January gets all the attention.
February decides who actually grows.
Most brands pour energy into acquisition during January — then quietly move on, assuming repeat purchases will “just happen.”
They rarely do.
Retention isn’t automatic.
It’s designed.
This week’s email is about what happens after the January spike — and how the best brands turn first-time buyers into repeat buyers across strategy, PPC, email, SEO, and community.
🧠 STRATEGY — LTV Modelling (Not Revenue Chasing)
Most brands optimize for revenue.
The best brands optimize for lifetime value.
LTV modelling forces a different set of questions:
How many purchases should a good customer make?
What usually causes drop-off?
What behaviours predict a second purchase?
When you model LTV early, decisions change:
You invest more in onboarding
You’re patient with retargeting
You stop over-discounting first purchases
Retention strategy starts by understanding what long-term success actually looks like.
Core Insight:
Revenue shows what happened. LTV predicts what’s possible.
Key Takeaway:
If you don’t model LTV, you’ll keep optimizing short-term wins that hurt long-term growth.
📊 PPC — Retargeting Creative Refresh (After the Sale)
Most retargeting ads only ask one question:
“Ready to buy?”
That’s the wrong question for January buyers.
Post-purchase retargeting works best when it:
Reinforces the original decision
Shows what comes next
Normalizes repeat behaviour
High-performing brands refresh retargeting creative after January to focus on:
“What people buy next”
“How others use this over time”
“Why repeat customers stick around”
Retention ads aren’t louder — they’re more reassuring.
Core Insight:
Post-purchase ads should reduce doubt, not create urgency.
Key Takeaway:
If your retargeting still sounds like prospecting, you’re missing the moment.
📧 EMAIL — Winback Flows That Restore Relevance
Winback emails are often misunderstood.
They’re not about begging people to return.
They’re about restoring relevance.
Strong winback flows:
Acknowledge absence without guilt
Show what’s changed or improved
Reframe value before offering incentives
The goal isn’t:
“Please come back.”
It’s:
“Here’s why this matters again.”
When done well, winback emails feel respectful — not desperate.
Core Insight:
Silence doesn’t always mean disinterest. Often, it means distraction.
Key Takeaway:
If your winback flow jumps straight to discounts, you’re training customers to wait.
🔍 SEO — Post-Purchase Content That Reduces Churn
Most SEO strategies stop at the purchase.
That’s a mistake.
Post-purchase search intent is real:
“How to get the best results from X”
“Is X normal?”
“How long does X take to work?”
“What should I do next?”
Brands that answer these questions:
Reduce refunds
Increase satisfaction
Create natural repeat paths
Retention content compounds quietly — but powerfully.
Core Insight:
SEO isn’t just for acquisition. It’s a retention tool.
Key Takeaway:
If customers are searching for answers after buying, your content should meet them there.
🌍 Community Loops That Drive Retention
Retention accelerates when customers stop feeling alone.
Community loops work because they:
Normalize progress
Surface shared wins
Create belonging beyond the product
This doesn’t require a massive forum.
Simple loops work:
Highlighting customer stories
Sharing progress milestones
Creating light-touch participation
People stay where they feel seen.
Core Insight:
Belonging increases retention more reliably than incentives.
Key Takeaway:
If customers only interact with your brand at checkout, loyalty stays fragile.
🤖 AI Retention Optimiser (Used Intentionally)
AI is especially useful for spotting retention blind spots.
Use it to:
Identify drop-off moments
Predict second-purchase timing
Analyse patterns across cohorts
Prompts to try:
“What behaviours predict churn after first purchase?”
“What does a high-LTV customer do differently?”
“Where does retention usually break down?”
AI won’t replace strategy — but it will surface patterns faster.
Core Insight:
AI reveals signals. Humans decide what to do with them.
Key Takeaway:
Use AI to see retention problems earlier, not automate responses blindly.
🛠 Tools to try this week to help retention rates!
Klaviyo Flow Library
Use it to:
Audit winback and post-purchase flows
Identify missing lifecycle moments
Standardize retention sequences
Gorgias
Helpful for:
Identifying repeat objections
Spotting churn signals in support tickets
Turning support into retention insight
LoyaltyLion
Best for:
Reinforcing repeat behaviour
Rewarding consistency over discounts
Making loyalty feel earned, not gimmicky
Happy Marketing!
