📬 Email is king (and I’ve been spying): 72% of brands say *this*

Edition 98.

I interrupt our regular five-byte format to share an email confession that could drive more revenue for your business 💰

But! Before I get into it…

3 short brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week:

1. What’s old is new again.

The generation raised online might be the one giving the mall its second act. TikTok and Instagram culture is sending Gen Z into malls to film, hang out, and shop. 62% of their purchases happen in physical stores (perhaps for the love of content), compared to 52% for shoppers over 25 (perhaps for the love of convenience through online-shopping).

2. Social media, meet radio.

TikTok Radio launched just this past Friday. It’s a live station designed to sound like your For You feed. Think trending music, creator commentary, and the stories behind what’s going viral. In partnership with iHeartMedia, the move also introduces the TikTok Podcast Network. Two lessons: platforms rarely stay in one lane. And, the future of content isn’t one platform. It’s an ecosystem.

3. Voice is winning.

TikTok isn’t the only platform pushing voice. YouTube now lets you reply to comments on your videos with Voice Replies. They can be up to 30-second voice clips. The comments section is now a conversation. Will you be Team type-your-replies, or Team speak-your-replies?

Okay, and now the email confession.

I’m secretly undercover 🕵️

Over the past few months, I’ve been subscribing to the email lists of certain billion-dollar brands.

Their first emails, also known as welcome sequences, go straight into my secret (not-so-secret-anymore) inbox.

All in the name of research.

And a special thanks to the curious readers who’ve *already* joined the waitlist for What the Big Brands Do (Email Masterclass).

I’m recording the class at the end of this month.

The recording space is booked.

And the email “exposé” is imminent.

Inside the masterclass, I’ll show you exactly how to build your own welcome sequence, and what to include.

You’ll learn:

• Why 72% of brands rank email their most effective channel, yet most small businesses still underuse it

• What billion-dollar brands do differently (the first emails are crucial)

• The making of a high-performing welcome sequence

• Real examples from the billion-dollar brands (in my secret inbox), and

• How to build your own email automation that nurtures (and converts) leads in your sleep 😴

I’ll also share the $4,505.28 welcome sequence framework I once paid my growth marketer for.

(Yes, I kept the receipts.)

I’ll show you how to apply the same thinking to your own brand or email list.

Because ignoring your welcome sequence means leaving money on the table and letting warm leads go cold.

I’m seeing the patterns.

I’m doing the research.

And I’ve run these email plays inside my own e-commerce and personal brands.

The masterclass drops this April 📬

But I couldn’t contain the research I’m already plugging into it.

The data (fresh from my notes):

21.5% is the average open rate for emails across industries. If yours is lower, or you don’t even know what yours is, you’ll want to attend, and
Automated emails are “your silent sales team,” says one report. They drove 37% of email-generated sales in 2024, even though they made up just 2% of email volume. Translation: a small slice of emails can drive a large share of revenue.

→ Stay tuned and join the waitlist