Join 350+ eCommerce marketers in our new community—Claim our intro offer $1 for 90 days. Learn more. | | Hey it's Chase and Jimmy here! | Natural wellness, email-first. Here's how Gaia welcomes, nurtures, and retains their buyers. | From the first touch to replenishment reminders, Gaia Herbs keeps their messaging grounded in purpose. Their emails and SMS reflect the brand's earthy, mission-driven identity — but how well do they support the customer experience from sign-up to post-purchase? | We're breaking down the flow to highlight wins, areas for improvements and actionable tips brands can implement.
| Plus in this edition: | ⚡ AI Power-Up: How to let AI handle the first 70% of your copy | 🚀 A retention tactic that separates the pros from everyone else | 💰 Why retention doesn't work if you're flying blind on cash flow
| Let's get into it 👇 |
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| | 🎯 This Retention Tactic Separates the Pros From Everyone Else |  | This Retention Tactic Separates the Pros From Everyone Else |
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| Don't let email carry your whole retention strategy. | The best brands know how to spread the load. | This Omnisend workshop breaks down how to combine email, SMS, and push without bombarding your customers. Because when done right, multichannel = more repeat purchases and higher engagement—without the overwhelm. | 🎯 You'll learn: | What most brands get wrong about SMS and push How to build your SMS and push subscriber lists (with examples that convert) Smart ways to use each channel without over-messaging The workflows and segments that actually drive ROI
| Watch the full session now — and walk away with tactical examples, smart automations, and key takeaways you can implement this week. | |
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| | 🙃 Meme Drop | Plot twist: The email sent to Dave note Peter. |  | (Credit: The Marketing Millenials) |
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| | 🌿 Wellness in Every Message: Gaia Herbs' Email & SMS Strategy | 1. Welcome Email | | What's working | ✅ Strong brand voice. Friendly, encouraging, and rooted in their mission of purity and wellness. The "wellness seeker" language is aligned and uplifting. | ✅ Clear offer. The 15% discount is immediately visible — both in the hero image and reiterated below. | ✅ Smart product intro. Best sellers are showcased without being overwhelming, with visual hierarchy that guides the eye. | ✅ Quiz CTA. Including a "Find your herbs" quiz helps customers get a personalized starting point.
| Room to grow | 🚀 Too many competing CTAs. "Shop Now," "Let Gaia Be Your Guide," and "Shop Best Sellers" all point to different actions. This splits attention and could dilute conversions. A single hero CTA + one secondary personalized path (like the quiz) might drive stronger clicks. | 🚀 No tease of subscription benefits. A soft mention of Subscribe & Save could help plant the seed for recurring orders. | 🚀 Could use segmentation. For returning subscribers or less-engaged users, the tone might feel a bit off without context. | | 2. Welcome SMS | | What's working | ✅ Tone is consistent with the email — warm and affirming.
✅ Offer is crystal clear with a scannable CTA and link.
✅ Emojis used thoughtfully to match the brand's natural vibe.
✅ Good compliance. The initial SMS provides all the required disclosures (rates, privacy, STOP to cancel, etc.).
| Room to grow | 🚀 No segmentation prompt. Adding a quick interactive message like "What are you most focused on right now? A) Stress B) Sleep…" could unlock future targeting.
🚀 Could preview additional benefits. Like free shipping or loyalty points to build perceived value right away.
🚀 Missing next step. A soft "take the quiz" or "start here" CTA might guide users who aren't ready to shop immediately.
| | 3. Order Confirmation Email | | What's working | ✅ Personalized and clean. Uses the customer's name and product visual right away.
✅ Order breakdown is clear. Includes itemized tax and shipping info for transparency.
✅ Copy supports brand promise. The footer reinforces purity, potency, and integrity — keeping it on-message.
| Room to grow | 🚀 No cross-sell. A product like Black Seed Oil could've been paired with a "Frequently Bought With" add-on.
🚀 Missing estimated delivery. Most customers want to know when their product will arrive.
🚀 No upsell CTA. Why not invite customers to subscribe now to save on their next order?
| | 4. Rewards Program Email | | What's working | ✅ Visually calming. The tone, photography, and layout match the brand beautifully.
✅ Lots of ways to earn points. From reviews to birthdays, the variety makes the program feel accessible.
✅ Tied to wellness goals. The framing ("on your wellness journey") makes the rewards feel like progress, not just points.
| Room to grow | 🚀 No intro to the value of points. How much is 100 points worth? Clarity here = motivation.
🚀 Too much upfront. Could be better as a two-part flow (intro + reminder).
🚀 Missing urgency. "Join today" or "start earning" could create a stronger nudge.
| | 5. SMS Welcome #2 | | What's working | ✅ Human and timely. Feels like a real brand moment rather than a blast.
✅ Introduces partnerships. Featuring Gisele adds credibility and lifestyle association.
✅ Multi-link structure. One for education, one for conversion — nice balance.
| Room to grow | 🚀 Two CTAs, one purpose. Could be clearer what action the brand wants most (save number? shop now?).
🚀 Hard to skim. Adding a line break or slight structure would make this more readable in a glance.
🚀 No mention of rewards or community. An easy chance to highlight the value of staying subscribed.
| | 6. Shipping & Order Update | | What's working | ✅ Personalized with name and product. Clear confirmation builds trust.
✅ Tracking info is visible. With carrier and tracking number — reduces friction for the customer.
✅ Minimalist and clear. No fluff, just facts, which is perfect for transactional emails.
| Room to grow | 🚀 No product recommendations. This is a missed moment to show "related to your order" items or invite future purchases.
🚀 No loyalty reminder. Could have included "Earn points when you…" to tie to rewards.
🚀 Copy could reinforce value. A quick line like "Carefully packed with wellness in mind" keeps the brand promise front and center.
| | 7. VIP / Subscribe & Save Email | | What's working | ✅ Clear visual step-by-step. Helps customers understand how subscription works.
✅ Sells benefits, not just discounts. Mentions exclusives, early access, and convenience.
✅ Strong product visuals. Good use of product shots to reinforce the replenishment cycle.
| Room to grow | 🚀 Feels long. Too many CTAs across multiple product rows could cause friction.
🚀 Header is a bit generic. "Make your life simpler" could be more benefit-forward or personalized (e.g. "Cherie, ready for stress-free refills?").
🚀 Could use urgency. "Start your next month strong" or "Lock in your discount" would help drive action now.
| | 8. Refill Reminder | | What's working | ✅ Timely and relevant. Arrives with good timing for refill opportunity.
✅ One-click reorder. Auto-filled cart is a huge win for repeat purchases.
✅ Cross-sell at the bottom. Offers alternative best sellers if the original item isn't needed again.
| Room to grow | 🚀 No SMS reminder. For a consumable product, this is a moment where a follow-up text could nudge conversions.
🚀 Personalization could go deeper. E.g., "Customers who reordered Black Seed Oil also loved X."
🚀 Limited explanation of refill benefits. A quick reminder of Subscribe & Save perks might increase conversion.
| | 9. Review Request | | What's working | ✅ Simple and friendly tone. Straight to the point without pressure.
✅ Product image and name included. Makes it obvious what's being reviewed.
✅ Reinforces community contribution. "Share your thoughts with fellow shoppers" is a nice touch.
| Room to grow | 🚀 Missing incentive. Even small points or a giveaway entry can increase review rates.
🚀 No progress bar or visual encouragement. A 3-step layout or "1 minute to review" framing could help motivate.
🚀 Could link back to rewards. "Earn 10 points when you leave a review" would tie it into their loyalty loop. | | | | What Gaia Herbs Is Doing Well | 🌿 Brand consistency across touchpoints. From emails to SMS, every message feels true to Gaia's earthy, mission-driven identity — warm, calm, and purposeful. Their tone is consistent, their visuals are on-brand, and they keep wellness at the center. | 🌿 Strong foundational automations. Welcome, transactional, and post-purchase flows are all covered. Gaia isn't missing any major lifecycle moments — they're showing up at the right times with the right types of messages. | 🌿 Educational moments without pressure. The inclusion of a quiz, rewards education, and partnership content gives customers space to explore without feeling sold to. | 🌿 Great use of visuals. From product photography to lifestyle shots, everything feels intentional, clean, and aligned with a premium natural health brand. | |
Areas for Improvement
| 🛠️ CTA overload in key moments. Multiple buttons in welcome and S&S emails create cognitive friction. A clearer path per message would likely drive better action. | 🛠️ Underutilized segmentation. SMS could invite user preferences. Emails could adjust based on customer behavior (e.g. subscribers vs. one-time buyers). More personalized logic would go a long way. | 🛠️ Missed cross-sell and upsell moments. Transactional and shipping emails are prime real estate to suggest add-ons — especially for a brand with a wide catalog and high repeat potential. | 🛠️ Loyalty value not reinforced enough. Their rewards program is solid, but it isn't referenced often in flows where it could matter most (like shipping updates, reviews, or refill nudges). | | Key Takeaways for Other Brands | Keep your brand voice consistent across every channel. Gaia's strength is in their tone — it builds trust.
Focus each email on a single next step. More CTAs aren't better if they create confusion.
Use transactional emails to drive more value. Shipping and order confirmations can do more than just inform — they can educate, upsell, and reinforce retention.
Personalization doesn't have to be complex. Even simple segmentation (first-timer vs. subscriber) can improve flow performance.
Remind customers why sticking around pays off. If you have a loyalty program, make it a thread throughout the journey — not just a one-time email.
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| | 💡 Retention doesn't work if you're flying blind on cash flow. | | If you're building campaigns, testing offers, or planning LTV strategies without knowing your margins or runway—you're just guessing. | Highbeam puts you in control. | It's a financial platform built for eCommerce brands that gives you full visibility over spend, credit, and capital in real time. | You'll get: | ✅ Automated cash flow forecasting and treasury tools | ✅ No account fees, wires, or ACH charges | ✅ Capital access when you need it—with no surprises | ✅ Smart cards and bill pay, all in one place | Hundreds of brands—like Tushy, Ridge, and Cuts—use Highbeam to sync their marketing and financial ops—and scale with clarity. | |
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| | 🤖 AI Power-Up: Let AI Handle the Heavy Lifting in Copy | Marketers are constantly pulled in different directions—campaign planning, segmentation, reporting, creative, you name it. | So let's talk about how AI can actually alleviate some of that pain—starting with copy. | Here's how to offload the copy grunt work: | 🧠 First-draft generation: Prompt AI with your campaign goal and tone of voice—it'll give you subject lines, headlines, and body copy you can tweak (not start from scratch). | 🧪 Built-in A/B test ideas: Need variations with urgency, humor, or scarcity? AI can rewrite your message across psychological angles—fast. | ✍️ Dynamic personalization at scale: Feed in customer data like name, product preference, or order history—and let AI insert those details contextually. | 📈 Predictive copy improvement: Some platforms even suggest edits based on past performance. (Too long? Not punchy enough? It flags it for you.) | Let AI do the first 70%. You just polish the last 30%. |
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| | Annnnd that's a wrap for this edition!
Thanks for hanging with Chase and me—always a pleasure to have you here. | If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don't keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let's get them on board so they don't miss next week's drops. | Remember: Do shit you love. | 🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond |
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