Content and commerce have long been uneasy partners. Southern Kitchen, a site focused on modern Southern dining and entertaining, faced this challenge when launching their first direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform. To connect with the right audience and grow their business, they partnered with the Atlanta-based digital agency FortyFour.

Starting From Zero: Building a Digital Audience

Southern Kitchen was new to e-commerce but backed by more than 100 years of publishing experience through their parent company, Cox Media Group. The goal was to leverage that editorial strength to grow a commerce-oriented email list.

“We knew we wanted to build a robust email list,” said Ryan Anderson, Director of Analytics at FortyFour. “But first, we had to offer something of real value—great content.”

With help from FortyFour, Southern Kitchen published its first set of articles to establish tone and test audience response. Facebook ads were used to drive sign-ups, but prompts were strategically placed deep within articles, ensuring only engaged users were prompted to subscribe.

Using Data to Drive Smarter Segmentation

As engagement grew, FortyFour applied insights from social media to improve email relevance. For example, high-performing articles on Facebook were used to target specific segments, like South Carolinians interested in low country boils.

This feedback loop between social and email helped shape content decisions and deepen subscriber engagement.

Adjusting Strategy Based on Demographics

The initial campaigns revealed that the audience from Facebook ads skewed older than expected. Though clicks were high, conversions lagged. After identifying this through data, FortyFour refined their demographic targeting and optimized campaigns for better performance with younger users—without raising costs significantly.

“You pay for your demographic,” Anderson explained. “But the return is worth it when you reach users who truly engage and convert.”

From Short-Term Wins to Long-Term Strategy

In the early phases, FortyFour focused on identifying short-term engagement metrics and cohort behavior. Different segments—such as college-educated mothers or younger single men—were shown content based on their interests.

Over time, the agency evaluated how engagement changed at 30, 60, and 90-day intervals, adjusting content strategies accordingly. The focus also shifted toward helping Southern Kitchen’s editorial team identify search-optimized topics.

Connecting Email and Social Through Mailchimp

By leveraging Mailchimp’s analytics, the team created custom Facebook audiences based on email engagement. This resulted in a 40% reduction in cost per lead and improved overall campaign efficiency.

Compared to the site average, users coming from email viewed 15% more pages per session. Against organic social visitors, email drove 50% more engagement.

Email as a Long-Term Growth Engine

Having successfully built a high-quality subscriber base, the next step was monetization. But for Anderson, the foundation is Southern Kitchen’s brand identity.

“It’s like a party—people always end up in the kitchen,” he said. “That’s where life happens. That’s what Southern Kitchen represents.”

Three Key Email Marketing Lessons

1. Email Lasts Longer Than Social Media
   Social platforms change, but email addresses stay. Email offers long-term value and trust.
2. Start With the Right Audience
   Optimizing for clicks is meaningless if the wrong audience signs up. Begin with targeting the right demographic, then focus on conversions.
3. Incentives Don’t Build Loyalty
   Giving discounts may attract subscribers, but it doesn’t build lasting relationships. Focus on offering meaningful value instead.