What I Learned From 45 Minutes Talking Email Strategy with a Top Ads Guy

Hey, Michael from AdSumo Digital here.

A few weeks ago I wrapped a 45-minute podcast conversation with an ads expert who works with 7-8 figure e-commerce brands, and I wanted to share the insights that came out of our discussion.

Watch the Full Conversation

If you want to dive deeper into the tactical details we covered, you can watch the complete podcast conversation here:

We went even deeper on flow triggers, exit-intent pop-ups, campaign frequency, and specific examples from our client accounts.

The conversation covered everything from when brands should actually invest in email marketing to why plain text emails are crushing designed campaigns right now.

Here's what stood out:

The "50-80K Threshold" Is Real

We talked about when email marketing stops being a "nice to have" and becomes a profit necessity.

While any brand with traffic should have a pop-up capturing emails (that's table stakes), the full email marketing investment makes 100% sense once you're consistently hitting ~$50-80K per month.

At that point, your flows and campaigns should be generating 30% of your total revenue. If they're not, you're leaving serious money on the table.

Why this threshold matters: Below $50K, your focus should be on acquisition and getting product-market fit dialed. Above $50K, retention becomes your competitive advantage.

Plain Text Emails Are Winning Because People Crave Authenticity

One of the biggest themes we discussed was how consumers in 2025 are starving for real, authentic brands.

We shared examples of clients who send us voice notes about their business updates, which we turn into plain text campaigns. These "manic brain dump" emails, complete with grammar mistakes and stream-of-consciousness thoughts, consistently outperform polished designed emails.

The insight: Your email list isn't an "email list." It's a group of people who are interested in what you're building. Talk to them like humans, not like a corporate entity.

Flows vs. Campaigns: It Depends on Your Business Model

We dove deep into the eternal question: "What should my flow-to-campaign revenue split be?"

The answer isn't 50/50 for everyone:

• High-repeat purchase brands (like our CPG client with $183 AOV and 3-month purchase cycles): Campaigns do 78% of email revenue

• One-time purchase brands (high-AOV, low-repeat): Flows need to do the heavy lifting at 70%+

The key: Understand your customer lifecycle first, then build your email strategy around it.

The Six-Email Foundation That Changes Everything

If you're overwhelmed by email marketing, start here:

1. Welcome Email #1

2. Abandoned Cart Email #1 (can double as Checkout Abandonment)

3. Site Abandonment Email #1

4. Browse Abandonment Email #1

5. High-Intent Buyer Email #1 (browsed product 3+ times)

6. Post-Purchase Thank You

These six emails will generate more revenue than building out full 8-email flows across every trigger.

Why this works: Email #1 in any flow gets the most sends and highest conversion rates. Perfect these before adding complexity.

Pop-ups: Test Offers, Not Just Design

We spent time on list growth strategy, and the biggest insight was around offer testing.

Free gifts with purchase are winning when margins allow it. But the real strategy is testing 7+ different offers to find your 2 winners.

Pro tip: Use micro-commitments in your pop-ups. Ask a simple question (like "What are you shopping for?") before asking for the email. This data lets you personalize the welcome flow.

AI Is Making 0-to-1 Easier Than Ever

Toward the end, we discussed how AI is changing the game for e-commerce founders.

The 0-to-$100K journey has never been more accessible. First landing page copy, ad creatives, welcome emails, even design elements can be handled by AI while you focus on product and customer experience.

The opportunity: Use AI to get the basics in place faster, then invest in human strategy and relationship-building as you scale.

What This Means for Your Brand

If you're doing $50K+ per month and email isn't generating 30%+ of your revenue, that's your biggest growth opportunity.

Start with the six-email foundation, test plain text campaigns, and remember your customers want to connect with the human behind the brand.

At AdSumo Digital, we see this play out with our clients every month. The brands winning long-term aren't just building email lists, they're building relationships.

Want to discuss your email strategy? Reply to this email and let me know what resonated most from this conversation.

Best,
Michael

P.S. The full podcast conversation covered even more tactical details around flow triggers, exit-intent pop-ups, and campaign frequency. If you want me to dive deeper into any of these topics in future newsletters, just hit reply and let me know.

P.P.S. - If you run an Ecom brand and want to have a 15 minute strategy session with me, book a call here »

Today’s Helpful Links

• Email Marketing ROI: 3 Reasons Why It's Still King!

• How We Made +$667K in Ecommerce Sales using Klaviyo

• Klaviyo Tutorial: Creating a HIGH Converting Post Purchase Email Flow