Jimmy Kim explains why email and SMS alone won't cut it for keeping customers. Alternative channels reach people in different moments and mindsets, reduce fatigue, and face less competition for attention. A full retention strategy uses multiple channels together, meeting customers where they actually spend time.
Different channels really serve different purposes and are ultimately going to reach different customers in kind of different contexts and mindsets.
Now you're spot on, and email might be perfect for detailed educational content, SMS for urgent time sensitive, but there's retention scenarios where neither channel is perfect or optimal. Like, think about this, right? Here's why I think retention alternate channels matter, right? Number one, I think you reach customers with different contexts and environments. You can create different touchpoints to feel native to the specific platform or experience you're trying to create. There also can be more personalized or timely because you have a communication opportunity that's a little bit different. It also reduces overreliance on email and SMS. I think that prevents fatigue and so forth. And it can also create a differentiated experience that the competitors often overlook. The goal isn't to replace email and SMS at all, but it's to more add a comprehensive retention ecosystem where you meet where the customer, where they're living at, right? Ultimately, you know, that's what's interesting in that many of these alternative channels have higher engagement rates than email and SMS because they're less saturated and they're more contextually relevant alternatively.
