prop: Align with the Weather

July’s heat can be reframed as a lifestyle need. Show your audience how your products help them feel cooler, more relaxed, more equipped.

• Reposition existing products: A blanket becomes a beach mat. A candle becomes a patio vibe. A hoodie becomes “bonfire core.” Don’t sell new — sell better.
• Focus on sensory language: “Lightweight,” “breathable,” “cooling,” “sun-drenched,” “refreshing” — copy that feels like a breeze wins in July.
• Create content around experience: Showcase real-life use cases like “How our team stays chill” or “3 ways to use ___ during the hottest month of the year.”

If you can’t beat the heat, brand around it.

Are you searching for the best email marketing agency to boost your ROI? Let’s talk – Book a call now!

4. Christmas in July: If You’re Going to Do It, Do It Well

This old-school retail trope has made a comeback — but it needs a refresh to work for digital brands.

Instead of going full-on tinsel and sleigh bells, brands are finding new ways to tap into the feeling of festive fun — without the cringe. Case in point:

Here’s what makes this email smart:

• Visual parody that lands: The email uses Christmas tropes (pine garlands, candy canes, icy fonts), but plays them up in a tongue-in-cheek, self-aware way that suits their brand’s irreverent tone.
• Clear, repeatable offer: 20% off all tees, with a memorable code and clear expiry. It’s easy to use and drives urgency without shouting.
• Segmented pitch: The email calls out men’s, women’s, and kids’ options in distinct sections, making it feel more tailored and less generic.
• Positioning that justifies the theme: Rather than jumping on “Christmas in July” as a gimmick, they explain their logic (“we love Christmas so much, we think it should happen twice a year”), which gives the whole campaign a cheeky, branded reason to exist.

Takeaway: If you’re going festive, lean into your brand tone. Be clever. Be cohesive. And above all — make sure it earns its spot in your subscriber’s inbox.

5. Halfway Through Summer: Reflect, Reframe, Reconnect

We’re deep into summer. And there’s still time to course-correct. July is ideal for checking in with your audience, sharing progress, and shaping what’s next.

• Share internal reflections: Your wins, lessons, goals. Show your audience you’re growing, too.
• Make subscribers feel part of the journey: Run a “State of the Brand” email. Ask for opinions. Feature reviews. Let customers know they’re shaping what’s next.
• Offer small thank-yous: Surprise-and-delight gifts, exclusive previews, or even personal founder notes.

The goal: Build intimacy while the competition goes quiet.

July Email Marketing That’s Cool, Not Cold

July isn’t just a holiday month. It’s a creative playground: a moment where slower sales open the door to sharper storytelling and better audience relationships.

Whether you’re leaning into culture, reframing value, or slowing down to listen — email is the perfect channel to stay top of mind without burning out your list.

Want help crafting July emails that actually perform?

Let’s build campaigns your subscribers want to open.

In case you missed them, here are all previous entries in the series:

• Part 1: Email Automation Flows
• Part 2: Email Campaigns That Convert
• Part 3: Email Deliverability & Email List Hygiene
• Part 4: Email Segmentation
• Part 5: Email Design & Email Copywriting

Tariffs are temporary (hopefully). But loyalty isn’t.

Customer loyalty programs are one of the most effective and evergreen ways to turn an email subscriber list into an active community. And it’s that community that will insulate eCommerce brands from margin pressure and short-term economic shocks. Research suggests that eCommerce loyalty program members net between 12 and 18% more revenue than non-members every year.

When you have a base of returning customers who earn rewards, enjoy perks, and feel connected to your brand, you’re less dependent on expensive acquisition and more resistant to price sensitivity.

Let’s explore how loyalty programs can become your most strategic defense against tariff-driven uncertainty.

1: Points & Perks That Buffer Against Price Sensitivity

Points systems let you frame price increases in a positive light. Instead of saying “This now costs $10 more”, you can say:

“Earn 500 bonus points with every purchase this week”.

It shifts the conversation away from what customers lose to what they could gain.

With platforms like Shopify, you can use Yotpo Loyalty to:

• Assign point values to every dollar spent.
• Trigger bonus point events during tariff-driven price hikes.
• Offer double-points weekends to drive conversions without discounting.

Klaviyo Integration Tip:

Use Klaviyo’s custom properties to track loyalty tiers and point totals. This allows you to send segmented campaigns to VIPs (“Your perks just got better”) or trigger automations like “You’ve earned enough for a reward”). You can event rigger automations reminding readers how many points they have accumulated, and then show some ways they can redeem those points.

2: VIP Tiers That Encourage Retention

Tired programs help create emotional stickiness. when customers feel like they’ve earned status, they’re less likely to churn.

Whether you call your tiers Bronze/Silver/Gold or Insider/Premium/Elite, the mechanism si the same: acquiring a new status feels like a win, and motivates action.

You can use tariff-related price changes to amp up this effect. They can become a reason to promote VIP benefits:

• “As a Gold member, your pricing stays locked in for 20 more days.”
• “Elite members (like you!) still get free shipping, no matter the import fee.”

This approach reframes your customer loyalty program as a shield against volatility.

Shopify + Loyalty Expert Tip:

Combine Shopify Tags with loyalty tiers so fulfilment teams and customer service reps can offer perks manually (e.g., upgrade shipping or extend return windows during peak periods).

3: Make it Feel Like an Inside Deal, Not Just Another Customer Loyalty Program

The customers in your loyalty program are probably members of other loyalty programs, too. So they’re able to compare and judge how well yours stacks up.

That means they’re comparing deals and benefits, of course. But not every benefit needs to be monetary. Emotional benefits and exclusivity go a long way to crafting a customer loyalty program that stands out from the crowd.

For this period specifically, you can try:

• Early access to new (pre-tariff) products. Translation: “You’re part of our inner circle”.
• Loyalty-only limited editions. Translation: “You’re getting something other’s can’t.”
• First dibs on bundle pricing before a price hike hits. Translation: “We’re protecting your wallet.”

If you’re working with Klaviyo, use dynamic blocks in your emails to show exclusive content based on loyalty tiers. For example:

• Block A (shown to VIPs): “You have early access to our new drop.”
• Block B (shown to everyone else): “Upgrade your tier to unlock early access.”

This kind of dynamic personalization boosts perceived value without increasing costs.

4: Customer Loyalty Programs Strengthen Lifetime Value for Tariff Resilience

Here’s the simple math behind why customer loyalty programs work so well (especially when every cent counts):

• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) on a new customers is around 5x higher than the cost of retaining an existing customer.
• CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) of loyalty program members can be up to 3x higher than that of non-members.

That means the more revenue you get from repeat customers, the less each new tariff cuts into your overall margin.

The moral of this story is simple: you don’t need to grow a huge list. You need to grow a sticky one.

5: Make It Visible & Make It Easy

Your customer loyalty program should be front and center, not buried in the footer.

Tactical tips to surface customer loyalty programs in the clearest and easiest ways:

• Use a persistent “Rewards” tab on your Shopify storefront.
• Add point balances in email headers (“You have 200 points to redeem!”).
• Include loyalty status on your post-purchase page.

Customers are more likely to take that extra step and join your program if you make it as easy as possible for them to do so.

Our suggestion: include your loyalty program in every basic blow. You can add a ribbon or a footer in all the emails of a specific email automation flow to maximize the chances of customers seeing it and taking action.

This is especially effective in Welcome and Post-Purchase email flows.

Your Customer Loyalty Program Is Your Homegrown Margin Insurance

Tariffs may raise your COGS, but loyalty raises your resilience. A thoughtful rewards program achieves two critical goals: rewarding customers, and cushioning your revenue against volatility.

So while others panic-discount to chase volume, you’ll be building something better: retention, advocacy, and consistent revenue, no matter the economic climate.

Let your competitors fight over one-time buyers. Your job? Turn uncertainty into loyalty with a customer loyalty program that integrates smoothly into your email marketing infrastructure. 

• Part 1: Email Automation Flows
• Part 2: Email Campaigns That Convert
• Part 3: Email Deliverability & Email List Hygiene
• Part 4: Email Segmentation

Email design and email copywriting are 2 levers that every eCommerce brand can and should be pulling to keep their email lists engaged and converting as tariffs add turbulence to global markets.

As one of the few channels you truly own, your email marketing efforts need to be more on point than ever before right now. Because when prices rise, so does customer skepticism.

And it’s not just tariffs: inflation and instability have made shoppers more cautions, especially when it comes to non-essential purchases. A price hike can be followed by a wave of cart abandonments and unsubscribes. But the right email can calm nerves and win market share back.

Key Takeaways

• To do that, you need more than a good subject line. It’s about emotionally intelligent copy and design working together.
• Storytelling builds emotional connection. Use simple, authentic narratives from your team or brand mission to humanize your message and help customers feel seen, not sold to.
• Trust-focused design matters more than ever. Soft colors, clean layouts, and value-based visuals (like USPs, product features, and loyalty perks) can reframe the message from “price hike” to “worthwhile investment.”

Why Trust Really Matters During Price Volatility, and How Email Design Can Build It Back

Customers don’t just want to know what’s happening. They probably know that already. They want to know why it makes sense to keep buying from you.

A vague “prices are going up” message feels like a shrug. On the other hand, a hyper-polished email design without emotional clarity can feel like a smokescreen. But if your email copywriting is transparent, and your email design is visually calming, you show that you’re trying to help.

Here’s what your emails need to contain in order to make this work.

1: Transparent Email Copywriting That Doesn’t Spin

Be honest. People spot evasive language a mile away. They know prices are going up everywhere. What they’re looking for is clarity and fairness.

Email Copywriting Dos:

• Name the cause directly (tariffs, freight costs, supplier changes).
• Give a timeline (“starting August 1”).
• Share what you’ve done to minimize the impact on your customers.
• Reaffirm your commitment to quality: customers may expect higher prices, but not lower quality.

Email Copywriting Don’ts:

• Use vague phrases like “adjustments to our pricing model”. Nobody cares about your pricing model.
• Bury the message.
• Overpromise or sugarcoat.

Example:

“Due to new import tariffs, we’re seeing higher costs on key materials. Starting August 1, a few of our products will reflect a 5-8% increase. We know no one loves a price hike. And we’ve done everything we can to keep it to the absolute minimum”.

When you’re delivering sensitive updates like these, consider using plain-text emails. A well-written, design-free message (perhaps signed by your founder or CX lead) can feel more personal and trustworthy. It strips away the polish and reads more like a direct, one-to-one chat. This approach often builds greater intimacy and credibility than a stylized template.

2: Storytelling That Humanizes the Brand

When customers are hesitant to spend, emotional context matters. That doesn’t mean guilt-tripping. It means giving the customer a reason to care.

The stories you tell should be simple and true:

• Team POV: “We sat down with our supply team to explore every option.”
• Mission Lens: “We’ve stayed committed to recycled materials, even when they cost more.
• Shared Reality: “You’re seeing price hikes everywhere. So are we. We just want to be honest”.

3: Design for Trust: Email Design Elements That Reassure

Email design is about more than aesthetics. Every great email designer knows how to create an emotional UX in which every visual choice signals something: chaos or calm, pressure or partnership.

Here’s how to visually built trust and credibility in your email design workflows:

Use Soft, Neutral Color Palettes

Intense red or black banners are great for big sales, but not so great for times when you want to communicate calm. For your tariff-related comms, opt for earth tones, or calming blues.

Keep Layouts Clean and Scannable

Use whitespace. Avoid content overload. Stick to 2-3 blocks max, and use bold headings and bullet points to present key information quickly.

Include some visual anchors to enhance this effect:

• Comparison tables (old vs. new pricing).
• Timelines or phased change visuals.
• Product shots that reinforce quality isn’t changing.

Showcase Product Features and Value-Adds

Good email design is all about surfacing the right information in the right way. During moments of hesitation, customers are more likely to explore alternatives.

So, use every email as an opportunity to remind them of what makes your brand worth it. Highlight key features and unique selling points (USPs) in a clear, accessible email design format.

• A quick breakdown of premium materials or manufacturing standards.
• A reminder that your product qualifies for discounts via third-party apps.
• Or a prompt to explore loyalty benefits they may have missed.

These visually-led cues can reframe the price conversation around value (which feels like a win), not just cost (which feels like a loss).

Design for Readability, Especially on Mobile

Delivering “bad news” is always tough. So it’s even more important to keep these emails low friction, clear, and comfortable to consume.

Best Practices:

• Stick to single-column layouts for better flow on small screens.
• Use 16px+ fonts for text blocks built in your ESP.
• If you use image-based templates, bump font size up to 24px or more.
• Ensure there’s enough space between text, buttons and images.
• Remember audience age: older demographics may need larger type.
• Avoid sending image-only emails. They often get clipped, and screen readers don’t like them.

Thoughtful readability choices are always a good idea in email design. But in a new, uncertain phase where tariffs are making eCommerce less comfortable, they’re critical.

Email Design & Email Copywriting Are Having Their Moment NOW

Email is immediate, personal, intimate. And because of that, the way your emails look and sound isn’t just visual: it’s emotional. Transparency, empathy, and thoughtful UX will make the difference between success and catastrophe when prices rise.

If you’ve invested in professional email copywriting services and email design expertise, you are in the best position to survive these turbulent times. If you haven’t, or you’re looking for alternatives to boost your email marketing ROI, you know what to do:

Book a call with our email marketing experts to tighten up your messaging and design to keep sales flowing as prices go up.

• Part 1: Email Automation Flows
• Part 2: Email Campaigns That Convert
• Part 3: Email Deliverability & Email List Hygiene

You can’t control tariffs, but you can control your email segmentation strategy. Uncertainty around tariffs is driving costs up, and making awkward customer conversations necessary.

But an effective email segmentation strategy is one of the best tools you have to soften the blow. Rather than blasting a generic “sorry, prices went up” email, brands that segment by location, purchase history, and price sensitivity can reframe a negative into a moment of trust.

What Tariffs Actually Mean for Ecommerce

Before we get to email segmentation strategy, let’s clarify the impact we’re trying to mitigate.

Tariffs (like the recent increases on Chinese imports) raise the cost of goods. If your business sources products or components from overseas, your COGS (cost of goods sold) goes up. This often means one of three things:

• You raise prices.
• You reduce margins.
• You cut corners on quality, shipping, or packaging.

Most brands pick the first. But price hikes come with a cost, especially when announced poorly. That’s where smart segmentation matters.

The Wrong Way: One Email, One Panic

Many brands send a single price hike email to their entire list. It usually reads something like:

“Due to rising costs, we’re increasing our prices starting next week. We appreciate your understanding.”

It’s vague and impersonal. And it will frustrate many of your customers. Worse, it treats loyal, casual, high-value and price-sensitive customers all as one segment. But their reactions most definitely will not be the same.

If you want to preserve trust (and revenue), you need to segment strategically.

Email Segmentation Strategy: 3 Key Tips for Tariff Uncertainty

Let’s break this down into actionable segmentation strategies.

1: Location: Speak Directly to Affected Customers

Tariffs are often country-specific, and sometimes even region-specific. If only your US customers are affected, don’t send a price change notice to your international audience. And within the US, if tariffs disproportionately impact certain states or zip codes (based on local fulfilment hubs or product distribution), tailor your outreach accordingly.

Tactical tip:

Use your email service provider (ESP) to create a segment of US-based customers (or wherever the tariff applies) and adjust your message for them. Start your email with clarity:

“Hey {{ first_name }}, a quick update for our U.S. customers…”

Then clearly explain:

• What’s changing: “Starting October 1st, select imported goods will reflect a 6-10% price increase.”
• Why: “This is due to new tariffs on specific product categories.
• What’s not changing: “Shipping policies, domestic product pricing, and your loyalty rewards remain the same.”

If your fulfilment or manufacturing varies by region, you can go deeper. Let customers in unaffected areas know they’re safe from price changes.

2: Purchase History: Reward Loyalty with Advance Access or Bundles

If someone just bought from you, they’re invested. If they’ve bought from you 5+ times, or part of your loyalty program, they’re a brand advocate. These customers are more likely to understand pricing realities, but they still deserve context and appreciation.

Instead of a cold announcement, give them a heads up with beneifts.

Segment: Repeat customers (2+ purchases in the last 12 months), loyalty program members, or customers with high total spend or above-average order value (AOV).

Email Angle (2 Approaches)

Option 1: Transparency & Fairness

“You’ve come a long way with us, and we truly value your support. That’s why we want to be transparent: due to rising import costs, select prices will change starting October 1st. You have until then to shop at the current price.”

• Communicates appreciation and clarity.
• Sets a hard deadline to encourage action.
• Feels honest, not promotional.

Option 2: Loyalty as Early Access

“You’ve been with us a while, so we wanted to give you a heads up”.

• Let readers shop current pricing before it goes up.
• Offer bundle deals to help them stock up.
• Frame this as a loyalty perk: 48-hour early access before prices change.

3: Price Sensitivity: Cushion the Blow With Alternatives

You likely have customers who always buy when there’s a sale, use discounts, or shop lower-tier SKUs. These shoppers are price sensitives. So they’re most at risk of churnin after a tariff-driven price increase.

This is where your email segmentation strategy can pay dividends.

How to identify them:

• Always use discount codes.
• Only purchase during major sales.
• High cart abandonment rate on full-price items.

What to send them:

• Lower-cost alternatives in the same category (“If X is out of budget, here’s Y.”)
• Upcoming sale calendar or loyalty perks.
• Subscription or bundle options that lock in current pricing.

Email snippet:

“We know price matters. So we’ve put together a few ways to keep your routine going without breaking the bank…”

The goal is to retain, not upsell. Think: helpful, not defensive. And it’s also a great opportunity to invite price-sensitive customers into your loyalty program, where they can save more and get access to exclusive deals that help stretch their budget further.

Bonus: Combine Email Segments for Precision Outreach

You don’t have to stop at one segmentation filter. Some email service providers (ESPs) like Klaviyo let you stack rules.

You can try:

• Location + purchase history: “US-based VIPs”
• Price sensitivity + recent cart activity: “At-risk bargain shoppers”
• Email engagement: “Opened or clicked in the past 90 days”.

Then tailor the tone. Your high-value US customers can get a softer, more collaborative message:

“As one of your most valued customers, we wanted you to hear it from us first…”

Whereas price-sensitive customers might get practical help:

“We’ve found a few cost-effective swaps that might work even better.”

What You Gain From a Smart Email Segmentation Strategy

Tariffs aren’t your fault. But how you communicate about them is your responsibility. Smart segmentation helps you to:

• Reduce unsubscribes and complaints.
• Keep high-value customers informed, not blindsided.
• Prevent churn from price-sensitive segments.
• Maintain brand trust during volatility.
• Even drive sales with tactical urgency.

Tariffs Are a Trust Test: Email Segmentation Strategy Helps You Pass

In some ways, tariffs are a stress test for your email strategy. They reveal whether you treat your list like one amorphous blog, or a group of real people with different habits and expectations.

Email segmentation strategy isn’t just a revenue tactic, or a way to make work for your email marketing team. It’s how you match the right messaging to the right parts of your audience. Getting it right is a great way to show that you respect the community you’re cultivating around your brand.

If you’re rethinking how to talk to your list during tariff season, we’ll help you do it with strategy, not stress. Book a call and let us help you get this right.

Part 2 of 6 in the Tariff Survival Guide for eCommerce marketers.

See Part 1 here.

Tariffs have eCommerce brands in a (justifiable) panic: how deep should you go with discounts?

But there’s a question that should be asked long before all of those: which email campaigns convert when times are tough, and how can you double down on those to reduce the impact of price hikes?

So How Do You Drive Sales Without Overdoing the Discounts?

It’s only natural to reach for the discount button when prices go up. But it’s not a sustainable strategy, and it will cut into profitability in the long term.

So sure, customers are cautious, but bigger and bigger discounts aren’t the only way to win their confidence. You don’t have to resort to ever-growing discounts. You just need a smarter strategy based on proven types of email campaigns that convert at scale.

The right email blasts and newsletter campaigns can keep your audience engaged and clicking. They can keep their focus on value, rather than price. And they can nudge customers toward conversions, all without burning out your margins.

In this article, we’ll walk through both short-term campaign plays for quick wins, and long-term brand strategies for loyalty and growth. Putting them together in one strategy is the best way to keep your inventory moving and keep customer relationships strong in the face of tariff-induced price hikes.

Email Campaigns That Convert in the Short and Long Term

A winning email strategy isn’t just about firing off promotions. That was true before tariffs took over the news cycle, and it’s even truer now that they have. After all, the relationship between your brand and your subscriber list has to be one that benefits both. As competition for their dollar intensifies, customers are more mindful of what benefits them, and what’s just cluttering their inboxes.

If you approach this creatively, there’s a lot you can do to improve your strategy and emphasize email campaigns that convert over promotional noise that triggers unsubscribes.

Short-Term Campaign Plays: Quick Wins That Don’t Rely on Manipulation

1: The “Last Chance At This Price” Campaign

What it is:

This is an email campaign that lets customers know prices are about to change. It gives them one last shot to grab their favorites before tariff adjustments kick in. You’re not shouting “SALE”, and you’re not talking about tariffs. But you are driving urgency in a transparent, honest way.

Why it works:

This email campaign is a great way to encourage sales without getting specific about economic or political reasons (yawn) behind price changes. It’s not a scare tactic. In fact, it’s not a tactic at all (as long as you’re honest about the fact that this is the readers’ last chance at this price). It’s a helpful heads-up. They’ll remember that. You looked out for them while everyone else was just cranking up prices.

Tip:

Use language like “We wanted you to know first”. Because you want to sound thoughtful and transparent. And because, hopefully, it’s true.

2: Flash Sale to Move Slow Inventory

What it is:

A mini party in the inbox: celebrating the last hurrah for slower-moving stock before tariffs nudge prices up. Flash sales are a classic promotional strategy, of course. But if you frame them thoughtfully, they feel less like a fire sale and more like a curated goodbye tour.

Why it works:

If it’s low-pressure and fun, this is an email campaign that converts and moves stock. Your customers get a deal, and they don’t feel rushed or suspicious. They just get to snag something special before it’s gone.

Tip:

Put the focus on the “last” angle: “last of its kind” or “won’t be back”. That adds excitement without being pushy.

3: The Rewards Campaign

What it is:

Referral email campaigns like this one get your customers talking about you, and in the best way. Subscriber A invites a friend, and that friend scores a discount. Subscriber A gets rewarded, too. This is a win-win-win (and who doesn’t love looking like the hero who found it first?).

Why it works:

Referrals tap into trust, because they put the customer in the driver’s seat. You’re giving them a reason to share some love and come back for more. It’s organic growth that feels good on every side of the checkout process.

Tip:

If you use this email campaign type, lay the process out clearly and step by step. If it’s easy, readers will be more likely to participate.

Playing the Long Time: Email Campaigns That Build Momentum

1: The Product Quality Campaign

What it is:

This email is promotional, but actually contains value for the reader. It pulls back the curtain on what makes your products worth it: the craftsmanship, the intentionality, the durability – whatever it is that customers can count on when every dollar matters.

Why it works:

Right now, people aren’t just looking for more stuff (if they ever are). They’re looking for smart investments. This email is an opportunity to show them that your products are that smart investment.

Tip:

Tell a behind-the-scenes story, whether it’s about materials, process or mission. Whatever makes your brand stand out – let that shine here.

2: The Letter From the Founder

What it is:

A piece that your founder writes themselves. The founder letter email should share thoughts, encourage the community, or express gratitude. It can even give a little behind-the-scenes perspective on the day-to-day life of the business.

Why it works:

Nobody really cares about brands. They care about people. A heartfelt founder letter reminds your customers that there are real people and real stories behind the brand they’re choosing to support.

Tip:

Stay real and don’t over-explain. Forward-looking and honest beats polished and corporate every time.

3: The Loyalty Program Growth Campaign

What it is:

A nurture campaign inviting your best customers to join your loyalty program, unlocking perks like exclusive offers, early access to new offers, and VIP-only rewards.

Why it works:

If you get it right, a loyalty program feels less like a marketing tactic and more like an invitation to belong. It shifts the conversation from “buy because it’s cheap” to “buy because you’re part of something special”.

Tip:

Make VIPs feel like VIPs from the get-go, and keep it going throughout their journey with you. Early access, secret sales, points – whatever you can offer, be consistent and make sure that the treatment you’re giving your VIPs lives up to the hype.

4: Value-Driven Bundle Campaigns

What it is:

Curated product bundles that give more perceived value, but without relying on discounts. Starter kits, essential sets, limited-edition collections – these can all feel thoughtful and exciting.

Why it works:

Bundles make shopping easier. Everyone loves getting a deal and discovering new favorites. Plus, they naturally boost AOV, helping your bottom line without undercutting your pricing power.

Tip:

Give bundles fun, lifestyle-oriented names like “Weekend Essential” or “Self-Care Starter Kit”. It’s a good idea to take your cue from customer behavior data to figure out what kind of bundles they’ll want.

Using Email Campaigns to Reach Tariff Sustainability

Email campaigns that convert are your springboard to stability in strange times. With the right mix of quick wins and deeper brand-building plays, you can keep your customers close and your margins healthy. You can also keep moving your business forward, whatever tariffs or the market throw your way.

What’s Next in the Tariff Survival Guide?

Check in for our next post: Clean Lists, Clear Messaging: Why Deliverability Matters More Than Ever. (Because even the best email campaign in the world won’t help if it never reaches your customers’ inboxes).

Btw, if you missed it, be sure to check out previous entries:

Part 1: Flows That Fight Friction.

Tariffs Are Tough. Your Email Strategy Doesn’t Have to Be

If you’re not sure where to start with creating email campaigns that convert through the tariff disruption, you’re in the right place. In our experience, the best results come from pairing strong email content with the right tools. In the hands of a knowledgeable email marketing services provider, the right email campaign software can help you execute high-impact strategies without overloading your team.

We’ve helped eCommerce brands deal with:

• Unexpected price shifts
• Supply chain disruptions
• Market stress

And we can help you, too.

Book your free consultation with an email marketing expert.

For more insights and strategies, keep reading through the next articles in this series:

• Part 3: Email Deliverability & Email List Hygiene
• Part 4: Email Segmentation
• Part 5: Email Design & Email Copywriting
• Part 6: Customer Loyalty Programs

Costs, Conversions & Tariffs: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do tariffs affect eCommerce email campaign strategies?

A: Tariffs raises costs. That makes endless discounting unsustainable. Instead of a race to the bottom, brands need to focus on building trust and showcasing value. That approach has the best chance of driving revenue without giving away margin.

Q: What’s the best email marketing strategy when costs rise?

A: A mix of short-term promotions (flash sales, last-chance offers), and long-term brand-building (quality storytelling, loyalty programs). This combination creates a balance between cash flow and brand equity.

Q: How can we reactivate disengaged customers during times like this?

A: A smart reengagement email series can bring back customers who haven’t purchased in a while. This works really well if you pair it with incentives like loyalty perks or limited-time bundles.

Q: What’s an example of a good promotional email during tariff disruptions?

A: A well-timed “Last Chance at This Price” flash sale is a strong move. Other promotional email examples include curated bundles and loyalty-exclusive offers that emphasize value over deep discounts.

Q: Should we still invest in interactive email campaigns right now?

A: Absolutely. Interactive email campaigns like referrals or loyalty point trackers deepen engagement and keep customers connected to your brand, even when they’re spending more cautiously.

Keep reading for insights on how email automation can protect revenue through this uncertain period.

This article is part 1 of 6 in our Tariff Survival Guide for eCommerce Marketers.

• Part 2: Email Campaigns That Convert
• Part 3: Email Deliverability & Email List Hygiene
• Part 4: Email Segmentation
• Part 5: Email Design & Email Copywriting
• Part 6: Customer Loyalty Programs

Key Takeaways

• Tariffs are creating friction for eCommerce businesses: products are costing more, and taking longer to ship.
• Email automation is key to mitigating the impact by strengthening trust and keeping sales consistent.
• Focus on essential email automation flows: Welcome. Abandoned Cart, Shipping Delay, Back-in-Stock, Post-Purchase to cover the whole customer journey.

What Can eCommerce Stores Do About Tariffs?

With tariffs back in the news and supply chain disruptions causing headaches for eCommerce businesses, it’s safe to say everyone is feeling the pressure. Product costs are rising, and delays are holding inventory up. Customers are also more sensitive to change than usual.

It’s a lot, and it probably feels that way. The good news for eCommerce marketers is that there are a few critical levers you can pull, especially when it comes to how you connect with your customers.

Strengthen Trust & Loyalty With Intelligent Email Automations and Flows

The market is rocky. Customers know that, and right now, they’re looking for consistency. With prices trending upward almost everywhere,

• If you’ve increased prices, have you been transparent about it?
• Did you communicate clearly to keep people in the loop?
• Are you making the shopping experience easy, and minimizing the impact of delays for customers?

Brands who show up for their customers now will earn loyalty that lasts beyond any (hopefully temporary) turbulence.

It’s also time to double down on whatever brought them to your brand to begin with. That’s bigger than price. And in some cases, it’s even bigger than your product. It’s about how you’ve made them feel, and how well you can keep hitting the right notes to keep them coming back.

Let Email Automation Do the Heavy Lifting

With so many variables in play, eCommerce brands need all the help they can get. An email automation delivers in spades, especially when the sailing isn’t smooth.

With the right email workflow automation in place, you really can have it all:

• Keep your brand top-of-mine.
• Nurture trust among your most valuable customers.
• Expand your list and drive sales to soften the impact of price hikes.

In this article, we’re breaking down the essential automated email campaigns you should prioritize protect you customer experience and your revenue, even (and especially) when you’re thrown a curveball like historic changes in tariffs.

The Email Automation Flows That Keep Revenue…Flowing (Even When Prices Go Up)

1: The Welcome Flow

What’s the point of this email automation?

Your welcome email flow is the first and most important opportunity you get to roll out the red carpet. It’s a series of emails that greet new subscribers and introduce them to your brand.

First impressions are always everything. But right now, they’re extra everything. In more certain times, you can afford to be a little brand-centric in your welcome flow. But right now, you need customers to feel like they’re getting real value, right from the start. You want to keep their minds on value, and off things like pricing jitters or concerns about shipping. This might call for some adjustments to your messaging and design.

How to structure a high-converting welcome email flow

• Email 1: A warm welcome (obviously), plus some follow-up if you offered something in a popup. The goal here isn’t necessarily to talk about your brand, but let readers know they’re in good hands (and prove it).
• Email 2: Readers who open this one are interested in learning more. Now’s the time to spotlight what sets you apart. Talk about your quality, your values. Whatever your strong suit is, make it shine here.
• Email 3: Set clear expectations around shipping times, especially if you’re expecting delays. If you have to deliver this kind of bad news, it’s best to do it early, and do it transparently.

Personalization matters, too. Tailor these emails as much as you can based on user behavior and preferences. But even more importantly, you should aim to remove any uncertainty the reader may have had before subscribing.

Tweaking your welcome flow can improve email revenue by 1563%. Get our welcome flow deep dive to find out how.

2: The Abandoned Cart Flow

Why this email automation belongs on the essential list

Carts get abandoned. A well-crafted abandoned cart email automation wins them back. This series is an event-based email automation that triggers when a customer loads up their cart, and then ghosts.

You can expect that to happen more than usual at the moment: tariffs and supply chain hiccups are causing major buyer hesitation. That makes getting your abandoned cart email flow in ship shape should be high up on your priority list.

What an effective abandoned cart flow looks like

• Email 1: A reminder, but not a nag. The usual messaging about “forgetting” the cart may be a little less relevant right now. Instead, focus on value and urgency.
• Email 2: Bring in some social proof to nudge readers back to checkout. Pick some great reviews or UGC to feature. It’s a good idea to pick examples where customers explain why they’re happy. In other words, real-world problem solving is worth more than the 5-star widget.
• Email 3: This is an ideal place to throw in a limited-time bonus or discount. This is standard practice anyway, but in 2025 it’s a no-brainer.

Is your abandoned cart email flow recovering revenue? Find out how to net 6% or more with intelligent, engaging email automation that brings customers back to checkout.

3: The Shipping Delay Flow

An email automation that gives your readers full transparency

Shipping delays damage trust. But unexpected shipping delays damage it beyond repair. This flow is a good way to keep your customers in the loop, so they don’t get any nasty surprises after purchasing.

Proactive, honest updates show your customers that you respect their time (and their money). Brands who make this effort will have a much greater chance of riding out tariff-induced uncertainty with their lists in good shape.

Building a shipping delay email flow that leaves customers curious, not irritated

• Email 1: Break the news. Be upfront about the delay, and share an updated timeline.
• Email 2: A sincere apology, perhaps pairs with a little perk (free or discounted shipping, bonus points, or some other value add).
• Email 3: Confirm once the order ships, and give detailed tracking information for peace of mind.

4: The Back in Stock Flow

Inviting customers to get it before it’s gone (again)

One of the very few silver linings of supply chain chaos is that it reminds customers that they can’t take their favorite products for granted. Hearing that something is back in stock is more compelling when you’re not sure when it will be back again. Capitalize on that with an email automation that alerts customers when out-of-stock products are back and ready to ship.

Back-in-Stock alert can be a golden ticket to recover lost sales. Plus, you’re reaching out to people who already wanted what you’re selling, a (relatively) easy win.

How to craft back in stock email flows that don’t sound gimmicky

• Email 1: Announce the big news, but don’t spend too much email space telling a story about the product. The point here is scarcity and urgency. Make the CTA stand out.
• Email 2: Remind subscribers who have purchased the product in the past why they loved it in the first place. Emphasize benefits, don’t dwell on features.
• Email 3: Urgency is key here. Tell readers that stock is limited (as long as that’s true).

Segment your audience based on product interest to make these alerts hyper-relevant and more effective.

Get our full guide to setting up back in stock emails using Klaviyo flows.

The Post-Purchase Flow

Preserving purchase momentum by letting customers know they’re more than a number

This email automation flow keeps the conversation going after the sale. You want customers who read this to see that you actually value their business. It’s also an opportunity to present more products that align with their interests and increase CLV.

Post-purchase emails that keep buyers coming back for more

• Email 1: Short and sweet. This should be a heartfelt thank you, with a confirmation of order details.
• Email 2: Smart recommendations for complementary products, refills or upgrades.
• Email 3: A gentle review request, or an invite to join your loyalty program.

The emails in this flow don’t need to be long. But they do need to make an impact. Customers who open them should feel reassured, then excited, then a desire to share their experience (even if that comes from a little incentive).

Email Automation: Your Tariff-Time Lifeline

We’ve helped eCommerce brands successfully adjust their email marketing automation strategies to handle uncertain times.

If you’re looking to tighten up your email workflow automation, recover abandoned carts, or master integrating email automation with CRM systems, we’ve got you.

Talk to an email automation expert to protect your retention revenue.

In the next chapter of our series, we’ll dive into Campaigns That Convert When Costs Go Up: email strategies that focus on turning tariff-driven cost hikes into revenue-generating opportunities.

Smart, right?

Well, maybe not.

Depending on how your setup works, you might be excluding real customers across your campaigns. Even worse, you could be misattributing revenue in flows, while those same profiles still enter the automation. Either way, you’re getting an inconsistent picture of performance, and you may be losing out on real revenue.

In this blog, we’ll break down how inbox security systems can skew your email data, and what that means for your revenue attribution. We’ll also look at why some filters might be doing more harm than good.

So What are Bot Clicks, Really?

On most email platforms (like Klaviyo), a bot click is a link click that appears to come from a non-human interaction, like a script or automated process.

But not all “bot clicks” come from actual bots.

Some inbox providers, like Gmail or corporate email servers, use security filters that automatically click every link in incoming emails. This is a safety measure to scan for malicious content.

The problem is that email service providers (ESPs) can’t always tell the difference. If a security system clicks a link on behalf of a human user, Klaviyo still logs it as a bot click and flags the profile. That usually leads to removing the profile from the list.

So, even if that real customer opens, reads, and purchases later…you might never email them again. They’re on the bot list, and they won’t get future email marketing campaigns and email marketing flows.

When Bot Clicks Exclusion Goes Wrong: Real Revenue Horror Stories

We recently helped a store who had changed their attribution model from 3 to 5 days. They had also begun to exclude bot clicks, which they had not done before.

A couple of totally predictable things happened:

1. Email-attributed revenue dropped. This is inevitable, because Klaviyo was now linking less revenue to emails.
2. Engagement also dropped. Again, this was not surprising: at least some of the opens they had been getting were genuine bot clicks and machine opens.

But then we noticed something far more important: website sessions coming from Klaviyo also dropped.

After digging in, we found that the majority (yes, MAJORITY) of these profiles were real customers. They had been engaging and shopping with the brand before the change. But the bot clicks exclusion had cut them out of all email communication.

These exclusions were cutting valuable (human) subscribers out of the loop. These were profiles who had:

• Opened multiple emails
• Clicked multiple links (beyond the security auto-clicks)
• Completed purchases

They weren’t bot clicks. They were buyers.

Here’s an example of a profile that ended up on the exclusion list, even though there was a purchase history for the profile.

Okay, that looks like a pretty small order. Maybe the data clarity we got from excluding bot clicks was worth it?

Not quite. Here’s another example, but this time a loyal customer whose profile had triggered clickbot=true.

Imagine the impact of this kind of thing at scale. Excluding hundreds or even thousands of active profiles based on inaccurate bot identification could wreck your attribution model and flatten your revenue.

We even found a new customer who had converted via the welcome flow. After entering that flow, the system misidentified it as a bot click. This customer wouldn’t get any more future communication. And the brand would have cheated itself out of repurchase revenue.

Apple Privacy Opens: The Other Silent Revenue Killer

It’s not just bot clicks that brands need to worry about.

Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) makes a complex picture even messier. It preloads email content on Apple devices, even if the recipient never opens the message.

That means:

• Opens appear as “machine activity”
• Klaviyo (and other ESPs) can’t always tell if the recipient actually read the mail
• Some marketers choose to exclude Apple Privacy opens from email flows and email campaigns

But again, this can be dangerous.

It’s possible for a recent customer to end up in the “machine opens” category. So, if you exclude Apple Privacy Opens from your sends, you could be excluding active customers and losing out on revenue.

Here’s an example of a one-time customer that the system thinks is a machine open, even though they have placed an order.

At the end of the day, it’s better to have slightly noisy data than to lose out on revenue opportunities.

One of our expert email marketing strategists, Liana Mouradian, puts it like this:

“Consistency is more important than precision. If your metrics stay stable over time, even with some inflation, you’ll still spot the trends that matter.”

So Should You Ever Exclude Bot Clicks?

Yes, but only strategically.

In some rare cases, filtering might be necessary:

• During a list bombing attack
• If you notice a surge of invalid or junk profiles
• If a deliverability consultant recommends it for list hygiene or domain health reasons

But even then, proceed with caution. Flagging a security filter as a bot is a blunt tool. Unless you’re pairing it with additional signals, like no site activity, no purchase behavior, or hard bounces, you could be throwing out valuable profiles.

How to Check if You’re Excluding Real Customers

Here’s what we recommend for every Klaviyo user:

1: Audit your bot clicks regularly

Go into your database and identify any profiles triggering the bot classification. Check if they:

• Have a purchase history
• Engaged with multiple emails
• Revisited your site

You can establish this by segmenting these profiles. For example, filter for profiles that met “clickbot=true in the last 30 days” AND have ever placed an order. Those are customers, so keep them.

For active subscribers, you can segment further by digging into engagement levels like “active on site,” and “viewed product”.

We recommend having these botclick+MPP segments in place, and monitoring them regularly.

2: Don’t panic over inflated open/click rates

It’s a trade-off. Yes, some metrics may appear inflated. But excluding too aggressively can cost you more than just some messy data.

• Use engagement and conversion data: Look beyond opens and clicks. Track sessions, add-to-carts, and purchases to get a fuller picture.
• Validate before excluding: If a profile is flagged but has a recent purchase or strong behavioral signals, reconsider excluding it.
• Adjust segmentation logic: For example, instead of excluding all Apply Privacy Opens, exclude only those with no other engagement for 90+ days.

Don’t Let “Clean Data” Kill Your Conversions

Email marketing is messy. Between bots, privacy tools, and engagement filters, it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s noise.

But we’ve learned that over-correcting is just as dangerous as under-analyzing. The best move is a balanced, evidence-based segmentation strategy that combines behavioral signals, clear exclusion logic, and ongoing monitoring.

If you’re not sure whether you’re excluding the right profiles (or the wrong ones), Hustler Marketing can help you audit your lists, segments, attribution settings and engagement filters to make sure you’re not ghosting your best customers.

Talk to our expert team about how to clean up your email data without sacrificing revenue.

Sounds very attractive for any eCommerce brand that wants to scale up their UGC and dominate social media.

But it also sounds too good to be true. Because it is.

Let’s be real: when it comes to User-Generated Content (UGC) ads, GenAI is not quite ready to take the wheel. Sure, some brands are pumping fully AI-generated UGC ads with no human creator, no human oversight, and no human in the loop anywhere.

But the fact that you know those ads exist means that you know that an AI UGC video generator made them. You can spot it, usually from the first few seconds. And that’s the problem.

AI-generated UGC ads might be efficient, but they lack the one thing that makes user-generated content work: an actual user.

Here’s why brands should think twice before handing over their UGC strategy to the robots.

AI UGC Avatars: Entering the Uncanny Valley With AI UGC Video Generators

AI-generated creators still look…off.

There’s a weirdness, an almost-there-but-not-quite feel that makes people uncomfortable. That’s the uncanny valley effect in action. It’s a well studied phenomenon where a humanoid figure is close to looking real, but the small inaccuracies make it deeply unsettling.

“Unsettling” definitely isn’t an emotion you want people to associate with your brand. But unless you edit them, the outputs of an AI UGC video generator will give audiences weird vibes.

Adjusting AI-Generated UGC Ads is Harder Than it Looks

Tinkering with these avatars to get them “just right” takes a lot more time than you’d think. It’s not just that GenAI models suck at rendering human hands (although they do). It’s that, even if the AI avatar doesn’t have 6 fingers, there are many other subtle telltale signs that you’re dealing with a robot.

A mouth that moves weirdly. A disjoint between the voice and facial expression. Surfaces that look way too smooth. The list goes on.

Cleaning those up can take a lot of time, and requires a pretty rare skillset.

How to Edit UGC-Generated UGC Ads

Here are some of the skills you need to edit AI-generated UGC ads:

• 3D modeling & animation to adjust facial expressions, body movements, and realism using – you guessed it – more AI tools.
• AI prompt engineering to craft hyper-specific prompts that generate more natural results.
• Post-processing & editing of those ick-giving oddities.
• Cultural & emotional nuance like subtle social cues and expressions.

At this point, if you’re investing this much time and expertise, the ROI that got you interested in plug-and-play AI UGC ads is starting to slip away.

But it is possible to drive an impressive ROI with AI, when it’s used as a support tool.

Using AI for UGC: the Right Way to Scale

AI UGC video generators aren’t the only players on the scene. There’s a growing list of AI tools that make UGC ad production easier and faster. You can use these tools to:

✔ Generate slick motion graphics.
✔ Create stunning backgrounds.
✔ Spit out voiceovers in a hundred different tones.
✔ Digest existing content to help speed up the briefing process.

In the hands of an experienced UGC agency, these tools can drastically cut down on the time and resources needed to launch high-converting ads.

But here are just some of the things that AI can’t do (and probably won’t ever be able to do):

❌ Create strategy: AI modes follow patterns. They don’t think outside of them.
❌ Inject true human emotion into copy and delivery.
❌ Understand cultural nuances the way a real person can.
❌ Make anything truly original.

That last point is really important. GenAI models work by ingesting and processing training data. That means that every AI-generated idea has already been done before.

So even if a brand can overcome the technical hurdles of tinkering with AI-generated content we saw earlier (a BIG assumption), the problem of originality remains.

No brand invests time and money in UGC to recycle old ideas, because old ideas don’t convert. Here are some examples of UGC ads that could only have been made by humans being creative, daring, and even a little unhinged.

Ads That No AI UGC Video Generator Could Have Made

This ad features a creator seen from multiple angles, trying to be sneaky about dropping hints to her husband’s phone. It’s organic, not over-polished, and tells a story that’s completely believable (even if it is a little weird).

For this ad, the brief was: “let’s think about the kinds of TV ads that the creators would have seen when they were kids, and give the whole ad that vibe”. It’s relatable, and pretty subtle: something that an AI UGC video generator would have struggled to get right.

Keeping the U in UGC Matters Legally, Too

The regulation of AI in advertising is an ongoing process. The rules vary from industry to industry, and region to region.

But one thing is beyond doubt: regulators expect advertisers to be up-front with consumers. The Federal Trade Commission is increasingly interested in the way that businesses use AI, and ensuring that consumers always know what they’re looking at. While there isn’t an AI disclosure law yet, it’s totally possible that there will be one eventually, just like the rule about influencer disclosures.

A notice saying “This ad is AI-generated” is a sure way to destroy your engagement metrics. And it will put your UGC ad strategy right back at square one.

UGC With AI, Not UGC By AI

AI follows formulas. Humans break them.

AI replicates. Humans innovate.

Formulas and replication have their place. They automate away the tasks that don’t need creativity, so your team can focus on the tasks that do.

But if you want to create ads that scale wildly, you need to break rules and take risks. In other words, let AI handle your laundry and dishes. The art is still 100% yours. Because at the end of the day, UGC isn’t just about looking real. It’s about being real.

Some eCommerce founders insist that a digital marketing agency is indispensable to scaling up. Others prefer to work with freelancers, or build their in-house team. 

So which one is better? And are marketing agencies worth it in 2025? Important questions, without short answers. The reality is that the “in house vs agency” question is not an either/or. An eCommerce business will need one or the other (maybe even both) at different stages in its development. 

Let’s Cut to the Chase

Here, we’re not doing the stock standard “benefits of marketing agencies” blog. Because that would tell you nothing you don’t know already. Instead, we’re connecting each model to a different type of eCommerce brand, based on our experience working with eCommerce trailblazers. You may recognize your business in one or more of the types that we outline here.

So let’s get to it. 

You’re a Marketing Agency…I See Where This is Going.

Hustler Marketing ranks #21 in organic search for “email marketing agency” (no cap). So, of course, we want as many brands to sign up to work with us. Right?

Not necessarily.

In fact, sometimes it’s in everyone’s best interests to stay on friendly terms without taking the step of working together. Here are some cases where an eCommerce brand does not need an email marketing agency:

• The brand doesn’t have enough budget to make full use of the agency’s offerings.
• The agency requires a length of commitment that the brand is uncomfortable with.
• An audit is done, and the agency confirms that the in-house team is knocking it out the park.

That last one happens more than you think, especially here at Hustler. Here’s a conversation between one of our SDRs and a brand that we would have loved to sign – but whose email marketing channel was in such good shape that everything we audited got a stellar rating.

Email Marketing Services: Who Are They For, Really?

Here are the types of eCommerce businesses who really succeed with an email marketing agency partner.

1: The Scale Up Superhero

You’re an up-and-coming brand with a healthy marketing budget. If you’re the founder, this probably isn’t your first rodeo. You’ve got product-market fit down, and your shipping and fulfillment infrastructure is good to go. Now, you need to scale fast. A full-service email marketing agency can be your fast track to getting the right expertise, resources, and tools.

2: The Growth Guru

Established ecommerce brands with a strong customer base can face stagnation. It’s always a good idea to refresh your marketing strategies – and an agency partnership might be just what you need to do that. Marketing agencies bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and the latest tools to help established brands optimize their existing strategies and explore new opportunities for growth and differentiation, like UGC advertising.

3: The Niche Ninja

Most agencies take a jack-of-all-trades approach to email marketing. But others have taken a steep learning curve on a specific niche, so they can service specialized markets like luxury goods, high tech, CBD products, even SaaS. If yours is a niche brand, it’s a good idea to vet potential vendors based on their ability to work in your vertical. A full-service email marketing agency who understands your language, your audience, and the unique compliance issues within your field could help you to stay ahead as competition intensifies through 2025, and more niches approach saturation.

In House vs Agency: Who Should Stay on Team Freelancer (or Hire a Permanent Team)?

If any of these describe your brand or business, hiring in-house or sourcing freelancers directly might be the best option for you right now:

You have Specific, But Short-Term Needs

If you only need help with one-off projects (e.g., a website overhaul, a single email flow), freelancers offer flexibility without long-term contracts. Or, if you already have an established in house marketing team, they can quickly address these short-term projects as part of their daily operations.

Your Want Full Control Over Marketing

In-house teams or freelancers allow more direct control over branding, strategy, and execution. This is ideal for businesses that want tight integration with other departments (like product or customer service) and immediate decision-making. That’s because, in an agency partnership, control is always shared to some degree. After all, the agency’s insights and expertise are part of the package. Micromanaging an agency team can lead to suboptimal relationships and results. It could drastically escalate costs – especially if they bill by the hour.

In House Plus Agency: the Best of Both?

There’s a third scenario that we haven’t considered yet: the “both and”.

Working with an agency doesn’t mean firing your in-house team. In fact, if an email marketing agency’s model is flexible enough, they can help you to fill critical skills gaps that let your internal marketing team focus on product or business expansion.

This works especially well for businesses who want to expand into new marketing channels like UGC.

Laying a Strong Foundation for Success in Q1 2025

With a new year on the horizon, it’s time for brands to give their marketing infrastructure a health check. Whether you’re managing marketing in house, with freelancers, or in partnership with an agency, a full audit of your marketing channels could reveal new opportunities for growth in 2025.

Contact our team to schedule yours. Worst case scenario: you come away with a clean bill of health and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re set up for success as Q1 rolls around in just 2 months.