Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders cover image

Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders

Latest episodes

undefined
Jul 10, 2025 • 27min

Snooze or Lose: How One Button Can Reduce Email Unsubscribes by 80% | Part 2 with Chad White

We’re back with part 2 of our email ROI conversation with Chad White! In part one, we uncovered how some of our favorite email marketing metrics might be lying to us. (We’re looking at you, email ROI…). Now, it's time to take action! Join Chad, Danielle, and Guy as they share tips to boost engagement, eliminate red-flag metrics, and break you out of the wishy-washy ROI cycle for good.What you'll learn:How to shift from channel-centric to customer-centric metrics for more meaningful insightsThe pivotal role of customer data platforms (CDPs) in accurate, customer-focused analyticsHow snooze functionality can slash unsubscribe rates by up to 80%How investing in email marketing resources drives better results than cutting costsWhy increasing marketing budgets should come before performance improvements…and more! If you’d like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhours@validity.com, or head to https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders to send us an audio message.About the GuestChad White is a renowned email marketing strategist and author, known for his extensive work including "Email Marketing Rules," which has expanded from 120 pages in its first edition to over 700 pages across two volumes in its fourth edition. As a thought leader in the email marketing space, he brings deep expertise in ROI measurement, customer-centric metrics, and strategic email program optimization.Hosts at a Glance:Danielle Gallant - Danielle is a Senior Email Strategist at Validity. She has over seven years of experience working with global brands to craft strategies that amplify email performance. She is a self-professed email nerd, dog lover, and podcast fanatic.Danielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-gallant-6443a248/Guy Hanson - Guy is Vice President of Customer Engagement at Validity. He has led global consulting teams working with clients to improve email deliverability, subscriber engagement, and revenue. He believes in giving back to his community and is a regular speaker at flagship events, providing training and producing fresh and insightful thought leadership.Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyhanson/Topics we Discuss:[00:00] Intro: Why Cost-Cutting Doesn't Work in Email Marketing[01:34] Moving Beyond Channel Metrics to Customer-Focused KPIs[06:41] The Truth About Inflated Email ROI Claims[09:36] Challenges of Proving Email ROI in Today's Business Climate[12:20] Smart Preference Management: Reducing Unsubscribes by 80%[15:45] Investment First: The Key to Email Marketing Success[17:20] Why Brands Choose Paid Channels Over Email Marketing[21:23] B2B Email ROI: A Framework for Measurement[25:15] Closing Thoughts: Banning "Growth Hacking" from MarketingIf you enjoyed this episode then please either:Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow ‘Email After Hours’ on SpotifyHit like and subscribe on YouTubeEmail After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
Jun 26, 2025 • 31min

From 85% to 97% Deliverability: The Million-Dollar Opportunity You're Missing | Part 1 with Chad White

Chad White, Head of Research at Oracle Digital Experience Agency, shares his vast expertise in email marketing strategy. He discusses the real implications of the ROI metrics, debunking the 36:1 myth and offering tailored calculation strategies. Chad highlights why improving email deliverability from 85% to 97% could unlock significant revenue. He also emphasizes the importance of inclusive design, illustrating how accessibility can enhance engagement and long-term ROI while navigating the complexities of evolving compliance laws in email marketing.
undefined
Jun 19, 2025 • 16min

[Limited Series]🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫 12 Deliverability Hacks You Need Now 📬

The flaming finale of our SPAMAGEDDON crossover series is here! 🔥 Danielle, Guy, and Jay are bringing the heat with rapid-fire tips to boost your email deliverability today—from opt-in best practices to AI preparation.  We hope you’ve loved this collaboration with GURU Media Hub’s Do This, Not That podcast. Check out their show for even more hot marketing tips and remember—the battle for the inbox is far from over. 💥 Keep on fighting! 💪 Do This, Not That Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/do-this-not-that-marketing-tips-with-jay-schwedelson/id1701260891  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7eiOfHmVakmy01eySdCBH1  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLONmaA_e-MAx6o5uxGaTRU5z_LVQbf-Jx   Episode highlights: (1:30) You have 10 seconds game (4:40) Don't wait to set your DMARC policy to p=quarantine or reject (5:48) Keep your spam complaint rates below 0.1% (6:25) Use double opt-in (7:57) Validate your email list for good data hygiene (8:50) Delete dormant accounts from your list (9:12) Remove the complainers from your list (10:00) Define Gmail annotations (11:00) Anticipate AI-generated summaries (11:45) Don't schedule sends at the top of the hour (12:17) Make your emails accessible to all (12:38) Get ready for AI legislation by revisiting your data collection practices (13:16) Implement BIMI to associate your logo with your emails (14:06) Jay's final thoughts Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
Jun 12, 2025 • 30min

Turning Customer Service Calls into Cross-Sell Gold—The Christmas Tree Method with Greg Zakowicz

Email automation is a powerful yet underused  revenue driver. Automated campaigns generate 37% of email sales while only representing 2% of total send volume.In this episode of Email After Hours, hosts Guy Hanson and Danielle Gallant welcome Greg Zakowicz, a 19-year email marketing veteran, to explore how businesses can leverage automation effectively to drive engagement and revenue while reducing manual effort.What you'll learn:- How to structure a post-purchase automation series that builds customer relationships beyond transactional messages- Why back-in-stock automations deliver an exceptional 5.83% conversion rate compared to regular campaigns- The three essential automated campaigns every email program needs: welcome series, browse abandonment, and cart abandonment- The "Customer-First" framework for creating valuable post-purchase content that reduces support calls and increases cross-sells…and so much more!If you’d like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhours@validity.com, or head to https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders to send us an audio message.About the Guest(s)Greg Zakowicz is a seasoned email marketing expert with 19 years of experience in B2B and D2C marketing, specializing in email automation strategies. As a recognized authority in automated email campaigns, he has helped brands achieve 25-40% of their email revenue through automated messages while only using 2% of send volume. His expertise spans from working with small businesses to high-growth SaaS companies, focusing on optimizing automated workflows and customer engagement strategies.In this episode, Greg shares invaluable insights on email automation best practices, including innovative approaches to post-purchase sequences, data strategy implementation, and cross-channel automation. His practical experience includes notable successes such as transforming a brick-and-mortar business's email program during COVID-19 to generate 25-30% of their email revenue through just three automated sequences. Greg's strategic approach to automation, which he describes as "letting the robots do the heavy lifting," has helped countless brands streamline their processes and increase revenue through sophisticated yet practical email marketing solutions.Hosts at a Glance:Danielle Gallant - Danielle is a Senior Email Strategist at Validity. She has over seven years of experience working with global brands to craft strategies that amplify email performance. She is a self-professed email nerd, dog lover, and podcast fanatic.Danielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-gallant-6443a248/Guy Hanson - Guy is Vice President of Customer Engagement at Validity. He has led global consulting teams working with clients to improve email deliverability, subscriber engagement, and revenue. He believes in giving back to his community and is a regular speaker at flagship events, providing training and producing fresh and insightful thought leadership.Guy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyhanson/Topics We Discuss:(02:46) Back-in-stock automation: The hidden revenue driver(05:20) Three essential automated campaigns every brand needs(07:38) Data strategy essentials for email automation(11:02) Smart SMS integration: When and how to ask for phone numbers(14:26) Creating a unified omnichannel automation strategy(16:51) Building Effective post-purchase email series(21:31) Real success story: From zero to 30% revenue with basic automation(23:39) The future of email automation: AI and predictive timing(26:00) Closing story: Finding success in niche marketingIf you enjoyed this episode then please either:Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kwt5j8Follow ‘Email After Hours’ on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4dBlBcIHit like and subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmailAfterHoursEmail After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
Jun 5, 2025 • 10min

[Limited Series]🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫 Promotions Tab ≠ Doom 🧠

Spamageddon is back for more with episode 4! 🔥 ✖️ 4️⃣The crossover event between Validity’s Email After Hours and Guru Media Hub’s Do This, Not That podcast continues with a mini-episode tackling a mystery email marketers are dying to solve: the Gmail Promotions tab. 🕵️‍♂️ Join Guy, Danielle, and Jay as they answer burning questions like: Is the Promotions tab really to blame for poor performance? Can you game the system to land in the Primary tab? What’s going on with Apple’s new email tabs? Are there hidden benefits to the Promotions tab? ...and more!  Hit subscribe so you never miss an Email After Hours episode and don't forget to check out 'Do This, Not That' for more fantastic marketing tips.   Apple  Spotify  YouTube   SOME EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS  (01:07) 10-second warm-up game (03:26) Mythbusting: Is the Promotions tab hurting your performance? (05:11) Mythbusting: Can you outsmart the system to bypass the Promotions tab? (07:46) Benefits of the Promotions tab every sender should know (08:21) Apple Tabs: What’s new and how it affects email marketers Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
May 29, 2025 • 21min

When Email Goes Wrong: The Email Fail that Nearly Tanked a Brand—Then Made it a Fortune with Johanna Morlock-Abbasi

I’m sorry… WHAT happened?? 🤯 Email expert Johanna Morlock-Abbasi returns to Email After Hours to spill the deets on an email marketing mistake that turned into an unexpected win.Spoiler alert:  A campaign meant for 18,000 subscribers accidentally hit 12 MILLION  inboxes. 😬She brings Guy and Danielle on a wild ride, recalling a major email deployment glitch and how she turned a potential disaster into a revenue opportunity. 📈 What you'll learn:How to effectively manage and recover from a major email marketing incident using dedicated IP strategiesWhy maintaining a "risky IP" for specific campaigns can protect your primary sending reputationHow to use  deliverability tools and best practices to re-engage dormant subscribersWhy having strong ESP relationships and deliverability monitoring systems is crucial for crisis management…and so much more!If you’d like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at emailafterhours@validity.com, or head to https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders to send us an audio message.About the Guest(s)Johanna Morlock Abassi is the Assistant Director of Email Marketing at Bradford Hamaker Group, bringing over 18 years of experience in email marketing and campaign management. She specializes in managing high-volume email programs, IP segmentation strategies, and deliverability optimization. In this episode, Johanna shares her remarkable story of turning an email marketing mishap - where a campaign intended for 18,000 subscribers accidentally reached 12 million recipients - into a revenue-generating success. Her expertise in implementing strategic IP segmentation and maintaining strong sender reputation helped her team recover from a critical Sender Score drop while achieving a 10x lift in sales. As a seasoned professional who oversees multiple brand campaigns, including Disney licensed products, Johanna demonstrates how solid email marketing fundamentals and strategic thinking can transform potential disasters into opportunities.Hosts at a Glance:Danielle Gallant - Danielle is a Senior Email Strategist at Validity. She has over seven years of experience working with global brands to craft strategies that amplify email performance. She is a self-professed email nerd, dog lover, and podcast fanatic.Danielle on LinkedInGuy Hanson - Guy is Vice President of Customer Engagement at Validity. He has led global consulting teams working with clients to improve email deliverability, subscriber engagement, and revenue. He believes in giving back to his community and is a regular speaker at flagship events, providing training and producing fresh and insightful thought leadership.Guy on LinkedInEmail After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
May 22, 2025 • 11min

[Limited Series]🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫 Spam Folder SOS? Get Back in the Inbox FAST

The “Email After Hours” and “Do This, Not That” crossover continues, helping you survive the inbox apocalypse!💥This time, Guy, Danielle, and Jay are leading the charge to get your emails ⏪ BACK into the inbox.Strap in for more sender reputation myth-busting and tips you can bring back to your team for stronger sends today. 💪 We discuss:  Quick wins to get back into the inbox When and why to remove unengaged subscribers from your list Whether sending emails only to your engaged audience will help your reputation Best practices for B2B cold emails and the domain they should be sent from  ...and more! Hit subscribe so you never miss an Email After Hours episode and don't forget to check out 'Do This, Not That' for more fantastic marketing tips.  Apple: https://apple.co/4kwt5j8Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4dBlBcIYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLONmaA_e-MAx6o5uxGaTRU5z_LVQbf-Jx  Jay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwedelson/  SOME EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS (03:10) Getting back into the inbox: the “specific stuff”  (04:19) When to kick the unengaged subscribers to the curb (05:26) Does only sending to your engaged audience help your reputation? (07:22) Uncovering “hidden metrics”  (08:35) B2B cold email tactics that won’t leave you iced out Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
May 15, 2025 • 23min

The Sender Reputation Survival Guide with Nicola Selenu

Uh oh…your sender reputation just tanked. Now what?In email marketing, your sender reputation is like your deliverability credit score. If it drops, your emails are headed straight to spam folder hell. But don’t panic yet, recovery is possible!In this episode, Danielle Gallant and Guy Hanson sit down with deliverability veteran Nicola Selenu, who has spent over 15 years helping top global brands like Groupon, dig themselves out of the poor reputation ditch and back into mailbox providers’ good graces.Nicola shares proven, data-backed strategies to stop the bleeding, fix what’s broken, and start sending signals that mailbox providers actually like. Whether your metrics are murky or you're just trying to stay ahead of reputation risk, this episode’s a must-listen.You'll learn:How mailbox providers score reputation differently and why it changes everythingWhy consistency beats perfection in sender behaviorHow to spot the real cause of a deliverability crashWhy a 0% spam rate can mean you're already in the spam folderWhy domain swaps and warm-up tools often backfireHow an accessible unsubscribe link can save your reputation…and more!If you’d like to send in your email marketing hot takes, questions, or queries, you can email us at email afterhours@validity.com, or head to https://s.fame.so/email-after-hours-the-podcast-for-email-senders to send us an audio message.Meet the Deliverability Doctor: Nicola SelenuNicola Selenu is an Email Deliverability Principal at ActiveCampaign, bringing over 15 years of experience in sender reputation management. He’s helped luxury brands like Gucci, Armani, and Bulgari, as well as enterprise senders like Groupon, where he managed a jaw-dropping 700 million messages per day. Today, Nicola helps organizations identify root causes of deliverability failures and build smarter, reputation-resilient email strategies. He’s also developing a new monitoring platform, deliverability.email, to simplify diagnostics for senders everywhere.Hosts at a Glance:Danielle Gallant - Danielle is a Senior Email Strategist at Validity. She has over seven years of experience working with global brands to craft strategies that amplify email performance. She is a self-professed email nerd, dog lover, and podcast fanatic.Danielle on LinkedInGuy Hanson - Guy is Vice President of Customer Engagement at Validity. He has led global consulting teams working with clients to improve email deliverability, subscriber engagement, and revenue. He believes in giving back to his community and is a regular speaker at flagship events, providing training and producing fresh and insightful thought leadership.Guy on LinkedInEmail After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
May 8, 2025 • 11min

[Limited Series]🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫Email Platform Switch - Solution or Illusion?

We're back for another crossover episode with Do This, Not That! Today, we're tackling a topic that often leaves senders second-guessing themselves: email platform migrations. Are they truly worth it?Guy, Danielle, and Jay are on the case! They'll answer burning questions like:Does switching email platforms improve your deliverability or reputation? Do certain platforms perform better based on your industry? Can you transfer your IPs when you switch platforms?Join us on SPAMAGEDDON to find out! Let the battle for the inbox begin!➡️ Don't forget to check out 'Do This, Not That' for more fantastic marketing tips. Email After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)
undefined
Apr 24, 2025 • 10min

[Limited Series]🥫SPAMAGEDDON🥫Biggest Email Deliverability Myths

Alert! A fiery hot podcast crossover series is here! Email After Hours is thrilled to team up with Jay Schwedelson of Guru Media Hub and the "Do This, Not That" podcast. Our mission? To help marketers battle the ultimate inbox apocalypse. Join Guy, Danielle, and Jay as they bust myths and drop truth bombs to help you survive deliverability doomsday.In today's episode, we'll tackle these myths: Are spam trigger words like “free” the reason your emails land in spam? What are Gmail and Yahoo’s bulk sender requirements? Once you've met these, is your deliverability safe? Do increased unsubscribes hurt your deliverability? Find out which myths hold true and which ones go up in flames in Episode 1 of Spamageddon! Hit subscribe so you never miss an Email After Hours episode and don't forget to check out 'Do This, Not That' for more fantastic marketing tips.  If you enjoyed this episode then please either:Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple PodcastsFollow ‘Email After Hours’ on SpotifyHit like and subscribe on YouTubeEmail After Hours: The Podcast for Email Senders is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.soCheck out our three most downloaded episodes:Rethinking Customer Loyalty Programs: The Good, The Bad, and The Free CoffeeThe One Email Metric You’re Not Tracking (& Other Secrets to Killer Email Content) with MarketingProfs’ Ann HandleyNew Consumer Email Trends & Tips to Become a BFF Brand with the Data & Marketing Association (DMA)

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app