4 Strategies From a Team That's Generated $200M+ in Email Revenue

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

I sat down with my team - the people actually managing email for 7-9 figure e-commerce brands - and asked them what's actually working right now.

Not what they learned in a course… What they’re doing in their accounts to drive revenue in 2025 for our clients.

Here are 4 strategies they're using to scale brands past 7-8 figures.

Key Takeaways:

• Text-based emails act as pattern interrupts and win A/B tests 90% of the time

• Mystery discount pop-ups outperform standard "10% off" offers by creating curiosity

• Multi-persona email sequences feel human instead of corporate

• Custom unsubscribe pages save thousands of subscribers who just want less frequency

Text-Based Emails as Pattern Interrupts

Most e-commerce brands send the same type of email: graphic-heavy, beautifully designed, with big product photos and polished CTAs.

Which means when you send a plain text email, it stands out.

Sandra and Alex from my team run A/B tests constantly. Text-based emails (plain text, no graphics, looks like a personal message) win 90% of the time against designed HTML emails.

Why?

It's a pattern interrupt.

When someone opens their inbox and sees 20 polished brand emails, the one that looks like a personal 1-to-1 message feels different. It feels important. It feels like someone actually wrote to them.

The key isn't "design is bad." The key is using text strategically to disrupt the pattern your customers are used to.

If you send 4 emails per week and all of them are graphic-heavy product showcases, throw in one plain text email. Make it look like it came from a real person. No logo. No fancy formatting. Just text and a link.

It'll outperform your designed emails because it doesn't look like marketing.

Sandra put it perfectly: "People don't buy from perfection, they buy from connection."

Text emails create that connection.

Mystery Discount Pop-Ups (Curiosity Beats Clarity)

Most brands run a standard pop-up: "Sign up and get 10% off!" with a product photo.

Alex tested something different: a "Mystery Discount" pop-up with no product photo.

It’s the same discount, but it’s framed as "Sign up to reveal your mystery discount."

The mystery version won "by a lot."

Why?

Curiosity.

People signed up just to see what they'd get, even though everyone got the same 10% off. The mystery created intrigue. The standard offer didn't.

This is a zero-lift optimization. You don't need to change your emails. You don't need to create new offers. You just change the pop-up copy from "10% off" to "Mystery Discount" and watch your opt-in rate climb.

Alex's point: "Mystery discount... who would have thought? You don't need to change any emails, just say on your pop-up form 'sign up for mystery discount' even though for everybody it's going to be 10% off."

Most brands sit at a 3% pop-up conversion rate. We aim for 6-8% minimum, with a goal of 10-12%. Optimizing this alone can double your list growth.

Multi-Persona Email Sequences (Humans, Not Corporations)

Here's a strategy Valentina uses that most brands never think about: sending emails from different people within the same sequence.

Instead of every email coming from "The Brand" or "[email protected]," create characters.

Example structure:

• Email 1: From Valentina (promo/offer email)

• Email 2: From Sandra (customer service checking in - "Hey, did you see Valentina's email? Just wanted to make sure you didn't miss this.")

• Email 3: From the Owner (last chance urgency - "This is Max, the founder. The offer ends tonight and I didn't want you to miss out.")

Why this works:

It feels like a personal, human-to-human interaction instead of a faceless corporation blasting offers.

Each persona brings a different angle. Valentina is helpful and promotional. Sandra is checking in like a friend. The owner adds weight and urgency.

This strategy works especially well in abandoned cart flows, welcome sequences, and winback campaigns.

You're not just sending the same message three times. You're creating a narrative with multiple voices that feels real.

TLDR: Send emails from different people! Not just from the brand or the founder.

Custom Unsubscribe Pages (Save Thousands of Subscribers)

Most brands have a one-click unsubscribe button. Someone clicks it, they're gone forever.

Valentina implemented custom unsubscribe pages for clients. Instead of "You're unsubscribed," users land on a preference center where they can:

• Pause emails for 30/60/90 days

• Choose frequency ("Only send me sales" or "Once a month")

• Select content preferences ("Only new product launches")

Why this works:

Instead of giving someone an option to unsubscribe forever, you’re giving them the opportunity to stay in your funnel.

Giving them control prevents a hard churn. They stay on your list, just at a lower frequency.

Results: Valentina saved 2,000 subscribers for a single brand who otherwise would have fully unsubscribed.

That's 2,000 people who can still be converted later. They didn't leave. They just wanted less noise.

This is especially important if you're sending 3-4 emails per week (which you should be). Some people want that frequency. Some don't. Let them choose instead of forcing them to unsubscribe completely.

Final Thoughts

Winning email in 2026 is about stacking the small optimizations that compound.

• Text emails as pattern interrupts

• Mystery discounts that create curiosity

• Multi-persona sequences that feel human

• Custom unsubscribe pages that respect preferences.

My team has generated $100M+ in email revenue using tactics like these. Not because they're revolutionary. Because they're consistent, tested, and focused on what actually drives results.

Stop overcomplicating it. Test these four strategies and watch what happens.

If you want a team of professionals who live in the data and know what's working right now (not what worked in 2019), my team has generated $200M+ in email revenue for clients. Book a call here.

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Rare Carat

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RUz-0c4D980Yct5EqEi7NQnBtjoEjpxz/view?usp=sharing

Notes: This email is textbook pattern interruption. Why? The first line says “This is not AI”, it’s from the founder, it has an unusual CTA (Add me on linkedIn), and it feels extremely personal in a good way.

Template of The Day

If you want access to a bank of 134 mix and match templates like this equating to over 5,000+ possible email designs, click here » 

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max | Well Copy Email & SMS Marketing

PS - If you run a 7-9 figure ecommerce brand and you want to have a free email strategy consultation, book a call here » 

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