Dose #169: Retention Hacks from 50+ Audits

Matt here with your weekly Subscription Prescription 💊

Audits turn up interesting problems, but they’re more common across brands than you might think. In this special dose, we do more than share tips, but have extra guides and content for you too. Learn what brands with varying levels of retention should do to improve it, because in many instances we’re all in the same boat.

This week’s dose is also a podcast where we dive into retention. Listen to me go deeper on the topic on your favorite platform:

Free Giveaway - Splash Screen Video Template

The biggest hack in subscription retention right now is a splash screen video. When customers click the cancel video, before they see the cancel reasons, you show them a video. Almost all the subscription apps support this, but what do you say?

Grab our free template - with an AI prompt - and make your own script! Copy and paste with your website and you’ll have a one-minute video script ready in seconds.

Special Offer + Giveaway

If you’re looking for specific guidance on how to improve your subscription program, we’re running a special through the end of September. Buy an audit and get a free cancellation flow optimization.

You can see more of what you get in an audit here.

It’s a 50-page document with data, observations, and recommendations. The cost is $4500, and the project takes 2-3 weeks to complete.

Plus, you’ll get a full cancel flow optimization, with better cancel treatments, copy, and content proven to save more subscribers.

🩺 Where Subscription Brands Go Wrong in Retention (and How to Fix It)

I spend a lot of time auditing subscription programs. In fact, it’s one of the most impactful things I do with brands because it forces us to look at the business from end to end. Not just the offer, not just the product, but the whole customer journey.

The funny thing is, most founders think their challenges are unique. In reality, almost every subscription brand falls into one of three buckets:

1. Strong acquisition, weak retention.

2. Strong acquisition, strong retention.

3. Weak acquisition, regardless of retention.

And each of these buckets has predictable problems, with solutions.

1. Strong acquisition but weak retention

We talk to a lot of brands that are growing but don’t know how to approach retention. Brands get really good at pumping traffic and subscribers through the door, but they leak customers just as fast.

When I spot this, I immediately look at onboarding, billing reminders, and cancellation flows. These are usually afterthoughts, but they’re the first places you lose trust with subscribers.

For example, I reviewed a brand recently that had a beautiful PDP but their billing reminder email was one line long: “Heads up, your order renews tomorrow.” No story. No value. No options. Predictably, churn was high.

Here’s what works instead:

• Onboarding emails that educate and show real customer stories.

• Billing reminders that highlight benefits and allow frequency adjustments or add-ons before surfacing the cancel button.

• Cancel flows with thoughtful save offers and a founder message. Be sure to grab our free template to develop your own video script to improve save rates.

• Stronger offers with quarterly options on the PDP that lock people in, or bundles that are more value driven than discounts

Fix these and you can lift month-two retention by 10–15% without touching anything else.

2. Strong acquisition and strong retention

If this is you, congratulations - you’ve already solved the hardest parts. But don’t get complacent. This is the moment to push into upsell and cross-sell strategies that expand customer value.

When things are working, it’s all about leaning harder into the customers that love your brand.

Think about bulk upgrades. Quarterly or six-month subscriptions not only drive healthier cash flow but always outperform monthly plans in retention. If you’re at 80% retention on monthly, you’ll be even higher on quarterly.

This is also where cross-sells become critical. If your hero product retains well, what adjacent products can you layer in? Skincare companies add serums. Coffee companies add mugs and grinders. It’s not about overwhelming subscribers, it’s about deepening the relationship.

At this stage, referrals and memberships can also add a new layer of stickiness. Strong subscribers want to be your advocates. Make it easy for them.

3. Weak acquisition

No matter how solid your retention is, if acquisition is weak, the business stalls. This is usually an offer problem.

If I’m looking at a PDP and the subscription option is buried or uninspiring, it’s no wonder conversion rates lag. The fix here is structured testing:

• Default to the subscription option.

• Experiment with bulk starter packs or bundled SKUs.

• Add urgency with gifts or limited perks.

• Showcase reviews and FAQs directly on the PDP, just like Amazon does.

Until acquisition is cracked, retention doesn’t matter. You can’t retain what you don’t acquire. In addition to the offer, you need to invest in content and ads that drive visitors to your offer.

Final thoughts
Every subscription business has blind spots. For most, it comes down to a few unoptimized touchpoints that create unnecessary churn or friction. The good news? Once you identify them, the fixes are straightforward, and the impact compounds every month.

If you want a simple exercise, go open your own onboarding emails, billing reminders, and cancel flow today. Ask yourself: Would I stay subscribed after this experience? If the answer is no, you know where to start.

Until next Tuesday, that’s your Subscription Prescription. 💊

 - Matt Holman 🩺

The Subscription Doc