Jimmy Kim's Linkedin Analytics

Retention starts before the first sale. We often think of “retention” as something that happens after the sale. But that’s not really the right way to look at it. We said it in the ASOM Podcast this past week, and I’ll say it again: A lot of brands are setting themselves up for failure by chasing the wrong kind of customers in the first place. Then they’re confused when those people don’t stick around. Here’s what usually goes wrong: They discount too aggressively. They bait and switch. They promise more than they can deliver. So now you’ve got someone who was never really a good fit. Someone who was never planning to come back. If you want people to stick around, you’ve got to start with the right message. Focus on what the whole experience will feel like, not just what they’re getting right now. John Roman, Amer Grozdanic, and Anthony Coombs nailed it on the pod - EP 44 of the pod/

Why your website banner is probably losing you money, not making it: Top 3 sins: 1. “Free shipping on all orders over $50!” — in tiny font nobody reads. 2. “Spring Sale!” — vague AF. What’s in it for me? 3. 5 rotating sliders. Like I have time to wait for the 4th one. Instead: Banner = One Shot Message. • Urgent • Clear • Personal Example: "First order? Here’s 15% — only today. [Get it]" or "New here? Start with our #1 pick (9,000 sold)" 1 banner. 1 offer. 1 action. Anything else = background noise.

If the only reward is $5 off after 500 points, you taught customers one lesson: “stay for discounts” Build a Loyalty Loop instead of a points ladder: 1. Moment 1 – Wow: unbox + surprise (hand written note, bonus sample). 2. Moment 2 – Teach: 72h later send a “pro tips” reel tailored to the item. 3. Moment 3 – Spotlight: after their first selfie tag, feature them in Stories → dopamine > dollars. 4. Moment 4 – Unlock: let repeat buyers vote on the next colorway (access, not coupons). 5. Moment 5 – Multiply: reward a referral with an upgrade, not a discount (free engraving, extended warranty). Points change price. Loops change identity.

There’s a moment between “This looks interesting” and “I want this”. Think of your product page like a bridge. On one side: curiosity. On the other: commitment. Most brands build a straight line with specs and a BUY button. Here’s what they miss: The Doubt Gap → where questions, fear, and friction live. To close it, you need more than features. You need mini conversions. Here’s how to add them: 1. “What makes this different?” section → Not marketing copy. Real differentiation. 2. “Is this for me?” quiz or filter → Collapse decision fatigue. Personalize instantly. 3. Customer video: “Unboxing and first 5 minutes” → Reduce post purchase anxiety. Show real reactions. 4. “What happens if I don’t like it?” → Make return policy painfully clear. Eliminate uncertainty. You don’t need better photos or louder banners. You need to guide the uncertain person through their doubt, step by step.

Is it just me or UGC is broken because everyone is copying the same 3 TikTok trends. If all your creators are saying: “OMG guys I found this new product!” Cut to 5 second unboxing montage and zoom in on logo… You're not doing user generated content. You’re doing unpaid ads. Here’s the fix: → Find 5 customers who had a problem before using your product. → Ask them to record a voice memo: “I used to struggle with X. Then I found Y. Here’s what actually surprised me.” → Overlay that audio with real clips of the product being used. This is a testimonial in motion. Why it works? Because it doesn’t overpromise and puts voice above visuals (which boosts trust) Don’t copy trends. Make content your customers would show their skeptical best friend.

The easiest upsell is solving tomorrow’s problem today. Don’t just sell more of the same. Think ahead a little, what’s the next problem they’ll probably face? Examples: → Bought running shoes? Next problem = blisters → Upsell moisture wick socks → Bought a blender? Next problem = what to make → Upsell smoothie guide or recipe packs → Bought a desk? Next problem = cable mess → Upsell cord organizers Don’t just think “what goes with this?” Think “what’s the very next thing they’ll struggle with?”

If you have an email list that's aged... and you have no idea what to do.... Then you need to tune into our latest pod at Send It! Podcast. Chase Dimond and I talk old email and sms lists.... and answer that age old question. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT AGED LIST? How do you segment it? How do you rengage it? How do you NOT mess up your deliverability? And what leads .. should you just not touch.. Pod is now live on your favorite streaming app! Or watch it on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/gFCbmvjt

“Why does this product make sense for me right now?” I see this a lot: → 14 bullet points → 3 icons about shipping → 1 lonely review Try this format: “Because you’re X, this solves Y, so you can finally Z.” Breakdown: • “Because you’re X” = Identity • “This solves Y” = Functional value • “So you can finally Z” = Desired outcome Example: “Because you’ve got zero free time and a million things on your plate, this meal kit skips the prep and cleanup — so you can finally eat something real without sacrificing your evening” That’s not just a product. That’s a reason.

The biggest mistake in your writing is letting your ego take over. Are you writing for yourself or the people you’re trying to reach? Look at your copy. Count how many times you say: • “We” • “Our” • “I” Now, compare that to how often you say: • “You” • “Your” Your audience doesn’t care about your brand’s story or all the fancy features you offer. They care about what’s in it for them. Flip the script. Talk about them, not yourself.

This week I walk in silence, grateful for the incredible week in Miami for Commerce Roundtable and 2025 so far... thankful for the community I appreciate the supporters, the haters and the lurkers You all make me better ❤️ Now for some much needed R&R..

Your top customers aren't just revenue drivers... They're the backbone of your brand! Yet most companies treat VIP SMS marketing like an afterthought, blasting the same generic messages to everyone. I just published a guide on how to make your best customers feel like royalty through targeted SMS marketing: 👇 ✓ Start by properly segmenting your VIPs (big spenders, frequent buyers, highly engaged) ✓ Text like a human, not a corporate robot ✓ Make them feel seen with personalized recommendations ✓ Give them early access to launches and sales ✓ Go beyond selling—offer genuine support through SMS ✓ Create a cohesive experience between SMS and email Remember: When someone gives you their phone number, they're inviting you into their most personal space. Don't waste that privilege. What's your approach to treating VIP customers differently? Any tactics that have worked especially well for your brand?

The 4 most expensive words in ecommerce are: “It’s probably fine” When your abandoned cart rate hits 80%? “It’s probably fine” When 1% of customers ever reorder? “It’s probably fine” When 60% of your welcome emails go unopened? “It’s probably fine” Nothing wrecks revenue faster than silent problems. How to fix it: • Pull a simple report: first 7 days after signup. → How many actually ordered? • Pull abandoned cart numbers. → What's the checkout start vs. checkout finish ratio? • Pull returning customer % after 90 days. → Not just "came back ever" but "came back fast " If any of these are below 10-15%, it’s not fine. It’s costing you now and later. Silence isn’t a sign of success. It’s a slow leak.

Most products don’t fail because they’re bad. They fail because people don’t understand their value. It’s not enough to say, “Our blender has 12 speeds” Tell me why those 12 speeds matter. Tell me about the tired mom who needs a quick smoothie to fuel her day. Tell me how your blender’s powerful motor will crush ice in seconds. A great story transforms features into emotions. And emotions sell.

A simple email tip no one talks about: Your footer might be hurting your deliverability. Here’s what to look out for: • Too many logos • Long blocks of legal text • Links to social pages you don’t use • Fonts and colors that don’t match the rest of your email These things can make your emails look low quality, both to inbox filters like Gmail and to real people reading them. Here’s what actually works better: → Use a 1 line address, not a 4 line legal block → Test including product thumbnails in the footer (contextually clickable) → Ditch 4 social links if you’re only active on 1 — clean > comprehensive → Use a text unsubscribe link, not an image (spam filters can’t “read” images) → Add a clear, single CTA at the end (“Shop new arrivals” or “Get early access”) Also, A/B test footers with 1 variable at a time. The difference in click throughs + deliverability might shock you. The footer is your quiet closer. Clean it up.

Let’s be real for a sec: Not all customers are equally valuable. Some customers: • Abuse discounts • Cause 80% of support headaches • Leave bad reviews over tiny inconveniences • Never come back — and tell 5 friends to avoid you Here’s what smart brands do: 1. Create a "Problem Customer" list. (Flag every order that requires manual intervention, complaints, refunds.) 2. Analyze the patterns. Is it certain products? Certain channels? Certain messaging? 3. Adjust your front end marketing to filter them out: • Clarify expectations better ("Ships in 7 days, not 2") • Make policies firmer ("No refunds on sale items") • Price just slightly higher (Low quality customers are ultra price sensitive) Every bad customer you keep is a good customer you’re pushing away. You don’t just attract your brand’s future. You filter it.

The real reason people aren’t opening your emails isn’t because they’re tired of getting emails. It’s because when they see your name in their inbox, they don’t feel anything. Your “from” name tells people how much they should trust you. If it looks like this: • "TheXYZStore" → feels cold and distant. • "Team XYZ" → a little better, but still pretty formal. • "[FirstName] from XYZ" → feels like a real person. Want to make it even better? • After someone signs up, let them know who’ll be emailing them: Something simple, like: “You’ll be hearing from [Alex] — he’s the one who helps take care of customers” Now every email feels like a conversation. Open rates go up without changing a single subject line.

The first thing I fix when I audit an email welcome series: The "thank you". It’s almost always wrong. Brands say: “Thanks for joining our newsletter!” Humans think: “So what?” The real way to thank someone: • Remind them what they’re getting. • Reward them immediately. • Raise their excitement, not yours. Example: "You just joined 2,850 people smarter than yesterday. First gift: 3 tricks you can steal today. Open now." Start treating your welcome like a VIP handshake.

It couldn’t have gone any better.. ❤️ Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart for the love and support from the community for our very first east coast event. 🙏 Big shout out and thank you to: Nick Shackelford the best MC and partner Madison, Cherie & Kiana for running the show Greg the GOAT for the amazing designs To Eight One Events and all supporting contractors To all the speakers To all the sponsors To all the partners To the community To Miami Sun! ☀️ Thank you, thank you, thank you! See you all in Commerce Roundtable San Diego - Sept 22-23 🫡 Tickets now on sale.

If your winback emails start with "We miss you", you've already lost. No customer ever thinks: “I hope that brand misses me” They’re thinking: • “I’m busy” • “I didn’t need that product again” • “I found something better” Effective winback emails don’t beg. They reopen the story. Here’s the structure: 1. Acknowledge life moves fast. “Life’s busy. We get it.” 2. Offer a useful nudge. “Here’s 3 new things you might love — even if it’s been a while.” 3. Give an easy out. “If you’re good, no worries. If you’re curious, we’re here.” Respect earns replies. Desperation earns unsubscribes.

The best email you’ll ever send is what your customer already wrote it. You just have to borrow their words. Here’s how: 1. Go through your reviews, support chats, and surveys. Look for things people actually say, like: • “I was worried that...” • “I didn’t expect this to...” • “I got this for my [dad/kid/husband]...” 2. Use their exact words in your next subject line or headline. Real example: • A customer said: “I thought it would be cheap, but it’s actually sturdy AF.” → You say: “Sturdy AF. For real.” 3. Add nothing. Don’t “marketer it up”. Let the voice do the work. You don’t need better copywriting. You need better listening.