I’m just back from Miami, wearing pink shorts as I write this in a vain attempt to prolong the city’s fun vibe. Getting back to it in Austin, here’s what we have for you today:
- Simplifying with AI: an example
- AI workshop May 15: save the date
- Wrecked by bad reviews, and more quick takes.
~ Patrick
Black hole sun
Where were you on April 8? Did you see it?
From our offices in Austin, this is what the big totality moment looked like. Just out of view of the photo below was the planet Venus, shining bright in the eerie darkness at 1:34 pm Central time. It put our firm’s work in perspective, reminding Patrick of the majesty of the sun.
Simplifying with AI: an example
If 2023 for ebusiness pros was the year of doubling down on systematizing our processes (better checklists, more templates, delegating roles, etc. ), then 2024 seems to be the year of applying AI to those same processes.
It’s like we’re systematizing all over again! But now we’re taking out steps rather than adding them. AI is effectively simplifying what we do.
List health
For example, managing the health of your email list is a service that distinguished our results from those of our predecessors in retention marketing for our client brands.
List health is super important to inbox delivery of your campaigns. Sender reputation matters to Gmail, especially in this year of Yahoogle enforcement.
We’re really good at this. And it’s never been the focus of our clients’ attention.
As a brand, you’re more concerned with product development, photography, and seasonal promotion than list engagement metrics.
Our Secret Sauce
So over the years we refined a method to reset the unengaged subscribers spanning 3 to 6 months of intentional segmentation and reactivation flows. Lots of templates, checklists, spreadsheets, and hustle. And a clear ROI to justify the push.
But in Q1, we tested a true machine learning application to analyze millions of data points drawn from Klaviyo and its interconnected apps. Its AI calculations are doing — always, and in the background — more than we could ever do to sift out the unengaged subscribers at scale.
The Machines Are Taking Over
So in Q2, we’re simplifying to what we give our precious attention. With our AI helpers doing the math calculating subscriber engagement, shopping history, and customer service signals, then we can do work like this instead:
- Create an extra campaign, personalized to an opportunistic segment of your audience.
- Create that extra, nice-to-have flow automation.
- Try an SMS campaign.
- Run another A/B test.
Upgrading outcomes
So it’s not that the work goes away with the advent of real AI applications to email marketing. Instead, AI is freeing us up to create new value.
In what ways are you applying AI tools to simplify?
Reply and show off a little. Maybe we’ll shout out your example in our next workshop…
Save the date: May 15
Want to learn what we’re learning about how to apply AI to retention marketing?
On May 15, Gabrielle will host a paid workshop online to share observations and describe the techniques we’re refining with AI tools, especially within Klaviyo. This is your opportunity to ask our in-house Klaviyo Community Champion your burning questions about email, SMS, and direct mail marketing with coaching in real-time.
- Reply to this email and we’ll send a registration link to this small group workshop.
- Your subscriber perk: a coupon code for a discount on the workshop, included with your registration link.
Quick Takes
- Gabrielle’s take on a brand collab. Critique for yourself on the BÉIS site.
- 42% of consumers buy from products to support the brand, despite not liking or desiring the product directly. – Future Commerce, Visions 2023 report
- Marques Brownlee on whether bad reviews kill companies
- Niche down to the DTC Casket Trade. “Sorry for freaking you out.”
- TikTok time waster so don’t click this: generational differences when bump into a wall.
