The Truth About Taking Email and Retention Marketing In-House (What It Actually Takes to Make It Work)

You ever find yourself pacing around the house, instantly refreshing ESPN waiting for some breaking news to come in hot?

Anyone…Anyone?

…sigh…

Guess I’m a weirdo then.

Because that’s been me lately.

We’re in the summer sports doldrums.

And I get a lil’ antsy without nonstop NFL updates and drama. 

So to take the edge off I’ve been watching Netflix’s Quarterback.

It's honestly an incredible docu-series that shows behind-the-scenes of three quarterbacks over the course of a season. 

It’s incredible to see how much work happens off the field.

And also their personality quirks.

Like watching Atlanta Falcon’s QB Kirk Cousins absolutely nail a three-part harmony to Cher’s “Do You Believe in Life After Love” in the car with his boys after a big win.

It was a vibe I didn’t know I needed.

Speaking of behind the scenes…

A few weeks ago, a longtime client told me they were planning to take email marketing in-house.

Totally fair.

It’s happened plenty of times over the past seven years.

So I’ve been giving their team an email marketing crash course. Walking them everything I do for them.

The campaign planning. The design and set up workflow. Copywriting.

And pretty quickly… I start to see it in their face.

That “oh shit” – deer in headlights look.

Which brings us to our topic today.

Should You Take Email and Retention marketing In-House?

Tl;dr  It depends. (sorry for the spoiler)

But only if you’re ready to build a team, not just make a hire.

I’ve seen this happen again and again. A brand hits traction, they’re doing a slid 8 figures, and they start to think:

“We’re already spending $10k/month on an agency… wouldn’t it be smarter to bring someone in-house?”

And yeah… that can make sense.

When Taking Email Marketing In-House Works

• You’re doing $50M+ per year in revenue

• You have a budget for 2–4 roles

• You’re committed to building a team and internal systems
  

Because here’s the truth:

Retention marketing isn’t a solo act. You need a team who can:

• Write good copy.

• Design emails.

• Plan your email campaign calendar

• Handle the technical setup in Klaviyo.

• Understand high level strategy.

• Analyze performance

• Oh…and…know how to operate

• SMS

• Direct Mail

• Loyalty

• Subscription.

That’s ten distinct skill sets.

And finding a unicorn who can do all of that?

Probably similar odds to drafting a franchise quarterback.

Most founders underestimate how much actually goes into email and retention marketing.

So they toss the keys to a rookie  “Retention Marketing Manager” and expect magic.

But without structure and without support, and without the full range of skills — they stall out fast.

What You Need in Place For In-House To Succeed

If you’re serious about going in-house, your workflow needs to be rock solid. That means:

• A locked in campaign calendar at least 2-4 weeks ahead

• Copy → Design → Dev handoffs with zero bottlenecks

• QA, approvals, and a clean system for scheduling

• Post-send reporting

• Regular audits of your automations to spot and fix drop-offs
  

Without that, bringing retention in-house just creates chaos — now with payroll attached.

So unless you’re ready to build a full team and internal SOPs, don’t force it.

Keep it outsourced.

But make sure your partner actually owns it.

Speaking of which. I had one spot open up for a client in August….

Click below to see if we’re a good fit.

💸 If you’re running a 7–8 figure eCom brand but it still feels like nothing’s working book a free strategy call​ with me Here

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