Hey, it’s Chase and Jimmy!

Curlsmith's welcome flow is what happens when a brand takes personalization seriously from day one.

They start with a hair quiz to determine your curl type, then build an entire sequence around that data: personalized product recommendations, curl care education, and ingredient spotlights that feel more like consulting than selling.

It's a smart approach that positions them as curl experts rather than just another beauty brand.

But even with all that strategic thinking, there are some execution issues that could derail the whole experience.

This morning, we're analyzing how Curlsmith builds their welcome sequence and where small fixes could turn their thoughtful strategy into stronger conversions.

✔️ (Free Guide) BFCM Planning Just Got Smarter
✔️ Are you texting your customers at the wrong time?
✔️ AI Power-Up: Post-Send Analysis

Let’s jump in.

💡 (Free Guide) BFCM Planning Just Got Smarter

Most brands are planning Black Friday like it's still 2019.

Here's what changed: 60% of consumers now delay purchases until BFCM. Inflation made shoppers pickier. New tariffs are squeezing margins while customers expect bigger discounts.

The uncomfortable truth? If you're not converting BFCM shoppers into long-term customers, you're just renting revenue for three days a year.

Smart brands think differently. They're not just planning for the weekend, they're building systems that turn seasonal buyers into repeat customers.

That's where Wunderkind's BFCM Hub comes in.

This isn't your typical "send more emails" guide. It's a complete strategy blueprint that maps out:

- Identity resolution when traffic spikes 10x

-  Real-time personalization that adapts to customer behavior

-  Cross-channel orchestration that actually works

- First-party data capture strategies for peak traffic

Why this matters: 25 to 40% of annual revenue happens in Q4. But most brands treat BFCM like a sprint instead of building for the marathon.

The brands winning long-term are using agentic AI, outcome-driven strategies, and unified customer journeys. They're converting seasonal intent into lasting revenue.

Ready to turn your BFCM strategy from reactive to strategic?

Check out the online BFCM Hub → Here

This season isn't about surviving the rush.

It's about building the foundation for next year's growth.

Curlsmith’s Welcome Flow: A Breakdown of Quizzes, Curl Confidence, and Recipe-Style Retention

Curlsmith is all about Food for Curls but their welcome funnel? It’s serving up way more than product shots.

Across this funnel, Curlsmith mixes guided recommendations, product education, and community proof to create a customer journey that feels less like a pushy sales sequence and more like an on-ramp into a curl care lifestyle.

But as polished as the strategy is, there are a few cracks, from broken custom fields in SMS to incomplete product pulls in email, that make the flow less seamless than it could be.

Below, we’re breaking down each send in the sequence, what’s working, and where there’s room to tighten the curls.

1. Your Unique Curl Type – 2B

Focus: Personalized quiz results leading straight to product recs.

Why This Works:
✅ Smart personalization, starting with a curl type result makes the experience feel hyper-relevant.
✅ Layered product education (shampoo + conditioner) tied to specific needs (frizz, strength, shine).
✅ Discount code CTA gives an immediate next step without feeling pushy.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Could have spotlighted UGC or reviews to boost confidence in those first recommendations.
❌ Heavy product copy, but lighter lifestyle imagery could have created more emotional connection.

2. First-Time Shopper SMS

Focus: Warm intro + urgency-driven offer.

Why This Works:
✅ Friendly “Hey Curl Friend 👋” greeting feels on-brand and approachable.
✅ 50% off select products + free shipping is a strong early incentive.
✅ “Once they’re gone, they’re gone” urgency drives immediate action.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Could test adding a quiz reminder link here to re-engage non-finishers.
❌ Missing dynamic personalization, a curl-type nod here could have tied back to the quiz.

3. Welcome to Curlsmith

Focus: Brand mission + credibility building.

Why This Works:

✅ Strong community proof via before-and-after results.
✅ Good balance of product lines, blog content, and social callouts, educating while building authority.
✅ Discount code front and center anchors the value proposition.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Product imagery had rendering issues (missing descriptions in spots). Fixing this would smooth credibility.
❌ Lots of content blocks, prioritizing the most critical CTA (shop vs. community) could reduce overwhelm.

4. Curl Care 101

Focus: Education-first tutorial on curl care.

Why This Works:
✅ “How to Start Your Curl Journey” feels inclusive and beginner-friendly.
✅ Clear curl type breakdown (straight, wavy, curly, coily) educates without jargon.
✅ Smart pairing of education with product recs for wavy hair.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Tutorial CTA could be strengthened with a preview GIF or clip.
❌ Product recs feel generic, pulling in quiz data could make them more personalized.

5. Product Rec SMS (Broken)

Focus: Supposed to reinforce quiz-based personalization.

Why This Works (in theory):
✅ Direct curl-type callout + recommended product = highly relevant follow-up.
✅ SMS works as a quick reminder mid-flow.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Custom fields broke ( visible), which kills trust and creates friction.
❌ Copy is too long for SMS. Shorter, benefit-first phrasing would convert better.

6. Our Mission – Curl Confidence

Focus: Brand values + reassurance messaging.

Why This Works:
✅ “Curl Confidence” is a strong emotional hook that ties to identity.
✅ Clear messaging around clean ingredients + results without compromise builds credibility.
✅ Community callout (FB group) reinforces brand trust and long-term retention.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Reads more like an “About Us” page, could have tied back to the subscriber’s curl journey more directly.
❌ CTA prioritization could be stronger, “Shop Now” gets lost amid value-heavy copy.

7. 100% Vegan Curl Loving Ingredients

Focus: Ingredient-first storytelling.

Why This Works:
✅ Differentiator messaging, “100% vegan” plants a strong flag in the market.
✅ Fun recipe-style category naming (Moisture, Scalp, Anti-Frizz, Strength, Shine).
✅ Clean, vibrant visuals that align with the natural positioning.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Could have layered in customer proof (“I switched to Curlsmith because…”).
❌ Stronger bridge between values (vegan) and performance (results) would seal the deal.

8. Professional Haircare – For Any Curl Need

Focus: Product range overview with social proof.

Why This Works:
✅ Strong use of UGC + testimonials (“So happy!” “Ordered mine!” “Beautiful!”).
✅ Segmenting products by need (Moisture, Scalp, Strength, Color) makes the assortment easy to shop.
✅ Visual variety keeps it engaging down the scroll.

What Could Be Improved:
❌ Long layout risks fatigue, tightening sections could increase conversions.
❌ Could benefit from dynamic highlights like “best-seller” or “you might like” tied to the quiz.

What’s Working Across the Series

Quiz-Driven Personalization: Starting with a curl type quiz is a brilliant way to segment and personalize from the jump.
Education Meets Product: Tutorials, curl care 101, and ingredient spotlights create a trusted authority positioning.
Community & Values: Curl confidence, vegan claims, and social proof create emotional connection.

What Could Be Refined

Technical Execution: Broken custom fields and missing product pulls erode trust. Fixing these is critical.
Personalization Depth: Beyond the quiz, very little dynamic personalization is happening. Deeper product recs and tailored bundles could boost conversions.
Content Prioritization: Some emails feel crowded with competing CTAs. Streamlining focus could increase clarity and action.

Final Takeaway: Education + Identity = Curlsmith’s Retention Edge

Curlsmith’s welcome funnel is a smart mix of personalization, product education, and brand identity. The quiz hooks people in, the education keeps them engaged, and the values + community build long-term trust.

But to fully live up to its potential, the brand needs to iron out execution errors and lean harder into personalized recommendations that feel like a one-on-one consultation.

Key Takeaways for Other Brands

✔️ Use a quiz to instantly personalize and segment new subscribers.
✔️ Pair education with products to position your brand as a trusted expert.
✔️ Make values (vegan, clean, sustainable) part of your retention play.
✔️ Do not let tech errors derail trust, test SMS and product pulls before going live.
✔️ Streamline CTAs so subscribers always know the #1 next step.

Are you texting your customers at the wrong time?

Turns out, timing isn’t just for subject lines, it’s critical for SMS, too.

Omnisend’s latest research shows:

• Weekdays during 9 AM–12 PM and 5 PM–9 PM deliver the strongest results

• Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays see the highest engagement

• Automated SMS at these times average a 9.4% CTR

• Audience matters, students engage after hours, parents during school hours, retirees mid-morning

The takeaway? Your send time can be the difference between ignored pings and actual revenue.

🙃 Meme Drop

You heard Kendall... SEND. MORE. EMAIL.

 🤖 AI Power-Up: Post-Send Analysis

Every marketer has sent a campaign that flopped.

The subject line felt solid, the copy looked good, but the numbers? Brutal.

Instead of shrugging and moving on, let AI play doctor.

Here’s how to run a campaign autopsy:

1. Grab the underperforming email (or SMS) and its metrics.

2. → Example: Open rate 15%, CTR 0.7%, conversion rate 0.1%.

3. Drop it into ChatGPT and prompt:

4. “This campaign didn’t perform as expected. Diagnose the likely causes across subject line, CTA, design, timing, and segmentation. Suggest 3 edits that could improve results.”

5. AI will flag the weak spots:

   • Subject line buries the offer.

   • CTA is vague or too far down the email.

   • Segmentation is too broad.

6. Then it spits out actionable fixes you can test right away—like stronger urgency in the subject, moving the CTA up, or targeting frequent buyers instead of your whole list.

The result: You stop guessing and start treating every campaign like a living experiment. Instead of repeating the same mistakes, you evolve with every send.

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with Chase and me. Always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

Love this newsletter but want to receive it less frequently? Let us know by clicking here!