In this episode of Beyond the Inbox, Yong-Soo Chung, the founder of Urban Everyday Carry (Urban EDC), talks about his journey from being a software engineer in the blockchain industry to starting his own ecommerce brand. We cover a broad range of topics related to building a successful ecommerce brand, including community-based ecommerce, email marketing, and personal branding. Yong-Soo shares his insights and experiences with each of these areas, providing valuable information to anyone looking to build an ecommerce brand or improve their marketing strategy.

One of the key takeaways from the interview is the importance of community-based ecommerce. Yong-Soo believes that building a community around your brand is crucial for increasing customer loyalty and driving sales. He shared how he created a Facebook group and a paid membership program to build a trusted community of customers around his brand. By focusing on building relationships with his customers and giving them a sense of belonging, Yong-Soo has been able to create a strong foundation for his brand that will last for years to come.

Another important marketing channel we discuss is email marketing. Yong-Soo emphasizes the importance of email marketing in driving sales and shares his email marketing strategy, which includes a welcome series, first purchase series, an abandoned cart workflow, and regular promotional emails. He also talks about the importance of personalization and segmentation in email marketing and how he tailors his emails to different customer groups. By using email marketing effectively, Yong-Soo has been able to build a loyal customer base that keeps coming back for more.

We also delve into the topic of personal branding. As an ecommerce entrepreneur, Yong-Soo emphasizes the importance of building a personal brand. He shares his journey of building his own personal brand and how he overcame his fear of putting himself out there. He explains how personal branding can help build relationships and increase the luck surface area. Yong-Soo provides tips for getting started with personal branding, including setting goals, focusing on daily practice, and not worrying about the results.

Overall, this episode provides a detailed insight into the strategies and tactics used by Yong-Soo to build a successful ecommerce brand and promote it through various marketing channels. It is a valuable resource for anyone looking to build an ecommerce brand or improve their marketing strategy. The interview is full of practical advice and actionable insights that can help entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

Show Notes

• (07:47): Yong-Soo Chung talks about the financial regulations that impacted the blockchain industry, causing his team to halt progress.
• (08:45): Yong-Soo Chung explains why he decided to start selling knives online.
• (09:39): Yong-Soo Chung discusses the importance of execution risk in his decision to start Urban EDC.
• (10:34): Yong-Soo Chung talks about the importance of community in ecommerce and the development of Urban EDC's paid membership program.
• (11:04): Yong-Soo Chung explains the benefits of a paid membership program, including access to exclusive gear and a trusted community.
• (13:28): Yong-Soo Chung talks about the importance of email marketing in Urban EDC's sales engine, including the use of welcome series, first purchase series, abandoned cart emails, and segmented emails.
• (15:09): Yong-Soo Chung discusses the importance of community in the future of ecommerce and recommends that brands create a regular event or habit for customers to look forward to.
• (20:15): Yong-Soo Chung talks about the importance of personal branding and shares his reasons for posting daily on social media.
• (23:42): Yong-Soo Chung talks about how to get started with posting on social media, including treating posts as experiments, focusing on daily practice, and not worrying about results.
• (31:20): Yong-Soo Chung shares where listeners can learn more about him and his brands, including GrowthJet and First Class Founders podcast.

In this episode of Beyond the Inbox, Margaux DelCollo, the co-founder of TWEE, shares her insights on the brand's marketing strategy, which has helped the brand stand out in a crowded market. TWE creates unique and imaginative sidewalk chalks for children that are designed to stimulate their creativity and imagination, and the brand has grown to include other products, such as veggie paints.

Margaux discusses TWEE's approach to email marketing, emphasizing the importance of multiple touchpoints in building a strong connection with customers. She explains that TWE's email marketing is centered around storytelling, and the brand uses a welcome sequence to introduce new customers to the brand and a series of emails that highlight different aspects of the brand's mission and products. This approach allows TWEE to keep customers engaged with the brand and build a loyal customer base.

The conversation also covers TWEE's expansion into other products, including veggie paints, which are powdered-based vegetable pigment paints. Margaux talks about the challenges of creating new products, including working with a team of makers who don't have children and getting feedback from children to ensure the products are engaging. She explains how TWEE is differentiating itself from other sidewalk chalks by creating extraordinary products that allow children to use their imagination and engage in dual play.

Margaux emphasizes the importance of community building in marketing and how TWEE is creating a community of parents who value the brand's eco-friendly and handmade products. She talks about how TWEE is turning first-time customers into repeat customers by continuing to engage with them through email marketing and introducing new products that are in line with the brand's mission.

The conversation also delves into Margaux's background in PR and marketing, which has helped TWEE to position itself as a high-quality, eco-friendly, and handmade brand that provides unique and imaginative products for children. Margaux's experience in PR and marketing has helped TWEE to maintain a high standard for the brand and its products and to create a strong connection with customers through storytelling and engaged email marketing.

Overall, the conversation provides valuable insights into TWEE's marketing strategy and how they are able to stand out in a crowded market by creating extraordinary products and engaging with their customers through storytelling and email marketing. TWEE's approach to marketing is centered around building a loyal customer base and creating a community of parents who value the brand's eco-friendly and handmade products. Margaux's experience in PR and marketing has helped TWEE to maintain a high standard for the brand and its products and to create a strong connection with customers through storytelling and engaged email marketing.

In this episode of Beyond the Inbox, Sadie Leishman from Malouf talks about the challenges of marketing mattresses and how Malouf differentiates itself in a crowded market. She points out that in the bedding and furniture industry, there are certain standards that brands need to meet to stay competitive, such as free shipping, and then suggests that Malouf differentiates itself through trust and a consistent customer experience. Malouf aims to be a partner where customers can find all their sleep products, get tips on sleep, and feel a sense of community around a product and industry that's typically seen as very commodity-based.

Leishman emphasizes the importance of fostering a sense of community among customers, which is focused on the idea that everyone needs to sleep and that good sleep is the foundation for other values in life. She explains that sleep is often the first thing that people prioritize, but it leads to all of the other things that matter, such as being a good parent, employee, or athlete. By focusing on these values, Malouf is able to make sleep products more engaging and personalized.

Leishman also discusses innovative approaches to email marketing, including browse abandonment workflows and SMS. She explains that Malouf has a unique email workflow for browse abandonment where the email says, "We know it's late, we'll be here in the morning, so try and put your phone down, try and get some sleep, and we're here for products that are gonna help when you wake back up." By showing empathy and prioritizing customers' sleep over any purchase that could be made in the wee hours of the morning, Malouf is able to build trust with customers and differentiate itself from other brands that push for the sale all the time.

Leishman emphasizes the value of trust and building long-term relationships with customers, which is crucial for selling high-ticket items like mattresses. She explains that Malouf's 100-night sleep guarantee is a great safety net for customers who are worried or concerned about making a purchase. Additionally, she mentions the role of SMS in a comprehensive marketing strategy, which is a great way to target people with very timely information. SMS is more instant than email, which makes it a great way to offer personalized experiences for customers.

Overall, Leishman highlights the power of email and SMS in building a loyal customer base and fostering a sense of community among customers. By focusing on customer values and meeting them where they prefer to hear from Malouf, the company is able to establish itself as a brand that truly cares.

In this episode of Beyond the Inbox, Sam interviews Aaron Powell, the founder of Bunch Bikes, which is North America's largest front-load cargo bike brand. The conversation covers a range of insightful topics related to Bunch Bikes, starting with the buyer's journey for a Bunch Bike. Powell explains that the journey starts with category awareness, where people are not even aware that they can bike with their kids. Then, the journey moves on to overcoming objections such as fitness levels or transportation logistics and finally ends with inspiring customers to see the deeper purpose of biking with their families.

Powell also emphasizes the importance of community and customer service, which are at the core of the Bunch Bikes brand. He explains that customer service is an extension of his own values and personality and that it was difficult for him to delegate that part of the business. Powell also shares how Bunch Bikes focuses on exceeding customer expectations by offering a 14-day trial period, free returns, and white-glove service. The brand's efforts have paid off, as its customer service has received rave reviews, with many customers calling it the best interaction they have ever had with a company.

In addition, Powell shares some unique marketing campaigns that Bunch Bikes has done, such as offering a date night on Valentine's Day with childcare included for customers who purchase a bike. He explains that the campaigns are meant to make a deeper connection with customers beyond just offering discounts or promotions. Powell also discusses the challenges of advertising and how Bunch Bikes is focusing on email marketing campaigns and building a strong website to convert more traffic. He highlights the importance of making a deeper connection with customers and building a sense of community around the brand. Powell underscores that Bunch Bikes' marketing is not just about selling bikes but also about selling a lifestyle and a deeper purpose of family bonding and adventure.

Powell also talks about the impact of appearing on Shark Tank and how it helped increase brand awareness. The episode provides valuable insights into the Bunch Bikes brand, its values, and its marketing strategies. It highlights the importance of community and customer service, as well as the challenges of marketing a unique product. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, marketing, or outdoor lifestyle brands. By the end of the episode, you will have a better appreciation for how building a strong community and focusing on customer service can lead to a successful business.

It’s no secret that email is one of the best channels in terms of ROI. 

But there’s so much more to a well-rounded marketing strategy than email marketing. 

Join Sam Thomas Davies, a Growth Marketing Manager at Drip and the host of a new ecommerce podcast, Beyond the Inbox, for raw and honest conversations with ecommerce founders, marketers, and makers about what’s working in their marketing today—beyond the inbox. 

You’ll learn the customer-first strategies top ecommerce brands use to grow their brand’s reach, turn customers into advocates, and much more. 

Beyond the Inbox goes live on March 14th, but in the meantime, make sure to subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. 

And head over to https://www.drip.com/podcast to get new episodes delivered to your inbox each week.