September 4, 2023 • 26 mins
📌 HEADS UP! THIS IS AN ARCHIVED EPISODE OF SUBSCRIPTION BOX BASICS. SOME OF THE OFFERS & LINKS MAY NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE.
In this episode, subscription box coaches Julie and Renae discuss five key characteristics of a good subscription box. Now let's be real...there are far more than 5, but these are some of the impactful AND give you a good starting point!
Does your box...
- Solves a pain point
- Serves a specific niche
- Incorporate experiential factors
- Include high-quality, thoughtfully curated products
- Is sustainable over time
We emphasize the importance of these characteristics for subscription box businesses and encourage you to evaluate your own boxes based on these criteria.Â
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Julie (00:22):
Hey everybody and welcome back to subscription box basics.
I'm Julie Ball, your head coach,and we just wrapped up a six
week series where we went backto the basics.
If you are brand new here, youmight want to go back and listen
to some of those episodes.
We're covering some very.
Basic topics.
Now, I know you've been missingRenee.
She's back your marketing coach,Renee Gonzalez.
(00:44):
Welcome back to the podcast.
I am
Renae (00:46):
glad to be back and I am glad everyone got a chance to go
back to the basics.
So if you miss those episodes,make sure you go back and
listen, even if your box isalready launched, because there
are such good takeaways fromreally taking a moment to go
back to the basics
Julie (01:02):
yeah, it's something where we haven't done in a while
and we had dozens and dozens ofepisodes and great interviews
with really smart, cool people.
And you and I were just talkingabout, we're like, man, we
haven't talked about theterminology and how to carve out
your concept and some of thatbasic stuff.
So I'm really glad we had achance to do that.
And we are back to our regularprogramming.
(01:24):
And today we're going to do thislittle lightning round.
We are talking about five.
things that are characteristicsof a good box.
So many people will come to uswith an idea and just say, I
don't even know if my idea isgood.
How do I know if it's good?
So there's a lot of differentcharacteristics of good boxes,
but we thought we'd just kind ofdo a quick round here of five
(01:45):
that are top of mind and reallyimportant.
And this is really
Renae (01:50):
a great building off those back to the basic
episodes, because again, even ifyou're launched, even if you're
a couple of years into your box,you need to go back and think of
these things and think is my boxproviding these and is it a good
box and one people want to stickaround for.
Julie (02:06):
Exactly.
So let's dive in.
The first one is that it solvesa pain point.
So often people get these ideasthat they just want to send gift
boxes or a box of random thingsto make somebody's day better.
And that's fine.
That's excute every single wordYou really have to solve a pain
(02:34):
point or create some sort oftransformation and take them on
this journey along the way forthem to keep subscribing month
after month.
Just for a quick frame ofreference, when we were running
Sparkle Hustle Grow, the averagesubscriber stayed for nine
months.
And that was because we weretaking them on this journey.
We were transforming them,teaching them things, and
(02:56):
solving this pain point.
And some of the pain points thatwe solved were That it's lonely
to be an entrepreneur, so weprovided a community that
another pain point that wesolved was as a entrepreneur.
There's a lot of hats you haveto wear, and so we provided them
with books and business trainingso they could grow
professionally and personally.
(03:18):
And that was again solving apain point.
I'm sure Renee, you and I couldtalk about lots of our
subscription box boot campstudents and different pain
points that they solve.
So let's let's riff a little bitwith some of our students.
Okay.
Yeah.
Renae (03:31):
And so this is really important to besides lifetime
value.
If you're going right on andyou're, you're struggling to get
subscribers too.
It's really important that youneed to solve a pain point.
So, um, off the top of my head,I know Jenny from the
preparedness box she solved thepain point of people aren't
(03:53):
ready for.
a natural disaster or anemergency.
Some people don't even want tothink about that So she solves a
pain point that she sends rightto your doorstep, the things you
need to be prepared in case of adisaster or, or an emergency.
And that takes that off yourlist that helps your house be
prepared.
And ready for whatever situationyou get thrown into.
Julie (04:16):
Love it.
There's a handful of our bootcampers to that are they are
solving really importantproblems like Brittany from
black girl magic.
She's helping young girls withmath confidence.
There's resilient nurse box thathelps nurses.
push through and take care ofthemselves.
What's that thing they say onthe airplane?
(04:37):
You have to take the air first.
What is that?
Renae (04:40):
Put your own mask on before helping your child.
Julie (04:43):
Yes, exactly.
You put your own mask on firstbefore you help someone else.
Same thing with that resilientnurse box.
We've got the eczema sample boxwhere You know, if you have
eczema, you probably have spenta lot of money buying full size
products, trying to figure outwhat's going to work for you.
But instead, if you subscribe tothe eczema sample box, then you
(05:06):
get to test out all thesedifferent sample size products
that have been vetted for you.
So there's so many.
Great ways to solve a painpoint.
So that number one is solving apain point.
That is one of the mostimportant things when you're
coming up with your box idea.
So if you've already launched totake a minute right now and
(05:27):
think about what is that painpoint I'm solving.
How am I doing it?
How am I transforming theirlives for the better?
Renae (05:36):
And number two on our list is so important because it
helps you narrow down not onlywho you're serving, but also
that pain point.
So number two is it serves aspecific niche.
And this is really important tounderstand who your target
audience is and who you'reactually serving.
So if you know who you'reserving, then you're able to
(05:57):
better solve number one andreally figure out what their
pain points are, but reallynarrow down.
I mean, and Julie and myselfhave.
Talked about so many of ourstudents.
Each one of them has a specificaudience and each one of them
serves a specific niche.
So really make sure you're notsending a box that everyone can
(06:17):
relate to, because then no onemight relate to it.
You really need something whereit's, it's arrived at a doorstep
and it feels like it's sent andcurated just for them.
Julie (06:27):
Yes, I have so many thoughts on this.
I hope I remember them all.
So one, there's an Aesop'sFable.
I talk about this all the time.
Aesop's Fables are thosestories, those like traditional
folklore stories that have amoral at the end.
And there's this one where themoral of the story is, please
all and you'll please none.
And I always think about thatbecause it's so true.
(06:47):
And I've had people say to me, Idon't want to leave anybody out.
I want to be inclusive.
I get that.
I 100% get that, but that's nothow marketing your subscription
box is going to be mostsuccessful.
There are going to be outliersof your target audience, and
that's fine.
They're welcome.
Include them.
They may get some value out ofyour box as well.
(07:08):
But if you hone in reallyclosely on who that target
audience is, and when we say Youknow, serve a specific niche.
That's not just, oh, I servewomen in the United States.
Okay.
Well, what, what's unique aboutthat, that audience?
Is it, are they, moms?
maybe they are a certain agegroup.
(07:29):
Maybe they have a certain hobby.
Maybe they have a certainillness or challenge that
they're seeking answers to.
So really think about nichingdown and don't think about it as
if you're trying to includeeveryone, you can still be
inclusive, but you need to thinkabout who's that specific
person.
And in some of our training,Renee, I know we've, we did this
(07:52):
when we ran Sparkle Hustle Grow,we created that customer avatar.
And what that is, is we thinkabout one person.
Who is that one person thatyou're trying to reach?
Give them a name, then write astory about them.
So where do they shop?
Where do they live?
Are they married?
What keeps them up at night?
What magazines do they read?
(08:13):
What apps do they use?
Things like that.
Really, really, really get toknow them.
And then as you're creating yourmarketing, You can talk to that
specific person.
And honestly, when we did it forSparkle Hustle Grow, wasn't it
like two pages long, I think, ona Google
Renae (08:27):
doc?
Yeah.
Where, even what car they drove.
Yeah.
Specific names.
So then when you're picking outthat product, just like you've
said, you can be like, Oh,would, would Barbara like this
and really like go back to thatspecific person who you're
shipping it to their doorstep.
And is that something that'sjust going to fill them up with
light when they open up yourbox?
(08:48):
Because that's the feeling youwant.
Each one of your subscribers tohave.
But if you're targeting thatspecific person with those
specific interests, you're goingto keep them around longer, but
also when you're using yourmarketing and writing your
messaging and your copy, you'llbe able to talk to that specific
person.
So when someone's reading yourInstagram post or your email,
(09:09):
they'll be like, Oh my goodness,like this is for me.
I've got to have this.
Julie (09:12):
Yeah, they're in my head.
I remember a lot of times oursubscribers would say that we
were mind readers.
And that's because we went sodeep on that customer avatar.
We knew exactly who we weretalking to.
And with the combination ofthese first two characteristics
that we've talked about, thatsolving the pain point and
serving a specific niche, whenthey get to your website, they
(09:32):
need to think immediately, thiswas made for me.
And if you're trying to serveeveryone, there's no way that
they're going to feel thatfeeling of this was made for me.
So moving on to the third one,the third characteristic of a
good box is to have experientialfactors.
And we say this all the time,you no longer can just send a
(09:55):
box of stuff and be successful.
People will end up not using it.
They will maybe pick and chooseWhat they want out of the box.
But if you create experientialfactors and kind of teach them
how to use your product, thenthey're going to stick around
for a lot longer and you'regoing to be more valuable for
(10:18):
them.
So Renee, what are some of yourfavorites, experiential factors
that you can bring alongside foryour subscribers, almost like
membership perks?
Renae (10:27):
I think an easy one that everyone can do nowadays is a
Facebook group or some sort ofonline group.
I think that's free.
It is somewhere where you cancurate posts that happen
monthly.
So it's not a lot of extra timefor you as a subscription box
owner.
I think it's a great place thenfor people to go and share their
(10:47):
wins or share what they like.
So I think a Facebook group issomething that instantly creates
a community because it is.
That it's a group online.
So that would be my one that ifyou don't have a Facebook group
for your subscribers, I thinkthat is a big win and something
that adds value.
Um, and it's a perk that's freefor you.
Julie (11:07):
Yeah, I 100% agree.
And if you're not the kind ofperson that wants to run a
Facebook group, or if you don'thave the capacity to do it, then
you can have ambassadors.
I know a lot of subscription boxowners that have ambassadors in
their Facebook group that'llkeep that conversation going.
And you can.
Pay a ambassador with a free boxor, you know, behind the scenes
(11:32):
zoom calls with the owner, youknow, once a quarter or once a
month or whatever, it's a loteasier than what you think.
And we at Sparkle Hustle Grow,when we were running it, we did
have our month planned out as a30 day month.
We knew on the first of everymonth, this type of post was
going out on the 15th on the30th and then in between.
So we were very.
(11:53):
Very intentional about keepingthat conversation going and
communicating in there.
So some other experientialfactors that we have used in the
past, and I see a lot of otherbox owners use our digital
downloads videos.
Maybe that's a training video.
Maybe you've recorded a zoomcall with a guest expert, or,
(12:13):
maybe how about, PDFs.
Like planners, recipes, whatelse?
Playlists.
Renee is like the queen ofplaylists.
Renae (12:22):
And taking them also on some sort of gamification.
I know we've had a past episode,if you go back and listen, it
was when we were live at SubSummit.
We talk about gamification.
Adding that fun game elementthat also takes them on a
journey is.
Something that is such a goodthing.
It could be in the form of achallenge or, um, some sort of,
(12:45):
uh, scavenger hunt list wherethere's certain to do's that
they have to do throughout themonth.
So adding more than just sendinga box to their door, adding more
that they want to, again, keepcoming back to you and learning
from you and going on thisjourney with you as a community
is something that really addsvalue to your box and makes it a
box that people want tosubscribe
Julie (13:06):
to.
You're so right.
It takes them on this journeyand throughout that journey,
they're going to grow.
They're going to learn.
They're going to feel surprised,delighted and feel the value of
your subscription box.
But you're also teaching them.
You're teaching them how to usethe products.
You're encouraging them to.
Actually take items out, usethem.
(13:27):
And again, that's just anotherway to provide value.
But the best part is.
99% of these experientialfactors are free, like you don't
have to pay for that stuff, likeyou said, the Facebook group,
digital downloads, Spotifyplaylists, like that stuff you
can create for free, it justtakes
Renae (13:45):
time.
And rather than becoming part ofa monthly or quarterly part of
their, Life, you're becoming adaily part of their life.
So it's almost like you're,you're sending them these things
to help them, but you alsobecome part of their routine.
So they're going to jump intothe Facebook group or they're
going to use that productbecause they're so used to it,
doing it daily.
And then they want to keep doingit monthly or yearly.
(14:06):
And they're really.
They become big fans of youbecause you're helping them
grow, but they also help yourbusiness grow too.
So that is number three.
It has an experiential factor.
So moving right on to numberfour and this one is important,
but Still needs to be said.
(14:27):
it's you're not sending junkyou're sending them stuff that
is higher quality and are ableto stand the test of time
because it's a good product andit's thoughtfully curated so
it's not just a bunch of stuffthat is useful for them that you
throw together.
There's a theme behind itpossibly or a color scheme they
they open it and it looks likeit was all meant to be put
(14:49):
together because there's timebehind putting it together.
Julie (14:53):
Agree.
It's really, you're curatingthis box.
You're not just dumping a bunchof junk in there.
So be really thoughtful whenyou're choosing your products.
I know you said, you know, theyneed to be high quality.
Some people really struggle withfinding the high quality deals,
but I encourage you to just askfor more discounts.
Find where there's closeoutdeals.
(15:14):
Work with your vendors andcreate really good relationships
so that when they do have a gooddeal or a closeout, for example,
they know they can come to youand you are ready and willing to
move on those products.
If you, I've said this before,but if you put a bunch of dollar
store items in there, they'regoing to know because they shop
the dollar store too.
(15:34):
And that's not why theysubscribe to this box.
They're coming to you to helpsolve this pain point.
And so if you thoughtfullycurate the box where when they
open it, it's cohesive, theycomplement each other, it works
well together, then you're goingto have a longer lifetime value.
People are going to stick aroundand they're going to tell all
(15:57):
their friends about it becauseit's so amazing.
So I 100% agree that, you know,when you're when you're curating
your box, you don't want to puta bunch of junk in there.
Make sure you get samples.
So that you can test things out.
You don't want to send somethingthat breaks easily.
You don't want to send somethingthat feels or looks cheap.
Renae (16:16):
And when you get samples sent to you too, not only can
you get your hands on thatproduct, but you're also able to
see if it fits in your actualbox with everything.
So I know, Julie, that's a bigthing.
You would always put everythingin there.
Like, does this fit?
How will I pack this?
And you are able to do it withone of everything.
If you have samples rather thanhaving.
(16:36):
Set 500 sent to your house in orto your warehouse and being
like, Oh my goodness, thesearen't all going to fit.
I have to pivot.
So samples are so huge.
And another thing I was going tosay on this before we move on to
is if you do the work and reallytake the time to make sure what
you're putting in there iscurated and higher quality, and
it won't just break, then you'rehelping yourself on the backend
(16:58):
too, because you're eliminatingsome customer service where you
get all these emails like, Oh,my so and so didn't work or this
broke right away.
So.
It might take a little time andmoney up front, but in the back
end, it's going to save you timeand money because you don't have
to deal with as many complaintsand customer service
Julie (17:15):
issues.
Yeah, and then just a few tipswith perceived value because
perceived value is reallyimportant when someone opens the
box, they're going to have thiskind of built in perception of
like, oh, this is this lookslike it costs a lot or oh, what
a piece of junk.
And so.
When you look at things that aresmaller, I encourage you to
(17:36):
consider repackaging some ofthem.
Quick example, in when someoneputs in a lip balm or chapstick,
yeah, we love a product likethat, but it has a very, very
low perceived value.
But if you were to put it incuter packaging, or maybe you
get one of the, um, what arethose like those lip balm key
(17:56):
chains?
They're called something.
Um, yeah, yes, yes.
So instead of just the lip balm,put it in a lippy clip.
Uh, we used to send pens all thetime.
And if I just put a pen in thebox, it would probably get lost
in the crinkle cut.
People wouldn't see much valueout of it.
But instead I went on Amazon andI found these really cute,
(18:19):
iridescent, they were, I thinkthey were called mascara bags,
like retail mascara bag.
And I was able to put two orthree pens in there and it
looked like a set.
So it just had a higherperceived value.
So be cautious if you're sendingstickers, chapstick, pens,
little things like that.
Try to think about how you canmake it a better experience to
(18:40):
receive that product.
Renae (18:42):
And one more thing on that too.
Also consider weight.
I know we could do a whole, Iknow we can go on forever.
Um, also consider weight.
If you have something likestickers or pens, it's going to
make the box lighter.
So, um, maybe that's the monthyou include a heavier book or,
or something else that, that theweight of the box.
Also helps with perceived valuebecause when they get it,
(19:04):
they're like, Ooh, it's heavythis month, right?
Don't just all include lightthings.
Um, that's why you have toreally curate it.
Not just for, does it gotogether, but does it feel right
to,
Julie (19:15):
I agree as, as silly as that sounds when someone picks
up that box.
I can't tell you how many timeswe've had subscribers doing
like, uh, Instagram story or aFacebook live and they pick up
the box and if it feels heavy,they're like, Ooh, it's, it's
heavy.
I can't wait to see what's init.
So it, and it didn't impact ourshipping rate, our postage at
(19:36):
all, because we used USPS cubicrate shipping, which meant that
it could be, I think it's up to20 pounds without it changing.
And our little six by nine bythree boxes never weighed more
than I think three and a halfpounds.
So it didn't impact it.
So anyhow, let's continue on.
This is our last one for today'slightning fast episode where
(19:58):
we're talking aboutcharacteristics of a good box.
The last one is that it needs tobe sustainable over time.
And the reason that's importantis because you are trying to
send recurring shipments.
It's one thing if you're sellinga one time box.
They get what they ordered, theyuse the product, and they move
on with their life.
But with a subscription box,you're trying to send things to
(20:21):
them Month over month overmonth.
And so you want to make surethat it's sustainable over time
and takes them on a journey.
And I'm going to tell you thereally quick story.
When I was running my boxbusiness, one of our categories
was paper products.
And my husband looked at me.
He's like, how in the world areyou going to send a paper
product for, you know, 12months?
(20:43):
and then still have new paperproducts for the next year.
And so what I explained to himwas, okay, let's talk about how
many different paper productsfemale entrepreneurs use.
So we would have notebooks, wewould have magnet notepads, we
would have journals, we wouldhave, um, post it notes, we
would have all kinds ofdifferent types of paper
(21:06):
products.
Maybe the post it note was arectangle this month, but in six
months we did a circular one.
So think about the things thatyou're putting in the box.
Are they going to use them?
Teach them how to use them sothat they do need more.
So if you're a replenishmentsubscription box, for example,
like All Girls Shave Club, youwant to make sure your
customer's using that shavebutter and those razors.
(21:29):
So when your next shipment comesin two months, You need them and
it's conveniently shows up.
So, um, I know Renee, you do themarketing side of things and
that's so important tocommunicate with, with your
customers about that journey andusing them.
So how are, what are some ofthose things?
You know, obviously emailmarketing is one way to do it.
Renae (21:49):
Just staying in front of them and really, like you said,
sending them those reminders,making it a challenge, um, using
old girl shave club, for anexample, if you're challenging
them to, um, Have you used yourshave butter?
Or, you know, like, try sendingthem a sample pack and getting
them to use each one of them.
Um, really incorporating waysthat you're going to take them
(22:13):
on that journey goes right backto them wanting to stick around
because Ultimately you createdyour box probably to solve a
pain point, but something thatmakes you want to do a
reoccurring subscription isbecause you know, there's,
there's money in it.
Time after time, either yourlifetime value of your customer
(22:33):
is better if they're asubscription box.
So really go back to, this is abusiness, you want to be able to
be making money time after time.
So how are you going to keepthem around?
So it really is more beneficialfor you to pour into those
customers that you already have,because in the long run, they
are going to make you more moneyfor your business.
Julie (22:55):
Jess had just done that.
Jess from All Girl Shave Club.
She had just done that recentlytoo.
She's got a whole bunch ofdifferent shave butter scents.
Super cute ones like, I thinkit's like Beach Babe and Flirty
Mermaid.
And you know, she's gotUnscented and she regularly
sends emails and does socialmedia posts that highlight the
different scents.
(23:17):
And then, should say, vote foryour favorite one.
Or which one will you put inyour next delivery?
Things like that.
And she's reminding them to useit and she's taking them on that
journey, talking about, youknow, summertime shaving or like
going to the beach.
She also does this email seriescalled Girl Talk.
(23:37):
And so while it's notspecifically salesy it's
relating to them.
So it is still providing valueand I love that it's you want to
be a regular part of their life.
And
Renae (23:50):
you said something about her asking which one they'd want
to use, which made me think ofinvolving your customers in
products that are in the futureof your box too.
So doing a this or that, whichone would you want to see an
upcoming box?
If they're really part ofcurating your boxes with you,
they're going to want to stickaround and get that box to their
(24:10):
doorstep because they were apart of putting it together.
Julie (24:13):
Yeah, it gets them emotionally tied more to your
brand and increases that brandloyalty.
So, alright, let's recap.
So we talked today aboutcharacteristics of a good box.
There are literally hundredsprobably that we could talk
about.
We wanted to throw a few outthere that are pretty basic so
that you can kind of do almostlike a little reality check for
(24:33):
yourself.
Like, Go through this list.
Am I doing this?
How does this apply to me?
So let's recap.
Number one was that it solves apain point, that you're
transforming their life for thebetter.
Number two, that it is serves avery specific Remember, please
all and you'll please none.
Number three, it hasexperiential factors beyond the
(24:54):
box.
Hashtag member perks.
Number four, you arethoughtfully curating the
products.
You're not just throwing a bunchof junk in a box and shipping
it.
And number five, that yourconcept is sustainable over
time, that you're taking them ona journey that helps them,
again, solve that pain point.
(25:15):
Oh, I love
Renae (25:16):
it.
And like you said, we had tonarrow it down.
We started with more options,but we're like, let's just talk
about five.
Cause otherwise this wouldn'thave been a fire around episode.
think it's really important toremember too, that if you're
just launching or you've alreadylaunched, or you're stuck at a
plateau, if you go back to theseand you go back to the basics.
2.
0 with this episode and reallysee how you can improve on these
(25:41):
concepts and see if you're doingall of them.
It's going to help you get tothe next level and, and not stay
at your plateau because, um,chances are, if you're stuck,
it's one of these things thatyou're not providing or could
provide a little
Julie (25:55):
better.
Man, you guys need to stickaround because this fall we have
so many good episodes coming up.
A ton of interviews with bootcampers, with box besties, with
vendors and branding specialistsand financial coaches.
There's just so much good stuffcoming down the pipeline.
(26:16):
We want to just thank you forlistening.
If you found value in thispodcast, please take a minute
to.
Rate, review us.
It helps us get found anddiscovered by other people just
like you that are new andaspiring subscription box
business owners.
And we just love to talk shop.
So thanks for joining us todayand we'll see you in the next
episode.
(26:37):
Bye.
Hey everybody and welcome back to subscription box basics.
I'm Julie Ball, your head coach,and we just wrapped up a six
week series where we went backto the basics.
If you are brand new here, youmight want to go back and listen
to some of those episodes.
We're covering some very.
Basic topics.
Now, I know you've been missingRenee.
She's back your marketing coach,Renee Gonzalez.
(00:44):
Welcome back to the podcast.
I am
Renae (00:46):
glad to be back and I am glad everyone got a chance to go
back to the basics.
So if you miss those episodes,make sure you go back and
listen, even if your box isalready launched, because there
are such good takeaways fromreally taking a moment to go
back to the basics
Julie (01:02):
yeah, it's something where we haven't done in a while
and we had dozens and dozens ofepisodes and great interviews
with really smart, cool people.
And you and I were just talkingabout, we're like, man, we
haven't talked about theterminology and how to carve out
your concept and some of thatbasic stuff.
So I'm really glad we had achance to do that.
And we are back to our regularprogramming.
(01:24):
And today we're going to do thislittle lightning round.
We are talking about five.
things that are characteristicsof a good box.
So many people will come to uswith an idea and just say, I
don't even know if my idea isgood.
How do I know if it's good?
So there's a lot of differentcharacteristics of good boxes,
but we thought we'd just kind ofdo a quick round here of five
(01:45):
that are top of mind and reallyimportant.
And this is really
Renae (01:50):
a great building off those back to the basic
episodes, because again, even ifyou're launched, even if you're
a couple of years into your box,you need to go back and think of
these things and think is my boxproviding these and is it a good
box and one people want to stickaround for.
Julie (02:06):
Exactly.
So let's dive in.
The first one is that it solvesa pain point.
So often people get these ideasthat they just want to send gift
boxes or a box of random thingsto make somebody's day better.
And that's fine.
That's excute every single wordYou really have to solve a pain
(02:34):
point or create some sort oftransformation and take them on
this journey along the way forthem to keep subscribing month
after month.
Just for a quick frame ofreference, when we were running
Sparkle Hustle Grow, the averagesubscriber stayed for nine
months.
And that was because we weretaking them on this journey.
We were transforming them,teaching them things, and
(02:56):
solving this pain point.
And some of the pain points thatwe solved were That it's lonely
to be an entrepreneur, so weprovided a community that
another pain point that wesolved was as a entrepreneur.
There's a lot of hats you haveto wear, and so we provided them
with books and business trainingso they could grow
professionally and personally.
(03:18):
And that was again solving apain point.
I'm sure Renee, you and I couldtalk about lots of our
subscription box boot campstudents and different pain
points that they solve.
So let's let's riff a little bitwith some of our students.
Okay.
Yeah.
Renae (03:31):
And so this is really important to besides lifetime
value.
If you're going right on andyou're, you're struggling to get
subscribers too.
It's really important that youneed to solve a pain point.
So, um, off the top of my head,I know Jenny from the
preparedness box she solved thepain point of people aren't
(03:53):
ready for.
a natural disaster or anemergency.
Some people don't even want tothink about that So she solves a
pain point that she sends rightto your doorstep, the things you
need to be prepared in case of adisaster or, or an emergency.
And that takes that off yourlist that helps your house be
prepared.
And ready for whatever situationyou get thrown into.
Julie (04:16):
Love it.
There's a handful of our bootcampers to that are they are
solving really importantproblems like Brittany from
black girl magic.
She's helping young girls withmath confidence.
There's resilient nurse box thathelps nurses.
push through and take care ofthemselves.
What's that thing they say onthe airplane?
(04:37):
You have to take the air first.
What is that?
Renae (04:40):
Put your own mask on before helping your child.
Julie (04:43):
Yes, exactly.
You put your own mask on firstbefore you help someone else.
Same thing with that resilientnurse box.
We've got the eczema sample boxwhere You know, if you have
eczema, you probably have spenta lot of money buying full size
products, trying to figure outwhat's going to work for you.
But instead, if you subscribe tothe eczema sample box, then you
(05:06):
get to test out all thesedifferent sample size products
that have been vetted for you.
So there's so many.
Great ways to solve a painpoint.
So that number one is solving apain point.
That is one of the mostimportant things when you're
coming up with your box idea.
So if you've already launched totake a minute right now and
(05:27):
think about what is that painpoint I'm solving.
How am I doing it?
How am I transforming theirlives for the better?
Renae (05:36):
And number two on our list is so important because it
helps you narrow down not onlywho you're serving, but also
that pain point.
So number two is it serves aspecific niche.
And this is really important tounderstand who your target
audience is and who you'reactually serving.
So if you know who you'reserving, then you're able to
(05:57):
better solve number one andreally figure out what their
pain points are, but reallynarrow down.
I mean, and Julie and myselfhave.
Talked about so many of ourstudents.
Each one of them has a specificaudience and each one of them
serves a specific niche.
So really make sure you're notsending a box that everyone can
(06:17):
relate to, because then no onemight relate to it.
You really need something whereit's, it's arrived at a doorstep
and it feels like it's sent andcurated just for them.
Julie (06:27):
Yes, I have so many thoughts on this.
I hope I remember them all.
So one, there's an Aesop'sFable.
I talk about this all the time.
Aesop's Fables are thosestories, those like traditional
folklore stories that have amoral at the end.
And there's this one where themoral of the story is, please
all and you'll please none.
And I always think about thatbecause it's so true.
(06:47):
And I've had people say to me, Idon't want to leave anybody out.
I want to be inclusive.
I get that.
I 100% get that, but that's nothow marketing your subscription
box is going to be mostsuccessful.
There are going to be outliersof your target audience, and
that's fine.
They're welcome.
Include them.
They may get some value out ofyour box as well.
(07:08):
But if you hone in reallyclosely on who that target
audience is, and when we say Youknow, serve a specific niche.
That's not just, oh, I servewomen in the United States.
Okay.
Well, what, what's unique aboutthat, that audience?
Is it, are they, moms?
maybe they are a certain agegroup.
(07:29):
Maybe they have a certain hobby.
Maybe they have a certainillness or challenge that
they're seeking answers to.
So really think about nichingdown and don't think about it as
if you're trying to includeeveryone, you can still be
inclusive, but you need to thinkabout who's that specific
person.
And in some of our training,Renee, I know we've, we did this
(07:52):
when we ran Sparkle Hustle Grow,we created that customer avatar.
And what that is, is we thinkabout one person.
Who is that one person thatyou're trying to reach?
Give them a name, then write astory about them.
So where do they shop?
Where do they live?
Are they married?
What keeps them up at night?
What magazines do they read?
(08:13):
What apps do they use?
Things like that.
Really, really, really get toknow them.
And then as you're creating yourmarketing, You can talk to that
specific person.
And honestly, when we did it forSparkle Hustle Grow, wasn't it
like two pages long, I think, ona Google
Renae (08:27):
doc?
Yeah.
Where, even what car they drove.
Yeah.
Specific names.
So then when you're picking outthat product, just like you've
said, you can be like, Oh,would, would Barbara like this
and really like go back to thatspecific person who you're
shipping it to their doorstep.
And is that something that'sjust going to fill them up with
light when they open up yourbox?
(08:48):
Because that's the feeling youwant.
Each one of your subscribers tohave.
But if you're targeting thatspecific person with those
specific interests, you're goingto keep them around longer, but
also when you're using yourmarketing and writing your
messaging and your copy, you'llbe able to talk to that specific
person.
So when someone's reading yourInstagram post or your email,
(09:09):
they'll be like, Oh my goodness,like this is for me.
I've got to have this.
Julie (09:12):
Yeah, they're in my head.
I remember a lot of times oursubscribers would say that we
were mind readers.
And that's because we went sodeep on that customer avatar.
We knew exactly who we weretalking to.
And with the combination ofthese first two characteristics
that we've talked about, thatsolving the pain point and
serving a specific niche, whenthey get to your website, they
(09:32):
need to think immediately, thiswas made for me.
And if you're trying to serveeveryone, there's no way that
they're going to feel thatfeeling of this was made for me.
So moving on to the third one,the third characteristic of a
good box is to have experientialfactors.
And we say this all the time,you no longer can just send a
(09:55):
box of stuff and be successful.
People will end up not using it.
They will maybe pick and chooseWhat they want out of the box.
But if you create experientialfactors and kind of teach them
how to use your product, thenthey're going to stick around
for a lot longer and you'regoing to be more valuable for
(10:18):
them.
So Renee, what are some of yourfavorites, experiential factors
that you can bring alongside foryour subscribers, almost like
membership perks?
Renae (10:27):
I think an easy one that everyone can do nowadays is a
Facebook group or some sort ofonline group.
I think that's free.
It is somewhere where you cancurate posts that happen
monthly.
So it's not a lot of extra timefor you as a subscription box
owner.
I think it's a great place thenfor people to go and share their
(10:47):
wins or share what they like.
So I think a Facebook group issomething that instantly creates
a community because it is.
That it's a group online.
So that would be my one that ifyou don't have a Facebook group
for your subscribers, I thinkthat is a big win and something
that adds value.
Um, and it's a perk that's freefor you.
Julie (11:07):
Yeah, I 100% agree.
And if you're not the kind ofperson that wants to run a
Facebook group, or if you don'thave the capacity to do it, then
you can have ambassadors.
I know a lot of subscription boxowners that have ambassadors in
their Facebook group that'llkeep that conversation going.
And you can.
Pay a ambassador with a free boxor, you know, behind the scenes
(11:32):
zoom calls with the owner, youknow, once a quarter or once a
month or whatever, it's a loteasier than what you think.
And we at Sparkle Hustle Grow,when we were running it, we did
have our month planned out as a30 day month.
We knew on the first of everymonth, this type of post was
going out on the 15th on the30th and then in between.
So we were very.
(11:53):
Very intentional about keepingthat conversation going and
communicating in there.
So some other experientialfactors that we have used in the
past, and I see a lot of otherbox owners use our digital
downloads videos.
Maybe that's a training video.
Maybe you've recorded a zoomcall with a guest expert, or,
(12:13):
maybe how about, PDFs.
Like planners, recipes, whatelse?
Playlists.
Renee is like the queen ofplaylists.
Renae (12:22):
And taking them also on some sort of gamification.
I know we've had a past episode,if you go back and listen, it
was when we were live at SubSummit.
We talk about gamification.
Adding that fun game elementthat also takes them on a
journey is.
Something that is such a goodthing.
It could be in the form of achallenge or, um, some sort of,
(12:45):
uh, scavenger hunt list wherethere's certain to do's that
they have to do throughout themonth.
So adding more than just sendinga box to their door, adding more
that they want to, again, keepcoming back to you and learning
from you and going on thisjourney with you as a community
is something that really addsvalue to your box and makes it a
box that people want tosubscribe
Julie (13:06):
to.
You're so right.
It takes them on this journeyand throughout that journey,
they're going to grow.
They're going to learn.
They're going to feel surprised,delighted and feel the value of
your subscription box.
But you're also teaching them.
You're teaching them how to usethe products.
You're encouraging them to.
Actually take items out, usethem.
(13:27):
And again, that's just anotherway to provide value.
But the best part is.
99% of these experientialfactors are free, like you don't
have to pay for that stuff, likeyou said, the Facebook group,
digital downloads, Spotifyplaylists, like that stuff you
can create for free, it justtakes
Renae (13:45):
time.
And rather than becoming part ofa monthly or quarterly part of
their, Life, you're becoming adaily part of their life.
So it's almost like you're,you're sending them these things
to help them, but you alsobecome part of their routine.
So they're going to jump intothe Facebook group or they're
going to use that productbecause they're so used to it,
doing it daily.
And then they want to keep doingit monthly or yearly.
(14:06):
And they're really.
They become big fans of youbecause you're helping them
grow, but they also help yourbusiness grow too.
So that is number three.
It has an experiential factor.
So moving right on to numberfour and this one is important,
but Still needs to be said.
(14:27):
it's you're not sending junkyou're sending them stuff that
is higher quality and are ableto stand the test of time
because it's a good product andit's thoughtfully curated so
it's not just a bunch of stuffthat is useful for them that you
throw together.
There's a theme behind itpossibly or a color scheme they
they open it and it looks likeit was all meant to be put
(14:49):
together because there's timebehind putting it together.
Julie (14:53):
Agree.
It's really, you're curatingthis box.
You're not just dumping a bunchof junk in there.
So be really thoughtful whenyou're choosing your products.
I know you said, you know, theyneed to be high quality.
Some people really struggle withfinding the high quality deals,
but I encourage you to just askfor more discounts.
Find where there's closeoutdeals.
(15:14):
Work with your vendors andcreate really good relationships
so that when they do have a gooddeal or a closeout, for example,
they know they can come to youand you are ready and willing to
move on those products.
If you, I've said this before,but if you put a bunch of dollar
store items in there, they'regoing to know because they shop
the dollar store too.
(15:34):
And that's not why theysubscribe to this box.
They're coming to you to helpsolve this pain point.
And so if you thoughtfullycurate the box where when they
open it, it's cohesive, theycomplement each other, it works
well together, then you're goingto have a longer lifetime value.
People are going to stick aroundand they're going to tell all
(15:57):
their friends about it becauseit's so amazing.
So I 100% agree that, you know,when you're when you're curating
your box, you don't want to puta bunch of junk in there.
Make sure you get samples.
So that you can test things out.
You don't want to send somethingthat breaks easily.
You don't want to send somethingthat feels or looks cheap.
Renae (16:16):
And when you get samples sent to you too, not only can
you get your hands on thatproduct, but you're also able to
see if it fits in your actualbox with everything.
So I know, Julie, that's a bigthing.
You would always put everythingin there.
Like, does this fit?
How will I pack this?
And you are able to do it withone of everything.
If you have samples rather thanhaving.
(16:36):
Set 500 sent to your house in orto your warehouse and being
like, Oh my goodness, thesearen't all going to fit.
I have to pivot.
So samples are so huge.
And another thing I was going tosay on this before we move on to
is if you do the work and reallytake the time to make sure what
you're putting in there iscurated and higher quality, and
it won't just break, then you'rehelping yourself on the backend
(16:58):
too, because you're eliminatingsome customer service where you
get all these emails like, Oh,my so and so didn't work or this
broke right away.
So.
It might take a little time andmoney up front, but in the back
end, it's going to save you timeand money because you don't have
to deal with as many complaintsand customer service
Julie (17:15):
issues.
Yeah, and then just a few tipswith perceived value because
perceived value is reallyimportant when someone opens the
box, they're going to have thiskind of built in perception of
like, oh, this is this lookslike it costs a lot or oh, what
a piece of junk.
And so.
When you look at things that aresmaller, I encourage you to
(17:36):
consider repackaging some ofthem.
Quick example, in when someoneputs in a lip balm or chapstick,
yeah, we love a product likethat, but it has a very, very
low perceived value.
But if you were to put it incuter packaging, or maybe you
get one of the, um, what arethose like those lip balm key
(17:56):
chains?
They're called something.
Um, yeah, yes, yes.
So instead of just the lip balm,put it in a lippy clip.
Uh, we used to send pens all thetime.
And if I just put a pen in thebox, it would probably get lost
in the crinkle cut.
People wouldn't see much valueout of it.
But instead I went on Amazon andI found these really cute,
(18:19):
iridescent, they were, I thinkthey were called mascara bags,
like retail mascara bag.
And I was able to put two orthree pens in there and it
looked like a set.
So it just had a higherperceived value.
So be cautious if you're sendingstickers, chapstick, pens,
little things like that.
Try to think about how you canmake it a better experience to
(18:40):
receive that product.
Renae (18:42):
And one more thing on that too.
Also consider weight.
I know we could do a whole, Iknow we can go on forever.
Um, also consider weight.
If you have something likestickers or pens, it's going to
make the box lighter.
So, um, maybe that's the monthyou include a heavier book or,
or something else that, that theweight of the box.
Also helps with perceived valuebecause when they get it,
(19:04):
they're like, Ooh, it's heavythis month, right?
Don't just all include lightthings.
Um, that's why you have toreally curate it.
Not just for, does it gotogether, but does it feel right
to,
Julie (19:15):
I agree as, as silly as that sounds when someone picks
up that box.
I can't tell you how many timeswe've had subscribers doing
like, uh, Instagram story or aFacebook live and they pick up
the box and if it feels heavy,they're like, Ooh, it's, it's
heavy.
I can't wait to see what's init.
So it, and it didn't impact ourshipping rate, our postage at
(19:36):
all, because we used USPS cubicrate shipping, which meant that
it could be, I think it's up to20 pounds without it changing.
And our little six by nine bythree boxes never weighed more
than I think three and a halfpounds.
So it didn't impact it.
So anyhow, let's continue on.
This is our last one for today'slightning fast episode where
(19:58):
we're talking aboutcharacteristics of a good box.
The last one is that it needs tobe sustainable over time.
And the reason that's importantis because you are trying to
send recurring shipments.
It's one thing if you're sellinga one time box.
They get what they ordered, theyuse the product, and they move
on with their life.
But with a subscription box,you're trying to send things to
(20:21):
them Month over month overmonth.
And so you want to make surethat it's sustainable over time
and takes them on a journey.
And I'm going to tell you thereally quick story.
When I was running my boxbusiness, one of our categories
was paper products.
And my husband looked at me.
He's like, how in the world areyou going to send a paper
product for, you know, 12months?
(20:43):
and then still have new paperproducts for the next year.
And so what I explained to himwas, okay, let's talk about how
many different paper productsfemale entrepreneurs use.
So we would have notebooks, wewould have magnet notepads, we
would have journals, we wouldhave, um, post it notes, we
would have all kinds ofdifferent types of paper
(21:06):
products.
Maybe the post it note was arectangle this month, but in six
months we did a circular one.
So think about the things thatyou're putting in the box.
Are they going to use them?
Teach them how to use them sothat they do need more.
So if you're a replenishmentsubscription box, for example,
like All Girls Shave Club, youwant to make sure your
customer's using that shavebutter and those razors.
(21:29):
So when your next shipment comesin two months, You need them and
it's conveniently shows up.
So, um, I know Renee, you do themarketing side of things and
that's so important tocommunicate with, with your
customers about that journey andusing them.
So how are, what are some ofthose things?
You know, obviously emailmarketing is one way to do it.
Renae (21:49):
Just staying in front of them and really, like you said,
sending them those reminders,making it a challenge, um, using
old girl shave club, for anexample, if you're challenging
them to, um, Have you used yourshave butter?
Or, you know, like, try sendingthem a sample pack and getting
them to use each one of them.
Um, really incorporating waysthat you're going to take them
(22:13):
on that journey goes right backto them wanting to stick around
because Ultimately you createdyour box probably to solve a
pain point, but something thatmakes you want to do a
reoccurring subscription isbecause you know, there's,
there's money in it.
Time after time, either yourlifetime value of your customer
(22:33):
is better if they're asubscription box.
So really go back to, this is abusiness, you want to be able to
be making money time after time.
So how are you going to keepthem around?
So it really is more beneficialfor you to pour into those
customers that you already have,because in the long run, they
are going to make you more moneyfor your business.
Julie (22:55):
Jess had just done that.
Jess from All Girl Shave Club.
She had just done that recentlytoo.
She's got a whole bunch ofdifferent shave butter scents.
Super cute ones like, I thinkit's like Beach Babe and Flirty
Mermaid.
And you know, she's gotUnscented and she regularly
sends emails and does socialmedia posts that highlight the
different scents.
(23:17):
And then, should say, vote foryour favorite one.
Or which one will you put inyour next delivery?
Things like that.
And she's reminding them to useit and she's taking them on that
journey, talking about, youknow, summertime shaving or like
going to the beach.
She also does this email seriescalled Girl Talk.
(23:37):
And so while it's notspecifically salesy it's
relating to them.
So it is still providing valueand I love that it's you want to
be a regular part of their life.
And
Renae (23:50):
you said something about her asking which one they'd want
to use, which made me think ofinvolving your customers in
products that are in the futureof your box too.
So doing a this or that, whichone would you want to see an
upcoming box?
If they're really part ofcurating your boxes with you,
they're going to want to stickaround and get that box to their
(24:10):
doorstep because they were apart of putting it together.
Julie (24:13):
Yeah, it gets them emotionally tied more to your
brand and increases that brandloyalty.
So, alright, let's recap.
So we talked today aboutcharacteristics of a good box.
There are literally hundredsprobably that we could talk
about.
We wanted to throw a few outthere that are pretty basic so
that you can kind of do almostlike a little reality check for
(24:33):
yourself.
Like, Go through this list.
Am I doing this?
How does this apply to me?
So let's recap.
Number one was that it solves apain point, that you're
transforming their life for thebetter.
Number two, that it is serves avery specific Remember, please
all and you'll please none.
Number three, it hasexperiential factors beyond the
(24:54):
box.
Hashtag member perks.
Number four, you arethoughtfully curating the
products.
You're not just throwing a bunchof junk in a box and shipping
it.
And number five, that yourconcept is sustainable over
time, that you're taking them ona journey that helps them,
again, solve that pain point.
(25:15):
Oh, I love
Renae (25:16):
it.
And like you said, we had tonarrow it down.
We started with more options,but we're like, let's just talk
about five.
Cause otherwise this wouldn'thave been a fire around episode.
think it's really important toremember too, that if you're
just launching or you've alreadylaunched, or you're stuck at a
plateau, if you go back to theseand you go back to the basics.
2.
0 with this episode and reallysee how you can improve on these
(25:41):
concepts and see if you're doingall of them.
It's going to help you get tothe next level and, and not stay
at your plateau because, um,chances are, if you're stuck,
it's one of these things thatyou're not providing or could
provide a little
Julie (25:55):
better.
Man, you guys need to stickaround because this fall we have
so many good episodes coming up.
A ton of interviews with bootcampers, with box besties, with
vendors and branding specialistsand financial coaches.
There's just so much good stuffcoming down the pipeline.
(26:16):
We want to just thank you forlistening.
If you found value in thispodcast, please take a minute
to.
Rate, review us.
It helps us get found anddiscovered by other people just
like you that are new andaspiring subscription box
business owners.
And we just love to talk shop.
So thanks for joining us todayand we'll see you in the next
episode.
(26:37):
Bye.
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