Apple’s iOS 14 privateness change has upended promoting on Fb. Retailers accustomed to stellar ROI should now settle for modest or less-than-modest efficiency.

However not Lea Richards. She’s the founding father of Pig of the Month, an Ohio-based direct-to-consumer vendor of barbeque. She advised me, “With post-iOS 14 adverts not working, we’re getting again into unsolicited mail. We’ve discovered good outcomes, as much as 6-times return.”

Richards launched Pig of the Month in 2011. The corporate has grown. She has enormously expanded its product line and now supplies logistics providers for different sellers.

She and I just lately mentioned her journey. Our complete audio dialog is embedded under. The transcript is edited for readability and size.

Bandholz: Inform us about Pig of the Month.

Lea Richards: We do direct-to-consumer barbecue, shipped straight to your door.

We began with ribs. Now we do brisket, pulled pork, and corned beef. We’ve got 50 flavors of bacon and bacon jam. We additionally supply natural free-range meat — strip steaks, fillets, pork tenderloins, all types of stuff.

My background is in finance, which I hated. I used to be searching for a brand new alternative. I had moved again to my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. It was 2010. My dad has at all times been a rib lover. For Father’s Day, I ordered ribs through the web from a spot in Memphis.

The order got here, and it was simply okay. Not many individuals had been delivery meals on the web but. It was principally the massive guys — Omaha Steaks, Harry & David. My dad advised me, “I feel there’s a chance right here.”

I didn’t have a greater thought. So I mentioned, “Certain, I’ll give it a go.”

I had no thought what I used to be stepping into once I began over a decade in the past. I wouldn’t begin this enterprise now. It’s pricey and time-intensive.

Plus there are many authorities rules. They modify on a regular basis. It sucks.

Bandholz: Do you ship in frozen containers?

Richards: We use Styrofoam, which has sustainability points. So we’re making an attempt to get away from it. However we nonetheless use dry ice to maintain the contents at a protected temperature.

Bandholz: What’s your provide chain?

Richards: We custom-fabricated an enormous smoker with a rotisserie that grills and smokes concurrently. We do all the things right here in our warehouse, after which we ship it from the again dock.

We strive to not retailer our meat for greater than 30 days. The freezer area turns into a difficulty. Freezers are costly to run. We preserve about two weeks of inventory.

Sustainability, sourcing, and high quality are vital to us. At first, I required all the things to be natural, free-range, and humanely raised. I went to the farms the place we had been sourcing to see their practices. I requested them, “Are you treating the animals properly? Have they got clear meals, clear water, and area to stroll?”

I’ve at all times believed in high quality meals over amount.

Bandholz: How does that scale?

Richards: It’s laborious. We’ve had so as to add farmers as a result of lots of them aren’t trying to increase. We max out their provide. We’re making an attempt to keep away from turning to large-scale suppliers. Fortunately, fairly a couple of farmers have an interest within the sustainably raised meat enterprise.

Bandholz: How do you develop your viewers?

Richards: We received fortunate at first. I didn’t have any cash. I banked on getting good press. We managed to seem on Good Morning America, the Right this moment present, and Rachael Ray. It was a bunch of huge press straight away.

I saved these electronic mail addresses. I used to be huge on electronic mail advertising and marketing from the beginning. That’s at all times been our major driver. SMS is an enormous piece now. With post-iOS 14 adverts not working, we’re getting again into unsolicited mail.

We’ve discovered good outcomes with unsolicited mail, as much as 6-times return. We’re utilizing it primarily for acquisition, working with three way partnership companions, cross-promoting to one another’s buyer lists. We use a unsolicited mail service that automates the fabric sending course of. Our companions are firms that provide complementary merchandise, equivalent to grilling and patio provides and cigar and wine firms. They’ve the identical goal buyer however don’t compete with us.

We’ve examined a postcard, a tri-fold, and a small booklet. Segmentation is vital. It’s trial and error and fixed iterations. We do many small assessments — 500 to 1,000 folks. We don’t do any giant mailings till we’ve gotten to a selected charge of return from one of many assessments.

The price ranges from 35 to 65 cents every, together with postage and relying on the burden.

The segmentation technique is primarily by ZIP code. We’ve sometimes focused prospects by the area as a result of grilling season varies primarily based on climate. Holidays are huge for us. The 4 to 6 weeks earlier than Christmas are huge, as are Valentine’s Day, the Tremendous Bowl, and Father’s Day.

Bandholz: What are the calls-to-action on these mailers?

Richards: Free gadgets with a purchase order have been profitable. We’ve achieved free bottles of sauce, free bacon caramels, and free bacon jam with any buy over $25. Proportion-off promotions have been an entire flop. Individuals are bombarded with these gives. Greenback quantities often do properly, equivalent to $20 off the primary order or retailer credit score.

Bandholz: Have you ever thought of serving to different retailers ship perishable items?

Richards: Sure. We’ll do each — promote to our clients and assist different retailers. Apparently, delivery for others occurred organically. A buyer did a bacon-of-the-month membership. He didn’t make his personal merchandise and requested us if we may non-public label and ship for them. It grew. Now we ship a bunch of their merchandise. That led to extra companies coming to us by phrase of mouth.

It wasn’t one thing I deliberate, however there are enormous alternatives in logistics, warehousing, and delivery. Of us who wish to begin a enterprise ought to take into account logistics.

Bandholz: The place can folks discover you, assist you, purchase some meat?

Richards: Examine us out at PigOfTheMonth.com. We’re additionally on Instagram. I’m on LinkedIn.