RE: COMMENDATION
30 Days of Growth
Each day, Chenell from Growth In Reverse shares a proven growth tactic from a successful creator. Her Pop-up Newsletter test was spotlighted in Try & Reply’s first subscriber feature.
Re: Commendation is a special monthly edition featuring a newsletter I read and recommend, published by a fellow Try & Reply experiment participant.
I used “Re:” in the subject line to align with the name of the spotlight issue, Re: Commendation. The hypothesis: the subject line would drive opens due to curiosity, and the explanation in the body copy would ensure the intent felt transparent (not misleading) leading to a positive response.
What Was Tested?
Subject Line Format:
Used “Re:” in the subject line to test if the familiar reply prefix would increase open rates, paired with a relevant issue name (Re: Commendation).
Message Clarity:
Ensured the body copy clearly explained the reason behind the subject line choice and the purpose of this special edition.
Primary CTA:
Highlighted a subscriber’s newsletter and test, aiming to drive interest and new signups to their list.
Subscriber Participation Prompt:
Invited readers to submit their own newsletters for future spotlight consideration, testing engagement and participation rates.
Spotlight Format:
Introduced a new format designed to showcase subscribers’ work, provide value, and foster community within the Try & Reply experiment.
Campaign Details
From name: Danielle Cambio – sender@tryandreply.email
Reply-to: sender@tryandreply.email
| Subject Line – Preview | Send Date/Time | View Email |
|---|---|---|
| Re: Commendation – Not the usual newsletter promo. | Sun, May 18, 2025 12:45 pm | Initial Email |
Goals
- Reinforce transparency and trust by clearly explaining the subject line and spotlight purpose in the body copy.
- Encourage reader participation by inviting newsletter submissions for future spotlight editions.
- Drive engagement with featured subscriber content to support their growth and testing efforts.
- Showcase community value through a new spotlight format that celebrates subscriber contributions.
Audience & Segmentation
- Initial: All subscribers who completed the welcome journey before May 18.
Key Insights
Email Performance
Apple Mail (iOS 18) displayed two different preview texts for the same email across my two test addresses. One showed the correct preview, while the other displayed text that didn’t accurately reflect the email’s content.
Some email clients omitted the “Re:” in the subject line, which may have caused confusion or reduced the intended impact of the spotlight edition’s name.
The LinkedIn post announcing the newsletter drop received strong engagement and positive feedback, particularly around the Re: Commendation name.
Four subscribers submitted their newsletters for future spotlight consideration.
Engagement KPIs
| Metric | Count (%) |
|---|---|
| Delivery (rate) | 130 (100.0%) |
| Unique opens (rate) | 95 (73.1%) |
| Unique clicks (rate) | 13 (10.0%) |
| Clicks per unique opens | 13.7% |
| Bounce rate | 0.00% |
| Unsubscribe rate | 0.77% |
| # of Replies | 6 |
Mailchimp. powers this experiment. Information about Mailchimp’s Metrics can be viewed here.
LinkedIn Promotion
Post Engagement
Subscriber Feedback
💬 Direct Comments:
In reply to “Re: Commendation“
- “Not gonna lie, I nearly reported this email as spam based on the subject line. Knowing who it was from was the only reason I didn’t.”
- “The subject line is smart, but that doesn’t make it good. 😉“
- “It got me. Well done.”
- “🥁 Nice one, Danielle!”
🔗 Content click stats:
| Re: Commendation | Total clicks | % of Total clicks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. https://growthinreverse.com/30-days-of-growth/?referralCode=9ozjqsj&refSource=copy | 15 | 60% |
| 2. Emoji Rating – Loved it! | 3 | 12% |
| 3. Audience Segments | 2 | 8% |
Questions, suggestions or takeaways to share? Email sender@tryandreply.email
Danielle Cambio
Marketing Technologist
Execute. Measure. Assess. Improve. Learn.
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