Email & SMS Marketing Playbook

1. Why TBYB Changes the Email/SMS Playbook

Traditional email/SMS relies on a standard offer playbook (free shipping, discounts, new products) mixed with branded moments to drive conversion. With TBYB, merchants have a compelling, customer-centric, and novel offer that resonates with all shoppers. Given TBYB reduces risk and friction to place an order, the job of lifecycle marketing shifts:

From: "convince me to buy"
To: "convince me to try"

The TBYB Advantage

Risk-free proposition eliminates purchase hesitation
Differentiated value prop that competitors can't match
Higher engagement rates due to broad-based customer appeal
Improved customer lifetime value through increased first-order value and more cross-category buying

2. Key Objectives

Primary Goals

Acquire new customers: Powerful way to build trust with first-time shoppers who are hesitant to purchase from an unknown brand
Increase LTV: By getting more products into the shopper's home on the first order, Try Before You Buy consistently drives higher Net LTV cohorts
Reduce discount dependency: Because the cart value is $0, shoppers are less price sensitive and more willing to try premium products

Secondary Benefits

Conveys confidence: Merchants offer Try Before You Buy when they’re confident in what they sell
Improve brand perception: Positions your brand as customer-first and confident in product quality
Reduce return anxiety: Customers feel more comfortable ordering multiple items or variants

3. Must-Have Email & SMS Flows [Illustrative Example]

A. Welcome / Acquisition Flow

Goal: Educate new subscribers about TBYB and drive first trial

Email #1 (Immediate - Welcome)

Subject: "Welcome! Try before you buy - it's that simple 🛍️"
Content: Introduce TBYB concept with clear value prop
CTA: “Try Before You Buy” or "Start Your Free Trial"
Include discount if offered during lead capture signup
Template: "Keep what you love, return the rest. No upfront payment, no commitment."

Email #2 (Day 2 - Social Proof)

Subject: "See what others are saying about trying before buying"
Content: Customer testimonials and reviews from TryNow Merchant Portal
Include before/after scenarios or "I was skeptical but..." stories
Identify common shopper objections and overcome them with Try Before You Buy (”Not sure which shade/size/color/item to try?)
CTA: "Try Before You Buy"

SMS #1 (Day 3 - Simple Reassurance)

Message: "Try Before You Buy: Choose up to [x] items, try at home for [x] days. Only pay for what you love! Start here: [link]"

Email #3 (Day 5 - How It Works)

Subject: "How Try Before You Buy works (spoiler: it's easy)"
3-step visual guide
- Choose up to [x] items
- Try for [x] days after delivery
- Only pay for what you love — free (or easy if not free)) returns just in case
Address common questions/concerns
Include return process explanation

SMS #2 (Day 7 - Last Nudge)

Message: "Still thinking it over? Try [merchant] risk-free for [x] days. No payment until you decide to keep something ✨ [link]"

B. Browse & Cart Abandonment

Goal: Convert browsers and abandoned carts by removing purchase friction

Browse Abandonment Email (2 hours after browsing)

Subject: "Still thinking? Try it at home and only pay if you love it."
Content: "Bring our store to your front door with Try Before You Buy. Checkout for $0 and only pay for what you love."
Show recently viewed items with TBYB badges
Include objection handling

Cart Abandonment Email #1 (3 hours after abandonment)

Subject: "Your items are waiting - try them risk-free"
Content: Show cart contents with TBYB option highlighted
Address common objections (returns, sizing, quality concerns)
Clear CTA: "Try Your Cart for Free"

Cart Abandonment SMS (6 hours after abandonment)

Message: "Your items are still waiting! Try at home for free and only pay if you love them: [link]"

Cart Abandonment Email #2 (Day 2)

Subject: "What if you could try before you buy?"
Focus on risk elimination and convenience
Include customer success stories
Last chance messaging

C. Cross-Sell / LTV Flow

Goal: Increase customer lifetime value through additional trials

Post-Purchase Email (3 days after keeping items)

Subject: "Loved your [product]? Try these customer favorites"
Content: Recommend complementary products
Emphasize that they already know the quality/fit
CTA: "Try More Favorites"

Seasonal Cross-Sell Email

Subject: "New season, new styles to try"
Showcase seasonal collections
Reference past successful tries
Offer curated selections based on kept items

SMS Cross-Sell (Weekly for active customers)

Message: "Perfect match for your [kept product]: Try [Product X] before you buy. Free to try: [link]"

Win-Back Email (30 days since last order)

Subject: "We miss you! Try our newest arrivals risk-free"
Highlight new products since last purchase
Remind of previous positive TBYB experience
Special incentive for returning

D. Educational/Nurture Flow

Goal: Build confidence in TBYB process and brand trust

Email: "The Try Before You Buy Difference"

Compare traditional online shopping vs. TBYB experience
Highlight unique benefits
Customer testimonials

Email: "Tips for Your Try Before You Buy Experience"

Best practices for trying items at home (text a friend, take an unboxing video to post on social, etc.)
How to make the most of trial period
Return process made simple

4. Advanced Segmentation Strategies

New Shoppers (0 previous orders)

Focus: Education and trust-building
Messaging: Emphasis on risk-free trial, easy returns, quality assurance
Frequency: More educational content, gentle nurturing
Subject lines: "New to [Brand]? Try risk-free"

Returning Shoppers (1+ previous orders)

Focus: Cross-category exploration and discovery
Messaging: "Since you loved X, try Y" recommendations
Frequency: Can handle more frequent communication
Subject lines: "More styles you'll love"

High AOV Keepers (top 20% by value kept)

Focus: Premium product upsells and VIP treatment
Messaging: Early access to new collections, premium options
Frequency: Priority communication for new launches
Subject lines: "First access: Premium collection"

Seasonal Shoppers

Focus: Seasonal relevance and urgency
Messaging: "Try summer styles before they sell out"
Frequency: Seasonal pushes with weather/event relevance

5. Best Practices

TryLinks

Leverage TryLinks to create try-only flows, which improve conversion by 50-100%
Create a unique TryLink for each email or flow to allow for tracking in TryNow Merchant Portal

Use Shopper Feedback for Copy

TryNow collects unfiltered shopper feedback and populated within TryNow Merchant Portal
Export TryNow shopper feedback and feed it to an AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT or Claude)
Prompt the AI to generate marketing copy based on the actual shopper feedback you uploaded

Email Frequency

New subscribers: 2-3 emails in first week, then 1-2 per week
Engaged customers: Up to 4-5 emails per week during peak seasons
Re-engagement needed: Reduce to 1 per week, focus on value

SMS Frequency

New subscribers: 1-2 SMS in first week; 3-5 per week thereafter
Active customers: 3-5 SMS per week
High-value segments: Up to 1 SMS per day during sales/launches
Always provide easy opt-out options

Campaign Sequences

Many successful brands follow this pattern:

Week 1-2: Lead with TBYB education and first-try incentives
Week 3-4: Social proof and customer stories
Month 2: Mix TBYB with complementary offers (TBYB + small discount)
Ongoing: Segment-specific messaging based on behavior

6. Discount Strategy & Offer Hierarchy

Primary Approach: Value + Reassurance First

Lead with TBYB as the primary value proposition
Layer discounts strategically for incremental conversion
Test combinations of TBYB + discounts to find optimal offer mix

Offer Testing Framework

A/B Test Scenarios:

Lead capture: (A) Discount vs. (B) TBYB vs. (C) TBYB + smaller discount
Abandonment: Lead with Try Before You Buy first, follow with TBYB + discounts

Discount Deployment Strategy

New customers: Start with TBYB, introduce discounts in follow-up communications
Returning customers: Can combine TBYB with discounts from first touch
High-value segments: Focus on exclusive access over discounts
Price-sensitive segments: TBYB + discount combinations perform best

7. Content & Creative Best Practices

Subject Line Formulas That Work

Curiosity: "What if you could try before you buy?"
Benefit-focused: "No payment, no commitment, no risk"
Social proof: "Join 100K+ customers who try before they buy"
Urgency: "Try new arrivals before they sell out"
Personal: "Hand-picked for you to try at home"

Message Frameworks

AIDA for TBYB:

Attention: "Tired of online shopping guesswork?"
Interest: "Try Before You Buy eliminates the risk"
Desire: "Get exactly what you love, return the rest, only pay for what you love"
Action: "Start your free trial today" or “Try Now”

Visual Guidelines

Hero images: Product imagery, unboxing content, products being tried at home
CTAs: Use action words like "Try," "Discover," "Experience"
Trust signals: Return policy, customer reviews, testimonials

8. Inspiration Library (Examples from Live Brands)

9. Metrics & KPIs to Track

Primary Metrics

KPIs are available for viewing in TryNow Merchant Portal

TBYB trial conversion rate: Percentage of email/SMS recipients who start a trial
Success rate: Percentage of orders with 1+ kept item
Email/SMS attributed revenue: Revenue directly from email/SMS campaigns
Customer Lifetime Value: Net LTV of customers acquired through TBYB campaigns

Secondary Metrics

Open rates and click rates by segment and campaign type
Unsubscribe rates to monitor message fatigue
Time to first trial from email signup
Cross-sell success rate from TBYB campaigns

Optimization Opportunities

Segment performance: Which audiences respond best to TBYB messaging?
Content performance: Which subject lines and messages drive highest engagement?
Timing optimization: When do your customers most engage with TBYB offers?
Channel effectiveness: Email vs. SMS performance for different campaign types

10. Implementation Checklist

Setup Phase

Set up TBYB-specific email/SMS segments
Create welcome flow automation
Design abandonment flow sequences
Build cross-sell campaign templates

Content Creation

Write TBYB-focused subject lines and preview text
Create customer testimonial content library
Design mobile-optimized email templates
Develop SMS message templates under 160 characters
Create visual assets showing TBYB process

Testing & Optimization

A/B test TBYB vs. traditional discount offers
Test optimal send times for your audience
Experiment with message frequency
Monitor and adjust based on performance data

Advanced Tactics

Implement dynamic product recommendations
Set up behavioral triggers based on browsing/trial history
Create seasonal campaign calendars
Develop VIP/loyalty program integration
Plan customer feedback collection and integration

Ready to transform your email and SMS marketing with Try Before You Buy? Start with the welcome flow and browse abandonment campaigns for immediate impact, then expand to the full ecosystem as you see results.