If you're an email marketer for a service platform or SaaS project, you’ve probably encountered the frustration of having a list of subscribers who read your emails but never become active clients. Sound familiar? Many of us face the challenge of converting these passive readers into active, engaged customers.
In this case study, Alero Ayanru, Email Marketing Manager and Consultant, shares her experience with tackling this issue, offering valuable insights on transitioning your subscribers from simply reading emails to engaging with and using your product.
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Meet Alero Ayanru: From dropshipping to email marketing leadership
Alero Ayanru is an email marketing manager, consultant, and team lead at a digital sales agency. Alero has helped over 200 clients across nine countries optimize their email strategies, boost engagement, and increase revenue. Beyond consulting, she runs a training academy that equips CRM consultants and email marketing managers with the skills and knowledge they need to drive business growth.
Alero’s journey into email marketing began in 2019 when she owned a dropshipping store. During that time, she noticed a surprising trend — many business owners were neglecting email marketing, assuming that it was only for large companies. Determined to transform this mindset, she started teaching others about marketing power while honing her expertise. Today, she advocates for email as a revenue-driving channel, working with brands worldwide.
Outside of work, Alero is a passionate foodie — though, ironically, she doesn’t eat much. She loves the process of preparing delicious meals and exploring different cuisines. She’s also an avid traveler, always looking for peaceful and scenic destinations in which to unwind.
Alero Ayanru shared a case from her practice, explaining the strategy that helped the MailDrip company turn subscribers into active platform users.
Turning sign-ups into active subscribers: The challenge behind MailDrip’s email workshop
When we started working with MailDrip, an email marketing automation platform, one thing was clear: sign-ups weren’t the problem — engagement was. People would register, but many never got around to using the platform. The challenge wasn’t just accumulating a list of email subscribers; it was converting them into active customers who saw and stuck with the platform's value.
To tackle this problem, we launched the Build your Email List Challenge, a two-week interactive workshop designed to transform participants from complete beginners in email marketing into confident users. Each day had a dedicated topic, and we brought in expert facilitators to guide the participants through hands-on learning.
The idea was simple: we could increase platform engagement and long-term retention by helping users achieve quick wins and see real results.
Behind the scenes: Planning and roadblocks
Much of the preparation involved understanding why people weren’t engaging after signing up. It’s easy to assume that technical skills are the biggest barrier, but in reality, many businesses struggle because they lack a clear roadmap. They don’t know what steps to take or how to effectively apply email marketing strategies. That insight shaped our workshop structure — we didn’t just teach the "how" of email marketing; we also focused on the "why" and "what next" to keep participants moving forward.
Of course, no campaign goes off without a hitch. One of our biggest challenges was ensuring that the MailDrip platform’s key features were stable and ready to be highlighted during the workshop. Working closely with the team to ensure everything ran smoothly took time and coordination.
Then, there was the issue of securing facilitators. Most of the lineup came together easily, but one facilitator canceled at the last minute, forcing us to adjust quickly. These things happen, but having a flexible approach helped us keep everything on track.
With the groundwork set, we were ready to launch. But the real test was in the execution — would this approach actually drive engagement?
Finding the right approach: How we designed the solution
Once the idea was locked in, it was time to figure out how to make it work. I sat down with my team, and we mapped out four key objectives for the workshop. We weren’t just aiming for a great learning experience — we wanted this challenge to move the needle for MailDrip, turning passive sign-ups into engaged customers.
1. Ensuring product stability
Since the workshop aimed to get participants actively using email marketing, we needed MailDrip’s platform to work flawlessly. There’s nothing worse than trying to learn something new and running into technical issues. Thus, our dev team was on standby the entire time, ready to crush any bugs that popped up. That extra support layer ensured that subscribers had a smooth experience, which helped keep frustration (and drop-off) to a minimum.
2. Getting the word out
A great workshop means nothing if no one shows up. To get the right audience, we collaborated with seasoned email marketing experts who helped promote the challenge to their communities. This wasn’t just about reach — it was about credibility. When people saw trusted experts vouching for the workshop, they were more likely to sign up.
In addition, we ran sponsored ad campaigns to attract new users outside MailDrip’s existing audience. The goal was to reach business owners and marketers who were either struggling with email marketing or not using it because they didn’t know where to start.
3. Maximizing participation
Sign-ups were just one piece of the puzzle — we needed real participation to make this work. It’s one thing to join a free workshop, but another to show up and engage. To keep people involved, we focused on making each session interactive, with Q&A segments, real-time feedback, and practical assignments they could implement immediately.
And it worked! We managed to get 60% participation from those who signed up, which is huge for a free program. People weren’t just passively listening; they were asking questions, testing out strategies, and applying what they had learned to their businesses in real time.
4. The aftermath: What happened next?
The real test of success came after the program ended. Did people just take the lessons and disappear? Or did we manage to convert them into active MailDrip users?
We saw a 30% increase in new sign-ups, a solid boost in active users, and overall growth in MailDrip’s community. People weren’t just learning about email marketing — they were sticking around, implementing what they learned, and getting real results.
At the end of the day, this challenge wasn’t just about teaching email marketing — it was about showing people that, with the right approach, email could be a game-changer for their business.
The tools and strategies that brought it all together
Once we had the workshop plan, it was time to ensure our emails did their job — getting people to show up and keeping them engaged.
- Since MailDrip already uses Stripo, we had everything we needed to create well-structured, visually appealing emails that would drive action.
- We used the MailDrip Instant Email feature, which allows you to quickly send emails to your audience without delay to schedule participation reminders for each workshop day.
- We also brought AI into the mix, but not to write emails. Instead, we used it to gather insights into our audience’s pain points and what topics would be most relevant to them. This helped us fine-tune the workshop content so that it truly addressed the challenges our participants were facing.
Structure of reminder emails
The email content was simple but effective:
- a flyer for the day’s session, so participants knew what was coming;
- learning outcomes to set clear expectations and keep them motivated;
- a participation link made it easy for them to join without searching old emails.
By sending these reminders at the right time, we reduced the number of people who signed up but forgot about the event.
(Source: Stripo template)
Post-event engagement with automated sequences
The workshop itself was just the beginning — we also wanted to keep the participants engaged afterward. To do this, we set up an automated email sequence that went out after the event. These emails
- recapped each session so participants could revisit key takeaways;
- encouraged them to start using MailDrip with specific next steps;
- included testimonials and success stories to inspire action.
This post-event sequence helped convert workshop attendees into active platform users, instead of just people who attended a free class and then disappeared.
A/B testing: What worked best?
We didn’t just guess what would work — we tested possibilities:
- subject lines — some sparked excitement, while others fell flat. We tested different versions and quickly saw which ones got people to open the emails;
- flyers — we had two designers create different versions, and we ran A/B tests to see which one got better engagement. Designer B’s flyer won, so that’s what we used.
At the end of the day, the right tools made all the difference. Automation kept people engaged, A/B testing helped us optimize, and AI gave us the insights needed to make the workshop as valuable as possible.
The results: What we achieved through email campaigns
I have already written about the business results above. We got
- 60% participation from the pool of registered persons;
- a 30% increase in new registrations, active subscribers, and more community members.
As for email campaign metrics, they were also high. The numbers told a success story:
- open rate: 57% — this showed that our subject lines and timing were on point. People were genuinely interested in what we had to say;
- click-through rate: 14% — that meant many participants weren’t just opening emails but actively engaging with the content.
And these numbers weren’t just sitting in an analytics report — we saw the real impact.
Many participants went back to rewatch the workshop sessions on YouTube, proving that the content was valuable enough for them to revisit. Others took the next step and joined our communities, continuing the learning process and staying connected.
Most importantly, we didn’t just get people to sign up — we turned them into active users. The combination of well-planned emails, automated follow-ups, and engaging content helped MailDrip attract more sign-ups, more active clients, and a stronger community around the brand.
Looking back, this campaign showed just how powerful email can be — not just as a way to communicate but as a tool to educate, engage, and convert.
Key lessons from this experience
Looking back at this campaign, here’s what I’d recommend to any email marketer running a similar initiative:
1. Plan every email in advance
We scheduled key reminder emails for
- 1 hour before the workshop;
- 15 minutes before the session started;
- Live now! — when we began;
- mid-session to check in and re-engage those who might have dropped off.
This scheduling plan ensured participants stayed engaged and didn’t forget to show up.
(Source: Stripo template)
2. Be ready for last-minute changes
No matter how much you prepare, something will always come up — whether it’s a facilitator having technical issues, a streaming platform glitch, or a last-minute schedule change. Be ready to think on your feet and communicate quickly.
Have prewritten emergency templates for event delays or early starts, changes in platforms or links, and unexpected technical issues. Having these ready means that you can focus on solving the problem instead of scrambling to draft an email.
Note from Stripo: To simplify this task, use Stripoʼs AI Assistant. This tool allows you to create webinar invitation emails easily by setting the required prompt parameters and then seamlessly exporting them to the ESP.
3. Use automation to keep engagement high
Automated email sequences made it easier to guide participants before, during, and after the workshop. Setting up reminders, follow-ups, and post-event engagement emails ensured the momentum didn’t drop.
Wrapping up
We thank Alero Ayanru for sharing her insights and experiences with us. Her approach to turning sign-ups into active subscribers through a well-structured workshop and smart email automation is a great example of how strategic email marketing can drive real engagement.
For those looking to replicate this success, remember: plan, test everything, and always be ready for last-minute changes. A well-prepared email sequence combined with flexibility and quick thinking can make all the difference in keeping your audience engaged.
Stay tuned for more case studies in our "Email Marketer’s Code" series!
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