Avant Gardening Email & SMS Marketing Strategy
Overview
Email and SMS marketing is one of five strategic buckets proposed for Avant Gardening's ongoing retainer engagement with Asymmetric. Work on this channel began during the initial contract period, with strategy documentation and initial content drafted. Full buildout is planned as a dedicated focus area within the retainer.
Client: [1]
Channel owner: Karly Oykhman
Status: Strategy drafted; templates in progress; full buildout pending retainer decision
What Was Started
During the initial engagement, Asymmetric:
- Laid out an email marketing strategy for Avant Gardening
- Wrote initial content for the first four email templates
- Identified segmentation opportunities based on service interest
Template delivery was delayed slightly due to the holiday period but was expected within a day or two of the December 29 meeting.
Planned Buildout
Template Development
Build out a full suite of email templates aligned to the strategy already drafted. Templates should reflect Avant Gardening's brand voice and service offerings (landscaping, gardening, maintenance, hardscaping).
Segmented Flows
Create automated email flows triggered by form submissions, segmented by the service the prospect expressed interest in:
- Hardscaping flow — tailored content for prospects interested in hardscape projects
- Landscaping/maintenance flow — tailored content for ongoing service prospects
The goal is to deliver relevant content rather than generic blasts, improving engagement and conversion rates.
SMS Marketing
SMS messaging is a potential addition within this bucket. It would complement email flows, particularly for time-sensitive follow-ups or seasonal promotions. Scope and platform to be determined based on client appetite.
Analytics & Optimization
Once templates and flows are live, ongoing monitoring should track:
| Metric | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Open rate | Measures subject line effectiveness and list health |
| Click-through rate (CTR) | Measures content relevance and CTA strength |
| Unsubscribe rate | Flags list fatigue or irrelevant content |
| Bounce rate | Identifies list hygiene issues |
| Heatmaps | Shows how recipients interact with email layout and content |
Data from these metrics should feed back into iterative improvements to templates and flow logic.
Strategic Context
Avant Gardening's growth posture is deliberately cautious — the goal is a steady flow of high-quality leads, not volume at scale. Email and SMS marketing fits this well: it targets existing contacts and warm prospects rather than cold audiences, and it can be tuned to generate a manageable, consistent pipeline.
This channel also supports retention and upsell for existing customers, which aligns with the client's preference for working with customers they know and trust.
"We just want to continue to have a steady flow of business, mostly from the customers that we want to work with." — Tim Stenzel
Dependencies & Notes
- Retainer decision pending: Full buildout is scoped within the proposed monthly retainer. If the retainer is not signed, a handoff plan for the partially completed strategy should be provided to Tim.
- Platform not specified in meeting — email platform (e.g., Klaviyo, Mailchimp, etc.) should be confirmed before template build begins.
- Training: Regardless of retainer outcome, Tim requested training materials. A recorded walkthrough of the email platform and strategy should be included alongside the Meta/Google Ads training videos Karly committed to recording.
Related
- [2]
- [3]
- [4]
- [5]