Some Background Info On The Client

A few years ago, we worked with a midwest based athletic gear brand. The brand called on us to help them create a strategy to generate more repeat business as their business grew. They had recently just started paid advertising, and wanted to drive more revenue from the traffic they were investing in.

Challenges and Objectives

The Client Had No Retention Marketing In Place Yet

The client had grown strongly using organic social media marketing and partnerships, and even saw some early success with paid social advertising.

However, the client didn't have any email or SMS marketing set up to keep customers engaged.

1. No System: They didn’t have email automations or flows to bring in extra revenue.
2. Too Busy: The team was busy with other tasks and didn’t prioritize retention.
3. Over-Reliance on Ads: They spent heavily on Facebook ads, but many visitors left without buying.
4. Seasonal Slumps: Sales dropped in summer but spiked during the New Year and holidays.

We Saw Some Early Signs That They Needed Email and SMS Marketing

• High Cart Abandonment: Shoppers left items in their cart but didn’t buy at higher rates due to paid ads traffic.
• Low Return on Ad Spend: Ads brought traffic and sales, but lack of follow-up meant missed revenue.
• Missed Upsell Opportunities: They didn't have any automated email flows offering add-ons or bundles to past customers.

The Retention Marketing System We Created For The Client

The Client's Brand Was Strong, So We Were Starting On A Solid Foundation.

The client had a treasure chest of unused assets:

• High-quality photos and testimonials.
• Great UGC (user-generated content).
• A loyal audience that wasn’t being engaged.

But these weren’t used in emails or SMS. A huge missed opportunity that we could capitalize on.

Here's What We Implemented for Them

1. Start With High-Impact Segments:
   We began with the groups most likely to buy:
   • Shoppers who abandoned their carts.
   • New email subscribers.
2. Our first flows included:
   • Welcome Flow: Introduced new customers to the brand.
   • Abandoned Cart Flow: Brought back shoppers who left without buying.
   • Browse Abandonment Flow: Targeted visitors who browsed but didn’t add to their cart.
   • Site Abandonment Flow: Followed up with site visitors.
3. Redesign Campaign Emails:
   • We used Figma to create custom designs that looked great on mobile.
   • Emails were clear, visually appealing, and easy to read.
4. Prioritize High-ROI Tasks:
   • We worked on flows that had the most sends first (e.g., Welcome Flows).
   • Less-used flows, like win-back emails, were handled during slower weeks.
5. Use Existing Content:
   • UGC and Influencer Content: Showed real customers and athletes using the product.
   • YouTube Links: Sharing videos performed well in email campaigns.
   • Seasonal Promotions: Highlighted deals during busy shopping periods.
6. Streamline the Process:
   • Notion was our command center for planning and approvals.
   • Slack and Figma made feedback fast and easy.
   • Tools like Klaviyo (email) and PostScript (SMS) handled the automations.

‍

Results and Outcomes

Massive Revenue Growth

• Email became a six-figure revenue channel on its own for the client
• The client tripled their revenue from $1.5M to $5M in just 21 months.

Improved Ad Performance

With email converting a higher percentage of traffic into sales, ads became more profitable. Advanced attribution data (via Triple Whale) showed that email was the top-performing channel for ROI.

Cost Savings

Outsourcing email saved the client $75K per year compared to hiring an in-house team.

‍

Here’s What The Client Had To Say About Working With Vaughn - Syren Digital’s Founder & Chief Strategist

"Our biggest pain point was that we really didn't have anything. We had set up a basic abandoned cart flow, but that was it—no SMS, no reliable pop-up, and email campaigns that never moved the needle. When [Syren Digital] came in, we could automatically see a lift. We got all our core flows going, started automating and systematizing email, and attacked it in a very intelligent way. The results exceeded even my wildest dreams. We sent out an SMS on Black Friday, and it was like printing money. Orders started popping up on my phone immediately, far exceeding our expectations."

Key Takeaways

1. Retention marketing is essential for DTC brands looking to scale profitably in a high-CAC environment.
2. A strategic focus on LTV, via email and SMS, can unlock hidden revenue streams and create sustainable growth.
3. By outsourcing to experts, brands can execute a high-impact retention strategy without straining internal resources.

‍