Retention Masters: Proven retention strategies from Bigvits’ Head of Marketing
Welcome to “Retention Masters,” our new series where we spotlight the top experts in customer retention. We’re here to inspire you to get the most out of your existing customers, fine-tune your retention strategies, and explore new opportunities you might not have considered yet.
In our first interview, we’re thrilled to introduce Jane, the Head of Marketing at Bigvits. Jane will share her innovative tactics and insights into what makes their retention strategies so successful. Keep reading to learn from her experience and find out how Bigvits keeps their customers constantly coming back for more.
Tell me more about you, your background and what led you to your current role at Bigvits
“I worked in Professional Services marketing before which was very different as it was mainly service marketing rather than product, and mostly B2B. But a big part of my role was growing and retaining existing clients.
Bigvits is owned by my husband and business partners so I have always been a part of it. But as the business grew, we managed to create a role for me there. It’s amazing working for your own business rather than somebody else’s. And compared to working in a massive company, you can be more creative and change things up quickly which I enjoy.”
What does a successful customer retention strategy look like for you?
“Customer retention is huge for us. Because we sell vitamins and supplements, we hope people will like the products, find they work, and use them regularly.
And, if the product isn’t right, we want to help them find the solutions that best meet their needs. Vitamins and supplements shouldn’t be a one-off purchase like a sofa you buy every 10 years. They should be part of your daily routine. Hopefully, people find they want to keep taking supplements and, of course, we want them to keep coming back to us over our competitors. So we need to have the right strategy in place to make that happen!“
What retention strategies do you have in place and how do you decide what to prioritise?
“To decide what to prioritise, we generally test and learn. For example, we had a points-based loyalty scheme that didn’t work because customers had to wait too long to get something back.
Now, we focus more on email campaigns and automated flows. We’re using our retention emails to give people added value beyond just selling to them by sharing blog content, helping people understand symptoms, health goals and our products in a friendly but informative way. So, if they’re going through menopause, for example, they can understand why they’re experiencing particular symptoms and what nutrition, food, supplements and lifestyle choices might help. We’re not just about selling supplements, we want to help people feel valued and in control of their health.
Â
We also use email flows to share offers and sales to reward loyal customers across the customer journey. We’ve got the pre-purchase flows and abandoned basket flows, as normal. But we’ve got longer and more personalised post-purchase flows for product replenishment and winning back customers at risk of leaving.
Beyond email, we also add value in other ways. We have a nutritionist who offers free consultations and we are working on brand building so people come directly back to us. This is where our unboxing campaigns come in.
Which key business goals is your retention marketing feeding into?
“For us, retention is crucial for sustainable revenue and profits. Sales from our returning customers are more profitable because we’re not paying acquisition costs. They also generally have a higher average order value and purchase more frequently. They’re also more likely to recommend us and become advocates for our brand.”
How do you prove the value of your customer retention and loyalty strategies?
“We measure customer retention as the percentage of customers who buy again within 12 months, using Sweet Analytics for efficiency. We analyse overall retention percentages and the behaviour of particular segments.
For example, we look at how well we retain new customers acquired last year versus this year, the conversion rate from first to second purchases and between second and third purchases. This shows us where to focus and means we’re always boosting revenue and customer loyalty.”
What’s your retention tech stack and how do you use it to make a consistent customer experience?
“We use Penny Black and Klaviyo for our retention strategy, with some retargeting through Google and Facebook too.
Our email flows and Penny Black improve brand awareness and drive repeat purchases. We focus a lot on first to second-order conversion because that’s a valuable conversion for us. Once customers return for a second order, they’re more likely to become long-term loyal customers.
Motivating those all-important second orders is where Penny Black shines. Our main campaign is a new customer offer that brings shoppers back to buy again and subscribe to our newsletter. Its integration with Klaviyo lets us track that even if a customer doesn’t immediately purchase, the insert has contributed to them becoming a loyal customer with a higher LTV.”
Why did you identify the unboxing moment as an opportunity to retain more customers?
“We used to send our products in plain packages, relying only on email flows to bring customers back. When we found Penny Black, we realised tangible, physical marketing is more meaningful and effective for many of our customers, who appreciate the personal touch. You can imagine someone putting the flyer on their fridge and keeping the offer for when they are ready to come back again.Â
Â
Penny Black allows me to demonstrate the impact of putting something physical in the package. It tracks how many people have received the insert, scanned it, made a purchase, their AOV, and the revenue per print. You can see it paying for itself. Beyond revenue, I can prove it’s impacting retention too. I can demonstrate that the personalised unboxing moments bring customers back to the website and increase their lifetime value.”
Could you share an example of a successful retention campaign you’ve led at Bigvits and what the results were?
“Last year, I used Black Friday as a loyalty and retention campaign. Rather, than a site-wide sale, I made it exclusive for our email subscribers.
Before Black Friday, we encouraged people to subscribe for a secret code that gave them access to the sale. New customers on the site during Black Friday would get a pop-up motivating them to sign up for access. This built up our email list, rewarded our loyal customers and encouraged them to buy again.”
What retention opportunities are brands missing out on?
“Email is such a huge part of the retention marketing mix. It always has been and always will be. I recommend more brands try SMS; we use it for our replenishment flow. SMS should be genuine and useful (like a reminder or an offer) as it’s more intrusive than email. If the content is genuinely useful, your customers will be more likely to trust you with their phone number and less likely to unsubscribe.Â
If brands are not using Penny Black to send unboxing campaigns, that’s a missed opportunity too. Emails are flooded, but offline marketing cuts through the noise. I like the stat that unboxing campaigns have a 100% open rate. No other retention channel can match that and it’s made a huge difference for us.”
Want to become a retention master with personalised unboxing campaigns?
Book a demo with the Penny Black team
