In the competitive world of e-commerce, especially niche markets like men's wedding bands, standing out is crucial. Manly Bands, a direct-to-consumer company founded by Johnathan Ruggiero and Michelle Luchese, turned an uninspiring marketplace into one filled with creativity and personalization. But like many businesses, they faced challenges scaling their email marketing efforts. Here’s how Manly Bands boosted their email revenue by 300%, providing valuable lessons for other digital business founders.
Initially, Manly Bands relied on Listrak for email marketing. While Listrak is a robust platform, it wasn’t fitting the needs of Manly Bands as a fast-growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) business. The intricate user interface and reliance on customer support for modifications hindered their agility.
As Ruggiero noted, "Even editing a flow felt like navigating a spider web." The need for a more self-reliant system that integrated seamlessly with their e-commerce platform, Shopify Plus, was evident. This necessity coincided with the expiration of their Listrak contract, leading to a critical decision point for the company’s email marketing direction (source).
Klaviyo emerged as the go-to solution for Manly Bands. Its reputation in the DTC space, combined with powerful Shopify integration, made it an obvious choice. The migration was completed with little friction thanks to Klaviyo’s support, which included IP warming and importing over half a million email contacts within six weeks. The new platform offered a robust ecosystem with over 240 data sources, allowing Manly Bands to automate and personalize their email strategies (source).
One of the standout strategies post-migration was the innovative abandoned cart survey flow. Unlike typical email flows with purchase CTAs, Manly Bands implemented a one-question survey via Klaviyo’s Typeform integration: "Why didn’t you want to buy?" This simple query invited customer interaction, offering a personalized follow-up with a coupon. This flow's placed order rate was an impressive 4.8 times the median for its peer group in January 2023 (source).
Capitalizing on post-purchase moments, Manly Bands set up automated email flows triggered by specific production stages. As a ring progressed through the manufacturing process, customers received status updates, creating an engaging experience and setting clear expectations regarding the production timeline. This increase in transparency and engagement contributed significantly to building trust and repeat purchasing behaviors (source).
Alongside innovative email strategies, Manly Bands recognized the importance of excellent customer service. They partnered with Influx, a support-as-a-service provider, offering 24/7 coverage and enabling the company to handle increased demand efficiently. This service flexibility was crucial, particularly during peak wedding seasons, ensuring that customer satisfaction remained high, which in turn fueled further purchases and positive referrals (source).
The results of these implementations were substantial. Over the course of six months, Manly Bands experienced a 300% increase in email revenue. By integrating email into their broader marketing strategy, they achieved 36% of their overall revenue from email marketing alone in the last 90 days.
The impact wasn’t just limited to revenue. The company also saw increased customer engagement, higher open and click-through rates on emails, and a reduction in cart abandonment, showcasing the power of personalized and automated email marketing flows (source).
Choose a Platform that Scales with You: The move from Listrak to Klaviyo was pivotal for Manly Bands, allowing them to implement more sophisticated, automated email campaigns without the need for constant support.
Leverage Data for Personalization: Utilizing advanced integrations and data sources, Manly Bands perfected how they addressed their audience, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Innovate in Email Flows: Simple changes like the abandoned cart survey with a follow-up coupon can significantly boost conversions by addressing customer hesitations directly.
Invest in Customer Service: While email strategies were vital, excellent customer service through partners like Influx played a critical role in maintaining high customer satisfaction and driving repeat business.
Continuous Review and Adaptation: Regular analysis of customer feedback helped refine their email marketing approach, ensuring strategies remained effective and aligned with customer needs.
For e-commerce and digital business owners, the story of Manly Bands serves as an inspiration. It highlights the importance of choosing the right tools, leveraging data, and maintaining exceptional customer service. By adopting similar strategies, businesses can create compelling customer journeys that convert and retain customers, ultimately enhancing their email-driven revenue streams.
Learn more about this transformation by visiting the full Manly Bands case study.