Stefan Stefanov

Making magic happen through Email 🦅👁️

You know retention should be a growth engine.
But instead, it’s mostly a source of stress.

👉 If you’re an agency, you’re juggling more accounts - but the systems behind them are patched together and breaking.
👉 If you’re a brand, in-house retention sounds smart… until you’re buried in clunky ESPs, missing data, and slow handoffs.
👉 Or maybe you're running retention - but something feels off. Results are flat. Ops are messy. Team’s flying blind.

You’re not alone. And the pain is real.

Fragmented flows.
Campaigns delayed.
No clear ownership.
And every “quick fix” breaks something else.

You know it could run smoother. Perform better. Without the constant drag.

Now imagine this:

✅ Your lifecycle automations just work - logic is tight, handoffs are seamless
✅ Campaigns go out on time, on brand, without bugs or bottlenecks
✅ Your team knows what to do, and when - without Slack chaos or last-minute scrambles
✅ Strategy, tech, and execution are finally aligned

That’s what I help agencies and brands build:

→ Retention systems that grow without fires
→ Flawless backend ops across email, SMS, and CRM
→ Consulting that turns scattered teams into calm executors

Whether you need a deep audit, help structuring your in-house retention ops, or a partner who knows what “done right” really looks like:

Send me a DM.
Let’s make retention flow again.

Email Production Manager

Looking for a rockstar email designer.

Would love and highly appreciate your recs or if you are one, just drop me a comment below with your portfolio.

I'm pretty sure you'll love the environment and culture in the place that's recruiting.

Retention systems that run without you | Precision-built ops for growing teams | C.E.G. (Certified Email Geek)

Most people join an agency and wait to be told what to do.

Smart people do the opposite:
They build 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 inside the agency.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁.

Here’s how that actually looks:

𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼-𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.
Don’t wait for a brief to be perfect. Ask the right questions. Chase down the missing context. Own the clarity.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.
See a gap in process? Fix it. Notice a pattern in client feedback? Flag it. If no one’s going to hand you permission to lead - take it.

𝟯. 𝗡𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁.
Clients can be vague. Timelines shift. But your job? Deliver great work anyway. Find a way. Be the steady one on the team.

This isn’t about being a hero.
It’s about being a professional.

Especially in Q4 - when speed is high, stakes are higher, and no one has time to babysit.

Want to stand out this season?
Act like the owner before you are one.

Most BFCM inboxes look like a shouting contest.

Everyone pushes louder discounts.
Bigger numbers.
Harder urgency.

But clarity still wins.

What does clarity look like?
- One offer, explained simply
- Clean hierarchy in emails
- Product feed that actually matches the sale
- Disclaimers aligned everywhere
- Codes that work
- Consistent messaging between banner, email, LP, popup

Clarity cuts through noise.
Confusion kills conversions.

If your customer has to think for 3 seconds to understand the offer…
you’ve already lost them.

During BFCM, clarity is a competitive advantage.

#BFCM #ecommerce #marketing #retention

Now is not the time to test.

BFCM is game time. You don’t run experiments during the playoffs.

So stop trying to “learn” right now.
Start applying what you already know works.

✅ Review your test archive.
✅ Double down on top performers.
✅ Tighten execution and QA.

Your edge this week isn’t from discovery.
It’s from discipline.

Play the hits.
Monitor tight.
Stay calm.

Then test again after Q4.

What would you not test this week - even if you wanted to?

The moment BFCM ends, your retention begins.

Customers who bought during BFCM are different from regular buyers:
- They’re offer-driven
- They’re time-sensitive
- They’re browsing multiple brands
- And they often bought without deep product familiarity

If you wait weeks to re-engage them… you lose them to whatever brand nurtures them first.

Your retention strategy must start immediately:
- Post-purchase flows updated with non-discount messaging
- Education content to reduce returns
- How-to-use guidance
- Cross-sell logic
- Delivery updates
- Satisfaction checkpoints

You don’t retain BFCM customers by sending them another offer.
You retain them by onboarding them better than your competitors.

Retention isn’t a department.
It’s a continuation of BFCM.

The 3 Vital Signs of BFCM Health

🫀 Heartbeat: Approval speed
🫁 Breathing: Stable segmentation
🧠 Nervous system: Deliverability

If any one of these goes unstable, the whole body breaks.

Which vital sign does your team struggle with?

There are three myths that break more BFCM plans than anything else:

𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟭: “𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗕𝗙𝗖𝗠.”
No.
Send strategically.
Use segmentation and exclusions.
Use resends, not spam.

𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟮: “𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿.”
Later is where deliverability dies.
Every last-minute change creates a ripple effect through segmentation, flows, codes, disclaimers, popups.

𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟯: “𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 - 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝗤𝗔.”
One email destroys trust faster than 30 great ones.
QA is non-negotiable during BFCM.

The biggest performance boost you’ll get this year?
Killing these myths.

What’s the worst BFCM myth you've seen brands fall for?

BIG Disclaimer: 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵.

Every BFCM, there’s always one moment where someone tries to save the day with a last-minute idea.

A heroic resend.
A “small copy tweak.”
A discount change because “our competitor just launched 30%.”
A popup update 10 minutes before launch.

Heroics feel productive.
But they break systems.

The best BFCM teams don’t rely on last-minute brilliance.
They rely on preparation, ownership, QA, and calm execution.

Our internal rule is simple:
No heroics.
Just systems.

If something feels urgent enough to require heroics, the process already failed upstream:
- The brief wasn’t clear
- The timeline wasn’t respected
- The escalation path wasn’t used
- The offer wasn’t finalized on time

Heroics fix symptoms.
Systems eliminate them.

And the calm operator always chooses systems.

A half-used process is a burden.

Not a system.

That little section in the task no one fills out?
That tag no one checks?
That SOP step everyone skips?

Dead weight.

If it’s not being used, it’s not helping.
It’s slowing you down.

Every part of your workflow should serve a purpose - and if it doesn’t, cut it or fix it.

Revisit. Revise. Optimize.
Processes aren’t set-and-forget.
They’re a work in progress. Always.

Do you have a system to make sure you're system is up-do-date?

“The 4 Signals of a Healthy Inbox”

1. Consistency → One offer = same messaging everywhere
2. Relevance → Segments filtered, not blasted
3. Restraint → Controlled resends, no panic sends
4. QA → Discounts, LPs, feeds, timestamps aligned

If these 4 are clean, deliverability follows.

Which signal does your team struggle with most?

Freelancing can be quite fun actually.

Check the first comment for the Freelance Navigator I created - it can help you brainstorm your way through it :)

🔄 Преминот помеѓу фриленсинг и претприемништво ретко е праволиниски. Често носи пресврти, повторни почетоци и нови предизвици – но токму тие промени создаваат простор за раст. Во разговорот со Stefan Stefanov и Milan Savov се истакна токму тоа: и двата патишта бараат храброст, дисциплина и јасна лична структура.

Стефан зборуваше за редовни самопроверки, градење системи и „value first“ пристапот, но и за улогата на фриленс навигаторот – пристап што му помага на фриленсерот да ја разбере сопствената вредност, подобро да ги уреди процесите и посмело да се позиционира на пазарот. Од друга страна, приказната на Милан покажува колку мрежата, учењето и конзистентноста се клучни кога се преминува од индивидуални проекти кон сопствен бизнис.

Патиштата се различни, но пораката е иста: вложувањето во себе, градењето бренд и храброста да се направи следниот чекор ја отвораат вратата кон нови можности. 🚀

👉 Доколку сакате да го испробате фриленс навигаторот, линкот ќе го најдете во коментар.

Smaily - intentionally simple email marketing and automation

Smaily is an email marketing platform known for its simplicity and effectiveness in creating and sending beautiful email newsletters. Founded in 2005 by Erkki Markus, Smaily initially focused on web development but shifted to specialize in email marketing to provide more consistent and scalable marketing solutions. The platform offers a variety of features including a user-friendly template editor, automation capabilities, and the ability to create dynamic landing pages.

What sets Smaily apart is its approach to customer service and its comprehensive suite of services. Unlike many other platforms, Smaily provides real human customer support and integrates closely with various content management, design, and web development services to offer a seamless marketing experience. They emphasize GDPR compliance and security, ensuring that both the platform and its users adhere to high standards of data protection.

Additionally, Smaily supports a broad range of users from beginners to advanced marketers by providing resources like a free e-library, detailed user manuals, and developer documentation to help users optimize their email marketing strategies.

As the Marketing Director and partner of Smaily, my daily responsibilities span across a broad spectrum of strategic and operational aspects integral to our email marketing platform. I lead initiatives in sales and marketing, develop innovative strategies, and explore new markets to elevate our brand's presence and effectiveness. My role crucially involves analyzing market trends and customer insights to adapt and enhance our services.

I actively engage in partnership development and nurture relationships that align with our strategic goals, supporting Smaily’s expansion and its steadfast position in the market. My aim is to making email marketing both accessible and successful for a diverse clientele, ranging from nascent startups to established enterprises.

Sales|Marketing|Growth|Partner

Uutiskirjemarkkinointi

Uutiskirjemarkkinointi.fi is a comprehensive resource launched in 2021, serving both budding and experienced marketers by offering weekly insights into newsletter and email marketing. This service is particularly tailored to enhance your brand's visibility through targeted email content. Whether you're learning the basics of newsletter marketing or looking to refine a sophisticated marketing strategy, Uutiskirjemarkkinointi.fi provides valuable tips and advanced techniques.

Their growing repository of articles offers advice on crafting engaging content that resonates with audiences from the first email to comprehensive newsletters. They assist in developing the right visual style and wording that effectively communicates your brand's message, which can increase your contacts and subsequently, sales. For seasoned marketers, the platform delves into deeper, technical aspects like personalization and analytics, enhancing the effectiveness of email campaigns​

Editor In Chief

Direct Group Advertising Agency

Direct Group Osaühing is an advertising agency specializing in the production of client newsletters and associated direct marketing activities. Their main business focus is on creating targeted marketing materials that facilitate effective communication strategies tailored to the specific needs of their clients. The agency expertly combines traditional advertising techniques with modern direct marketing approaches to enhance customer engagement and drive marketing success.

Project manager/strategic partner

Olde Hansa medieval restaurant and shoppe

Olde Hansa is a medieval-themed restaurant located in the heart of Tallinn's Old Town, celebrated for its authentic Hanseatic dining experience. The restaurant is set in a historically significant building that dates back to the baroque period and is recognized as a cultural heritage site. Olde Hansa offers a unique dining experience with a menu inspired by medieval recipes.

At Olde Hansa and Clazz restaurants, my role encompassed the comprehensive planning and execution of marketing strategies aimed at enhancing the visibility and customer engagement of these unique dining venues. My responsibilities included curating marketing campaigns that resonated with the distinctive medieval theme of Olde Hansa and the vibrant atmosphere of Clazz. I spearheaded various promotional initiatives, leveraging both traditional and digital marketing platforms to attract a diverse clientele ranging from tourists seeking an authentic historical experience to locals looking for a lively dining atmosphere. This involved close collaboration with culinary teams to highlight signature dishes and with event coordinators to showcase the restaurants' entertainment offerings, ultimately boosting patronage and enhancing the overall brand reputation.

Marketing director

EOMAP Kaubanduse AS

EOMAP Kaubanduse OÜ is a company based in Tallinn, Estonia, specializing in various publishing activities, including card publishing and publishing for construction and real estate sectors. Established in 1996, EOMAP Kaubanduse OÜ operates with a modest team, consistently employing around 6 to 9 employees over recent years. 

At EOMAP Kaubanduse OÜ, my responsibilities were centered around identifying and developing new market opportunities and crafting innovative product development initiatives. I played a key role in formulating and implementing B2B sales strategies that significantly enhanced our market penetration and customer engagement. This involved thorough market analysis, understanding customer needs, and aligning our product offerings to meet the evolving demands of the industry. My efforts were instrumental in expanding our business operations and driving sustainable growth by tapping into new sectors and leveraging strategic partnerships.

Member of the board

ABC Grupi AS

ABC Grupi AS is a prominent Estonian company that operates in various sectors, primarily focused on the retail sale of food and consumer goods, vehicle sales and maintenance, and wholesale. Known for its diverse business interests, ABC Grupi AS includes notable subsidiaries like ABC Supermarkets AS, which was recently acquired by Selver AS, part of the Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp. This acquisition expanded Selver's retail footprint, adding numerous stores across Estonia to its network​.

At ABC Grupi AS, I was responsible for devising and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies for Comarket and ABC Motors. My role encompassed the full spectrum of marketing activities, from strategic planning to execution. I focused on enhancing brand visibility and customer engagement through targeted campaigns, which involved coordinating with multiple departments to ensure cohesive brand messaging and efficient campaign rollout. This role required a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market dynamics, allowing us to effectively drive growth and strengthen the market presence of both Comarket and ABC Motors.

Target One

Target One is a direct marketing agency based in Tallinn, Estonia, that focuses on delivering comprehensive business and marketing strategies. They specialize in client relationship concepts, marketing and brand management, and business development. Target One assists various corporations and public sector entities in improving customer relations and loyalty systems through segmentation models, relationship management strategies, and reward programs. They work collaboratively with advertising agencies, web developers, and PR firms to offer complete marketing solutions from concept to execution.

At Target One, my role was pivotal in establishing the direct marketing company in collaboration with Finnish partners. This venture involved detailed strategic planning and negotiation to align our marketing services with regional business needs effectively. I spearheaded initiatives to integrate Finnish market insights with our operational framework, ensuring a seamless fusion of local expertise and our proven marketing strategies. This collaboration was instrumental in expanding our market presence and enhancing our service offerings, driving significant business growth and strengthening international ties

Tank Grupi AS

TANK is an innovative creative agency based in Tallinn, Estonia, renowned for its dynamic approach to the creative process. The agency emphasizes a balanced treatment of all aspects of creativity—whether it involves precise briefs, captivating storytelling, engaging branding, or impactful package design. TANK collaborates with top talents across various disciplines to create uniquely compelling campaigns and projects.

At TANK, I specialized in developing and executing comprehensive marketing and advertising strategies tailored to the distinct needs of our diverse clientele. My role involved managing multifaceted international marketing projects that spanned various industries. I collaborated closely with major clients, including AS Põltsamaa Felix, AS Balthazar Trading, and Saku Õlletehas, delivering targeted campaigns for globally recognized brands such as Rock, Hard Rock, Carlsberg, and Guinness. Additionally, I worked with AS Prike to enhance brand visibility and market penetration for luxury labels like Johnnie Walker, Hennessy, and Moet & Chandon. My portfolio also includes strategic partnerships with AS Japauto, AS Eesti Spar, and several other notable entities across the retail, telecommunications, insurance, and media sectors, driving their market success and brand evolution.

Head of project management team/Member of the board

As a Marketing Director & Partner at Smaily, specializing in Sales, Marketing, and Growth, I transform email communications into powerful marketing tools that drive profitability and brand recognition. With over 15 years of experience in the email marketing services industry, I bring a wealth of expertise to each campaign, focusing on key areas such as deliverability, optimal frequency, precise measurement, and compelling content creation.

At Smaily, I leverage a user-friendly platform to help our clients craft newsletters that are not only visually appealing but also perfectly aligned with their brand's identity and strategic vision. My role involves a dynamic combination of sales, marketing, and advertising, allowing me to adopt a creative and multifaceted approach to overcome challenges and exceed objectives.

Throughout my career, I have successfully managed and led numerous projects, campaigns, and strategies across diverse sectors, with a particular emphasis on e-commerce, web design, marketing communications, and digital marketing. I am deeply committed to continuous learning and staying at the forefront of industry trends and innovations, ensuring that our email solutions always represent the cutting edge of marketing technology.

Outside of my professional life, I am an avid traveler and a proud participant in cat shows, where I enjoy showcasing my beloved furry companions. This passion for diversity and community enriches my professional journey, inspiring me to bring creativity and enthusiasm to every marketing solution I develop at Smaily.

Tanel Rand 📧

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩!!!

We’re back on 12 March 2026. 

Here’s the first-look timetable: a single-track, virtual, no-fluff day with operators and educators from UK, EU, Israel, and the US. 

Talks are 30 min + 10 min Q&A (min 25). 

Full agenda and registration will follow—this is just the teaser 😍

Email Marketing Expert & Partner @ Smaily | Sales | Marketing | Growth

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