In this quick 12-minute episode, Jordan breaks down the 10 essential checks every brand should make before launching their BFCM emails. From segmentation cleanup to triple-tapping safely to avoiding coupon-code errors that kill conversions, this is your last-minute guide to protecting inboxing and maximizing revenue on the biggest email day of the year.

You’ll learn:

• The segmentation fixes that instantly reduce spam risk

• How to double-tap and triple-tap without hurting deliverability

• Why “send only to non-openers” is dangerous

• How to set abandoned flows for BFCM week

• The right way to test subject lines on Black Friday

• How to safely expand your list size using incremental sends

• The universal site banner setup every brand should have live

#emailmarketing #ecommercemarketing #dtc #bfcm #blackfriday2025 #retentionmarketing #klaviyo #deliverability #cro #dtcnewsletter #twberp #marketingpodcast

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

Email might be the oldest channel in the digital stack, but it’s never been more complicated. In this episode, Jordan sits down with Benny Rubin (CEO of senders.co) and deliverability expert Omer to get straight answers to the questions brands never get clear guidance on.

From engagement windows, static send sizes, and domain reputation to inboxing myths, blacklists, warming strategies, ESP limitations, and how Gmail/Yahoo actually judge your sends, this is a full deliverability deep dive.

If you’ve ever wondered why your campaigns suddenly tanked, why one ESP rejects more than another, or whether you should really be sending to that wider window… this episode is for you.

#EmailMarketing #Deliverability #Klaviyo #RetentionMarketing #EcommerceMarketing #LifecycleMarketing #InboxPlacement #Sendersco #DTCMarketing #MarketingPodcast

00:00 — Introduction

04:01 — The Real Triggers Behind Deliverability Crises

10:20 — Engagement Windows & Why Opens Aren’t What You Think

16:29 — Why Some Domains Play by Different Rules

24:14 — The Truth About “Delivered” vs. SMTP Reality

35:19 — Static Send Size: How Much Variance Is Safe?

42:57 — Should Segments Be Combined to Save Inboxing?

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

Think your email program is performing just fine? You might want to take another look.

In this episode, Jordan lifts the hood on a real (anonymized) account to show how misleading metrics, privacy opens, and bot clicks can make an email program look healthy when it’s actually underperforming.

You’ll learn how to spot the signs of deliverability decay, interpret your data accurately, and understand what’s really happening inside your email engine, so you can turn false positives into real performance.

#EmailMarketing #Deliverability #EcommerceMarketing #CustomerRetention #EmailStrategy #RetentionMarketing #DTC #MarketingPodcast #DigitalMarketing #LifecycleMarketing #DataDrivenMarketing #Pilothouse #TWBERP #EmailOptimization

00:00 – Introduction

01:00 – How inbox privacy changes hide real performance issues

06:00 – Bounce rates, open rates, and what they actually tell you

10:00 – When high click rates mean your emails aren’t reaching anyone

12:00 – Klaviyo benchmarks vs. reality: the top-performer gap

18:00 – The silent destroyer: misconfigured flows and false metrics

26:00 – How to audit your own account (and what the data really means)

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

What actually determines whether your emails land in the inbox or the spam folder?

In this episode, Jordan Gordon sits down with Benny Rubin, founder and CEO of Senders.co, for a deep dive into the mechanics of deliverability.

They break down how domain age, subdomains, and warmup patterns affect reputation, why engagement ratios matter more than send volume, and what Gmail and Microsoft really look for when evaluating your sends.

00:00 – Introduction and Why Deliverability Matters

02:00 – Meet Benny Rubin of Senders.co

07:10 – Domain Age, Warmup, and Subdomains

15:22 – Cold Email, Ratios, and Reputation

23:14 – Why Open Rates Lie

33:27 – Fingerprints, Frequency, and Testing

45:03 – Fixing Deliverability at Scale

#EmailMarketing #Deliverability #RetentionMarketing #Klaviyo #InboxPlacement #EcommerceMarketing #DTC #MarketingStrategy #EmailOptimization #CustomerRetention #MarketingOperations #Pilothouse #SendersCo #TWBERP

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

Every brand uses a pop-up... but most leave serious revenue on the table.

In this episode, Jordan sits down with Shaan Arora, founder of Alia, to break down the real pop-up levers that drive conversion: copy, timing, and segmentation.

You’ll learn what 150 million monthly pop-up views reveal about what actually moves the needle, how AI testing is changing optimization, and why design isn’t the difference-maker you think it is.

Plus, the Pilothouse team’s early experiments with Alia (including one that 5x’d a welcome flow) and where Shaan sees the future of email, SMS, and personalization heading.

#EmailMarketing #Retention #Ecommerce #PopUps #CRO #ConversionOptimization #DTC #DigitalMarketing #EcommerceStrategy #AI #MarketingStrategy #CustomerAcquisition #CustomerRetention #EmailDesign #MarketingAutomation #ListGrowth #Shopify #RetentionMarketing #GrowthMarketing #MarketingData #Alia #Pilothouse #TWBERP

00:00 – Intro: Why every brand uses pop-ups—and why most get them wrong

01:31 – Shaan Arora (Alia) joins to break down what really moves conversions

03:56 – How Alia grew from 0 to 2,500 brands and 150M monthly pop-up views

09:07 – The real levers: copy, timing, and segmentation

11:05 – Testing, AI optimization, and why design matters less than you think

14:36 – Authenticity, AI, and the future of email & SMS

17:56 – Smart offers and one-to-one pop-up personalization

24:40 – Shaan’s top tips: timing, mystery offers, and full-screen testing

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

Your website has just two minutes to make money, literally.

In this episode, Jordan Gordon breaks down the four critical stages of the website purchase funnel and how to keep visitors moving from “just looking” to “ready to buy.”

You’ll learn:

• What needs to happen in the first two seconds of every session

• How to prove your site is trustworthy in under 15 seconds

• The simple formula to reduce bounces and boost conversions • How to find and fix your site’s biggest “choke points” using heatmaps

#CRO #EcommerceMarketing #DTC #EmailMarketing #Retention #WebsiteOptimization #ConversionRateOptimization #MarketingPodcast

00:00 — Introduction and why average session time matters

03:31 — The 4 stages of the website conversion funnel

04:01 — Stage 1–2: Hook visitors fast (load speed, visuals, messaging)

07:57 — Stage 3–4: Build trust + convert in under 2 minutes

21:32 — Finding “choke points” with heatmaps and testing

25:51 — Final takeaways: simplicity wins, every second counts

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast⁠

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

It’s crunch time.

Jordan Gordon breaks down a no-BS audit you can run this week to see whether your email program is actually inboxing, or just propped up by Apple Privacy opens and bot clicks.

From ISP splits (Gmail vs. iCloud) to the “ladder” segmentation test (0–30 / 31–60 / 61–90+ days), Jordan shows how to spot false signals, clean up your sends, and shift from campaign volume to revenue-driving automations before Black Friday.

What you’ll learn:

• How to read ISP-level signals and uncover the Apple Privacy mirage
• The ladder test: a simple way to see who’s truly receiving your emails
• Bot clicks (Proofpoint, Outlook/G Suite) vs. real engagement—and what to exclude
• When to cool campaigns, tighten segmentation, and let flows carry Q4
• Why “more sends” can tank deliverability—and how to ramp safely

#emailmarketing #retentionmarketing #ecommercegrowth #deliverability #klaviyo #customerretention #dtcpodcast #marketingops #inboxing #emailstrategy #q4prep #blackfriday2025 #ecommercemarketing #emailsegmentation #automations #pilothouse #dtcbrands #marketingpodcast #growthmarketing #digitalmarketing

00:00 — Introduction

01:32 — Talk Turkey: The Q4 email gut check begins

05:53 — The deadly combo: Increasing audience and frequency at once

10:13 — The risk of scaling sends without the right tools

12:12 — How to run an ISP-level audit (Gmail vs. iCloud)

14:07 — The Ladder Test: Find out who’s really seeing your emails

18:58 — The bot-click trap and false engagement signals

34:56 — Less is more: Shrink sends, grow deliverability and revenue

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

Black Friday isn’t about clever tricks; it’s about doing the basics better (and not tanking your sender reputation while you’re at it).

In this episode, Jordan breaks down The Pilothouse Way to win Black Friday: how to increase send volume without burning your list, why “double-tapping non-openers” is a fatal mistake, and the counterintuitive truth about who actually buys and when.

You’ll also learn:

Why boring subject lines outperform “creative” ones during BFCM

How to structure every email assuming it’s the only one your subscriber opens

The simple post–Black Friday tactic that turns one-time buyers into repeat customers

#EmailMarketing #BlackFriday #CyberMonday #RetentionMarketing #EcommerceMarketing #CustomerRetention #EmailStrategy #Deliverability #MarketingTips #DTC #DigitalMarketing #MarketingPodcast #Pilothouse #TWBERP #EcommerceGrowth #MarketingStrategy #LifecycleMarketing #EmailAutomation #BFCM #PerformanceMarketing

0:00 — Introduction

2:00 — What Actually Drives Results

3:00 — Cadence and Frequency: How Much Is Too Much?

5:00 — The Double-Tap Disaster

6:00 — How Buyers Actually Behave (and Why It Matters)

8:00 — The Boring Secret to Black Friday Success

13:00 — Turn Black Friday Buyers Into December Buyers

19:00 — The “Saucy” 30% Repeat Purchase Tactic

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

In this episode, Jordan breaks down exactly why it works. From full-bleed, image-driven emails that feel like window shopping to seamless category pages that reinforce continuity, UO shows how to connect inbox to onsite in a way that drives real platform revenue.

You’ll learn:

Why simple, image-first templates can outperform copy-heavy emails

How UO ties email campaigns to category pages for frictionless shopping

Smart discovery tactics like “shop by fit” and complete-the-look recs

What other brands can steal from UO’s approach to retention

#EmailMarketing #RetentionMarketing #EcommerceMarketing #UrbanOutfitters #DTC #DigitalMarketing #CustomerRetention #EmailDesign #EcommerceStrategy #MarketingPodcast #LifecycleMarketing #Klaviyo #Pilothouse #EmailStrategy #BrandBreakdown #MarketingTips

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:00 Platform revenue & landing page continuity

00:04:00 Subject lines, frequency, preheader text

00:07:00 Sale emails & scalable templates

00:09:00 Full-bleed “window shopping” email design

00:24:00 Complete-the-look recs on PDPs

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast

In this episode of The World’s Best Email Retention Podcast, Jordan explores a list growth approach that looks appealing on the surface but can create hidden risks for your email program.

He explains how these tactics affect deliverability and reporting, and what to focus on instead to keep your channel strong heading into Q4.

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 0:56 – An overview of certain list-growth tactics
• 4:59 – How permission impacts deliverability
• 9:22 – Examples of client deliverability challenges
• 12:39 – What the data shows about subscriber quality
• 22:23 – Broader implications for the email ecosystem

#EmailMarketing #RetentionMarketing #Deliverability #ListGrowth #EcommerceMarketing #MarketingPodcast #DigitalMarketing #CustomerRetention #EmailStrategy #Q4Marketing

Work with Pilothouse: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast⁠⁠

Subscribe to DTC: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.directtoconsumer.co/⁠⁠⁠

Listen to DTC Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast