Retention Chronicles Mariah Parsons

Mariah Parsons and Rachel discussed the importance of prioritizing customer experience and tailored marketing strategies to grow e-commerce brands. They emphasized the significance of celebrating milestones, launching new collections, and understanding the target audience to create effective marketing strategies. Later, Mariah and Rachel discussed digital marketing strategies, including social media marketing, influencer marketing, and the ethical implications of using AI-generated content in fashion marketing. They also explored the challenges of the apparel industry, including returns and exchanges, and the need to balance profit margins with offering lower prices to attract more customers.

Episode Timestamps:


0:05 E-commerce brand growth and marketing strategies with Ivy City Co


3:24 Marketing strategies and roles within a company


9:33 Using AI in photo shoots for fashion brand, balancing efficiency with human connection


16:36 PR and social media strategies for a fashion brand


21:31 Leveraging Instagram and TikTok for a clothing brand, with a focus on content strategy and audience engagement


25:07 Social media presence and trustworthiness


30:51 Marketing strategies and customer experience for a fashion brand


37:33 Apparel industry returns and exchanges, with strategies to reduce them



41:50 Reducing returns in retail with a focus on product pricing and marketing

Mariah Parsons, Head of Marketing at Malomo and host of Retention Chronicles, and Zoe Khan, VP of Retention at Audien Hearing, Founder of Inevitable Agency, and host of Let’s Laugh About It Podcast, discuss the importance of prioritizing customer satisfaction and loyalty in the E-commerce industry. Zoe shared her experience in the over-the-counter hearing aid industry, highlighting the challenges and rewards of helping people change their lives through hearing aids. Mariah emphasized the significance of customer experience in any position or business, while Zoe discussed the importance of hiring the right people for customer experience roles and setting up teams for success. Later, Mariah and Zoe discussed the importance of aligning marketing and customer service to create a seamless customer experience. They also discussed the value of building genuine connections and community in the E-commerce industry, and the importance of effective communication in retaining unhappy customers.

Episode Timestamps:


0:05 E-commerce customer experience with Zoe Khan, VP of Retention at Audien Hearing and Founder of Inevitable Agency.


4:29 Time flying by in business growth.


10:13 Building an E-commerce community through genuine connections and learning.


16:11 Building an agency without pressure to sell.


20:42 Customer experience and its impact on retention.


27:06 Email marketing and customer support balance.


32:47 The importance of collaboration between marketing and customer experience teams. 

Mariah Parsons and Savannah Benson, VP of Customer Experience at Mixhers, discussed the evolution of customer experience strategy in e-commerce, emphasizing the importance of proactive planning, managing customer expectations, and over-communication. They also highlighted prioritizing customer needs in cross-functional meetings and creating a positive experience through rebranding and product quality. Additionally, they discussed the importance of understanding consumer behavior and preferences to innovate and stay relevant in the DTC ecommerce space, and prioritizing customer needs when solving problems and gathering customer insights.

Episode Timestamps:


0:05 Customer experience and consumer insights with a mix of numbers and creativity


5:24 Marketing and customer experience strategies for a growing company


11:55 Prioritizing customer needs and solving problems through industry insights and customer feedback


19:57 Customer feedback and insights for a growing mixer brand


29:42 Using customer data to predict purchases and improve brand experience

33:39 Product returns and exchanges in the supplement industry

39:35 Mixhers, a supplement brand, and their subscription program

Mariah Parsons and Matt Froehlich discussed the importance of networking and connection-building in the e-commerce industry, sharing their experiences from attending conferences like Shop Talk and The Whalies. They emphasized the value of meeting people outside of their normal networks and highlighted differences between events in terms of size, scope, engagement, and connection-making opportunities. They also discussed the latest trends and challenges in digital marketing, including adapting to new technologies, reevaluating a brand's tech stack, navigating brand-agency relationships, and understanding the evolving nature of social media platforms like TikTok. Finally, they discussed optimizing ad performance and financials in the industry, emphasizing the importance of planning ahead, analyzing past data, and employing efficient advertising strategies to ensure maximum ROI.

Episode Timestamps:


4:18 Using physical business cards vs virtual ones at conferences


10:05 Career path from radio to marketing agency


13:53 Improving marketing efficiency through tech stack optimization and financial transparency


18:36 Planning and optimization for peak season, focusing on efficiency and list growth


22:56 Evaluating and optimizing marketing technology stacks


 26:13 New updates and trends in Shopify marketing, including Meta and Clayvo


31:23 Social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, and their evolving features and pressures


36:52 Marketing strategies for e-commerce brands on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram

Mariah Parsons and Yaw Aning discussed the importance of creating a seamless post-purchase experience for e-commerce merchants. They emphasized the need to align the experience with the brand's strategy and goals, educate customers about the brand, and set goals based on the strategy. Both speakers highlighted the importance of keeping customers updated and mapping out the customer journey to build trust and transparency.



Episode Timestamps:


0:05⁠ Post-purchase experience optimization for e-commerce businesses


Expert CEO shares 10 post-purchase lessons from 5000 Shopify brands.


Yaw Aning advises merchants to understand their post-purchase default settings.




3:55 Post-purchase experiences, brand strategy, and metrics for success


Understand your brand strategy to choose the right post-purchase platform.


Consumers prefer post-purchase experiences that educate and build the brand.


Develop goals based on strategy to create a cohesive experience.




10:13 Post-purchase experience optimization for e-commerce merchants


Yaw Aning suggests partnering with an agency to optimize post-purchase experience.


Yaw Aning: Key moments in customer journey build trust, transparency.


Mongoose's proactive communication best practices defuse frustration, build trust.


Yaw Aning highlights Soylent's post-purchase strategy, segmenting customers based on their journey stage and providing tailored content and CTAs.


Mobile-first design is crucial for tracking experiences, as 83% of views occur on mobile devices, and customers are often interrupted during on-the-go activities.

Mariah Parsons and Rachel Nilsson, Founder of RAGS, discussed Rachel’s experience in building her e-commerce business, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, creativity, and customer satisfaction. 

Rachel shared her journey, including managing demand, partnering with large companies like Nordstrom and Disney, and navigating the unpredictable journey of entrepreneurship. 

They also discussed the pros and cons of implementing limited edition models to increase FOMO marketing and getting creative with inventory sales.

After Rachel’s premiere on Shark Tank, she navigated through having to deal with copycats but ultimately refocusing on doing their own thing and doing it well.

This podcast is sponsored by Malomo, a leading shipment and order tracking platform for Shopify and Shopify Plus ecommerce brands. 



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Episode Timestamps


4:37 Starting a clothing line from scratch, growing through social media and Shark Tank appearance


9:56 Limited edition drops, FOMO marketing, and serving customers


17:32 Limited edition products, inventory management, and consumer behavior


24:45 Challenges and successes of limited edition clothing model, with a focus on founder's personal experience and lessons learned


29:38 Entrepreneurship, success, and surrounding oneself with a supportive community

33:04 Entrepreneurship, innovation, and dealing with copycats