What your audience loved — and what that tells you about how to move forward.
Write less. Connect more. Convert better.

What if your content strategy for 2026 was hiding inside your inbox?

Not in the “I need a funnel” way.
Not in the “create 52 weeks of emails” way.

But in the “look at what already worked” kind of way.
Because friend — you don’t need to guess what your audience wants.
They told you all year long.

In their clicks.
In their replies.
In the DMs they sent when an email hit just right.

So today, we’re gonna cozy up and do something fun and strategic:

We’re going to reflect on your readers’ favorite things.

And we’re going to use those insights to map out what you want more of, too.

Most creators build their next offers, emails, and plans by reaching forward.
But sustainable visibility? It’s built by also looking back.

When you take time to celebrate:

·       What resonated

·       What connected

·       What converted

·       What people talked about or forwarded

You find gold.

📬 The email that sparked replies
💬 The story that got screenshot and shared
🛍️ The offer that converted with zero pressure
🧩 The sentence people kept quoting back to you

These are not just “popular posts.”
They’re breadcrumbs.

They show you what your audience wants more of.
And more importantly, what you want to keep building.

Grab a pen, open your ESP, or scroll your Google Docs.

Here’s a light & lovely way to do your Email Year in Review:

What was the subject line? What was the topic?

Look for clues like:

·       Was it a story or a tip?

·       Was it vulnerable? Personal? Spicy?

·       Was it about something timely (like a launch) or timeless (like a belief)?

📌 What this tells you: What your audience opens instinctively

Which message brought people out of lurker mode?

Look for:

·       Was there a personal question?

·       Did it feel like an invitation?

·       Was it short + emotional, or long + reflective?

📌 What this tells you: What makes people want to connect

Which email moved people to act?

·       What was the CTA?

·       Where did it lead? (A sales page? A resource? A reply?)

·       What about the tone or timing made it clicky?

📌 What this tells you: What gets traction — without pushiness

Which one you loved writing most?

Sometimes we forget to ask this!
Which email felt like it flowed through you?
Which one felt like, “THIS is the kind of writing I want to do more of”?

📌 What this tells you: What keeps you sustainably engaged

Here's an uncomfortable truth: your readers give you about 26 seconds.

Smart Brevity is the methodology born in the Axios newsroom — rooted in deep respect for people's time and attention. It works just as well for internal comms, executive updates, and change management as it does for news.

We've bundled six free resources — checklists, workbooks, and more — so you can start applying it immediately.

The goal isn't shorter. It's clearer. And clearer gets results.

Get the free toolkit

Let’s not forget the squishy data — the human signals that don’t show up in analytics.

Ask yourself:

·       🧵 Which emails sparked a client conversation?

·       🧠 Which ones got quoted in your sales calls?

·       💌 Which ones got forwarded to friends or saved in stories?

These matter. A lot.

Sometimes the “lowest-performing” email (on paper)
is the one someone quietly bookmarks — and hires you because of 3 months later.

Trust those signals. They’re part of your strategy, too.

This is an EASY, fun, connection-building send.
You don’t even need new content — just link to what’s already worked.

Subject Line: “Your favorite emails of the year 💌 (and mine too)”
Body:
Hey [first name] —
As the year winds down, I’ve been reflecting on the words we shared.

Here are a few of your favorite things — and what I’ll be building more of in 2026:

📬 Most Opened: [Title + short summary + link]
💬 Most Replied To: [Title + summary + link]
🔗 Most Clicked: [Title + summary + link]
🧡 My Favorite to Write: [Why you loved it + link]

Thanks for being part of this circle. I’ll be back soon with more of what we both love.

— [Your name]

This email is warm.
It’s useful.
And it gently reminds your audience that you’re paying attention — not just to data, but to them.

Bonus? It buys you time.

While you rest, prep, or recalibrate…
You’re still sending value. Still staying top-of-mind. Still nurturing trust.

No new writing required. Just resonance.

What was your favorite email to write this year?
Or read? Or reread? Or almost send?

Reply and tell me.
I’d love to celebrate that with you — no “metric” required.

Here’s to a year of inbox intimacy.
And a new one of even deeper connection.

With gratitude,
—Eli ✍️

“Sometimes the best next step is right behind you.”

✅ You want to reflect without over-planning
✅ You want a fast, feel-good email idea
✅ You’re building a strategy that honors your audience AND your energy

Creator & Founder

Anthony Maynard

Frominboxtoincome.com

Grow your business with emails people actually want to read.

Connect better. Convert more. Grow with emails that matter.