| name | two-sided-email-strategy |
| description | Creates email strategies for two-sided marketplaces with separate buyer and seller communication tracks. Use when designing email programs for platform businesses. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Two-Sided Email Strategy
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Design email communication tracks for both buyers and sellers on a marketplace
- Create transactional, onboarding, and engagement emails for each side
- Build re-engagement sequences for dormant marketplace users
- Coordinate cross-side communications (e.g., notifying sellers of buyer activity)
DO NOT use this skill for single-sided email marketing, newsletter design, or SaaS email sequences. This is for two-sided marketplace email programs.
Core Principle
A MARKETPLACE EMAIL STRATEGY MUST SERVE TWO AUDIENCES WITH DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONS — BUYERS WANT SELECTION AND TRUST, SELLERS WANT TRANSACTIONS AND GROWTH. NEVER SEND THE SAME EMAIL TO BOTH.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Marketplace type | "What does your marketplace connect?" | No default — must be provided |
| Buyer profile | "Who are your buyers? What motivates them?" | Price, convenience, selection |
| Seller profile | "Who are your sellers? What motivates them?" | Revenue, exposure, ease of use |
| Current emails | "What emails do you send today?" | Transactional only (confirmations) |
| Email tool | "What email platform do you use?" | Mailchimp or platform-native |
| Volume | "How many buyers and sellers are on the platform?" | Under 1,000 combined |
GATE: Confirm the brief before mapping email tracks.
Phase 2: Map Email Tracks
Buyer Email Track
| Category | Emails | Trigger |
|---|
| Onboarding | Welcome, first search guide, trust explanation | Signup |
| Transactional | Order confirmation, shipping update, delivery, review request | Transaction events |
| Engagement | New sellers in your area, curated picks, seasonal highlights | Weekly/biweekly |
| Re-engagement | "Still looking?", new listings in saved categories, special offer | 14+ days inactive |
Seller Email Track
| Category | Emails | Trigger |
|---|
| Onboarding | Welcome, listing guide, first sale tips, verification status | Signup |
| Transactional | New order, payment received, review received, payout sent | Transaction events |
| Engagement | Performance summary, listing optimization tips, marketplace trends | Weekly/biweekly |
| Re-engagement | "Your listings are waiting", success stories, promotional tools | 14+ days inactive |
Cross-Side Notifications
| Event | Buyer Receives | Seller Receives |
|---|
| New listing in buyer's interest area | "New [category] listing from [seller]" | — |
| Buyer favorites a listing | — | "[Buyer] saved your listing" |
| New buyer inquiry | — | "You have a new inquiry" |
| Review posted | "Your review was published" | "You received a new review" |
GATE: Confirm email tracks before writing templates.
Phase 3: Write
Buyer Email Templates
Welcome email:
Subject: Welcome to [Platform] — here is how to find exactly what you need
Hey [Name],
[Platform] connects you with [description of sellers]. Here is how to get started:
1. Browse [category] → [link]
2. Save your favorites → they are stored in your account
3. Message sellers directly → ask questions before you buy
Every transaction is protected by our [guarantee name].
[Start Browsing]
Engagement email:
Subject: New this week on [Platform]
Hey [Name],
[X] new [sellers/listings] joined [Platform] this week. Here are 3 you might like:
1. [Listing name] by [Seller] — [one-line description]
2. [Listing name] by [Seller] — [one-line description]
3. [Listing name] by [Seller] — [one-line description]
[See All New Listings]
Seller Email Templates
Weekly performance summary:
Subject: Your week on [Platform] — [date range]
Hey [Name],
Here is how your listings performed this week:
- Views: [X] ([+/-]% vs. last week)
- Inquiries: [X]
- Transactions: [X]
- Revenue: $[X]
**Tip of the week:** [One actionable optimization tip]
[View Full Dashboard]
Re-engagement email:
Subject: Your listings have not been updated in [X] days
Hey [Name],
Active sellers on [Platform] get 3x more inquiries than inactive ones. Quick wins to boost your visibility:
1. Update your listing photos (fresh photos = more clicks)
2. Adjust your pricing (we have seen [category] prices shift recently)
3. Respond to any pending inquiries
[Update My Listings]
Copy Rules for Both Sides
- Use the recipient's name and relevant data (views, sales, favorites)
- One CTA per email — never compete for attention
- Keep emails under 150 words (transactional under 100)
- Mobile-friendly: single column, large buttons, short paragraphs
- Unsubscribe link on every non-transactional email
Phase 4: Polish
1. Email Cadence Calendar
| Day | Buyer | Seller |
|---|
| Mon | — | Weekly performance summary |
| Tue | Curated picks (biweekly) | — |
| Wed | — | Optimization tip (biweekly) |
| Thu | — | — |
| Fri | New listings digest | Marketplace trends (monthly) |
Maximum: 2 emails per week per user (excluding transactional).
2. Segmentation Strategy
- Buyer segments: Active (transacted in 30 days), browsing (searches but no transactions), dormant (no activity in 30+ days)
- Seller segments: Power (5+ transactions/month), active (1-4 transactions), new (under 30 days), dormant (no listings/transactions in 30+ days)
- Tailor messaging intensity and content to each segment
3. Quality Checklist
## Two-Sided Email Checklist
- [ ] Buyer and seller tracks are completely separate
- [ ] Onboarding sequence exists for both sides (3-5 emails each)
- [ ] Transactional emails cover all key events (order, payment, review)
- [ ] Engagement emails use personalized data (activity, preferences)
- [ ] Re-engagement sequences trigger after 14+ days of inactivity
- [ ] Cross-side notifications are designed (favorites, inquiries, reviews)
- [ ] Email cadence does not exceed 2 non-transactional emails per week
- [ ] Every email has exactly one CTA
- [ ] Unsubscribe option is included on all non-transactional emails
- [ ] Segmentation strategy is documented for both sides
Example
Marketplace: Local home services (connecting homeowners with contractors)
Buyer re-engagement:
Subject: 3 new electricians in [City] since you last visited
Hey [Name], we noticed you searched for electricians last month. Since then, 3 new licensed electricians joined [Platform] in your area — all with 4.5+ ratings.
[See Available Electricians]
Seller cross-side notification:
"A homeowner in [Neighborhood] just searched for [your service category]. Update your availability to appear in their results. [Update Availability]"
Anti-Patterns
- Same email to both sides — buyers and sellers have opposite motivations. Never send a generic blast to both.
- Too many emails — more than 2 non-transactional emails per week drives unsubscribes. Respect the inbox.
- No personalization — "New listings on our platform" is generic. "3 new designers in your city specializing in logos" converts.
- Missing transactional emails — silence between purchase and delivery creates anxiety. Over-communicate transaction status.
- No re-engagement — dormant users do not come back on their own. Design the nudge.
Recovery
- Low open rates on one side: Test sender name (platform name vs. personal name), subject line length, and send time. Sellers often respond better to data-driven subjects.
- High unsubscribe rate: Reduce frequency, improve relevance, or add preference center for email types.
- No activity data for personalization: Start with category-based personalization. Refine as behavioral data accumulates.
- Small user base makes segmentation impractical: Send to the full list but write for your most engaged segment. Add segmentation when you pass 500 users per side.
