For Community Member Appreciation Week I am excited to feature some of our most active and inspiring members. I connected with Stacie & Jess (Coveted Cover) to learn more about their background and advice for others, here’s what they had to share:

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your business?

Sure! Coveted Cover is a subscription-based book box. We publish limited, exclusive special editions of books from indie and traditionally published authors. Our books are hand-signed by the authors and feature unique cover concepts with luxe finishes such as foiling and embossing, exclusive artwork inside and outside of the books, new internal formatting, and other special features. Subscribers pick from two different “genre” boxes to subscribe to and, every other month, they receive one or two of our special edition books to read and display on their bookshelves. This may seem like a rather niche field, and it is, but my business partner and I are passionate about reading and collecting beautiful limited editions of our favorite books. We are truly avid book collectors, so it was a bit of a no-brainer for us.
 

Years ago I had been involved in the publishing industry, working as an editor and writer for a Triple-A MMO game and as an editor for a number of magazines before that. However, I’d since moved into other arenas and owned a successful retail business when inspiration struck and I got the idea for Coveted Cover. I called up my friend Jess, who was already part of the bookish community as a Booktube influencer and reviewer, and told her I wanted to start my own book-box company. I asked her if she’d partner with me, since I knew she’d have skills and connections to bring to the table that I didn’t. Unsurprisingly, she was enthusiastic about the idea and all in! As for me, returning to my career roots and getting back into the publishing world—albeit in a different manner—has been amazing. I get to read every single day, and that part is heaven!

What drew you to join the Klaviyo Community?
When we began looking at the options for email marketing and management, it was pretty clear to us that Klaviyo was the right choice. That said, what drew us to Klaviyo—its breadth of ability and features, and its automation functionality—were the very things that created frustration and headaches for us. Klaviyo can do so much, and it was overwhelming at first. When I needed to learn more about a certain feature or how to do something, I’d do an internet search, and 9 times out of 10, there was already an answer to that in the Klaviyo Community! I loved that there was a place I could go to get quick information on so many different topics. 

What has your experience been like as part of the Community?
The very first time I posted a question to the Community, I was astounded by how quickly people replied with detailed suggestions and instructions, and how many people were willing to help and give of their time just for the sake of helping. It’s really amazing to find a community of friendly, patient, helpful humans who don’t make “newbies” feel stupid for asking a question that experts have surely been asked a thousand times before… There’s never impatience or frustration shown to those new to Klaviyo who are overwhelmed or unsure how to use the system. On the contrary, it’s a really welcoming place where you can feel safe asking for and giving advice. Additionally, I’m always really amazed at how knowledgeable so many Community members are!

What value do you feel you’ve gained from being an active member?
I’ll be honest, there were plenty of times where I was so frustrated trying to figure out how to use Klaviyo and set things up that I thought about giving up and going with something easier. The Klaviyo Community kept me sane and provided exactly the help I needed with really, really clear instructions. They were instrumental in helping me work through some issues that were stumping me, and gave me the confidence to push through and keep learning about all the ways Klaviyo could help my business rather than giving up and going with another option.

How have you contributed to the Community, and what motivates you to stay involved?
We’re still new and still figuring out how to fully utilize Klaviyo and its many features. But the quick, friendly, clear, and non-judgmental help I receive from the Community definitely keeps me coming back. I’m not yet at the point where I feel I can contribute knowledge to other “Klaviyo newbies,” but I hope to be at some point in the future. When I am, I hope I can give back and help others who, like me, may feel overwhelmed and lost at first.

Is there a particular feature or aspect of the Community you’ve found most helpful or enjoyable?
Besides the people being really happy to help others, I find it extremely easy to navigate through the Community and find what I need. I always appreciate a good search functionality!

What would you like to see more of in the Community moving forward?
Sometimes, you just want someone to do it for you, or you don’t have the time to deep dive into learning how to do something. To that end, I would love to see an easier way to find and connect with Klaviyo experts who are hirable and offer their services. 

What’s one thing you think more people should know about the Klaviyo Community?
For sure how knowledgeable and helpful everyone is! Even if you’re just starting out, don’t worry about asking what you think might be a dumb question. I’ve never seen any hostility or annoyance toward people who are brand new and just figuring things out, and who may be, like I was, completely and totally overwhelmed. 

If you were to share one piece of advice for someone starting out with Klaviyo what would it be?
Before you dive in, sign up for a few of the great live “classes” Klaviyo offers for those who are just starting out. They help break things down into digestible, bite-sized chunks of information and help give you some of the terminology and understanding to start things off on the right foot. I wish I’d done this, because I hopped in and made some decisions in how I set things up that weren’t quite right, and redoing everything was a bit complicated. I wish I’d taken advantage of those online classes.