How to get more ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

GM! Paperboy here 🗞️

Today’s Golden Nugget: Text Message Examples

Since many of you clicked on the popup examples site last week (this one), I’m going to share another similar site I like to use for SMS.

It’s called Texts We Love and it’s made by Attentive. Attentive is not paying me to share this, and candidly it’s not my favorite platform. I have heard too many nightmare stories from merchants surrounding pricing/features.

Should I do this?

A number of readers have asked me to create a Slack group to discuss email marketing, but also general ecommerce tactics and strategy.

There are some really cool (I mean REALLY cool) brands that are on the reading list, and I’d love to have a way to connect you to each other.

I’ve opened up a survey here where I’m gathering feedback to see if there’s interest.

Today’s Issue: Getting More Reviews

If your review email looks like 👇, it’s time for a change.

I have a simple process that has helped stores 2-3x their review rate, with minimal effort.

The key? Humanizing your approach.

Before we dive in, here's why review emails matter.

While not an immediate revenue driver, review emails accomplish three key things:

• Collects valuable product feedback

• Builds social proof for your website

• Shows customers they're valued and heard

Now, let's boost your review rate with these 7 steps:

Step 1: Delay your review email to a logical point in time.

Don’t just use the templated 7-day delay. Instead, ask yourself how long will shipping take and how many days will it take to try the product.

You want to email them in the period where they got your product, tried it, are excited about it, and are still telling people at work about it. That’s the sweet spot.

Step 2: Write a personal founder email

Write from the founder's perspective: share your brand story and explain why reviews matter. Keep it human and format it like a normal email (no fancy fonts or centering). Adding a personal touch typically makes the biggest impact in this process.

If you work on a bigger brand, you might have to get more creative. Write from the CEO, product design leader, social media manager, etc. Be creative with it while maintaining a personal feel.

Here’s a template example:

Step 3: Offer an incentive (optional)

Some review platforms let you offer an incentive when customers leave photos/videos in their review.

Technically it’s a gray area from a legal standpoint so do your due diligence (my paranoia stems from things like this).

Step 4: Reply to reviews

Turn each review into a support ticket.

Send a personal thank-you – it builds relationships with your best customers and takes just 20 seconds.

For bigger brands, modern AI tools make this process easy.

Step 5: Use your reviews as UGC

When customers share photos and videos in their reviews, showcase them prominently on your site and in ads.

Better yet, try using the exact wording from customer reviews in your marketing – your customers are often your best copywriters.

Step 6: Review incentive (optional)

If you offer review incentives, set up a friendly reminder at 30-60 days: "Don't forget to claim your reward!" Bonus points if you make this a follow-up to your initial thank-you message. It feels more personal that way.

Step 7: Put an AB test in place

Set a reminder to tweak your review email every quarter with a new AB test.

Go do the thing!

This entire process takes less than an hour to implement.

What are you waiting for?

Meme of the Week

That’s all for now,
Paperboy 🗞

p.s. Did you like the newsletter? Hate it? Reply and tell me why! I read and reply to every message.

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