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Meet Klodiana: A Best Version Media Success Story
Let us introduce you to Klodiana, the dynamic owner of the Ocala market for Best Version Media. If you’ve ever come across one of their community-based magazines, you know the impact they have in showcasing local businesses.
Outline:
Best Version Media has been connecting local businesses with their communities for years, and their magazines are a staple across neighborhoods throughout the country.
Their focus is on telling the stories of local business owners, all while providing targeted, localized advertising opportunities. If you live in the U.S., chances are you’ve flipped through one of their publications.
If you’re like me, you love to talk. And if you’re in sales, you probably love to talk even more. The problem is, that habit carries over into emails, and you end up saying way too much.
I used to think long, detailed emails were great—six paragraphs packed with information.
But in reality, they were filled with unnecessary words, and I wasn’t getting the response I wanted. It took some trial and error to realize that more isn’t always better, especially in email communication.
Perfected email templates will be the key focus of this blog.
Running a successful local magazine comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to attracting advertisers.
Best Version Media provides its operators with tools to manage ad creation, payment systems, and more. However, they also encourage a lot of cold calling to sell advertisements—a notoriously time-consuming and often frustrating process.
With Resquared, Klodiana saw incredible results from her email funnel. Open Rate: Over 70%, Leads Generated: 14, Appointments Booked: 6, and Deals Closed: 1—with more in the pipeline.
Here’s the funnel breakdown for a visual understanding:
Max, a Customer Success Manager at Resquared, stepped in to help.
Here is what she had to say about Max:
"Max is awesome! He was really helpful, especially with making better email templates."
He helped Klodiana revamp her email templates. Together, they implemented 4 key strategies that led to remarkable results:
Max personalized her emails by adding hyper-specific details about the neighborhood, ensuring that her outreach felt tailored and unique.
By stating the town's name, recipients could instantly tell it wasn’t part of a generic blast, but rather a message sent intentionally to them or a select few.
In a town with only so many dentists, for example, this kind of personalization stands out, making it clear that a real person, not a robot, crafted the message just for them.
This approach is crucial because it helps the recipient feel valued, as if their business matters on an individual level, fostering a connection that could easily be missed in more generalized outreach efforts.
By incorporating figures, prospects can visualize results more clearly. Using specific numbers in an email can transform abstract concepts into tangible outcomes, making it easier for the recipient to picture the potential benefits.
For example, imagine you want to know how much a product was. If somebody said "It's affordable" instead of listing a dollar amount, there would be plenty of ambiguity.
This strategy of stating number amounts not only helps align expectations but also ensures that the prospect doesn’t imagine a vastly different number. Incorporating numbers takes out the guesswork and makes the message feel more concrete and trustworthy.
Sending links right off the bat can increase the chances of your email ending up in the spam or promotions folder, which is the last thing you want.
Gmail organizes emails into three main categories: Primary, Promotions, and Socials, and naturally, you want to land in the Primary inbox where your message is more likely to be seen.
The best way to avoid getting flagged as a promotion is by holding off on sending any links until you’ve gained permission. This strategy not only increases the likelihood of your email reaching the right inbox but also helps foster a more personal connection from the start.
Keep reading to find out what approach to use for this—something we like to call the “Trojan Horse” method!
It’s the first thing your prospect will see, meaning you have just a split second to grab their attention. This makes it crucial to use a concise and compelling phrase—ideally four words or less—to instantly hook them.
Think of it as your first impression. If the subject line doesn’t stand out or spark curiosity, chances are your email won’t even get opened.
Here’s a pro tip: When reading any message, people naturally follow a top-to-bottom, left-to-right pattern. This means that each part of your email needs to be crafted in a way that makes the reader want to continue down the page.
The first line needs to be so engaging that it pulls them into the next, and the next, creating a seamless flow that keeps their attention.
Your subject line is the starting point of this journey, and it’s your chance to make them feel like you’re offering something of real value—something they can’t ignore.
When done right, your subject line should immediately spark a thought like, “Oooh, this sounds perfect for me! Let me open it and keep reading.”
It’s about finding that perfect balance between intrigue and relevance, showing the recipient that what’s inside the email will benefit them personally, which in turn boosts your open rates and overall engagement.
P.S.- A generic rule of thumb for the subject line is to include the recipient’s occupation and location in the subject line—still keeping it to 4 words or less
Examples:
This may not give them the same "aha!" moment that a subject line proposing the value of the email contents would, but it should still make them go "Hmmm there are only so many plumbers in my small city, I wonder what they want to do with me?"
With this, there was a revised template that led to INCREDIBLE results!
Funnel Breakdown:
To put this in perspective, achieving a 70% open rate is exceptional. We always aim to set realistic expectations for our clients, but Klodiana’s results were above and beyond. And with follow-up opportunities still in progress, we’re confident she’ll convert even more leads into customers.
If you want more tips directly from amazing Max, check out this blog he wrote on How a Compelling Email Increased Response Rates by Over 200%
Max helped Klodiana cut down her emails from lengthy essays to concise, clear messages that got results.
Here’s a key takeaway: Do NOT include any links or attachments in your initial emails—this ensures they land in your recipient’s primary inbox instead of the spam folder.
Instead, ask for their permission to send a flyer or brochure to their inbox, and you can even use the Trojan horse method for this!
This is something that we preach time and time again that continues to prove successful. Get them on the phone, then use the line, "Hey, while I have you, can I share this flyer with you? I just want to make sure it gets in your inbox."
Now they're nearly guaranteed to look at your flyer instead of it getting lost in the spam inbox.
Rather than using broad terms like “Middlesex County” or “Tampa Bay area,” we got specific. Klodiana’s emails mentioned precise community names like “South Tampa” or “Westchase.”
This level of detail helped recipients feel that the message was written specifically for their neighborhood, fostering a sense of familiarity and connection.
Check out this clip below to know if you're optimizing your subject line!
Before sending an email, Max advises asking yourself these 4 important questions:
What looks concise on your desktop can feel overwhelming on a mobile device due to the smaller screen size. Text that fits neatly into a few paragraphs on a computer often stretches into long blocks on a phone, making your email look much longer.
As a result, recipients may feel overwhelmed and lose interest quickly. Testing emails on mobile ensures they remain clear, readable, and engaging, no matter the device.
Since most email previews only show the subject line and the first sentence, those are your prime opportunities to capture attention. If the subject line doesn’t spark interest, your email may never be opened.
Likewise, the first sentence needs to be engaging enough to encourage the recipient to keep reading. Make sure both are clear, concise, and directly relevant to what the reader cares about.
This is what it looks like on an iPhone!
Notice how you can see both the name of the sender (EX: Uber Eats), the subject line, and the first sentence or two! Pay attention to how your email looks!
On desktop it might look great on the iPhone (where most people are going to read your email) it doesn't capture the prospect!
Ask yourself if your email is truly engaging enough to deserve a reply. If you wouldn’t take the time to respond, why would someone else?
It’s important to create content that grabs attention and prompts action. Ensure your message is clear, concise, and offers enough value to make responding easy and worthwhile.
Using “Yes” or “No” questions helps simplify the response process for your recipient. People are more likely to reply when they don’t have to think too hard or write a long response.
By making it easy to say “Yes, I’m interested” or “No, thank you,” you increase the chances of getting a quick reply. Keep your questions clear and direct, reducing any friction in the communication.
We’re beyond excited about Klodiana’s success and the results she’s achieved so far. By shifting away from traditional cold calls and focusing on targeted email outreach, she’s engaging more effectively with local business owners—and seeing real results.
If you’re ready to transform your outreach just like Klodiana, let us know. We’re here to help you optimize your process and grow your business! Schedule a demo today here.
PS: check out another success story: How Sean secured a $2,000 deal.
