Howdy, Anthony from The Retention Report here with some bad news…
So many brands see other brands’ emails or email inspo on Instagram (also, follow me if you aren’t already HERE) and start overthinking their emails.
You don’t need insanely fancy emails to get insanely, fancy… wait… sorry…
You don’t need insanely fancy emails to get insane email results (there we go)
You just need to follow a few steps that I’ve outlined below.
Let’s get rockin’
1. Design for Your Demo (Not Your Ego)
If your audience skews older?
Bigger fonts, less clutter, and clear language.
Clever is not rewarded. Clarity is.
Below is a great example of an older demo design. It’s primarily text, and the hero has 7 words and a CTA. The text is in the body is structured for readability, and is likely a 20px font size.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E95lYKo5LiNNodDp_8zI4z6636U7Iukw/view?usp=sharing
If your demo is Gen Z?
Brand and vibe matter more.
You can get quirky and creative.
But clarity still wins.
Design is more about communication than decoration.
The example below from Rhode is a great showcase of a Gen Z-ish style. Minimal. Off styling. Not try-hard at ALL. This quirky style can draw attention from a younger demo and could confuse an older audience.
2. Match the Hero to the Goal
You’ve heard it before:
“THERE NEEDS TO BE A CTA IN THE HERO!!!”
Not always, chief.
If it’s 35% off or some clear “I want this now“, then yes.
Button in the hero. Obvious. Big. Clear. Like the example below:
If you’re educating or building intrigue?
Lead with curiosity. Make them want to scroll like this email from Slumber: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17i6z2_L30QGXQUeiXU_KeZVR4EVA34wx/view?usp=sharing
The hero should match the objective, not some random rule someone yelled on LinkedIn without context.
3. One Email = One Job
This is where brands blow it.
Pick ONE core objective:
Highlight a product.
Build trust.
Push subscription.
Drive restock.
Not all four.
When everything is important, nothing is.
Simple scales.
It’s rare that doing less produces more…
But in email design? It almost always does. Like this email from Prima that focuses 100% on social proof: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S4zL1pYf73gGBcbcOv7fsHQVdwC8NKP_/view?usp=sharing
4. Paint the After Picture
Don’t just show the product.
Show life after the product.
Better sleep.
Clearer skin.
More confidence.
Less back pain.
People don’t buy features.
They buy improved futures.
Paint that picture clearly.
Here’s one example from True Classic. It’s a product drop, and the picture they paint is being happy and being outside in the warm sun. Subtle, but emotions can move people into action:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tviBBTG0vSUm5_jgb600MBug8XXfhE0O/view?usp=sharing
5. Give One Strong “Reason Why”
You don’t need 17 bullets.
You need one strong belief-shifting reason.
“This chair eliminates back pain during 8-hour workdays.”
That’s enough.
Clarity > complexity. Take this email from Armra. There’s a lot IN the email, but all of it is centered around sustainability/nature:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ynoXdXFupDl7DVbyiivqwGZNYhaz_SKi/view?usp=sharing
If you want us to design a free email for your DTC brand using this exact framework…
Reply “DESIGN” and I’ll send over next steps, or just click the button below
We’ll mock one up for you. No charge.
Typically takes about 48 hours.
Let’s make your emails simpler… and better.
Talk soon,
Anthony
P.S. If you’d rather have us build this cross-sell system for you, book a call here →