Hey it's Chase and Jimmy here!

Natural wellness, email-first. Here's how Gaia welcomes, nurtures, and retains their buyers.

From the first touch to replenishment reminders, Gaia Herbs keeps their messaging grounded in purpose. Their emails and SMS reflect the brand’s earthy, mission-driven identity — but how well do they support the customer experience from sign-up to post-purchase?

We’re breaking down the flow to highlight wins, areas for improvements and actionable tips brands can implement.

Plus in this edition:

⚡ AI Power-Up: How to let AI handle the first 70% of your copy

🚀 A retention tactic that separates the pros from everyone else

💰 Why retention doesn't work if you're flying blind on cash flow

Let’s get into it 👇

🎯 This Retention Tactic Separates the Pros From Everyone Else

Don’t let email carry your whole retention strategy.

The best brands know how to spread the load.

This Omnisend workshop breaks down how to combine email, SMS, and push without bombarding your customers. Because when done right, multichannel = more repeat purchases and higher engagement—without the overwhelm.

🎯 You’ll learn:

• What most brands get wrong about SMS and push

• How to build your SMS and push subscriber lists (with examples that convert)

• Smart ways to use each channel without over-messaging

• The workflows and segments that actually drive ROI

Watch the full session now — and walk away with tactical examples, smart automations, and key takeaways you can implement this week.

🙃 Meme Drop

Plot twist: The email sent to Dave note Peter.

🌿 Wellness in Every Message: Gaia Herbs’ Email & SMS Strategy

1. Welcome Email

What’s working

✅ Strong brand voice. Friendly, encouraging, and rooted in their mission of purity and wellness. The “wellness seeker” language is aligned and uplifting.

✅ Clear offer. The 15% discount is immediately visible — both in the hero image and reiterated below.

✅ Smart product intro. Best sellers are showcased without being overwhelming, with visual hierarchy that guides the eye.

✅ Quiz CTA. Including a “Find your herbs” quiz helps customers get a personalized starting point.

Room to grow

🚀 Too many competing CTAs. “Shop Now,” “Let Gaia Be Your Guide,” and “Shop Best Sellers” all point to different actions. This splits attention and could dilute conversions. A single hero CTA + one secondary personalized path (like the quiz) might drive stronger clicks.

🚀 No tease of subscription benefits. A soft mention of Subscribe & Save could help plant the seed for recurring orders.

🚀 Could use segmentation. For returning subscribers or less-engaged users, the tone might feel a bit off without context.

2. Welcome SMS

 What’s working

✅ Tone is consistent with the email — warm and affirming.

✅ Offer is crystal clear with a scannable CTA and link.

✅ Emojis used thoughtfully to match the brand’s natural vibe.

✅ Good compliance. The initial SMS provides all the required disclosures (rates, privacy, STOP to cancel, etc.).

Room to grow

🚀 No segmentation prompt. Adding a quick interactive message like “What are you most focused on right now? A) Stress B) Sleep…” could unlock future targeting.

🚀 Could preview additional benefits. Like free shipping or loyalty points to build perceived value right away.

🚀 Missing next step. A soft “take the quiz” or “start here” CTA might guide users who aren’t ready to shop immediately.

3. Order Confirmation Email

What’s working

✅ Personalized and clean. Uses the customer’s name and product visual right away.

✅ Order breakdown is clear. Includes itemized tax and shipping info for transparency.

✅ Copy supports brand promise. The footer reinforces purity, potency, and integrity — keeping it on-message.

Room to grow

🚀 No cross-sell. A product like Black Seed Oil could’ve been paired with a “Frequently Bought With” add-on.

🚀 Missing estimated delivery. Most customers want to know when their product will arrive.

🚀 No upsell CTA. Why not invite customers to subscribe now to save on their next order?

4. Rewards Program Email

What’s working

✅ Visually calming. The tone, photography, and layout match the brand beautifully.

✅ Lots of ways to earn points. From reviews to birthdays, the variety makes the program feel accessible.

✅ Tied to wellness goals. The framing (“on your wellness journey”) makes the rewards feel like progress, not just points.

Room to grow

🚀 No intro to the value of points. How much is 100 points worth? Clarity here = motivation.

🚀 Too much upfront. Could be better as a two-part flow (intro + reminder).

🚀 Missing urgency. “Join today” or “start earning” could create a stronger nudge.

5. SMS Welcome #2

What’s working

✅ Human and timely. Feels like a real brand moment rather than a blast.

✅ Introduces partnerships. Featuring Gisele adds credibility and lifestyle association.

✅ Multi-link structure. One for education, one for conversion — nice balance.

Room to grow

🚀 Two CTAs, one purpose. Could be clearer what action the brand wants most (save number? shop now?).

🚀 Hard to skim. Adding a line break or slight structure would make this more readable in a glance.

🚀 No mention of rewards or community. An easy chance to highlight the value of staying subscribed.

6. Shipping & Order Update

What’s working

✅ Personalized with name and product. Clear confirmation builds trust.

✅ Tracking info is visible. With carrier and tracking number — reduces friction for the customer.

✅ Minimalist and clear. No fluff, just facts, which is perfect for transactional emails.

Room to grow

🚀 No product recommendations. This is a missed moment to show “related to your order” items or invite future purchases.

🚀 No loyalty reminder. Could have included “Earn points when you…” to tie to rewards.

🚀 Copy could reinforce value. A quick line like “Carefully packed with wellness in mind” keeps the brand promise front and center.

7. VIP / Subscribe & Save Email

What’s working

✅ Clear visual step-by-step. Helps customers understand how subscription works.

✅ Sells benefits, not just discounts. Mentions exclusives, early access, and convenience.

✅ Strong product visuals. Good use of product shots to reinforce the replenishment cycle.

Room to grow

🚀 Feels long. Too many CTAs across multiple product rows could cause friction.

🚀 Header is a bit generic. “Make your life simpler” could be more benefit-forward or personalized (e.g. “Cherie, ready for stress-free refills?”).

🚀 Could use urgency. “Start your next month strong” or “Lock in your discount” would help drive action now.

8. Refill Reminder

What’s working

✅ Timely and relevant. Arrives with good timing for refill opportunity.

✅ One-click reorder. Auto-filled cart is a huge win for repeat purchases.

✅ Cross-sell at the bottom. Offers alternative best sellers if the original item isn’t needed again.

Room to grow

🚀 No SMS reminder. For a consumable product, this is a moment where a follow-up text could nudge conversions.

🚀 Personalization could go deeper. E.g., “Customers who reordered Black Seed Oil also loved X.”

🚀 Limited explanation of refill benefits. A quick reminder of Subscribe & Save perks might increase conversion.

9. Review Request

What’s working

✅ Simple and friendly tone. Straight to the point without pressure.

✅ Product image and name included. Makes it obvious what’s being reviewed.

✅ Reinforces community contribution. “Share your thoughts with fellow shoppers” is a nice touch.

Room to grow

🚀 Missing incentive. Even small points or a giveaway entry can increase review rates.

🚀 No progress bar or visual encouragement. A 3-step layout or “1 minute to review” framing could help motivate.

🚀 Could link back to rewards. “Earn 10 points when you leave a review” would tie it into their loyalty loop.

What Gaia Herbs Is Doing Well

🌿 Brand consistency across touchpoints. From emails to SMS, every message feels true to Gaia’s earthy, mission-driven identity — warm, calm, and purposeful. Their tone is consistent, their visuals are on-brand, and they keep wellness at the center.

🌿 Strong foundational automations. Welcome, transactional, and post-purchase flows are all covered. Gaia isn’t missing any major lifecycle moments — they’re showing up at the right times with the right types of messages.

🌿 Educational moments without pressure. The inclusion of a quiz, rewards education, and partnership content gives customers space to explore without feeling sold to.

🌿 Great use of visuals. From product photography to lifestyle shots, everything feels intentional, clean, and aligned with a premium natural health brand.

Areas for Improvement

🛠️ CTA overload in key moments. Multiple buttons in welcome and S&S emails create cognitive friction. A clearer path per message would likely drive better action.

🛠️ Underutilized segmentation. SMS could invite user preferences. Emails could adjust based on customer behavior (e.g. subscribers vs. one-time buyers). More personalized logic would go a long way.

🛠️ Missed cross-sell and upsell moments. Transactional and shipping emails are prime real estate to suggest add-ons — especially for a brand with a wide catalog and high repeat potential.

🛠️ Loyalty value not reinforced enough. Their rewards program is solid, but it isn’t referenced often in flows where it could matter most (like shipping updates, reviews, or refill nudges).

Key Takeaways for Other Brands

• Keep your brand voice consistent across every channel. Gaia’s strength is in their tone — it builds trust.
  

• Focus each email on a single next step. More CTAs aren’t better if they create confusion.
  

• Use transactional emails to drive more value. Shipping and order confirmations can do more than just inform — they can educate, upsell, and reinforce retention.
  

• Personalization doesn’t have to be complex. Even simple segmentation (first-timer vs. subscriber) can improve flow performance.
  

• Remind customers why sticking around pays off. If you have a loyalty program, make it a thread throughout the journey — not just a one-time email.

💡 Retention doesn’t work if you’re flying blind on cash flow.

If you’re building campaigns, testing offers, or planning LTV strategies without knowing your margins or runway—you’re just guessing.

Highbeam puts you in control.

It’s a financial platform built for eCommerce brands that gives you full visibility over spend, credit, and capital in real time.

You’ll get:

 ✅ Automated cash flow forecasting and treasury tools

 ✅ No account fees, wires, or ACH charges

 ✅ Capital access when you need it—with no surprises

 ✅ Smart cards and bill pay, all in one place

Hundreds of brands—like Tushy, Ridge, and Cuts—use Highbeam to sync their marketing and financial ops—and scale with clarity.

🤖 AI Power-Up: Let AI Handle the Heavy Lifting in Copy

Marketers are constantly pulled in different directions—campaign planning, segmentation, reporting, creative, you name it.

So let’s talk about how AI can actually alleviate some of that pain—starting with copy.

Here’s how to offload the copy grunt work:

🧠 First-draft generation: Prompt AI with your campaign goal and tone of voice—it’ll give you subject lines, headlines, and body copy you can tweak (not start from scratch).

🧪 Built-in A/B test ideas: Need variations with urgency, humor, or scarcity? AI can rewrite your message across psychological angles—fast.

✍️ Dynamic personalization at scale: Feed in customer data like name, product preference, or order history—and let AI insert those details contextually.

📈 Predictive copy improvement: Some platforms even suggest edits based on past performance. (Too long? Not punchy enough? It flags it for you.)

Let AI do the first 70%. You just polish the last 30%.

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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