How Snif Used New Product Drops and Key Collabs to Drive SMS Growth on Postscript
The disruptor of the fragrance industry, Snif creates high-quality, genderless fragrances that are made from clean, non-toxic ingredients. When Snif launched their SMS program, they knew they wanted to be mindful of how they’d balance both list growth and meaningful messaging when they hit their customer’s most personal space—their phone.
The Sweet Smell of Success Using Postscript
When Snif launched as a brand in 2020, SMS was quickly on their radar, though they wanted to make sure they found balance in how they texted their subscribers. “We’re getting into people’s personal space with text messages, so we needed to find a way to do that so it didn’t feel intrusive,” said Taylor Merkel, Chief of Staff at Snif.
The team ultimately went with Postscript because of the ability to integrate it with their entire tech stack, including their email marketing with Klaviyo. As soon as they were onboarded and began work with their CSM, the platform became a perfect balance of being able to work with their current integrations, but also be a guiding light in how to do SMS well.
“We found Postscript to be really amazing partners in the sense that we’d come up with ideas and we’d see them implemented within a few months—which is not the norm with other tech stacks,” said Merkel.
Using Keywords to Drive List Growth and Segments
A diverse acquisition strategy was key in helping Snif grow their list quickly right out of the gate. They pushed their short code on social media channels—specifically through their Linktree—and used giveaways to help spur on some early growth. But the real key to success was keywords.
Snif realized very quickly that opting into their list using a keyword was the most impactful way for them to acquire new, high-value subscribers. But it also became a critical way for them to segment and message subscribers later on in their journey with the brand.
When their bestselling scent Strawberry Moon sold out, they used a keyword to alert subscribers when the restock dropped.
They leverage this tactic for all scent restocks, as well as for new product launches.
This has been a great way for the team to gauge interest in different launches and be able to target high-intent subscribers once the product becomes available.
Emily Powers
Director of Customer and Retention
“SMS is a valuable tool when it comes to maintaining relationships with customers, introducing new products they might like, and increasing repeat purchase rate. It’s a huge win for retention.”
Industry
Lifestyle & Home
How One Collab Increased List Size by 63%
The biggest turning point for Snif’s SMS marketing strategy came from a collaboration with food blogger and influencer Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest on a candle, Half Baked Pumpkin Smash. They were able to use Tieghan’s existing social media presence to help promote the upcoming product drop, and they encouraged interested customers to sign up for alerts using an HBH-specific keyword.
“I think one of the greatest benefits of SMS is that it’s there for those urgent and exciting moments,” said Emily Powers, Snif’s Director of Customer and Retention.
They went into the partnership with little expectations, but were delighted by how many new subscribers were opting in. They further personalized the experience for Half Baked Harvest loyal fans by creating two lists: one through Snif and one directly through Tieghan. They made sure the confirmation message that came through Tieghan’s list was coming from her. New subscribers were so excited they were immediately texting back, engaging over SMS.
Crazy Conversions for a New Product Drop
The Snif team quickly realized they had a huge opportunity to target these new subscribers and use SMS to announce that the product was ready to purchase, first to those that opted-in specifically for that collab and later to their full list.
“In terms of SMS, what’s so great about keywords and segments is that we can somewhat forecast demand ahead of launch,” said Merkel.
That single campaign generated a CTR of 63% and a 34% conversion rate, making it Snif’s most successful single campaign at the time.
Strategic Targeting for New Subscribers
Although their new subscribers from the HBH collaboration came to Snif for a very specific reason, they are using SMS as a way to further engage with them and gently introduce them to the rest of Snif’s offerings.
The team hypothesized that customers who purchased the Half Baked Pumpkin Smash candle would be interested in other seasonal scents. This gut instinct turned out to be true and the brand was able to cross-sell to this segment throughout the holiday season.
This careful segmentation is something Snif implements for all past purchase behavior, whether it’s a customer that has spent over a specific dollar amount, how engaged they are, and more to ensure they’re sending highly targeted and thoughtful messages to their base.
Taylor Merkel
Chief of Staff
“At Snif, we don’t just view SMS as a sales channel, we see it as a brand-building tool that invites people to be a part of our community.”
Industry
Lifestyle & Home
The Value of SMS Subscribers over Email Subscribers
As the Snif team looks at their marketing calendar they ask a crucial question: “Should this be a text?”
Although their guidelines are constantly evolving, they see the greatest impact when using SMS for more urgent sends, like product launches, restocks, or promotions, in addition to conversations with their base.
“With text, the personalization has been really great for us. Having a conversational tone has worked really well for us in a way that doesn’t necessarily come through via email,” says Merkel.
When they look at segments like VIP customers on email versus SMS, they find that conversions are much higher on SMS when they send the same messages to both platforms.
Solution and results
Snif focuses on a robust acquisition strategy to grow their list at a steady rate. By making SMS the first place to find out about new product drops and back in stock, they’re able to maintain a healthy and engaged list. By creating segments based on past interactions and behaviors, they’re able to give subscribers the right messages at the right time—every time.
*Note: All results are accurate as of January 9, 2023.
Emily Powers
Director of Customer and Retention
“When it comes to segmented sends and personalized sends, those tactics have been really successful for us via SMS.”
Industry