Welcome to The Retention Newsie by The Email Marketers.

Every week we bring you the best case studies, strategies, and tips around keeping more customers, turning them into raving fans, and increasing revenue.

Up this week:

• 🌊 Pura Vida's SMS Marketing Win

• 📱 Dopamine's Role in SMS Success

• 📊 Strong Hook Templates, Subscriber Acquisitions & More!

Reading time: 4 minutes

How Pura Vida Uses Advanced Tech to Sell Simple Bracelets

Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman struck gold on a Costa Rican beach.

When they discovered artisans selling handmade bracelets, they founded Pura Vida Bracelets. Their flashy start has proven to be more than just a fad.

Fast forward to today, Pura Vida has grown from a beachside bracelet business into a multi-million dollar, global lifestyle brand.

Their secret? An innovative customer retention strategy, especially through their subscription program: The Pura Vida Club.

Pura Vida Club Subscription

"Subscriptions are one of the most exciting and fastest-growing aspects of our business," says Thall. "It's also given us a ton of stability that has allowed us to grow with confidence we wouldn't have otherwise."

The Pura Vida Club offers more than just product deliveries; it creates an immersive brand experience. Members gain exclusive access to limited-edition products, building a sense of belonging and exclusivity. This approach has been highly effective, with Pura Vida reporting that they're adding Club members faster than ever before.

Get The Most Out of Technology

But the genius of Pura Vida's retention strategy doesn't stop there. They've implemented a multi-faceted approach that uses technology to enhance customer engagement:

Personalized Email Marketing: Pura Vida ditched generic email and switched to personalized, automated emails, boosting subscribers by 350% and email revenue by 4X.

Abandoned Cart Recovery: By sending automatic Facebook Messenger reminders Pura Vida could offer discount codes to customers who've abandoned carts, achieving a 26% clickthrough rate and a 10% revenue boost.

Subscription Management: Shopify App Bold Subscriptions lets Pura Vida customers easily manage and customize their subscriptions, enhancing user experience and encouraging long-term commitment.

SMS Rundown

Pura Vida's approach to SMS marketing checks all the boxes:

1. Personalization: Pura Vida uses customer data to send messages tailored to individual preferences and purchase history.

2. Timing: SMS campaigns are strategically timed for key shopping moments and product launches.

3. Content Mix: Pura Vida balances promotional messages with engaging content that aligns with their brand story.

4. Exclusive Offers: SMS subscribers get first access to new products and special discounts, encouraging them to stay subscribed.

5. Cross-Channel Integration: SMS campaigns are coordinated with email and social media for a cohesive strategy.

During the 2021 Black Friday to Cyber Monday period alone, Pura Vida drove over $1.2 million in revenue just through SMS marketing.

• Exclusivity Drives Loyalty: Offer a subscription program with exclusive products or experiences to make members feel special and increase their lifetime value.

• Personalization is Key: Use customer data for personalized marketing across email, social media, and more.

• Recover Lost Sales: Implement abandoned cart recovery using modern channels like Facebook Messenger for better engagement.

• Make Subscriptions Flexible: Let customers manage and customize subscriptions to improve satisfaction and reduce churn.

• Integrate for Success: Combine multiple retention strategies and tools for a comprehensive customer journey approach.

Unlock the Power of Dopamine in Your SMS Marketing

90% of text messages are opened within the first 3 minutes of delivery. Why? Because SMS marketing combines two powerful human desires: curiosity and instant gratification.

Here are 3 powerful strategies to transform your messages into irresistible dopamine boosters:

1. Pique Their Curiosity

Tease your customers with intriguing information to spark a chain of emotional responses. For example:

"We just uncovered a game-changer for [product/service]. It's almost too good to keep a secret. Tap here to be among the first to know."

This message creates curiosity by hinting at exclusive, valuable information, compelling the recipient to engage.

2. Build Anticipation

Anticipation is key to engaging customers with value-based content. Try something like:

"Something big is coming your way in 3 days. Think [key benefit/feature]. Keep an eye on your inbox - you don't want to miss this!"

By hinting at upcoming value and setting a clear timeline, you build excitement and anticipation, leading to high open rates when the follow-up message arrives.

3. Create a Dopamine Loop

A well-crafted SMS can initiate a cycle of pleasure, reward, and anticipation. Here's an example:

"Congrats! You've unlocked an exclusive sneak peek of our latest [product/service]. Click now for your surprise. Stay tuned for more killer secrets coming soon!"

This message:

• Offers an immediate reward (the sneak peek)

• Creates a sense of exclusivity and achievement

• Promises more exciting content in the future

This encourages the recipient to engage with future messages, anticipating more rewards - a perfect dopamine loop.

• How these 5 strong hook templates can help you write more engaging content.

• Find out why huge retailers are doubling down on loyalty programs to win over thrifty Americans.

• Explore the best practices for subscriber acquisition following Gmail's spam update.

• 75% of ecommerce retailers use DMARC email authentication; discover why the remaining 25% face compliance issues.

We help 8-& 9-figure e-commerce brands increase revenue and build strong customer relationships through retention marketing: Email, SMS, direct mail, subscriptions, memberships, loyalty programs, and more.