Hey it’s Chase and Jimmy here!

By now your inboxes are probably flooded with "spring refresh" or "spring cleaning" emails trying to tie every product to seasonal renewal.

Instead, Muddy Bites decided to lean into nostalgia and lead with a “treat yo self” mentality.

The approach works for an impulse product like chocolate bites, but the execution might have left conversions on the table.

Today we're breaking down what makes this straightforward approach effective and where a few trust signals could actually drive sales.

Also inside:

✔️ This outdoor gear brand built a welcome series that generated $235K in sales. Here's the system behind it.
✔️ The conversations that never make it to linkedIn are happening in Austin
✔️ Hiring vault: 7 New retention marketing job ops

Let’s get into it.

This outdoor gear brand built a welcome series that generated $235K in sales. Here's the system behind it.

FLEXTAIL had 150K subscribers but couldn't scale engagement. Their fix: stop treating lifecycle marketing like a campaign calendar.

How they do it:

• Segment customers into three lifecycle phases: becoming a user, active engagement, enthusiasm fading

• Use segmentation to reduce send pressure on disengaged subscribers while keeping engaged audiences strong

• Run winback rules to avoid annoying people who don't want frequent contact

• Welcome automation: $235K in sales, 3,102 orders, $0.52 revenue per message sent

FLEXTAIL switched from Klaviyo and Mailchimp to Omnisend for clear data pipelines, rapid integration updates, and automation controls that don't force endless micro-decisions. The result: $235K from their welcome series alone and 8% of total website revenue from automation.

→ Read the full story

*Sponsored

Muddy Bites' Easter email: Leaning into nostalgia without overcomplicating it

Muddy Bites sells cone-shaped chocolate bites that taste like the bottom of an ice cream cone, and this Easter email keeps things refreshingly simple.

The hook is straightforward: you're never too old for an Easter basket, so treat yourself. Then they show you three shopping options and get out of the way. No long copy, no complicated story, just product and CTAs.

Let's break down what's working and where there's room to improve.

Header Block

The top of the email sets up the premise with a playful Easter tie-in.

What We Love

• "You're never too old for an Easter basket" is a perfect hook. It gives adults permission to buy candy for themselves, which is exactly the mindset shift this brand needs.

• The CTA is clear and benefit-focused. "Treat your inner kid" reinforces the nostalgia angle without being cheesy.

• The hero image shows product in context. An Easter basket filled with Muddy Bites products makes the connection obvious without needing extra explanation.

What We'd Do Differently

• There's no urgency. Adding a line like "Order by [date] for Easter delivery" would push people to act now instead of bookmarking for later.

• The hero image could better match the message. If the headline is "you're never too old for an Easter basket," showing an adult enjoying the product or using UGC would reinforce that angle better than a traditional basket shot.

Body Block

Here's where they walk you through three product options, each with its own clear CTA.

What We Love

• "Pick your favorite" is simple and direct. It positions the options as choices, not a catalog dump.

• Each product gets its own dedicated space. The images are big, the CTAs are clear, and nothing competes for attention.

• The CTAs are product-specific. "Shop Milk," "Shop Peanut Butter Chocolate," "Shop Bestseller Variety Pack." You know exactly what you're getting when you click.

• The variety pack is positioned as the bestseller. That's smart guidance for people who don't know what to pick.

• The visual consistency makes it easy to scan. Same layout, same CTA treatment, same vibe throughout.

What We'd Do Differently

• There's no pricing. Showing the price next to each option would help people make faster decisions and reduce surprise at checkout.

• The product descriptions are missing. One line about flavor, texture, or what makes each option special would help people choose.

• No social proof. Customer reviews, ratings, or a "most popular" badge would add credibility and help hesitant shoppers convert.

Footer Block

Muddy Bites wraps up with a tagline and social links.

What We Love

• "The Best Bite, Every Bite!" reinforces the product benefit in a fun, memorable way.

• The wave graphic adds visual interest and creates a clean break from the product section.

• Social links are easy to spot and cover the right platforms.

• The overall tone stays playful and consistent.

What We'd Do Differently

• There's no navigation to other parts of the site. If someone wants to learn more about the brand, read reviews, or check shipping info, they have no clear path.

• The footer could reinforce trust. Adding "Free shipping over $X" or "30-day satisfaction guarantee" would help hesitant buyers take the next step.

• No final CTA. After walking through all three products, there's no "Shop All Products" or "Build Your Own Bundle" to capture late scrollers.

Where This Email Works

Let's zoom out and see where this fits in the bigger email strategy.

Holiday Campaigns: This is perfect for Easter, but the same "treat yourself" angle would work for any nostalgic holiday (Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc.).

Engaged Subscribers: Great for people who already know Muddy Bites and just need a seasonal reminder to reorder.

Impulse Purchases: Smart for a low-consideration product where people don't need a lot of convincing, just a reason to act.

Final Thoughts: Simple and effective, but could push harder

This email does exactly what it needs to do. The hook is clear, the options are easy to understand, and the CTAs are impossible to miss. It's not trying to tell a big story or educate you on the brand. It's just giving you a reason to buy and making it easy to do so.

But it's leaving some conversions on the table. There's no pricing, no product descriptions, no social proof, and no urgency. Adding a few trust signals, showing prices, and creating a delivery deadline would help convert more browsers without complicating the simple, playful vibe.

3 Quick Wins to Steal Next Time

✓ Use nostalgic hooks to give adults permission to buy treats for themselves
✓ Keep product options simple & visually consistent when selling impulse buys
✓ Label your bestseller or variety pack to guide indecisive shoppers

The conversations that never make it to linkedIn are happening in Austin

You know the best insights never get posted. The real CAC numbers, the channels that quietly print money, the retention strategies that actually move LTV; that's the stuff operators share in person, not in public. Commerce Roundtable Austin is 70% sold out, and on April 20-21, you'll be in the room where those conversations happen.

• Winning with TikTok Shop: The real strategies driving social commerce revenue (not the fluff)

• The Real Story Behind Scaling Cuts Clothing: From startup to hypergrowth - unfiltered

• AI That Actually Works: Cut the myths, get the practical applications operators are using

• Meta Ads & Creative Strategy: What's converting right now (with real numbers)

• How to Get 20B Views on YouTube: The playbook for massive organic reach while scaling brands

• Building Your Operating System: Frameworks for predictable growth that actually work

• Navigating a Male-Dominated Ecosystem: Honest leadership conversations you won't hear on podcasts

• $200K in Giveaways Live on Stage: Yes, really

• Built-In Networking: Sunset rooftop happy hour where the real conversations continue

We've sold out every event for the past three years. Austin is heading the same direction fast.

→ Claim your spot before we hit capacity. Use code CR75 for $75 off your ticket.

The Hiring Vault

• Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Area:
  Evelyn & Bobbie

• Retention Marketing Manager - CRM, Somerville, MA:
  PUMA Group

• EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST, Austin, TX: Callaway Golf

• Lifecycle and Retention, Senior Manager, Chicago, IL:
  Black Girl Vitamins

• Sr. Manager, Retention Marketing, rhode, Beverly Hills, CA:E.L.F. BEAUTY

• Lifecycle Marketing Manager, Hazelwood, MO: Dive Bomb Industries

• Retention Specialist II, Carlsbad, CA: Vuori

That's a wrap for today!

Appreciate you hanging with Chase and me. We hope you found something you can put to work ASAP.

If you did, don’t keep it to yourself! Send ecomemailmarketer.com to your favorite DTC marketer and get them in on the action.

Catch you next time!

🤘 Jimmy Kim

PS - Your next best customer might be reading this right now. Want in? Email Jimmy to sponsor this newsletter and more.

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