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Last month we hosted a session with Contra's CEO Ben Huffman and Stripo's CEO Dmytro Kudrenko on how freelancers can earn more with email marketing. If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, here are the main takeaways.
1. The opportunity is real. Email returns $36-$42 for every $1 spent. Over 70% of businesses need outside help to execute their email marketing. And on Contra, email marketing projects average $2,000+ per engagement.
2. One project can become a retainer. The path: one-off design from a brief, then original creative, then A/B variants, then a full email design system (modules, brand kit, reusable templates). Once you build the system, maintaining it is the retainer.
3. Stop selling emails. Sell systems. When a client's brand kit, module library, and templates are all built by you, switching means rebuilding from scratch. That's not lock-in. That's value.
4. Speed is capacity. Faster production means more clients, more campaigns, same hours. holito went from slow, generic email production to 10x faster with a reusable design system built in Stripo.
5. Interactive content is a differentiator. Quizzes, scratch cards, polls inside emails. When a client's subscribers start expecting that from every campaign, and only you can deliver it, you stop being a vendor and become infrastructure.
@Omotayo A, one of our Stripo experts on Contra, is a good example of this approach in practice. He builds reusable module libraries that carry across client projects, connects each client's ESP directly to his Stripo account, and tests everything independently before handoff. One system, multiple clients.
Full session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrxwB43ML5g
What's your approach to turning one-off email projects into recurring work?
Plan to watch this video soon. Looks like it has a lot of golden nuggets. I love golden nuggets.
It does. The part about building email design systems for clients is especially worth your time if you're doing recurring email work.
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
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A welcome email is more than a quick “thanks for subscribing.”
It's your first opportunity to start building a relationship with a new subscriber.
When planning a welcome email, I focus on four things:
→ A warm introduction: Let subscribers know who you are.
→ Clear expectations: Tell them what kind of emails they'll receive.
→ Something valuable: Give them a useful tip, resource, or helpful next step.
→ One clear CTA: Guide them on what to do next.
You don't need to say everything in one email.
Start the relationship, deliver value, and make the next step clear.
A good welcome email doesn't just greet subscribers. It gives them a reason to stay.
That’s a great point! A welcome email should build trust and give subscribers a reason to stay, not just say hello. 🙌
Having an email list and having an email marketing strategy are two different things.
You can have hundreds of subscribers and still have no clear idea what you want your emails to achieve.
Are you helping people understand your services?
Building trust before they book?
Keeping in touch with past clients?
Encouraging people who already know your business to take the next step?
These goals aren't interchangeable, and neither is the content you send to achieve them.
A newsletter that educates your audience may look very different from an email designed to re-engage previous clients.
Before deciding how often to send emails or which platform to use, I'd start with a simpler question:
What role should email play in your business?
Once that's clear, it's much easier to make decisions about content, frequency, automation, and design.
Your email list is an asset. The strategy is what helps you use it intentionally.
#EmailMarketing #EmailStrategy #WellnessMarketing #AudienceBuilding #DigitalMarketing
Getting visitors to your store is tough, but watching them leave at checkout is painful. I help Shopify & WooCommerce brands recover those lost sales on autopilot using custom Klaviyo email flows (abandoned carts, welcome sequences, and post-purchase check-ins). Clean design, zero spam vibes, and automatic revenue running 24/7. Check out my linked service or send a DM to get yours sorted!🔥
