$0 to 2.2m From Email Marketing ALONE

The Playbook

Author

Varun Oshi
May 23, 2025

The eCommerce Marketing Newsletter

Huge sauce coming your way today, but of course, hey, it’s Varun from The eCommerce Marketing Newsletter.

Most people think email is only for retention.

They’re wrong.

When done right, email doesn’t just nurture , it drives growth.

From zero to $2.2M in sales, I built the backend of this ecom brand using email only. No influencer collabs. No fancy TikTok virals. No paid ads magic.

By the way if you want to skip to the good stuff and the exact strategy we used, click right here!

Here's the strategy (condensed into 4 steps):

🔁 SECTION 1: Backend Flows That Print While You Sleep

You don’t need more traffic, you need better flows.

The foundation:

  • Welcome Flow (multiple product paths + buyer vs browser split)

  • Abandon Cart (delay logic + UGC insert)

  • Post Purchase (2-part: education → upsell)

  • Review request + replenishment

  • Sunset flow (to keep list clean and costs low)

Tip: Make flows feel like human follow-ups, not automated emails. Add your face, real voice, and clean design.

🌱 SECTION 2: Grow the List — The Smart Way

Forget “10% off” popups. The brands that scale grow their list strategically.

What worked:

  • Value-based lead magnets (guides, checklists, quizzes)

  • “First access” drops — incentivize early signups

  • Giveaways (but only with qualified products — no iPad bribes)

Advanced trick:
Use paid traffic (or influencers) to push to the email capture — not the product page. Build first-party data upfront.

🧨 SECTION 3: Campaigns That Actually Sell

Most campaigns are built last-minute and sound like this: “20% OFF!!” (yawn).

What we did differently:

  • Weekly story-based sends (behind-the-scenes, founder POV)

  • UGC-focused promos — showcasing how real customers used the product

  • A/B tested designs: static vs video banners, infographic vs plain

Copy tip: Make your subject lines feel like texts from a friend — curiosity wins.

👑 SECTION 4: VIP Priority Drop = $105K in 20 Hours

This wasn’t luck. It was pre-planned scarcity.

We teased a drop to a VIP-only segment — people who had either:

  1. Bought before

  2. Clicked early-access links

  3. Engaged in last 30 days

They got a private “doors open” email. That group alone? $105K within 20 hours. The rest of the list had to wait 24 hours.

Result: Higher conversion rate, stronger community, no discount needed.

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WACTH THE FULL BREAKDOWN:

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How I Can Help

  1. Interested in having us handle your email & SMS marketing fully done for you

    Schedule a call here: runjmedia.com

  2. Get high-converting automated email flows set up for your e-commerce brand with a one-time payment – if we don’t beat your current purchase rate, you’ll get a full refund.

    Book a call here: runjmedia.com/book-in-page

What’s on your mind? Hit reply and let me know what questions you have or topics you'd love to see covered! (I answer everyone)

Warmly,

Varun

Attention — Is your eCom brand making $40K+ per month? If so, let’s chat—I’m offering a free audit, letting you know exactly where you’re currently leaving revenue on the table & actionable steps to improve.