Marketing With Laryssa

The moment someone signs up for your emails is the highest attention moment you will ever have with that subscriber. They just said yes. They're interested. They're engaged. And most brands are using that window to send two, maybe three emails - and then calling it done. That's a problem. Because the subscribers who buy from email one were already close to purchasing anyway. The discount and the timing just pushed them over the edge. The rest of your welcome series exists for everyone who wasn't ready yet - the people who need more trust, more context, more touchpoints - and that group is typically the majority. But length is just one piece of it. The deeper issue is what's actually inside those emails. A welcome flow that feels like it could have come from any brand in any industry isn't going to convert. Static product blocks that haven't been updated since the flow was built aren't giving new subscribers an accurate picture of who you are. And treating someone who already purchased the exact same way as someone who's never bought a thing is leaving revenue on the table every single day. You already paid to get these subscribers - through paid ads, organic content, collaborations, or years of showing up. The welcome flow is where that investment either pays off or gets wasted. In this episode, I walk through the specific places welcome flows leak revenue, what to do about each one, and why getting this right isn't starting from scratch - it's making sure the work you've already done actually converts. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: Why the welcome window is your highest attention moment - and how most brands squander it Why 4 emails is the minimum for a welcome flow and 5-7 is optimal What every email in the sequence needs to do - and why more discount reminders isn't the answer The most common welcome flow problem: emails that feel like they could come from any brand How personalization from your pop-up can meaningfully change how the welcome series performs Why dynamic content is one of the easiest wins in any welcome flow - and why most brands overlook it What happens when a welcome flow hasn't been touched since it was built and the brand has completely evolved The revenue leak that comes from treating first-time purchasers and non-purchasers exactly the same How to think about whether buyers should exit the flow or stay in with adjusted content The welcome flow is where your subscriber acquisition investment either pays off or gets wasted. Getting it right is worth the effort. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

The call to action is the last thing someone reads before they click - or don't. And for something that important, it gets surprisingly little strategic thought in most email programs. What I see instead is one of two extremes. Either the CTA is completely ignored - "Shop Now" slapped on every button, same wording across every email, no thought given to whether it's actually doing its job. Or it's wildly overthought - someone spent 20 minutes trying to make the button sound clever and ended up with copy that nobody instantly understands. Both are a problem. And the fix is simpler than most brands expect, because simple almost always wins with CTAs. The brands that obsess over making their buttons sound unique are often the ones leaving clicks on the table every single day. The other thing worth talking about is structure - because a CTA doesn't live in isolation. It lives inside an email, often alongside other buttons and links, and how those compete or support each other changes everything about whether anyone clicks at all. In this episode, I walk through what actually makes a CTA work, the formula that produces clear and compelling button text almost every time, and how to think about CTA hierarchy so your emails stop pulling people in five directions at once. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: Why the CTA is the most overthought and under-strategized part of most email programs The simple verb + noun formula that produces strong CTAs almost every time Why "Shop Now" has survived decades of email marketing - and what that tells you about clarity The most common CTA mistake brands make and how it kills clicks before anyone even reads the button What happens when an email has five different CTAs - and why nobody clicks any of them Why every email needs one primary goal, and how to structure everything else around it How to repeat a CTA throughout an email without it feeling repetitive or overwhelming First person vs. second person CTAs - when it works and when it just feels like a conversion tactic Why a CTA that's hard to write is almost always a sign that the email itself needs more work first If your button text feels hard to write, stop trying to fix the button. Go back and clarify the email - and the CTA will almost write itself. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Most brands have heard of domain warmup. When you're setting up a new Klaviyo account, you don't just blast your entire list on day one - you start small, build gradually, and let inbox providers get to know you as a sender. That part tends to make sense to people. What doesn't get talked about nearly enough is what comes after that. Warmup isn't a one-time thing you do at the beginning and then forget about. It's a tool you can come back to - and for a lot of brands, it's something their account needs right now and they don't even know it. If your open rates have been sliding for months, if your deliverability feels off, or if you've just done a major list clean, a proper warmup might be exactly how you course correct. Because the conditions in your account today are not the same as when you first set it up - and acting like nothing has changed is how deliverability problems get worse without anyone noticing. This episode is also the natural follow-up to last week's conversation about list health. Cleaning your list resets your audience. A warmup is how you rebuild your sender reputation on top of that cleaner foundation. One without the other is only half the fix. In this episode, I walk through how to know if your account needs a warmup, what the process actually looks like in practice, and the biggest mistake brands make when they try to do it themselves. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: Why domain warmup isn't just for new accounts - and when to come back to it The open rate number that signals something is genuinely wrong with your deliverability Why you should always check your authentication settings before starting a warmup What DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records are and why they matter for your sender reputation What a phased warmup actually looks like inside Klaviyo, step by step What to watch between each send and when to pause before moving forward The biggest mistake brands make when running a warmup (and why patience is the whole point) Why list health and domain warmup go hand in hand - and why doing one without the other isn't enough Warmup isn't a one-time credential you earn and keep forever. It's more like ongoing maintenance - and it's a lot easier to be proactive about than reactive about. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Klaviyo makes it easy to set up a win back flow. There's a default template ready to go, so most brands turn it on, move on, and assume it's working. And technically it is - it's running. But running and working are two very different things. When I go into a new client's account and look at their win back flow, what I almost always find is something that was set up once, never really thought through, and is running on default settings that nobody ever questioned. The timing is off. The re-entry settings are wrong. The emails are leading with a discount when they should be leading with something worth coming back for. A lot of that comes down to a fundamental confusion about what a win back flow is even supposed to do - and how it's different from a sunset flow. Because they're not the same thing, and if you're treating them like they are, you're bringing the wrong energy to the wrong audience. A win back flow isn't about rescuing the unrescuable. It's about reopening a conversation with someone who already knows you and just needs a reason to come back. That's a completely different job - and it requires a completely different approach. In this episode, I walk through the four things I look at when auditing a win back flow, the real brand examples that show what getting it right actually looks like, and a framework for making sure yours is doing the work it's supposed to do. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: The difference between a win back flow and a sunset flow - and why mixing them up costs you Why the first question to ask isn't about the emails at all - it's about who's entering the flow How to use your actual repurchase data to set win back timing (instead of guessing) Why firing your win back too late means you're showing up to a conversation that already ended The re-entry setting most brands never check - and why it matters more than you think Why leading with a discount is often the laziest and least effective way to bring someone back Real brand examples of win back flows that lead with relevance, voice, and something actually worth coming back for A five-part audit framework to run on your own win back flow The best win back flows don't feel like a win back flow. They feel like a well-timed, thoughtful message from a brand that noticed you'd been away - and actually has something worth showing you. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Almost every brand sends last chance emails. End of a sale, final hours of a promotion, last day before something's gone. They're a completely normal part of any email calendar. And yet - we've all been on the receiving end of one that felt off. A little frantic. A little hollow. Like the brand was more stressed about hitting a number than genuinely trying to help you not miss something. The difference between a last chance email that works and one that doesn't usually isn't the format. It's not the countdown timer or the headline size. It goes deeper than that - into the credibility you've built before that email ever lands, the tone you write from, and whether your subscriber actually has enough time to do something about it. Because by the time someone opens your last chance email, they've already made a judgment call about whether they believe you. And that judgment was formed long before they read a single word. In this episode, I break down the four things that actually determine whether a last chance email earns its place in the inbox - and a gut check you can run before you send your next one. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: Why last chance emails fail before they're even opened - and what builds believability over time How a promotional calendar that never really ends trains your subscribers not to respond The difference between urgency that feels confident and urgency that reads as panic Why writing from brand anxiety almost always shows up in the copy - and how to write from confidence instead The timing mistake that turns real urgency into a missed opportunity for most subscribers Why "ends tonight" is vague in a way that costs you - and what specificity actually does for trust How to shift from writing about what the brand needs to what the subscriber stands to miss A four-part gut check to run before you send any last chance email The best last chance emails don't feel like a brand sprinting to the finish line. They feel like a clear, confident reminder from someone who genuinely thinks you'd want to know. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Lists and segments both group people. They both show you a number. They both show up when you're sending emails. So it's easy to assume they're basically the same thing with different names - especially when you're moving fast and just trying to get a campaign out the door. But that assumption is one of the most common structural mistakes I see inside email accounts, and the tricky part is that nothing breaks immediately. Your campaigns still send. Your flows still run. People still get your emails. The damage is quieter than that. What actually happens is that the logic underneath your account starts to get a little off. Wrong groupings, automations firing when they shouldn't, reporting that's hard to trust - and over time, an account that technically works but is increasingly hard to navigate, delegate, or scale. The fix isn't complicated, but it does require understanding what lists and segments are actually for — and why they were never meant to be interchangeable in the first place. In this episode, I break down the real difference between lists and segments, why mixing them up causes problems that ripple out across your entire account, and how to start thinking about your email structure more clearly. ✨ In this episode, you'll learn: Why lists and segments look similar inside Klaviyo - and exactly where that similarity ends The functional difference: what lists answer vs. what segments answer How using the wrong one for the wrong job creates logic problems that compound over time Why the damage usually doesn't feel urgent - until the account is really hard to manage The three shifts that help you use lists and segments the way they were actually designed to work What to look for when auditing your own account - and the yellow flag that says it's time to simplify Why a clean email structure leads to better targeting, more predictable flows, and reporting you can actually trust If your email account feels hard to follow, hard to delegate, or just harder than it should be, there's a good chance this is part of why. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #375 – Is Your Welcome Discount Hurting Your Email Performance? When it comes to growing your email list, most ecommerce brands are focused on one thing: more. More subscribers. More signups. Higher pop-up conversion rates. But what if the way you're growing your list - especially through your welcome discount - is actually making your email performance worse over time? At first, it can feel like everything is working. Your list is growing quickly, your pop-up is converting, and new subscribers are coming in every day. But underneath that growth, something else might be happening. In this episode, I break down the hidden downside of optimizing for list growth without considering subscriber quality - and how your welcome offer might be shaping your results far beyond that first signup. Because your welcome flow can only perform as well as the people entering it. ✨ You'll learn: • Why more subscribers doesn't always mean more opportunity • How optimizing for pop-up conversion can quietly weaken your list • The two types of subscribers your welcome offer attracts — and why it matters • How low-intent subscribers impact engagement, conversions, and deliverability • Why your welcome flow performance depends on the quality of your inputs • How your welcome offer shapes the long-term relationship with subscribers • Why list growth should be measured by quality, not just volume • Three simple ways to evaluate and improve your welcome offer strategy Growing your list isn't just about getting more people in the door - it's about attracting the right people. When your welcome offer is aligned with your brand and your messaging, you build a list of subscribers who actually want to hear from you - and that's what drives long-term performance. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #373 – Why Your Email Campaigns Might All Sound the Same Seasonal themes can make your email marketing feel cohesive and intentional - but lean too hard into one, and suddenly every email starts sounding the same. If you've ever planned a month of campaigns around a theme like Spring Refresh, Holiday Sparkle, or New Year Energy, you know how helpful it can feel at first. Themes give your calendar structure and make creative planning easier. But there's a hidden trap. When the theme quietly becomes the strategy, your messaging can start to feel repetitive, vague, and less effective - even if everything looks perfectly on-brand. In this episode, I'm breaking down what over-theming actually looks like in email marketing and how to keep seasonal messaging fresh without forcing every campaign to fit the same creative angle. Instead of letting the theme lead the strategy, you'll learn how to structure campaigns around the job each email needs to do - and use themes as supporting creative elements rather than the main message. You'll learn: • Why seasonal themes are helpful — but shouldn't drive your entire strategy • What over-theming actually looks like inside a campaign calendar • Why cohesive messaging doesn't automatically lead to conversions • The subtle way repeated theme language reduces urgency and engagement • How customers actually experience your emails in their inbox • The types of campaigns every ecommerce brand should rotate through • How to use seasonal themes as creative seasoning — not the main ingredient • A simple self-check to know when your theme has started weakening your messaging Themes should create momentum, not monotony. When each email focuses on a specific job — whether that's new arrivals, merchandising, proof, or urgency — your messaging stays clear, relevant, and much more likely to convert. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #371 – Is a More Expensive Email Platform Actually Worth It? Is paying more for an email marketing platform actually worth it - or is that just industry hype? I've seen so many ecommerce brands choose tools based on price alone… and then regret it later when their strategy outgrows the platform. In this episode, I break down when investing more makes sense - and when it doesn't. Because your email platform isn't just a monthly subscription. It's infrastructure. And infrastructure decisions compound. If you're serious about email and SMS becoming revenue channels (not just newsletters), this is a decision that deserves more thought than "what's the cheapest option?" You'll learn: Why brands rarely regret investing in a stronger platform upfront The hidden cost of choosing a cheaper tool (it's not the subscription price) What "infrastructure decisions compound" really means in email marketing The real example of a brand locked into an annual deal that no longer fits What you're actually paying for in a premium email platform When it's perfectly fine to start with a lighter platform The question you should ask instead of "What's the cheapest option?" Price usually reflects capability in email marketing tools. And when your email program starts working, the last thing you want is to rebuild your foundation mid-growth. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #369 – The Fastest Way to Stabilize Email Results (No Fancy Segmentation Required) If your email results feel inconsistent, you might be trying to use every campaign like it's doing CPR — reviving cold subscribers, persuading on-the-fence people, and rewarding the warm people all in one send. That's exhausting, and it rarely works. Segmentation fixes this by doing one simple thing: it lets you choose the room before you choose the words. Because when you send one email to your entire list, you're speaking to people who are at totally different points in the conversation — and the message either becomes a compromise, or it only lands for a fraction of the room. In this episode, I walk you through the three essential segments that stabilize campaign performance fast: Engaged subscribers (your dependable audience + deliverability protector) Unengaged subscribers (the people you stop emailing by default — and put into a re-engagement/sunset lane instead) Recent buyers (the relationship window you protect so you don't keep selling at someone who just purchased) You'll also get a quick segmentation self-check (so you know when segmentation will actually reduce your workload), plus the common mistakes that make segmentation feel like "extra work" instead of strategy. Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #367 - Unsubscribes Aren't Your Problem…List Churn Without Regrowth Is Unsubscribes can feel personal. Like every time someone leaves your list, it's proof you're doing something wrong. But here's the truth: unsubscribes aren't your problem. List churn without regrowth is. In this episode, I'm breaking down what a healthy unsubscribe reality looks like, why unsubscribes are inevitable (and not a moral failure), and the simple replenishment system that keeps your email list renewing over time — so you can grow without spiraling. In this episode, you'll learn: The real reason people unsubscribe (and why it often has nothing to do with you) What a "healthy" unsubscribe rate looks like — and when it's a real warning sign The 1% unsubscribe threshold and how to interpret it (spikes vs patterns) Why "low unsubscribes" can actually be worse if opens are quietly falling The 3 common founder overreactions that hurt engagement and trust The simple list replenishment plan that prevents a slow leak in your growth engine: A clear reason to subscribe (beyond "get 10% off") A consistent capture moment A welcome experience that earns the subscription An ongoing visibility loop that keeps new subscribers flowing in Key takeaway: Your list isn't a bucket you fill once. It's a river. People will flow out — and the goal is to build a system that brings the right people in consistently. Dive deeper with the accompanying blog post: https://joyjoya.com/blogs/podcast/email-list-churn-obsessing-over-unsubscribes-isn-t-the-key Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #365 - What Percentage of Revenue Should Email Marketing Drive? (Benchmarks for Ecommerce Brands) If you've ever wondered, "Is my email program doing what it's supposed to be doing?" — you're not alone. Because everyone throws around percentages like they're universal truth… "Email should drive 30%." "No, it should be 40%." "Wait, mine is 12%… is that bad?" 🎧 In this episode, I'm making this simple and actually useful: what a healthy email revenue percentage looks like, what has to be true behind the scenes to hit 30–40%, and why this number is less about email "winning"… and more about your whole marketing system working together. We'll talk about Shopify's "green light" benchmark, why email gets credit so often (and why that's not a bad thing), and the calm way to interpret your number without spiraling — plus the simplest checklist to move it in the right direction. 💡 In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ A realistic "healthy range" for email revenue % — and why it's not one-size-fits-all ✅ Shopify's ~20% "green light" benchmark (and how to use it without shame) ✅ What usually needs to be true to reach 30–40% (hint: it's not just better copy) ✅ Why email should get a lot of the credit — and the difference between interest vs intent ✅ The real question to ask: "What's our path to the list?" ✅ How to interpret your number based on where you land (under ~10–15%, ~20–30%, ~30–40%) ✅ The "not a competition" speech: paid, organic, creators, and email as one ecosystem ✅ A simple checklist to move the number: flows, list growth quality, consistency, segmentation, onsite conversion Dive deeper with the accompanying blog post: https://joyjoya.com/blogs/podcast/what-percentage-of-revenue-should-email-drive Work with Joy Joya: https://joyjoya.com

Episode #363 - Why "Better Design" Isn't Boosting Your Email Revenue Every week, I watch brilliant ecommerce founders obsess over the wrong thing: the design of their emails. They zoom in on pixel spacing, shade variations, and whether the button corners feel "too round." But here's the truth: the more you fixate on your email design, the fewer clicks you actually earn. 🎧 In this episode, I'm breaking down why email design is where good marketing goes to die—and what to focus on instead if you care about performance. You'll learn why email isn't meant to be a "brand moment," what design is actually supposed to do (hint: guide behavior), and the "Clarity First" framework that will help you stop over-tweaking and start sending emails that convert. If you've ever thought, "My emails are pretty… so why aren't they performing?" this episode will shift how you approach design forever. 💡 In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Why email design isn't art direction—it's behavioral architecture ✅ What customers are really doing when they open your email (and why they're not "studying" it) ✅ The 5 jobs design must do to increase clicks (clarity, hierarchy, cognitive ease, direction, brand support) ✅ The "Clarity First" baseline layout to use for every single email ✅ What's actually optional once clarity is established (product grids, social proof, callouts, secondary CTAs) ✅ The sneaky way over-design adds friction, slows comprehension, and kills revenue ✅ Why efficient emails outperform beautiful ones—and how to build for action Dive deeper with the accompanying blog post: https://joyjoya.com/blogs/podcast/overdesigning-emails-is-killing-your-clicks-do-this-instead