Thread by @kdlafrance

This morning, I went to send my girl gang the typical “how is it only Wednesday?!” snapchat, when I ran into @smiledirectclub

1st thought: Love this engaging ad ❤️

Further discovery: DSC is leaving so much on the table 😰

A critical thread 👇

@smiledirectclub SDC is a company I’ve been scouting, both from a brand perspective AND a consumer perspective.

My teeth aren’t straight, despite 2 rounds of braces (and a v strong teenage attitude about wearing retainers). 🤷‍♀️

I’ve considered aligners quite a bit.

@smiledirectclub So, let’s see the journey this Snapchat ad took me on.

From all angles, I’m disappointed in the delivery.

I’m inclined to call it lazy content, but I’ll go with “shallow” for today. Let’s examine the process.

@smiledirectclub Step 1: Give us your email to see if you’re a candidate.

Why not consider every engaged snapchat user a “potential” candidate and remove the barrier?

This isn’t exclusive, it’s eliminating.

@smiledirectclub Even more, where’s my why? I have crooked teeth. I swiped up. I have proved my desire to be a candidate.

Actually I already think I am a candidate.

Why would I give you my email to tell me what I already know?

Note: This headline copy is also very shallow. I'll get to this.

@smiledirectclub Step 2: Take this quiz

Wait. Why did I give you my email, then? This journey is unclear.

And we’re still determining *if* SDC is right for me?

I’m feeling less and less connected by the second (and seconds count, especially on mobile).

@smiledirectclub Is it just me, or should SDC be pulling people IN to the program, not weeding them out? I get the importance of qualified leads and personalization here, but maybe try something like...

“Every smile is beautiful, how can we make you fall in love with yours again?”

Deeper.

@smiledirectclub Step 3: Enter email to get my results….

Again…? What results?! I thought they were emailed to me on step 1…. No?

@smiledirectclub Here’s another piece of copy that falls really short for me.

SDC, do you remember going to the orthodontist? The dentist? Was a "tooth test" ever fun?

Do you remember getting tests graded in school? Was that ever an exciting experience?

Or was it…. Nerve-wracking…

@smiledirectclub Step 4: Congrats! You went through a lot of work to find out that you get to be the person you want to be, because we let you in!

*inhales*

*exhales*

This felt more like a job interview than a brand introduction.

@smiledirectclub Content summary of this page:

Here’s how it works.
Here’s where to go next.
Don’t wanna do that? Order this instead.
Here’s how it works (video form)
Here’s how to do molds.
Here’s why ppl love us.

@smiledirectclub Now, let’s jump over to email, cause remember I gave it to them twice….

I got three(?!) identical emails, threaded together.

@smiledirectclub See a similarity between the sales page and the email?

-Here’s how it works
-HERE’S HOW FAST IT WORKS
-HERE’S HOW MUCH YOU SAVE
-HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
-HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
-HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
-GET STARTED

@smiledirectclub Next up: Meet your new smile (followed a link in the 3peat email)

Starting with this copy....

@smiledirectclub But, this *isn’t* my smile. This isn’t even close.

This could be really great content… if it was personally delivered at the right time...

Say, after your customer gets their 3D imprint made, you use this to *actually* show the progress??

Also, this just grosses me out. 😷

@smiledirectclub So let’s try the homepage. B/c maybe I’m interested to see more…

How it works.
Get it now.
Take another test.
See if you pass the test.
How it works.
[social proof, yay!]
ARE YOU A CANDIDATE THO?!

...Seeing a trend?

@smiledirectclub I could keep reviewing pieces of content from SDC, or I could just tell you what’s really missing.

If you made it this far, you probably want the latter, eh? 😉

Remember this breakdown of YogaClub? You’re gonna hear a lot of similar things today.

blog.churnbuster.io/learning-from-…

@smiledirectclub I’ve said this before, but for #DTC brands *have* to shift focus.

Instead of 👉 "How do we make the best customer journey with our product?"

You have to think 👉 "How can our brand/product naturally integrate into and support the journey our customers are *already* on?"

@smiledirectclub In a convo I had yesterday with @AaronOrendorff he put it another way:

👉 What is the hell your customers are living in, and how can you bring them unto heaven?

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff A third way: What’s the problem your customer is living with?

A fourth way: What’s the story your target audience is currently living in?

Then, how can you agitate the hell out of it, dig into that hell, make them realize how bad it really is, AND THEN offer them your heaven.

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff For SDC’s target audience, I don’t think having crooked teeth is the whole story.

I don’t think the price of braces is the story.

I definitely don’t think “what do I do about my crooked teeth?” is the hell they’re living in.

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff I think that’s a shallow and lazy dissection of a human being’s trials and tribulations.

If I'm being brutally honest. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff When I see a picture from the side, I wince because I feel like I look “unprofessional”

I soft-smile first, always.

When I brush my teeth next to my perfect toothed- never forgot to wear his retainers- husband...sometimes, I have to walk away from the mirror. 😂

etc. etc.

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff And my teeth rarely bother me. In fact, sometimes I even love the uniqueness of my little crooked front tooth!

Look how cute she is here!

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff There is a real, human struggle when it comes to oral care.

There are deep, scary emotions that come up from crooked teeth.

There are past scars from being made fun of. Confidence that feels struck down. Fear of new experiences and people.

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff The story is so big for these people.

And yet… DSC focuses on the how, the price, and the next steps with frontline content.

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff I would challenge SDC to grab a big ass shovel and start to dig a hell of a lot deeper.

Connect to the *story* their customers are currently living in.

WHY would someone want to fix their smile (beyond vanity)? What is the emotional tolls crooked teeth takes on ppl?

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff Show them that you understand their hell, before offering your heaven.

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff Need help digging more? Here are some examples of companies *getting* their customer’s primary hell:

@tracksmith -Losing on race day
@casper-Sitting wide awake at 2 am, unable to sleep
@blume -Feeling uncomfortable in your changing body

@smiledirectclub @AaronOrendorff @tracksmith @Casper @Blume Don’t be lazy or shallow with your frontline messaging. You should know your customers like family.

You should know their ups, downs, heavens, and (most importantly) their hell.

Focus on the story.

Focus on the journey.

Let your brand shine so your products can sell.

@smiledirectclub woops, forgot images :)