April Retention Newsie 2

Author

Melanie Balke
April 25, 2025

Welcome to The Retention Newsie by The Email Marketers, the retention-building experts for 7-9 figure ecom brands.

Every month, we bring you the best case studies, trending news, and tips for retaining more customers while turning them into raving fans and increasing revenue.

This Week’s Inbox Rundown

  • Mother's Day Campaign Ideas

  • A/B Testing Case Study that generated an extra $110K

  • TEM’s highest converting emails for March

Mother's Day (May 11th) is approaching fast, and for D2C brands, this is a major revenue opportunity. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are projected to spend over $31.7 billion this year, with an average spend per person reaching $274.02 in 2025. The highest in survey history!

However, you'll want to approach this special occasion strategically, rather than simply sending out a last-minute email blast. Here are some effective strategies to consider:

  1. Limited 2-day free shipping

  2. Exclusive "mom bundles" with complementary products

  3. Digital gift cards for last-minute shoppers (40% of purchases happen in the final 48 hours)

  4. An interactive gift guide (questions with product recommendations)

Emotional triggers you'll want to include:

  1. Gratitude: Highlight how your products help customers express appreciation for mom's sacrifices

  2. Connection: Focus on strengthening bonds between family members

  3. Relief: Position your products as solving the "perfect gift" anxiety

  4. Nostalgia: Include storytelling that evokes cherished memories with mom

To help you get started, we've put together a bunch of high-converting Mother's Day emails.

Optimizing With A/B Testing

At The Email Marketers, we are strong believers in data-driven strategies, and the only way we can continue to progress with our customers' retention strategies is through A/B testing.

During the month of March, we were able to collect some valuable information that directly impacted this client's email performance (a big name in the wellness space).

A/B Test Results:

Lifestyle vs. Product Imagery

Lifestyle imagery showing people using their products in real settings generated higher open rates and $25.7K more revenue than product-only shots.

Key Takeaway: This demonstrates that showing the experience and benefits resonates more than focusing solely on the product.

With vs. Without Customer Reviews

Including customer testimonials increased click rates by 43% and generated $12.7K in additional revenue.

Key Takeaway: Social proof clearly influences purchase decisions, reinforcing the importance of authentic user experiences.


GIF vs. Static Image

Emails featuring GIFs outperformed static images with the highest overall revenue ($76.5K).

Key Takeaway: Motion captures attention and drives more action than static visuals.

Important Note: when doing A/B tests for your brand, remember to be very strict with your conditions. You should never be testing 2 elements at the same time in the same email.

We always love to showcase an amazing design, but this week we got nerdy with the numbers. Here are our top 2 emails with the highest CTR during March.

Tap to view entire design!

We just opened the doors to The Retention Lab—your plug-and-play blueprint for teaching your in-house team agency-level retention marketing strategies that actually move the needle.

Our D2C Tariff Survival Guide is live—packed with tactical supply-chain pivots, margin-protection plays, and retention-first moves to safeguard your profits when the tariffs hit.