cran hazelnut sourdough [Stretch #13]

a weekly warm-up for marketing that attracts your best buyers

(featuring real stories, copy tips, and cat pics)

Hey Reader,

At a farm shop we love, there was a woman selling loaves of bread she baked herself.

She wasn’t pushy — just genuinely excited about her bread.

She wore a zany holiday outfit, handed out samples, and told us we had to try the holiday sourdough.

(She was right. 😋)

She shared tips for what to pair it with, and seemed jazzed for us about the other treats we’d gathered in the shop.

Now, every time we see her bread for sale, we’ll probably buy it — and we’ll definitely think of her.

Think about that.

She did something to retain us as loyal customers, before we’d ever bought from her in the first place.

Retention starts before the sale.

Marketing that feels personal, genuine, and memorable creates an experience that gets folks excited to stick around.

Here’s how you can do that in your business:

Make the experience feel personal, even in small ways.
Show genuine excitement for your offer. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Overdeliver on first impressions so customers feel confident choosing you.

Don’t focus on “retaining more customers.”

Focus on building meaningful connections.

Have any brands (or breads) made a stand-out first impression on you lately? Reply to tell me about it :)

Put in your sales reps 🏋️‍♀️

Simple actions to fire up your marketing

Something to think about: what works for search engine optimization (SEO) doesn’t always make for more sales.

A page filled with irrelevant phrases might get you seen in more search results. But think about the reason someone searched for that phrase in the first place, and what they’d need to see on your site to convert.

If you have pages that perform well in search results, but aren’t turning visitors into buyers, review the messaging today. Adjust at least the top headline on the page so it resonates more for your ideal buyers.

Copy circuit 🔄

Analyzing copy from around the web

Apple’s “shot on iPhone” campaign is a great example of the importance of focusing on the benefits of your product, rather than just the features.

They could go on and on about the complex technology that goes into the iPhone, but that's not what most people care about. Instead, they focus on how well it helps you preserve memories with loved ones: