Hey it’s Chase and Jimmy here!

Most leads don’t ghost you because they’re not interested.

They ghost because you didn’t give them a reason to stick around.

This week, we’re breaking down 10 lead nurturing emails that turn “not now” into “I’m in” — complete with examples from brands like TUSHY, Ooni, and Nike. Whether you’re sending welcome emails, freebies, reviews, or loyalty invites, these campaigns show how to build trust and drive conversions without feeling pushy. You’ll also get four tactical tips to write better emails for every stage of the customer journey.

Also inside this issue:

 🍋 A rescue pitbull becomes the face of a vodka lemonade launch

 💥 Alani Nu crosses $1B in retail sales (and they're just getting started)

📦 Amazon Prime Day gets political amid tariff war

👇 Let’s get into it.

🧠 Think Like a Subscription Brand (Even If You’re Not One)

One-time sales won’t build your business. But repeat customers? That’s where the magic (and margin) is.

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You’ll learn how to:

 ✅ Use email flows to bring customers back (without annoying them)
 ✅ Turn second-time buyers into lifetime loyalists
 ✅ Apply retention tactics from subscriptions to any ecommerce model

Register today and start building for the long haul!

💬 10 Lead Nurturing Emails + Tips to Boost Sales

Not every customer is ready to buy on day one.

Lead nurturing emails help you warm them up. They offer value, tell a good story, and move people closer to “yes” – without ever feeling pushy.

Here are 10 awesome lead nurturing emails (+ tips you can steal for your own campaigns!)

1. WildWonder – Incentivized Welcome

Subject line: A wild and wonderful welcome ✨

WildWonder’s welcome email does everything right: it’s colorful, energetic, and makes you want to be part of the brand. Plus, they sweeten the deal with a 10% discount right off the bat.

What we love:

• Bright visuals and fun copy show off the brand’s personality

• Spells out exactly what emails you’ll get (no surprises)

• Big and bold discount code that’s hard to miss

• Extra CTAs to follow on social or find a store

2. TUSHY – Educational Content

Subject line: Just because you CAN flush it doesn’t mean you SHOULD

TUSHY takes a topic nobody loves talking about (bathroom habits) and makes it surprisingly engaging. This educational email positions their product as a must-have without being salesy.

What we love:

• Playful, hilarious tone that matches their brand

• Clear bridge between problem and product

• CTA that feels like a solution rather than a hard sell

3. Ooni – Free Resource

Subject line: Your free recipe book is inside 🍕

A freebie is one of the easiest ways to build trust early in the customer journey. But Ooni’s free recipe eBook does more than just offer value and inspiration. It also plants the seed for why a pizza oven belongs in your kitchen.

What we love:

• “Just for you” feels personal and exclusive

• Natural tie-in between the resource and the product

• Smart upsell section right below the freebie

4. Surreal – Social Proof

Subject line: The Sweetest Reviews🍓

Surreal leans into rave reviews, showing real customer excitement about their cereal – and it’s almost impossible to read this email without wanting to try it.

What we love:

• Real, excited customer quotes with names

• Fun, on-brand design with mouthwatering visuals

• Creative, actionable CTAs you want to click

5. JUDY – Discount Reminder

Subject line: friend, your discount is expiring!

Sometimes leads just need a friendly nudge to take action. JUDY’s discount reminder expertly blends urgency with an approachable tone that keeps the pressure low but the motivation high.

What we love:

• Calendar alert-style graphic grabs attention

• Short, direct copy that respects the reader’s time

• Visual reminder of the exact product left in cart

6. Athletic Greens – Upsell Offer

Subject line: Want an upgrade?

Athletic Greens uses this email to nudge subscribers toward upgrading to a subscription. But here’s the thing: it feels more like helping than selling.

What we love:

• Strong focus on benefits (“Save $20/month!”)

• Lifestyle positioning (healthy habits, long-term benefits)

• Happy customer review to close the trust gap

7. Warby Parker – Product Recommendations

Subject line: Your 2023 frame horoscope

This email is pure fun: Warby Parker blends product recommendations with horoscope signs, which makes shopping personal, playful, and frictionless.

What we love:

• Smart personalization (even if it’s just for fun)

• Eye-catching visual grid

• Low-pressure product exploration

8. Ring – Feedback Request

Subject line: Your Opinion Matters

Ring’s feedback email is polite, minimal, and has a clear purpose: get quick input from customers without feeling intrusive.

What we love:

• Simple and direct ask with the exact product photo

• Clear benefit (“help make neighborhoods safer”)

• Clean design with minimal clutter and bold CTA

9. Nike – Birthday Gift

Subject line: Lucky You: It’s Your Birthday Month!

A birthday is the perfect excuse to make your customers feel special. Nike nails it with warm, illustrated visuals, a 25% off gift, and a cheerful “Happy Birthday Month” message.

What we love:

• Personalized (birthdays are personal events)

• A 25% discount is a genuinely great gift

• Soft push toward new arrivals

10. Graza – Loyalty Program Invite

Subject line: Good friends share olive oil 🫒

Graza introduces their loyalty program with playful copy, adorable illustrations, and a clear breakdown of the perks.

What we love:

• Fun, conversational voice that’s totally on brand

• Strong emotional pull (sharing with friends)

• Clear benefits of joining the club + how it works

4 Tips to Improve Your Lead Nurturing Emails

Now, let’s talk about what actually makes lead nurturing emails work.

Here are a few tips to keep in your back pocket:

1. Match your emails to the customer journey

Lead nurturing is all about sending the right message at the perfect time. Think about where your buyer is in their decision-making process, and tailor your emails to fit:

• Awareness stage: They realize they have a problem. (Teach them something useful.)

• Consideration stage: They are looking at solutions. (Show them why yours is the best fit.)

• Purchase stage: They are ready to buy. (Make it easy and irresistible.)

• Retention stage: They already bought. (Help them succeed and stay happy.)

• Advocacy stage: They love you. (Give them reasons to spread the word.)

When you map your emails to the customer’s mindset, you stop feeling like a marketer – and start feeling like a trusted guide.

2. Keep it short and snackable

You are fighting for attention in a busy inbox. The best nurturing emails are short, clear, and packed with value.

Here are a few quick tips:

• Aim for subject lines under 40 characters to avoid getting cut off.

• Keep your emails around 60–125 words when you can.

• Break up your text with headers, bullets, and stats that pop.

• Write like you’re talking to a real person, not delivering a sales pitch.

The goal is to leave your reader thinking, “That was helpful,” not “Why did I open this?”

Make your cta crystal clear

Instead of boring "Shop Now" buttons, try CTAs like:

• "Find Your Perfect Fit"

• "Get Your Free Guide"

• "Claim Your 25% Birthday Gift"

Position your CTA where it naturally fits into the story you are telling, not shoved awkwardly at the bottom like an afterthought.

4. Test, segment, and then test again

No two audiences are exactly alike. That’s why A/B testing and segmentation are your best friends. Here’s what to test:

• Subject lines

• Email layouts

• CTA wording

• Send times

• Types of offers or content

Also, segment your leads based on what they care about, like browsing behavior, wish list items, past purchases, or email clicks.

The more targeted your nurturing emails are, the more they will feel personal, not promotional.

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🗞️ Quick Clips

• Tariffs cloud Amazon’s Prime Day. Amazon’s hyping “deep discounts” for Prime Day—but small sellers are scaling back, citing tariff pressure. Meanwhile, the White House slammed Amazon over reports it might show import fees (which Amazon denies).

• Retailers poured millions into AI—and they’re not slowing down: New data shows eComm brands shelled out thousands (sometimes millions) in 2023 on AI tools to upgrade CX. Think virtual try-ons, chatbot agents, and predictive analytics.

• When life gives you Miss Peaches, make lemonade: The viral "Furfluencer" is now the face of Lucky One Lemonade—a new vodka-based RTD from Spirit of Gallo (the folks behind High Noon). The non-carbonated, 100-calorie drink aims to raise $1M for rescue dogs through the “Our Pack Gives Back.”

• Alani Nu cracks $1B: The wellness brand just topped $1 billion in retail sales—their growth rate increasing 72% YoY. This milestone follows Celsius' acquisition of Alani Nu on April 1, 2025.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me—always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

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