Let’s face it: this isn’t the same marketing landscape we were operating in even a year ago.
💸 Budgets are tighter.
🧑💼 Teams are leaner.
🛍️ And customers? They’re more cautious, selective, and value-driven than ever.
In this environment, there’s one area that smart brands are doubling down on:
Customer Retention.
Because when new acquisition gets harder and more expensive, your existing customers become your most valuable growth engine.
Why Retention Matters Now More Than Ever
Retention isn’t just a support metric anymore — it’s a core business strategy.
Here’s why:
- It costs 5–7x more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.
- Loyal customers are 5x more likely to repurchase.
- Increasing retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25–95% (Bain & Company).
Retention gives you predictability. Efficiency. Stability.
And right now, that’s exactly what marketing leaders are looking for.
The Metrics That Matter
If you’re ready to shift from acquisition obsession to retention mastery, Robbie Kellman Baxter’s Customer Retention Metrics Kit (📊 see image above) offers a smart foundation.
Here are just a few metrics every brand should be watching:
- Churn Rate: Are people leaving, and how fast?
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): Will your customers recommend you?
- Gross Revenue Retention (GRR): Are you keeping the revenue you already earned?
- Feature Adoption Rates: Are customers using what you’re building?
- Time Between Purchases: Are you staying top of mind?
Each one tells a story — not just about your product, but about your relationship with your customer.
Retention Isn’t Just Keeping — It’s Growing
Retention isn’t just about keeping people around. It’s about:
- Deepening loyalty
- Increasing customer lifetime value
- Creating brand advocates
- Driving additional and repeat sales
- Reducing reliance on short-term acquisition hacks
When you shift your focus here, everything compounds.
How to Start the Shift
Here’s what I’m seeing from brands that are doing retention right:
✅ They know their metrics and track them consistently
✅ They create intentional post-purchase journeys
✅ They connect product, marketing, and support for seamless customer experience
✅ They reward loyalty — not just first-time purchases
✅ And most importantly, they treat retention as a strategic growth lever, not a back-end support metricHere’s to keeping the customers who already love you — and giving them more reasons to stay.
—BJ