Avant Gardening — Email Marketing Implementation
Overview
Avant Gardening & Landscaping has no active email marketing program at the time of engagement. The kick-off meeting confirmed that the client previously used MailChimp but abandoned it, and currently has no platform in place. Email marketing is included in the engagement scope, with a focus on seasonal campaigns tied to the natural rhythm of the landscaping business.
Related client record: [1]
Related engagement context: [2]
Current State
- Platform: None active. MailChimp was used historically but has been dormant for an extended period.
- Contact list: Customer records (names, emails, phone numbers) are stored in [3], the client's CRM and estimating platform. LMN does not currently offer outbound email marketing features.
- Prior activity: Some Meta ads have been run in the past; no structured email campaigns have been executed.
"We used MailChimp for a while, but it's been a long time." — Tim Stenzel
Platform Selection
MailChimp is not recommended for reactivation given the long dormancy and the likelihood of a stale or unverified list. A fresh platform setup is preferred.
Considerations for platform selection:
- Ability to import contacts exported from LMN / Granum
- Seasonal campaign scheduling and automation support
- Integration with Google Analytics (already configured) for conversion tracking
- Ease of use for a client with limited marketing bandwidth
Decision: Platform to be determined by Asymmetric team during strategy development. Recommendation should be included in the seasonal campaign strategy deliverable.
Seasonal Campaign Strategy
The landscaping business has a strong, predictable seasonal rhythm that should drive the email calendar. The goal is to maintain brand presence year-round and build a spring backlog during the slower winter months.
Proposed Seasonal Framework
| Season | Campaign Focus | Tone / Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Wrap-up services, schedule spring consultations | Urgency, planning ahead |
| Winter | Brand awareness, staff spotlights, eco-friendly positioning | Top-of-mind, relationship building |
| Spring | New installations, design consultations, backlog conversion | Lead activation, booking |
| Summer | Maintenance reminders, project showcases, before/after content | Retention, upsell |
"During the winter, we'll try to do more branded stuff, get people to remember you and keep you top of mind throughout the winter. So then when it's time for spring and they actually want to pull the trigger and schedule something, they'll be used to seeing you." — Chris Ostergaard
Content Themes
Based on the client's positioning and differentiators, the following content themes are recommended for email campaigns:
- Staff spotlights — Humanize the brand, support recruitment messaging, build trust
- Before/after project photos — Demonstrate craftsmanship and design capability
- Eco-friendly / natural lawn care — Reinforce the USP that differentiates Avant Gardening from chemical-based competitors (e.g., Bruce Company)
- Seasonal tips — Provide value to existing customers, maintain engagement during off-season
- Design process education — Explain the paid design consultation model to set expectations and reduce friction for new leads
List Building and Segmentation
- Existing customers are the primary list source, exported from LMN / Granum
- New leads captured via the website contact form (once the form issue is resolved — see [2])
- Potential segments:
- Maintenance clients (recurring relationship, retention focus)
- Landscaping / construction clients (project-based, upsell and referral focus)
- Leads who received a design proposal but did not convert (~30% of design consultations)
Action Items
- [ ] Asymmetric: Select and configure email marketing platform; import contacts from LMN / Granum export
- [ ] Asymmetric: Develop seasonal campaign calendar and first draft email sequence
- [ ] Tim Stenzel: Provide contact list export from LMN / Granum when platform is ready
- [ ] Tim Stenzel: Supply high-quality project photos and staff images for use in campaign content
- [ ] Asymmetric: Confirm platform recommendation in next weekly meeting
Notes
- Email marketing is part of the broader engagement scope alongside Google Ads, Meta Ads, and analytics. See [1] for full scope summary.
- SEO and hosting are not currently in scope but were discussed as future additions, particularly if Asymmetric takes over website hosting ($150/month managed hosting option presented to Tim).
- Weekly check-in meetings are scheduled for the first month of the engagement to maintain momentum.