Friday, Jan

In partnership with

 

 In today’s newsletter 

  • Why SMS and Email Should Work Together (Not Compete)

  • Turn your Shopify brand’s email marketing into a profitability engine

  • DTC Playbook: How Away's Abandoned Cart Email Converts Browsers into Buyers

  • How Princess Polly Made Push Notifications a Cash Machine

  • Why Retention Is The Secret Sauce for Sustainable Growth

  • Latest News: AI Resets Ecommerce Supply Chains & more

    Let's Dive Into It! 👇

Why SMS and Email Should Work Together (Not Compete)

Ibrahim Masood - DTC Growth and Retention Expert

A lot of brands treat SMS and email like rival siblings—pitting them against each other in some imaginary battle for engagement. The best DTC brands? They know SMS and email aren’t competitors—they’re teammates.

Here’s why (and how) they make them work together:

1 . Email = Depth, SMS = Speed

  • Email is your storytelling channel. You can educate, nurture, and sell all in one.

  • SMS is your instant gratification channel. It’s built for quick reminders, urgency, and high open rates.

    Example:

    Email: Full abandoned cart sequence with reviews, benefits, and social proof.

    SMS: A single, well timed message: "Still thinking about your order? Checkout before midnight and get free shipping!"

  • When used together, they cover every touchpoint in the buyer’s journey—without annoying people.

2 . People Check SMS, But Buy From Email

  • Text messages have 98% open rates. But here’s the catch: most people won’t complete a $100+ purchase from a link in an SMS.

  • Solution? SMS grabs attention, and email closes the sale.

  • Example:

    SMS: “Your exclusive offer expires in 2 hours. Check your inbox for details.”

    Email: A high-converting landing page explaining the offer with a clear CTA.

3 . Smart Segmentation = More Revenue

DTC brands that sync SMS and email data make way more money.

  • If someone opens but doesn’t click an email, send a follow-up SMS

  • If a customer buys through SMS, remove them from the next promo email

  • If a shopper ignores SMS, try a softer email re-engagement campaign

  • Every message has a purpose, not just noise.

4 . SMS for Urgency, Email for Longevity

  • SMS is great for flash sales and urgent updates. Email is better for long-term relationship building.

  • Example:

    • "Surprise! 24-hour flash sale starts NOW. Tap to shop!"

    • "Here’s why this product is flying off the shelves (and what customers are saying)."

  • See the difference? One triggers action, the other builds trust.

The Bottom Line

Brands that make SMS and email compete lose revenue. Brands that make them work together make money. If you’re still running email and SMS in separate silos, it’s time to sync them. Start using them as a single, unified sales machine—and watch your conversions go up!

Need help with building such flows?

Turn your Shopify brand’s email marketing into a profitability engine

  • Increase welcome flow revenue by 50%

  • Generate 15% more repeat purchases

  • Send shoppers to branded storefronts with a 20% conversion rate

DTC Playbook: How Away's Abandoned Cart Email Converts Browsers into Buyers

Ibrahim Masood - DTC Growth and Retention Expert

This week, as part of our DTC Playbook series we’ve been breaking down the entire funnel of AWAY, and today, let’s look into AWAY’s first abandoned cart email:

What I Like:

  • Playful Personalization: The line “We noticed you, noticing us” feels lighthearted and engaging—exactly what you need to nudge a potential customer

  • Minimalist Design: The clean layout ensures the message and product take center stage, no fluff or distractions

  • Reassurance Factors: Free shipping, free returns, and store locations are included to reduce any buying hesitation, which is good!

  • Specific Product Details: Showing the exact item (Carry On in Splash Blue) reminds the customer of what they loved/liked, tapping into emotional recall

What Could Be Better:

  • Missed Opportunity for Urgency: Adding language like “Limited stock left!” or “Don’t let it get away!” could push for quicker action

  • No Social Proof: A quick quote or stat like “Loved by 10,000 travelers” could add a final nudge of confidence

This email gets so much right in my opinion, but could benefit from just a dash of urgency and emotional appeal to close the sale faster.

Need help with building out your abandoned cart that would be irresistible? This is exactly why I built the Abandoned Recovery Playbook: [Buy The Playbook for $20 ($49)]

Alright folks, that’s it for today. Have a great weekend ahead!

How Princess Polly Made Push Notifications a Cash Machine

Kaushal Pratap - DTC Owner

Most brands rely on Meta ads to drive sales. Princess Polly took a different route—and turned push notifications into a revenue-driving powerhouse. 

Instead of just running ads, they built a highly engaged mobile app community and used timely, personalized push alerts to bring customers back—leading to a 98.4% retention rate. 

Want to know how they did it?

Why Retention Is The Secret Sauce for Sustainable Growth

Retention isn’t just the glue that holds your growth together; it’s the foundation that ensures you’re not building on quicksand!

Channels like email & SMS are your secret weapons—they create a direct line to customers, nurture loyalty, and recover what’s almost lost..
 

📰IN THE NEWS

AI is transforming ecommerce supply chains by optimizing demand forecasting, inventory management, and logistics. Businesses are using AI-driven insights to reduce costs, prevent stockouts, and enhance efficiency in real-time. 

Google has quietly revealed its next flagship AI model, aiming to compete with OpenAI and other leading AI players. While details are scarce, it's expected to bring major advancements in reasoning, search, and multimodal capabilities.

The shift toward a cashless economy is accelerating, driven by open banking, digital wallets, and remote payment solutions. In 2025, businesses will need to adapt to instant transactions, AI-powered fraud prevention, and seamless cross-border payments.

Have any questions that you need help with?

Ask here - look out for Friday’s issue where Ibrahim will answer them.

#Sponsored

There’s a reason 400,000 professionals read this daily.

Join The AI Report, trusted by 400,000+ professionals at Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Get daily insights, tools, and strategies to master practical AI skills that drive results.

If you want to reach our audience, email [email protected] or set up a call here