TOPIC
It Started with a FAQ…
Try & Reply tests are built on real inbox moments, expert advice, industry trends, and good old-fashioned curiosity. This issue tapped into a common behavior: how people search for answers — and what role FAQs play in that decision path.
Prompted by a FAQ-focused email from Rafflys, this campaign used a familiar question-and-answer format to explore how FAQs shape both organic search visibility and email storytelling. The idea was further supported by expert insights on FAQ optimization.
Polls have consistently driven the most interaction in past campaigns. Pair that with a curiosity-piquing subject line and some transparency about the content process, and you’ve got a recipe for better open and click rates. That was the hypothesis — grounded in previous reporting and how I interact with emails personally.
What Was Tested?
Subject line (Opens): Used the same subject line used from the inspiration email coupled with an edgier version for the resend.
Interactive Element (Clicks): A behavioral poll asking subscribers where they go for brand queries
Channel Comparison: Running the poll both in the email and on LinkedIn to spot channel-specific insights
Personalized Messaging: Specific intros for each segment (existing vs. new subscribers) to see if contextual transparency increases trust and clicks.
Resend to non-openers: Subject line and preview text variation.
Campaign Details
From name: Danielle Cambio – sender@tryandreply.email
Reply-to: sender@tryandreply.email
| Subject Line – Preview | Send Date/Time | View Email |
|---|---|---|
| What the FAQ? – 🤔 | Tue, Apr 1 @ 7:15 AM | Initial Email |
| FAQ’d around and found out – ⁉️ | Thu, Apr 9 @ 7:15 AM | Non-Openers Email |
| What the FAQ? – 🤔 | Thu, Apr 10 @ 7:15 AM | New Subscribers Email |
Goals
- Educate subscribers on the strategic value of FAQs
- Drive poll participation to gather behavior data
- Deliver relevant content tied to subscriber curiosity
- Resend effectively to new and non-engaged subs using Mailchimp segmentation tools
Test Variables
- First test using Mailchimp’s pre-generated non-openers segment
- Different intro messaging for new subscribers vs. non-openers
- Subject line tone variation: clever vs. edgy
- Poll response comparison between email and LinkedIn audiences
Audience & Segmentation
- Initial: All subscribers who completed the welcome journey before April 1
- Non-openers: Mailchimp segment of non-openers from initial send
- New subscribers: Those who completed the welcome journey after April 1
Key Insights
Apple Mail (iOS 18) stripped the subject line entirely in the preview — a behavior to monitor going forward.
- Both subject lines generated positive engagement, including replies and a subscriber shoutout on LinkedIn.
Email Poll
(27 total responses):
Google: 67%
Website FAQ page: 19%
ChatGPT/AI: 11%
Contact customer service: 0%
Social comments/DMs: 3%
LinkedIn Poll
(8 total responses):
Google: 63%
Website FAQ page: 0%
ChatGPT/AI: 37%
Contact customer service: 0%
Social comments/DMs: 0%
- Poll results suggest Google is the go-to source for product/service questions, far ahead of brand FAQs or AI tools.
The results confirm the importance of updating and optimizing FAQ pages, which are indexed heavily by Google and referenced by AI tools. Email content that answers customer questions can educate and build trust, especially when paired with a poll or question that invites reflection.
This learning also supports deeper persona mapping: if people default to Google to get answers about a product or service, what does that mean for a brand’s presence there?
Engagement KPIs
| Initial & Resends Combined | Combined Total | Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered | 141 | 100% |
| Unique opens | 78 | 55.32% |
| Unique opens excludes Apple MPP | 58 | 41.13% |
| Unique clicks | 22 | 15.60% |
| Clicks per unique opens | 16 | 37.93% |
| Bounces | 0 | 0.00% |
| Unsubscribes | 1 | 0.71% |
| Replies | 4 | 3.77% |
Mailchimp. powers this experiment. Information about Mailchimp’s Metrics can be viewed here.
Subscriber Feedback
💬 Direct Comments:
In reply to the INITIAL send subject line ‘What the FAQ’
- “100/10 Subject line”
- “This might be the best subject line I’ve seen all year. Definitely made me LOL.”
In reply to the RESEND subject line to non-openers ‘FAQ’d around and found out’
📩 Recipient Inquiry:
LOVE the real-time stats at the bottom. What software do you use for that?
Questions, suggestions or takeaways to share? Email sender@tryandreply.email
Danielle Cambio
Marketing Technologist
Execute. Measure. Assess. Improve. Learn.
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