Retention is more than a buzz word
Whether you work in B2B, B2C or somewhere in between, everyone is talking about retention these days. This is ever increasing metric is even more valuable when you look closer at your business numbers. Maybe the economy is taking a dive and spending is at an all time low. Maybe your leadership team’s appetite for risk has increased. Maybe competitors are splashing on the scene with competitive prices and bolder, flashier product features.
Whatever it is, this means businesses are shifting their growth engine strategy. Acquisition isn’t the sole name of the game, retention is.
How do we solve our retention problem?
But here's what I've noticed: when companies say they're "focusing on retention," what they usually mean is they're trying to fix complaints faster or build new features to keep people excited.
These things matter. Complaint management matters. New features matter. But they're not a retention strategy. They're reactive tactics.
Real retention isn't about putting out fires or constantly innovating to keep people interested. It's about making sure the things that sold your customers in the first place continue to work well for them. It’s about building an advocate and demonstrating value for their hard earned cash every single time they have an interaction with you, prompted or unprompted (especially unprompted).
What Retention Actually Means
Retention is about reminding your customers why they chose you.
Think about it: your customers signed up or made their first purchase for a reason. They had a problem. You had a solution. They believed your product or service would make their life better in some specific way.
That's the value proposition that got them in the door.
But what happens after that first transaction? Do you keep reinforcing that value? Do you remind them why they made the right choice? Or do you go quiet and hope they stick around?
Most companies do the latter. And then they're surprised at the volume of customers who churn.
Here's the thing, in my book, retention is not that hard, it starts with the most basic of foundations your can optimise and iterate on until it’s a well oiled retention machine.
Forget the constant addition of shiny new features. Making sure the core value you promised is consistently delivered and that your customers know it, is the secret sauce.
The Role of Email in Retention
This is where a well set up email eco system, complete with lifecycle driven campaigns based on individual customers and a smooth service email set up comes into play.
Think of it as an extended customer success function. You're not selling them something new. You're reinforcing the value they're already getting.
Here are a few examples of what this looks like in practice:
For a subscription service:
Instead of just sending renewal reminders, send emails that highlight what they've gained from the service. "In the last six months, you've saved £X" or "you’ve enjoyed xx hours of programming this month."
For a SaaS product:
Don't just announce new features. Send emails that show them how to get more value from the features they're already using. "Did you know you can automate this task? Here's how." Or even translate automated tasks into hours of resource saved.
For an e-commerce brand:
Send post-purchase emails that go beyond "Thanks for your order." Highlight complimentary products post purchase. Remind them when purchased products go on special offer or have a great discount.
These aren't complicated campaigns. But they're strategic. They're reminders that the value you promised is real, ongoing, and worth staying for. And most importantly, they are tied to how the individual user gets the most from your business.
Why Leadership Needs to Align on This
Here's where a lot of companies get stuck: retention isn't owned by one team.
Customer success thinks it's their job. Product thinks it's about features. Marketing thinks it's about engagement and USPs. Customer care thinks it's about resolving issues quickly.
And everyone's partially right. But if there's no alignment on what retention actually means, you end up with fragmented efforts that don't move the needle. Lots of drips in lots of buckets.
Leadership needs to align on this core idea: Retention is about consistently delivering and reinforcing your core value proposition. Everything else, complaint management, new features, email campaigns, customer success check-ins, should support that goal.
And when leadership aligns on this, a few things happen:
1. Retention becomes a shared priority, not a siloed function.
Everyone understands their role in keeping customers engaged and successful.
2. You stop chasing shiny objects.
You don't need a new feature every quarter to keep people interested. Get rid of all those extra segment pivots that aren’t worth the value. You need to make sure the existing value is clear, consistent, and well-communicated.
3. You can measure what matters.
Instead of just tracking churn rate, you track whether customers are actually experiencing the value you promised. Are they using the product? Seeing results? Are the customers you are working so hard to keep actually good for the business?
Email as Your Retention Optimisation Tool
Email is an easy and relatively low cost way (compared to CAC or operating costs) to improve commercial growth.
Think of your lifecycle emails as a premium experimentation tool. They allow you to set up bespoke lifecycles based on the customer. They're checking in. They're reminding customers of value. They're proactively addressing common drop-off points. And you can quickly determine what’s working and what isn’t with A/B testing frameworks.
Here's what that might look like:
Week 1: Welcome email reinforcing why they made the right choice
Week 2: Educational email showing them how to get started
Week 4: Value reminder highlighting what they've gained so far
Week 8: Check-in email asking how it's going and offering support
Month 6: Milestone email celebrating their progress and showing long-term value
These emails aren't pushing a sale. They're reinforcing the relationship. They're reminding customers that the thing they signed up for is working.
And when customers feel like something is working? They don't leave.
Start Here
If you want to improve retention, start by asking:
1. What value did we promise our customers?
What problem were they trying to solve when they signed up or made their first purchase?
2. Are we consistently delivering on that promise?
Is the core experience still strong? Or have we let it slip while chasing other priorities?
3. How often are we reminding customers of the value they're getting?
Do they only hear from us when we want them to upgrade or renew? Or are we proactively reinforcing the value throughout their journey?
4. What does our lifecycle email strategy look like?
Are we using email to act as an extended customer success function? Or are we just sending newsletters and hoping for the best?
Need help building a retention strategy that goes beyond the buzzwords? I work with D2C brands and subscription businesses to design lifecycle campaigns that reinforce value and reduce churn. Let's chat.
Alicia Barnes is an email retention specialist helping D2C subscription brands reduce churn and increase customer lifetime value. Learn more at Get It Together Marketing.
