🏆 The Secret to Email Marketing Success

A Proven Strategy Top Marketers Use to Win Big

From: Just West of Otay Lakes

Hey – It’s Luis.

Welcome to Day 11 of the 30-Day Writing Challenge!

Last night, I wrapped up the first season of Black Doves on Netflix and The Jackal on Paramount+.

Now, on to today’s writing...

The first book I ever read about advertising was David Ogilvy's Ogilvy on Advertising. Through his words, I learned what separates good advertising from great advertising and why studying the masters matters. Inspired, I began finding ways to apply those lessons to my projects.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been working in e-commerce, drawing on the wisdom of advertising legends like Ogilvy to shape my approach to email marketing. Along the way, I’ve discovered one lesson that stands above all others:

Repeat Your Winners.

David Ogilvy’s timeless advice says it best:

"Concentrate your time, your brains, and your advertising money on your successes. Back your winners, and abandon your losers." –David Ogilvy, Ogilvy on Advertising

Ogilvy also reminds us:

“If you are lucky enough to write a good advertisement, repeat it until it stops selling. Sources of good advertising have been discarded before they lost their potency.” –David Ogilvy, Author of Ogilvy on advertising

Or, as I put it:

“A good email campaign is like a racehorse; keep running it until it stops selling.” –Luis Lozano

Why this strategy is a game-changer.

Email marketing is a battle for attention. To win, you need to learn from what worked yesterday to shape what you’ll do tomorrow.

Here’s how I approach this:

1. Start with the winners. Review the past year’s campaigns and schedule the proven performers first—the controls.

2. Spot missed opportunities. Identify ideas that weren’t executed last year and add them to the calendar.

3. Plan for holidays and promotions. Mark key dates and seasonal opportunities to fill out the year.

Once the calendar is built, the challenge becomes beating the winners.

“There is nothing more exhilarating for a copywriter or marketer than getting a new control—a campaign that sets a new standard of performance, converts first-time buyers into second-time buyers or renewals, pays out by whatever criteria is necessary, brings customers back as multibuyers over and over, and, simply put, beats the pants off the previous control.” –Brian Kurtz, OVERDELIVER

Your current control is both your benchmark and your biggest rival. Improving it is about driving better results and delivering more value to your audience.

Pro Tip: Your controls are blueprints, not limits. Ask yourself: How can I improve this?

Final Thought

When I first read Ogilvy on Advertising, I had no idea how much his lessons would shape my career. But one truth became clear: success leaves clues. By repeating what works and building on it, you create space for innovation and growth.

What’s the control you’re working to beat this year?

P.S. What’s one lesson you’ve learned in your career that has fundamentally changed the way you work? Hit reply—I’d love to hear about it!