The Assignment: Promote content and commerce in a free daily email from Prevention. The status quo got users to sign up, but too many were unsubscribing and not enough were buying. We needed to start speaking with our customers instead of at them.

Step 1: Welcome them with 21 days of fun, friendly emails that introduce the brand, link to prevention.com articles, and sell Prevention and Rodale products. Without sounding like a sales pitch. No big deal, right?

The first three emails are shown below.

Subject Line: Welcome to Prevention

Subject Line: We’ve got exciting stuff to share

Subject Line: Tell us more about you

 

 

Step 2: Experiment! Topics, lengths, frequency, ratio of content to commerce — we tinkered with variables for over a year. And for most of that time, we sent one email a day.  I was busy coming up with countless concepts and copy strategies.

Below are three of the best.

Subject Line: 4 Moves That Banish Bra Fat

 

Subject Line: Start Your 2-Week Turnaround Now

 

Subject Line: A Strong, Sexy Belly from Yoga? Yes!