Jess Chan is the CEO and Founder of Longplay, an lifecycle & retention agency for DTC brands. She's also the brains behind Backbone, an innovative tool that wraps all those email and retention best practices in one simple to use tool.In this episode, Jess joins Blaine to discuss what it takes to succeed as a brand that wants to lean into retention & lifecycle marketing to scale DTC revenue.Episode brought to you by More StaffingJoin 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter!On this episode of DTC pod we cover:1. Jess Chan's Background2. Insights on Retention Marketing3. Role of Various Strategical Tools4. Email Flows To be Productized5. In-depth look at subclasses of strategies in Retention Marketing6. Use of Data in Retention Strategies7. Demonstrations of Successful StrategiesTimestamps03:00 Retention in D2C eCommerce: A shift towards focus.06:38 Email marketing: Retaining and understanding customers is key.10:39 Retention marketing is not the same as acquisition.12:40 Optimize email flows, upsell subscriptions, strategic campaigns.15:38 Boost tools for customer lifecycle, loyalty programs.18:16 Focus on fewer channels and execute well.26:34 Check SMS attribution settings for accurate analysis. Focus on customer-centric approach for SMS marketing.29:19 Brands must consider immersive customer experiences.32:22 Different customers, different journeys, different needs.37:31 Medium dictates message; optimize design for impact.40:59 Automating email marketing strategy development and improvement.41:57 Backbone plans email marketing, optimized for conversion.Shownotes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more. Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here and our Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok ---Jess Chan - Founder and CEO at Longplay & BackboneBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic