Your biggest retention mistake happens before the first sale

You know, where customers are the most impressionable, right? They're the most curious and the most open to building a relationship with you and your company. They're imagining what your product's like. They're comparing you to other brands, and then they're gonna decide whether or not they can trust you. So if you don't nurture in that moment, if you just send like a generic welcome email and then you disappear, you're wasting the hottest lead you'll potentially ever have.

So if your emails help them feel smarter, more informed, closer to the solution, they'll keep opening, right?

Yeah, exactly. And the more often that you get them to open, the more chances you have to get them to take the desired action, clicking and ultimately hopefully purchasing. So every email should teach something, not just sell something.

Hey, what's up, Chase?

What's going on, man? How are you?

I'm good, man. How are your holidays?

Yeah, it was good. It was great to spend time with family, but I'm fired up, dude. I'm ready to be back. I'm ready to talk about retention. Let's sprint. How about you?

It's January, man. I think I needed a couple weeks off. It was great. But yeah, I'm with you, bro. Like, let's, let's get going. So today we're talking about the first 45 days of a new subscriber life. The title of this pod is The New Subscriber Lifestyle: Why the First 45 Days Matter More Than the First Purchase. So you ready to do this?

Let's do it.

Three, two, one.

From the open to the click, they're the masters of the flow. Just watch your list grow and your leads turn to go. Did we retain you so far, or do we have to extend it? If you want results, you know you gotta send it. Yeah, you know you gotta send it. Yeah, you know you gotta send it. Yeah, you know you gotta send it.

What is up everyone? Welcome back to Send It, where we discuss anything and everything retention marketing, specifically in email and SMS marketing and e-commerce. My name is Jimmy Kim and I'm here with my co-host.

Chase Diamond.

All right, Chase, we're gonna get right into it today. Chase, I'm gonna start off with a big question for you, and it's a really broad one. It's when does retention actually start?

That's a good one. If I was putting on my cap, I'd say most brands would probably say it happens after the first purchase. And I think unfortunately that lies in the issue and the problem that most people have.

Exactly. Because retention doesn't start when someone buys, it starts the second they join your email list, in my opinion.

100%. And more specifically, I'd say that window is like that first 45 days, hence the name of this kind of podcast that we're doing, you know, where customers are the most impressionable, right? They're the most curious and the most open to building a relationship with you and your company.

But you know what? And I know where you're going with this. Most brands completely waste this window. They send a welcome email with the 10% off and follow up with a couple more, and then they kind of go silent until they decide to run their next sale ultimately.

For sure. And by the time that they try to reengage that subscriber, you know, they're going to be cold. You know, they've forgotten who you are and unfortunately they're probably buying from your competitors.

Yep. So today we're going to go down the subscriber lifecycle, the psychology, psychology of the first 45 days, the micro moments that build trust and the exact messaging strategies that you need to turn subscribers into buyers and buyers into repeat buyers. Because here's the reality. If you can nail the first 45 days, and we've been talking about this even within our own business, everything else gets easier. Conversions, repeat purchases, LTV, it all flows from how well you nurture your subscribers early ultimately. And you're going to— we're going to show you examples from top brands, including examples that you can also study in inbox.ai to see patterns yourself. It's a little shameless plug there. And in this episode, we're going to change how you think about your email marketing a little bit. So let's get into this thing. And I want to start off with a core concept. And I'm going to start broad again, Chase. Why do you think the first 45 days matter so much?

Yeah, I'd say it's because when someone joins your email or maybe even your SMS list, that's going to be the highest intent moment that you're going to get for A while or maybe even ever.

Do you think higher intent than when they're browsing your site?

Yeah, I'd say think about it like this. So someone made the conscious decision to give you their email or their phone number. And they're basically saying, hey, I'm interested enough to hear from you.

No, that's true. They're like raising their hand ultimately.

Yeah, that's right. And in that moment, they're doing what I guess psychologists call kind of expectation building. You know, they're imagining what your product's like. They're comparing you to other brands. And they're gonna decide whether or not they can trust you. So if you don't nurture in that moment, you know, if you just send like a generic welcome email and then you disappear, you're wasting the hottest lead you'll potentially ever have. Because after this kind of really core 45-day window that we're talking about, you know, if they haven't bought, their expectations shift, right? They go from, I'm really excited to learn about this company to, I don't really know if I need this.

Yeah, no, that's, that's definitely a mind shift change that is occurring. And, you know, most brands are buyer first, they only care when the people who have purchased, right?

Right. And, you know, maybe their flows, flows for kind of post-purchase are great. But often their pre-purchase flows are very subpar.

Yeah. And, you know, if you were to ask me what brands are winning right now, I think they're subscriber first, they're, they invest heavily into nurturing people before They buy ultimately.

Yeah. And that's because they often understand that the longer someone's on your list without buying, you know, the less likely they are to ever buy.

You got any stats on that that you've looked up?

Yeah. I'm, I'm trying to recall exactly from memory, but like if someone doesn't buy within like that first 30-ish to 45-day window, you know, the likelihood of their conversion happening, like the probability drops significantly, right? Like we're talking, I think it was something in the ballpark of like maybe 15 to 20% chance all the way down to like a 3 to 5-ish percent chance.

So basically you're telling me in a 45-day window to convert them. After that, they're basically zombie subscribers.

Yeah, I think that's a good way to look at it. Right. And like, and these zombie subscribers, unfortunately, they're gonna hurt your deliverability and dilute your metrics.

So what do you think the top brands are doing the first 45 days that everyone else isn't?

I think the really overwhelming thing that they're doing across the board is they're building kind of like an identity connection. They're not just pitching products.

Okay, what does that mean, Chase?

Yeah, so to elaborate, so essentially what it means is they're helping subscribers see themselves as part of the brand's world, right? So they're basically saying, you know, if you're this type of person, if you do this type of thing, if you want this type of thing, if you have these types of belief, You know, were that brand for you.

Okay, give me an example of this. This is interesting.

So I'd say like, kind of probably one of the most commonly known and well-executed ones would be someone like a Patagonia, right? So I'd say like their emails really aren't focused about selling, let's say, jackets or kind of outdoor apparel necessarily. They're really more focused on like environmental kind of activism, you know, outdoor culture, and really around living kind of alignment with What you believe in your values.

Yeah. So basically you're looking, you're not looking to, by the time you're ready to buy Jackie, you're not buying a product. You're basically buying an identity, right?

Exactly right. So, and you can see this pattern like on our site, kind of inboox.ai. So inboox.ai, right? Where you can go search brands like Patagonia, you know, Allbirds is another one. Outdoor Voices is yet another one, right? So their best pre-purchase content. Is all about identity and values, not necessarily features and benefits.

Yep. And that's ultra powerful because once someone adopts your brand as part of their identity, they're way less price sensitive, man. I mean, that's what I am with Apple.

Yeah, 100%. And additionally, right? Like they're also more likely to become a repeat customer.

Okay. Well, dude, I like that. That's a great explanation, but let's just break down these 45 days into stages because each stage has its own psychology and messaging strategy, I think.

Yeah, 100%. Right. You can't just say the same exact message for 45 days on end. You do need to meet people where they are. And as you mentioned, there are different stages at different times in that 45 days.

Okay. Let me set the stage here for you so we can talk about this. So stage 1 is day 0 to 3 days. This is like the discovery phase, right?

Yep, exactly. So let's say in the first 72 hours, subscribers are asking and wondering like, Who is this brand? Why the heck should I care? And does this brand actually align with what I personally value?

So your messaging should answer these, those questions, not immediately push for a sale.

Yeah, that's correct. So these first few kind of emails should build trust and that emotional connection first and foremost.

Okay. Give me some example. What should you actually send? Give me like an email 1, 2, 3, step by step.

Yeah. Okay. So real quickly, just kind of run through it. So email 1 is the very first kind of welcome email. This could be welcoming to Whatever the brand is, welcome to Patagonia, you know, here's who we are. So here's where like they would share like their origin story, their mission, and ultimately like what they stand for. So that's number one. Number 2 would be around like expectation setting. So, you know, something as simple as like, here's what to expect from us. So you can tell them how often you email, right? So for our personal newsletters, right, we're emailing daily, what kind of content they're gonna get and why they need and should stay subscribed. And then like a third email, I think you asked about 3 of them, would be something around like social proof. So join 50,000 happy customers. So really show them that they're making a good decision by being here. And again, as you kind of referenced, and as I kind of explained, none of these really do hard sell, right? They're really more focused on building the foundational building blocks. And if you lead with like a, here's 10% off, buy now. You're more often than not training them to only care about discounts.

No, that makes a ton of sense, especially the psychology you kind of mentioned, like sending them that email, that first email is so crucial, important, because most people are going to open it and you might as well take advantage of it when you have their biggest attention to start really laying down the foundation, which leads us to stage 2, which I would say day 30 to 10, roughly. This is like the problem awareness phase, right? So now the subscribers are asking, can this product actually solve the problem that I have? So Your job is to create what we call micro wins at this point, in my opinion.

Hey, it's Chase. Got 30 quick seconds? We built something specifically for you. Jimmy and I together have over 20 years of combined experience in email marketing, and we finally put everything together in one place, and it's called Ecom Certified. I know it's fancy, but it's gonna be great whether you're brand new or running campaigns for 7, 8, 9-figure brands. It covers it all. Deliverability, AI, copywriting, design, strategy, SMS, literally everything. Has over 175 total modules totaling 25+ hours of content. Even has quizzes, a community, and you're gonna get a real certification. It's way better than college, right? Don't tell your professor that, but it is. And we've designed it to take you from beginner to certified expert. We're talking about the kind of marketer who actually moves the needle and drives real revenue. Check it out at ecomemailcertified.com. And now back to the pod. Can you elaborate on what you mean by that?

Yeah, it's like small moments of value that make subscribers feel like they've gained something even before they buy.

Okay. Making more sense. What, like what, like what does that look like?

Yeah. Like teaching them something they didn't know, showing them a transformation, giving them a tip that makes their life better.

Love it. So you're saying, for example, let's, let's go with like a skincare brand. You know, if you're that type of brand, you might send something like, I don't know, the number one mistake people make with their skincare routine. Or maybe something along the lines of like, your moisturizer might not be working. Or even something like how to layer products for best results, like that type of thing.

Yeah, exactly. Each of those emails gives value without selling ultimately, right?

For sure. And I think with that, you know, the subscriber thinks like, oh, wow, I actually learned something, right? This brand knows what they're talking about.

Yeah. And that's a micro-win that they're building trust with you.

Cool. I love that. And I think if you want to see this like really visibly and clearly, like you gotta go to inbox.ai and search educational email or even things like problem email. This way you can see exactly how brands create kind of like those aha moments before the sale.

Yep. Perfect. All right. I think that's good on stage 2. Let's go to stage 3. And I would say stage 3 is like day 10 to 20 basically. And this is where product clarity flip phase ultimately.

Right. So at this point, right, essentially what we're saying is the subscriber needs and wants details. They're now asking questions like, which product is right for me? What makes you different from competitors? And will this work for my specific solution?

And I think this is where brands lose people if they're not clear.

Yeah, exactly. Because if the subscriber can't figure out what to buy or why it matters, dude, they just bail. They don't have time to waste.

All right.

Give me an example around that. Because I think that's a really powerful statement.

Yeah, I'd say like the product education is kind of like the type of thing that you want to focus on here. So essentially, like what you're going to want to do is you're going to want to dive really deep into your product line or lines, right? Leveraging things like comparison guides. Even things like how to choose the right product for you. And with that, right, like I'm sure you understand kind of the common objections that people have on, have. So address those head on. Maybe if you're an expensive product and you're premium, explain why, right? Like our products cost more and here's why it's worth it.

No, and you know, a good one I saw recently was someone who leaned into the fact that they were a new product. They were like, hey, we're new. But here's 10,000 people who already trust us.

I love it. Right. And, and with that, just don't be afraid to show like side-by-side comparisons, like our product versus competitor.

Yeah. So basically the stage is all about removing friction and doubt.

Yeah. Right.

Okay. So let's go to stage 4 then. All right. So stage 4, I would say is like that last chunk, day 20 to 45. It's really what I call your intent building phase. What are your thoughts?

Yeah, like here, right? The subscribers are warm, but they're not completely sold yet. So I think this is like the best instance and case for like leveraging social proof and, you know, leveraging like lifestyle context and content.

Yeah. And this is where you send all those things like customer reviews and testimonials. You've got the UGC and before and after photos, like that kind of stuff. You've got lifestyle imagery, like showing the product in use. I think that's always a powerful way to kind of get people to imagine and in their head. And of course, my favorite, which is stories from real customers.

Right. So you're helping them picture themselves already owning and using the product.

Yeah, I call this creating what we call a habit loop mentality. You're making the product feel like part of their routine even before they buy it. Like they're imagining it's right there.

Yeah, I love that. And I'd say like Lululemon, for example, does really, really well here. You know, their emails show you the lifestyle. Not just the leggings.

Yeah. And I love that. And by day 45, you've done this all right. Your subscriber feels like they already know you, they trust you, and they can almost see yourselves— they can see themselves as a customer ultimately.

Yep. And when they do finally buy, right, like it's going to feel inevitable, not necessarily impulsive, right?

Yep.

Okay. So we went through the stages. I like that. But I want to go into a little bit deeper on what we were talking about, micro moments and micro wins, because these are those invisible moments that Almost shape buying behavior, the little yes moments, you know what I mean?

Yeah, and obviously, right, the more nodding their heads, the more yeses you can get, the better, right? So I think like most brands, you know, think in terms of like big moments, right? We launched a product or we launched a sale, we're running a sale right now.

Yeah, but the reality is the real magic happens in those little small moments. So I'm going to ask you, in your opinion, what is a micro moment?

Yeah. And right, so the moments between the moments. So like a, a micro moment is a moment basically that's like an emotional spark. You know, it's kind of the feeling that you get where like you learn something useful or you got clarity on something that maybe you were confused about, or you were able to actually see beneath the layer of a brand and connect with them on kind of like a human-to-human level, or, oh wow, I actually really can see myself using this product. You know, I'm so glad I found them.

Yeah, you nailed it. It's not transactional. It's 100% emotional ultimately.

Yeah. And with these micro-moments, they do really stack and add up. So I don't know, like 5 micro-wins, let's call it over 30 days, um, is gonna create a lot more trust and momentum than like a singular big promotional push ever would.

Yeah. And so the listeners are probably gonna say, how do you actually create a micro-win in your email?

Yeah. So I'd say first and foremost, you've gotta focus on education over promotion. So every email should teach something, not just sell something.

All right, get deeper. Give me an example here.

Cool. So before this, I was drinking coffee. So let's talk about being a coffee brand. So instead of saying like, buy our beans, send something like, here are 3 major mistakes people make when brewing coffee, or here's how to get your coffee to taste like a professional made it. And here's actually why the water temperature matters more than you might think.

You know what I like about those is that each one of those makes the subscriber feel smarter ultimately. And I think that's a big win because you're putting them in a happy place.

Exactly. So, you know, for this coffee brand or for others, right, their best pre-purchase emails are really educational focused and primed, not just promotional. Again, we've talked about that, but really wanna hammer that home.

Okay.

What else you got?

I'd say the second is kind of the proof, right? Showing The transformation. So the before and after photos, the customer success stories, the testimonials, kind of as you had mentioned before.

Yeah. And I would say I love transformations because it's proof that your product worked. I love that.

Yeah, exactly right. And when someone sees the transformation, you know, right in front of them that matches their own unique situation, again, that's what we consider a micro-win because then they think that's achievable, that's attainable. That could be me.

You got another micro moment to think about?

Um, I'd say another one I guess would probably be around like, you know, maybe like removing friction, you know, answering questions before they're asked. Um, you know, kind of being proactive around like addressing objections so people feel like you get where they're coming from.

Like you're talking about like, is this product safe for sensitive skin? Or how long does shipping take? Or what does it, What if it doesn't work for me?

Right, exactly. If you answer those questions in the emails, they don't have to go hunting for answers because if they have to go hunting, they might try and if they can't find what they're looking for, they just bounce. So answering those questions, again, that's a micro-win.

Yeah, and I would say the thing that I hear when I think about this is that micro-wins will make customers feel like they're making progress even before they buy, like they're moving forward in their, oh, I can't smell well, or, you know, I'm stuffy or whatever, allergy related, for example. You're solving their problem. They can almost feel that before they make that purchase.

Yeah, and I think the progress part is so addictive, right? People love feeling like they're moving forward and learning and becoming a better version of themselves.

So if your emails help them feel smarter, more informed, closer to the solution, they'll keep opening, right?

Yeah, exactly right. And the more often that you get them to open, you know, the more chances you have to get them to take the desired action, clicking and ultimately, hopefully purchasing, right?

Yeah. So those small wins, those small yes moments aren't just nice to have. They're actually really big conversion drivers, right? So, okay. I want to talk about the second thing you kind of mentioned and we talked about a little bit, which is habit loops, right? Because this is something that most ecommerce brands never think about. What do you know about habit loops?

Yeah, I think like people believe that habit loops are kind of exclusive to like apps or maybe even software. But they apply just as much to physical products too, actually.

Yeah, things that people use repeatedly, right?

Exactly. And habit forms when you create 3 things, right? Number 1 would be like a cue. Number 2 would be a routine. And then the last one would be some kind of reward. We love rewards as humans.

Okay, let's break that down. First one was the cue. What's a cue here?

Yeah, so I think the best way to think about a cue is it's a trigger that starts the behavior. It could be a time of day, it could be a feeling, it could be a location, or it could even be a situation.

So a cue for a coffee brand is like waking up in the morning.

Yeah, that's right. Most people consume in the morning because they want to be energized throughout the day, right? Whereas like for a skincare brand, the cue could be like before going to sleep, you know, clean your face or whatever that might be, right?

Yeah, just like a fitness brand, which is really relevant right now. It's about feeling out of shape or wanting to work out.

Yeah, dude, in January, like that could not be more perfect, right? And in your emails and your text messages and all your messaging, right, your social posts, they really should reinforce that cue. So you want to remind people of the moment when they need your product. Real quick, I have a 30-second message for you to tell you something that we've been working on. And I'm super excited about this and you should be too. So what if I told you you could instantly search every single email that Allbirds, Parachute, or Sunday Edition ever sent. That's mbooks.ai. It's an AI-driven searchable database of over a million emails from the fastest growing Shopify brands. Need a win-back sequence? Type it in. Wanna see how the best brands handle abandoned cart? Type it in. It's there. Looking for a holiday promotion idea? Done. We've got you covered. No more endless Google searches or digging through your personal inbox hoping you saved that one email. And never being able to find it. With our platform, you can search, find, and execute campaigns way quicker. It's like having every single top brand's email strategy at your fingertips. Imbooks.ai. Again, it's inbox with 2 Os. Stop guessing, start searching. Head on over to imbooks.ai to check it out.

Okay.

Now the second part of that habit loop you said was routine. That's the behavior itself, right?

Yeah, exactly. For example, you know, for me and probably for you, you know, I brew coffee every single morning regardless of the day of the week, right? Or, you know, I've started using, because my wife's been on my case, you know, skincare routine before bed, right?

You got those little eye gold strips going on and stuff?

No, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm using it.

So don't feel ashamed about it.

So it's good.

We all get there. And look, those emails should make that routine feel easy and rewarding, right?

Exactly. Just show how simple it is, how good it feels, and how it solves this daily friction point that you're probably facing.

Alright, so let's talk about feeling good, the reward, the payoff, right? That was your third one.

Yeah. So for coffee, right? Like the reward is I feel energized and ready to conquer my day.

Yeah. And for skincare, my skin looks better, right?

Yeah. And going back to the fitness one that you kind of alluded to, it's I feel strong and I feel like I accomplished something.

Yeah, simple, man. And those emails should constantly reinforce those rewards and show that transformation, show the benefit, and show them what life looks like with your product. I really like that idea.

For sure. So I think like the big thing that people are probably wondering right now is like, so how do we actually build habits through kind of this email, SMS type stuff?

Okay, so here's what I would do. I'd paint a picture of the routine, show the subscriber what their life looks like when they're Using your product constantly.

Exactly.

So, you know, kind of on theme, if you're a supplement brand, right? You know, what your morning routine looks like with X, Y, and Z product.

Yeah, or a fitness brand, your 20-minute daily workout routine that actually sticks. Like, it's so simple like that.

100%. And then the second part is like making it feel kind of inevitable. So like this routine is already part of their life. They just need the product to actually complete it and finish it.

Yeah. So I love this. So you're not just saying you should do this. You're saying this is what people like you already do, right?

Yes. So if you tap into the identity, not the willpower, it's so much easier.

Okay. You got a third one here?

Yeah, I'd say sure. The third one would be like showing off kind of like the long-term payoff, right? Not just like, hey, you're gonna feel good today immediately, but here's what happens after 30, days, 90 days, 6 months, a year.

Yeah, because the truth is habits are built on delayed gratification, right?

Exactly right. You work out once, it's not going to mean anything. But if you work out consistently, right, you're basically showing them the future version of themselves that consistently uses your product.

And just a little plug here, if you want to see some of these, go check out inbooks.ai, link in the show notes and all that good stuff. But anyways, Chase, continue on. Sorry. I had to—

yeah, no worries. So like with this, right? Like they basically build like entire stories. And I say they like brands that do this well build entire stories around their products. So they don't just pitch the features, they actually show you the lifestyle, the routine, you know, the implementation, the transformation, all those types of things are so important.

Dude, it's like behaviors, this design, behavior design disguised as email marketing.

Yeah. And that's why it works so well is because when you create like this mental habit loop, the product becomes part of their routine and part of that identity. And once it's part of their identity, you know, they become dependent and reliant on your product. So they often become a customer. I want to say for life, but a customer for a very long time.

All right, dude, this is great. Let's continue on. Let's shift gears here. We've talked about the 45 days before someone buys. Let's talk about that repeat trigger window after they buy.

Yeah.

And, and with this, like, this really is like one of the most powerful retention levers and most brands just completely miss it entirely.

Okay.

What is a repeat trigger window? Let's explain that.

Yeah. So the, the easiest way to think about this is it's a predictable timeframe when a customer is most likely to repurchase.

Okay. And you would say every product has one mostly, right?

Yeah. Yeah. I'd say for the most part, that's correct. Right. And it does vary depending on product category. They're not one size fits all. So a couple examples, like a consumable, right? Like a supplement, for example, or maybe even coffee, depending on how much they're buying, it's like a 20, 30-ish day consumption cycle, right? Whereas beauty and skincare, again, depends on how often you use it and how much you're purchasing, but 30, 45, 60-day windows there. Thereabouts. Pet food, again, maybe 30 to 45 days. Apparel could be something like 60 to 90-ish days. And then kind of more durable goods could be like, I don't know, half of a year to a year potentially.

Okay. So all this is really telling me is that it really depends on your product's repurchase cycle, and you probably only know that based on your own data.

Exactly. And then messaging your folks basically before that window Collapses and closes.

So simple. So what do you think, as you explain all this, what's the biggest mistake that brands are making with repeat trigger windows?

I think one of them would be either A, they're either messaging too late and of that way too late, or 2, like they're just not messaging it at all.

Yeah. So how late we talking here? What do you think?

Yeah. So for an example, like if we're talking about like a repeat purchase window, that's 30 days, um, and you send a replenishment email at 45 days, you've lost them, right? Like they needed something 15+ days ago. If you're not hitting them with it, they're maybe trying someone new.

Yeah.

They've gone to a competitor or they've really forgotten about you, I bet.

Yeah, that's right. Because by that 45 days, you know, they're gone. All right. You know, your replacement email is just noise now. It doesn't matter.

So when should you send this message?

Yeah, you got to test this, but more often than not, you want to message like 5 to 7-ish days before the expected kind of repeat purchase window. Um, cause if someone typically orders at day 30, you know, message them at day 23 to day 25, because they might kind of snooze your email for a few days. They might miss the one at day 23, but see the one at day 25, you know, they could be traveling.

No, it makes sense. Top of mind, right? You're, you're basically there as they're running out if they're using your product.

Which really kind of stems to like being proactive versus reactive.

Okay.

Okay.

Break that down for me real quick. Proactive versus reactive. I like that.

Yeah. So just like it kind of sounds, so reactive, right? Starting there is you basically wait until someone hasn't bought in 90 days and then you send them a win-back email, maybe with a discount.

The desperate marketing, right?

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, exactly. And we're on the kind of the flip side, more proactive retention is sending the right message at the right time. Before the customer maybe even realizes that they need to reorder.

Okay.

I love this. Let's give them, the listeners, an example of how this might work.

Okay. So let's talk about like supplements, right? I think that's like an easy one to visualize. So let's say it's a, you know, a 30-day window there. On day 20, you could be saying something like, hey, you've been using this product for a couple of weeks now. You've been using it for almost 3 weeks. Here's what you might notice, or here's what you should notice. Um, day 25 could be something like, hey, just a quick heads up. It's almost time to restock. Don't let your routine break. Right? That's so powerful. Like you're in this routine, don't let it break.

Right?

You've already done this for 25 days. Don't end it now. And then day 28 could be something like, if they still haven't purchased, uh, your product's running low, it's time to reorder right now. Yep.

I like this. So educating, reminding, then nudging. That's basically your email sequence that you have, right?

Yeah, bingo, right? Where each message here reinforces that habit loop that we talked about earlier.

Okay, well, let's talk about what patterns do you see with this? Like, there's gotta be patterns you're seeing along the way, right?

Yeah, so I think sending like usage reminders is so important, not just focusing on sales pitches. So here's how to maximize our product, or are you getting the most out of our product, or whatever that product looks like.

Mm, so you're almost adding value while you're planting a report card. That's the way you think about it, right?

Yep. And then also too, like maybe even pair products here, right? So since you brought product A, you're going to love complementary product B.

Cross-selling at the right moment. That's exactly what that is right there. Yep.

And with this, right, like using kind of the scarcity wisely. So something like, hey, your reorder window's open, you know, lock in that next shipment, right?

Okay. Helpful. Not pushy at all.

Yeah. And the reason is because it is helpful, right? You're reminding them before they run out, which ends up being like good appreciative customer service.

Okay. I already know people are thinking about this, but like, how do brands actually calculate their repeat window, repeat trigger window ultimately?

Yeah. And I think this is going to probably be like an oversimplification, but like, I'd say pull like a cohort analysis. So look at customers who've bought more than once. And look at the time and measure the time between those purchases.

Okay. You would do this where in your ESP ultimately?

Yeah. So Omnisend, which is our ESP of choice, and thankfully they're, you know, someone that I use, you use, et cetera. You know, you can use and run a report showing the average time between orders. So that will be essentially your baseline.

Hey, quick 60-second break to shout out our title sponsor, Omnisend. If you don't know them, Omnisend is an all-in-one email and SMS platform built specifically for e-commerce. They've trusted by over 155,000 merchants with a 4.8 rating star on Shopify's marketplace with over 2,800+ reviews. People love using them. Their support is incredible, responsive team, great help docs, and they actually show up when you need them. Look, everyone loves saving a buck. They've got great features and great pricing. Listen, I've heard this inside the community that someone actually dropped their bill by almost 50% and then included their SMS costs, which is absolutely wild. Another agency that we talked to shifted all clients over when he discovered that he can save them 30 to 60% off of their actual monthly bill. And they're taking that money now, reinvesting into ads, and that real money is going to come back into your pocket too because you're helping them out or whatever it might be. With all this, I literally just helped Chase migrate his personal list to Omnisend not too long ago. It was super easy. They got team, they have an automated solution. It's really great. So if you're looking to scale your email and SMS game, check out omnisend.com/sendit. Tell them Chase and Jimmy sent you. Now back to your pod. And then you build like a replenishment flow around that timeline, right?

Yeah, correct. And you often see, you have to test, right? If the average is, let's say 30 days, you know, send it day 25, day 28, et cetera. Yep. I love this.

It's data-driven retention. I think this is something that the world is leaning towards this year and into the future because, well, if we have the data, we might as well use it. All right, Chase, let's bring this together because we've covered a lot here today.

Yeah, we have gone through a lot. So we talked about like the 45-day life cycle. We talked about micro-moments, habit loops, and kind of the repeat trigger windows.

So let's talk about how this all fits together in one cohesive strategy. Tell me the big picture.

Yeah, so the big picture is as follows. So when you combine, you know, the micro-wins, the micro-moments, You know, the habit loops and the repeat trigger windows, you create kind of this lifecycle that builds momentum, doesn't just apply like unnecessary pressure.

Okay. Explain that a little bit more. What do you mean by that?

Yeah. So in really simple words, it basically means that you're going to guide someone through a journey where every email really truly feels helpful, not salesy.

So they're not thinking, ugh, another sales email, but they're thinking, oh, a brand that actually cares about me.

Yeah, that's right. And that shift, I think, in perception is what turns kind of your everyday average subscriber into buyers and those buyers that are going to repeat buy.

Okay, so you said something earlier that I loved, you're guiding them through a movie where they're like the main character.

Yeah, and because that's what great lifecycle marketing is, you know, the subscriber is the focus, they are the hero, and your product and your company is the guide. So each email moves the story forward in this type of marketing.

Yeah. And you're not interrupting their story with ads. You're helping them become the person they want to be.

And when you think about that, dude, that is so much more powerful than any single type of discount or promotion ever could be.

Okay. So what happens when you see a brand do this really well?

Yeah, I'd say kind of 4 primary things. Number one is they send fewer discounts because they're building value. Not discount dependency. Number 2 is their repeat purchase rate is going to increase because customers are more emotionally invested than before. Number 3 would be like their lifetime value is gonna scale a lot more predictably because retention becomes more systematic, not kind of random and sporadic. And then the last one I'd say, number 4, would be like the email revenue or kind of SMS retention revenue inherently is gonna grow because subscribers actually wanna hear from you. They actually wanna hear from your brand.

And all that starts with treating customers or subscribers like future customers, just not another email address. Okay. I love where we've gone with this. It's— we're at the half-hour mark. Let's wrap this thing up with a quick recap. All right. So you want to start here?

Yeah. The first 45 days of a subscriber's journey matter way more than the first purchase.

And then we had 4 stages in a 45-day wave: discovery, problem awareness, Problem clarity and intent building, right?

Yep. And then kind of the, the importance of creating micro wins and micro moments that build trust before you ever go ask for the sale.

Okay. And then we talk about habit loops to make your product feel inevitable, not optional.

Yeah. And then how to basically nail your repeat trigger windows by messaging proactively, not reactively.

You know what? And if you do all this right, you're not really building a list. You're actually building a community of people who actually want to hear from you.

Yeah, which is going to help you build a retention machine, not just a leaky bucket.

Yeah, that's it. Very simple. The 45 days, that's a wrap, dude, for this episode. What are we calling this thing again? The New Subscriber Lifestyle, Why the First 45 Days Matter More Than Ever. All right. So if you found this episode helpful, please send it to your favorite marketer or someone who's struggling to subscribe, take customers and subscribers into customers. And of course, make sure you check out inbox.ai if you want to see millions of real email flows, lifecycle examples from the top brands. It's really the ultimate swipe file. But with that being said, Chase, until next time, that's your pod. Please like, subscribe, follow, comment, and you can follow the show everywhere. And of course, this episode has been brought to you by all our great sponsors. You can check them out in the show notes below. Have a great one. We'll see you next week, dude.

Peace.

Cheers. See ya.

From the open to the click, they're the masters of the flow. Just watch your list grow and your leads turn to go. Did we retain you so far, or do we have to extend it? If you want results, you know you gotta send it. Yeah, you know you gotta send it. Yeah, you know you gotta send it. Yeah, you know you gotta send it.