Why Your Customers Crave Connection, Not Discounts

The newsletter for eCommerce brands who put people first.

THE SEND

Why Your Customers Crave Connection, Not Discounts


Hey there, fellow marketers,

Naomi here…

I often hear a similar question, and it came up again this past week: 

"Our email open rates are 8%. Should we send more emails?"

That's like asking if you should talk louder when people are already ignoring you.

Here's what actually happened: This brand has been sending “20% Off” emails for months. Their customers aren't gone. Their customers just need to see something else that doesn’t feel generic.

Your customers don't need more emails. They need emails they want to open.

HOW TO RE-ENGAGE YOUR CUSTOMERS

Picture this: A customer spends $47 on stress-relief tea in March, and then disappears... Classic one-and-done scenario, right?

But, here's what most eCommerce stores miss. This customer spent six months receiving identical discount emails. Same tired subject lines. Same products they'd already seen. Same "limited time" offers that run every week.

They weren't ignoring the emails because they hated the product. They were ignoring them because the emails felt so predictable.

What if instead of another generic discount email, you sent ONE message that remembered they were human?

Subject: "Your Sunday morning ritual deserves better"

Think about what you actually know: They bought stress-relief tea. Your data shows they open emails on Sunday mornings. Sunday anxiety may be why they needed the tea in the first place.

That one personalized email could turn a dormant customer into a sale.

The difference? Relationship marketing.

Your turn: Look at your last purchase data. What story does it tell? What do your customers' buying patterns reveal about their lives? Your next email should feel like it's written by someone who pays attention...

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT EMAIL RIGHT NOW

While everyone's chasing AI automation to fix their email problems, here's what's actually killing revenue numbers:

  • Open rates down 23% since 2019 (and dropping)

  • 67% of brands still segment by "bought stuff" vs "didn't buy stuff"

  • Only 14% have more than 3 post-purchase emails

  • Average person gets 121 marketing emails daily

But the brands doing it right? They're seeing 35-45% of revenue from email and 3x higher customer lifetime values.

The difference isn't better subject lines or prettier templates.

It's remembering that customers are humans, not data points.

THE WELCOME SERIES THAT WORKS BETTER

You’ve probably seen Welcome Series email sequences that look like this:

  1. Thanks for subscribing!

  2. Here's 10% off

  3. Meet our bestsellers

  4. Don't forget your discount!

  5. Last chance for 10% off!

These series train your customers to only buy on sale…

Try this instead:

Email 1: The real founder story (not the polished version)
Email 2: How stuff gets made (with actual photos)
Email 3: Customer doing cool things (let them shine)
Email 4: The problem that started it all (be vulnerable)
Email 5: What's coming next (make them insiders)

No discounts. No product pushes. Just actual stories.

Why it works: You're building relationships, not just processing transactions.

THE SHIFT IS HAPPENING

The platforms are catching up. Shopify's pushing customer analytics. Klaviyo's rolling out AI segmentation. Meta's talking about "meaningful connections."

Interruption Marketing is dying. Relationship marketing is taking over.

🛠️ DONE-FOR-YOU EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

The difference between emails that get deleted and emails that drive sales? Understanding your customers as humans. I help eCommerce brands create campaigns that feel personal and generate revenue.

Want me to take a look at your emails? Reply to this email and share:

  1. Your monthly revenue

  2. Your current open rate

  3. What's frustrating you most about email right now

I read every response personally and get back to you within 48 hours.

Talk soon,
Naomi

P.S. If this newsletter was helpful, feel free to forward it to a friend who might enjoy it. Let's help more brands build better customer relationships.

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THE SEND is a weekly newsletter for eCommerce brands who know there's more to email than "SALE SALE SALE." Visit us at signifystudio.com.