How Fly By Jing Stacked Spicy Retention Strategies

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:

• 🍜 How Fly By Jing keeps customers eagerly returning 

• 📧 Key tips to boosting retention with email list hygiene

• 💅 Starbucks, Nike, and Ikea’s retention strategies, Ulta’s Beauty Loyalty program, & more!

Reading time: 4.5 minutes

Join 50 curated e-commerce operators and leaders for a wholesome sauna social & ice baths next Wednesday from 7-9 pm in Venice.

Sponsored by The Email Marketers & Sendlane.

Fly By Jing, the AAPI woman-owned e-commerce company known for their wildly popular Sichuan Chili Crisp, has taken the food world by storm.

Founded by Jing Gao, the brand went from a viral Kickstarter campaign to partnerships with Disney and Shake Shack in under five years.

Jing Gao's journey began with a simple yet bold ambition: to change Western misconceptions about Chinese food.

Using her background in tech and her passion for authentic Sichuan cooking, Jing launched Fly By Jing with its flagship product, Sichuan Chili Crisp.

This wasn't just any chili sauce; it was a declaration of cultural identity and culinary excellence. "What I think I’m the most proud of is that the way that we make the product today is pretty similar to how I made it in my kitchen in Shanghai several years ago," Jing reflects.

But their success isn't just about incredible products - it's also thanks to smart retention strategies.

Fly By Jing keeps customers eagerly returning by implementing subscriptions for their dumplings and popular sauces. Customers never have to run out of their favorite products-- they get shipped directly to their door, right on time.

But the perks don't stop there - subscribing also includes benefits for their online loyalty program.

Their loyalty program allows members to earn points on purchases that can be redeemed for discounts. To incentivize subscriptions, they offer double the points on subscription orders.

Members also get early access to sales and product launches, and tiered benefits based on annual spend. Those who spend over $300 even receive a special annual care package.

In addition to the loyalty program, Fly By Jing offers a referral program where customers earn $5 off sauces for referring friends. 

They also reward engagement, giving extra points for leaving reviews and sharing on social. They even celebrate birthdays, with members receiving 100 points as a gift.

The results speak for themselves. The Sichuan Chili Crisp that started it all continues to sell out.

And, by layering subscriptions, referrals, a point-based loyalty program, and special perks, Fly By Jing has cultivated a loyal customer base eager to explore their expanding product line.

It's not one single retention strategy that has worked for them, its the combination of all of them that has turned a simple hot sauce into an exclusive experience.

Boost Retention with Email List Hygiene

Did you know that the cleanliness of your email list can significantly impact your customer retention rates? Here's a crash course in how to ensure your email list is performing optimally.

Cleaning your email list is essential. It boosts deliverability, improves engagement, and protects your sender reputation.

Considering these factors to ensure your messages consistently reach and resonate with your audience is key to retention.

So, how do you do it? Here are some simple strategies to clean your email list:

• Scrub for duplicates: Duplicates dilute your metrics and annoy recipients with redundant messages. Regularly use tools to merge or remove duplicates to keep your list focused.

• Handle Bounces: Emails that bounce harm your sender score. Categorize bounces into hard (permanent errors) and soft (temporary issues). Remove hard bounces immediately to maintain list health.

• Manage Unsubscribes: Respect your audience's choice to opt-out, especially in light of 2024's sending restrictions. Ensure unsubscribes are processed promptly to comply with laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.

• Regular List Audits: Schedule periodic audits to assess list health. Look for inactive users and consider re-engagement campaigns or pruning to keep your list active and responsive.

• Confirmation Emails: Implement double opt-in processes where users confirm their subscriptions. This step ensures high-quality leads who really want to hear from you and prevents spam bots from targeting your list.

Keeping your email list clean isn't just about removing bad addresses—it's about enhancing the quality of your engagements and achieving better marketing results.

List hygiene ensures that your segmentation and targeting drive conversions for your product and foster long-term customer relationships. Invest in email hygiene to boost your retention and grow your business.

• Ulta’s Beauty Loyalty program has 43.3 million active members

• A deep dive into how Amazon acquires and retains customers.

• US consumers belonged to an average of 17.9 loyalty programs in 2023

• Starbucks, Nike, and Ikea’s key customer retention strategies

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.