The real reason your purpose-driven brand's email marketing isn't working (it's not what you think)

Recently, I ran a VIP Email Strategy Day with a client who came to me with what seemed like a clear goal: "We want to build the best email marketing system we could have."

Exciting challenge. But that doesn't tell me much about what would actually move the needle for their business.

Before building their agenda, I asked them one question: "What would you like to learn about your subscribers in the next 3-6 months?"

They wanted to figure out how to keep more new subscribers active, and bring back inactive subscribers to their platform.

That answer changed everything.

The agenda we built focuses on (re-)engagement sequences, unsubscribe reduction tactics, strategic feedback loops creatiion, and advocacy activities for their most engaged subscribers.

For this client, newsletters aren't where the quick wins live.

For your business, it might be your welcome sequence, newsletter strategy, or the metrics you're tracking. Likely a combination of a few different things.

What you think needs attention probably isn't where the biggest opportunity is.

And that's the problem with email marketing for most purpose-driven brands:

You're sophisticated everywhere else - brand, socials, sales strategy - but email stays frustratingly stuck.

Not because you lack tactics, but because you're either following the wrong "best practices" or focused on the wrong priorities.

The diagnostic difference

This is why a VIP Email Strategy Day isn't a typical strategy session where you tell me what you want and I build a plan for it.

It's where I diagnose where your email marketing could move the needle most - retention, conversions, list growth, audience understanding - then build a 90-day roadmap based on your goals, not generic tactics.

A couple of days after the session, you get a detailed strategy doc with everything you need to act on. And if you want help with implementation - like the client in this case, who committed to working together for ongoing support - that's something we can talk about.

Why this matters now

Here's what I see happen with strategic leaders at purpose-driven B2B companies:

Email marketing stays on the list. Quarter after quarter. "We need to fix our email" becomes the thing that never gets prioritized because you're not sure what to fix first.

So you keep doing what you've been doing - following generic advice, optimizing the wrong metrics, or letting email run on autopilot while you focus on channels that feel more urgent.

The frustration continues. The opportunity cost grows.

Stop guessing what your emails need. Get the diagnostic that shows you where the real opportunity is.

If you're ready to find out where your highest-impact email opportunity actually lives, book a VIP Email Strategy Day with me.