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.

Adriatic.hr

Promoted to Head of Marketing at Adriatic.hr, one of Croatia’s leading platforms for private accommodation. 

I now officially oversee the development and execution of marketing strategies (B2B lead-gen and B2C) to drive growth and connect travelers with their ideal destinations across Croatia.

Head of Marketing

The role was expanded to include more responsibilities (and benefits).

Daily responsibilities consist of:
- E-Mail marketing programme development and execution, including segmentation, testing, and deployment, and continually evaluating for improvements.
- Maintaining marketing automation within the CEP.
- Comprehension and evaluation of the campaign metrics.
- Creation of the KPIs, reporting and analysing campaign performance. 
- Continuous improvement of campaigns.
- Support the marketing automation efforts and processes, proactively researching and implementing the latest best practices, strategies, and industry standards.
- A/B testing enhancing productivity, conversion rates, programmes/campaign ROI, and sales growth.
- Product owner for targeting a niche demographic.
- SEO optimised content creation, including blogging.
- Copywriting (META short form and long form ads, Google ads, web push notifications, banners etc.)

Marketing Automation Specialist

An engaging role within a highly dynamic multicultural organisation, where growth marketing plays a vital role. 

Daily responsibilities tend to consist of:
- E-Mail marketing programme development and execution, including segmentation, testing, and deployment, and continually evaluating for improvements.
- Maintaining marketing automation within the CEP.
- Comprehension and evaluation of the campaign metrics.
- Working with the management to define KPIs, create reporting and analyse campaign performance. 
- Create recommendations to improve campaigns continuously.
- Support the marketing automation efforts and processes, proactively researching and implementing the latest best practices, strategies, and industry standards.
- Plan and perform A/B testing with the senior team members in order to define and execute enhancements to productivity, conversion rates, programs/campaign ROI, and sales growth.
- Product owner for a targeting a niche demographic.

Marketing Automation Executive

Neucom

Automation marketing and content creation. In communications using mainly push notifications, lead magnets, e-mails and other marketing collateral.

For 3-figure budgets get 6-figure sales.

Sole Proprietor

Ultimativa d.o.o.

A highly dynamic role involving a startup's flagship product. Responsible for the development and the implementation of the marketing plans in order to successfully scale the global markets. 

As a vital part of the team including copywriters, designers and product managers, overseeing substantial budgets and utilising latest CRM systems, the role includes various responsibilities:
- conquering the domestic market;
- researching regional and local market trends in specific nations;
- identifying market entry strategies;
- determining the features the product needs for different audiences;
- identifying business opportunities in international markets;
- segmenting broad geographic markets into individual regions;
- development and the implementation of omni-channel marketing campaigns;
- cooperation with the marketing team in creating the necessary creatives;
- utilisation of the latest SEO and PPC practices;
- organic marketing.

The role ended due to failure in funding before the MVP turned profitable.

Marketing Manager

Blank HQ

A dynamic and high performing role which includes running company's marketing and selling technology services by processing the prospects via a sales funnel and maintaining relationships afterward. 

The role responsibilities are:
- Creating detailed business plans to facilitate the attainment of goals and quotas.
- Managing the entire sales cycle from finding a client to securing a deal.
- Unearthing new sales opportunities through networking and turning them into long term partnerships.
- Presenting products to prospective clients.
- Providing professional after-sales support to enhance the customers’ dedication.
- Understanding the clients' needs.
- Responding to potential complaints and resolving issues should they arise.
- Negotiating agreements and keeping records of sales and data.

Account Executive

EdukaCentar

A part of EdukaCentar's educational team, working as a freelance lecturer.

The role consists of: 
- creating the digital marketing curriculum;
- holding private tutoring;
- guiding the students through the digital tools' UIs;
- aiding the students with the creation of their own digital marketing campaigns.

Lecturer In Marketing

Accenture

Summary: analysing content and policies uploaded on a major social media platform owned by the client whilst working with an extremely diverse team.

Day-to-day responsibilities often included:
- Investigating and resolving issues regarding the uploaded content.
- Responding to the user inquiries with high quality, speed, empathy, and accuracy.
- Ensuring impeccable delivery of the quality.
- Internal communications to hundreds of employees on the project vis-à-vis e-mail.

Content Reviewer (Croatian/English)

Your Go-To | Automation | E-mail | Marketing Specialist

Young marketeer who dabbles in creative writing.

"The best thing to spend on your relationship is time, conversation, understanding and honesty" — Anonymous.

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Stefan Stefanov

Ian Paligorić

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The Battle

Stefan Stefanov

Ian Paligorić

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Stefan Stefanov's LinkedIn Performance

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