Thumbtack is one of the most recognized local-services marketplaces in the U.S., connecting millions of homeowners with skilled pros nationwide. The company is valued at $2B+, supports 1,000+ service categories, and facilitates tens of millions of service requests across home improvement, wellness, events, and education each year.
As usage expanded, Thumbtack needed a more sophisticated engagement engine — one that could consistently increase customer demand, reactivate dormant users, and deliver measurable revenue lift across email, SMS, and push.
Thumbtack partnered with Jives Media to build a scalable lifecycle marketing system that strengthened retention, deepened user intent, and turned high-volume traffic into repeat service bookings.
Customer activity was inconsistent, with large drop-offs between first search and first hire.
Lifecycle messaging lacked personalization, creating missed engagement opportunities across categories.
In-product searches were under-utilized due to weak re-engagement loops.
High-intent users were not being automatically matched to nearby pros, limiting conversion speed.
No programmatic system existed for dynamic recommendations based on location and category interest.
Rebuilt lifecycle marketing across email, push, and SMS with a unified engagement cadence that boosted weekly activation.
Developed programmatic messaging, partnering with Thumbtack’s Data Science and Engineering teams to dynamically recommend top pros near each user’s ZIP code.
Segmented audiences by category interest, prior activity, and time-to-hire patterns to increase message relevance.
Launched triggered campaigns tied to browsing behavior, abandoned searches, service-area updates, and pro availability.
Increased search activation by identifying dormant searchers and deploying tailored nudges to bring them back into the marketplace.
Optimized conversion paths with clearer CTAs, simplified booking flow, and tailored offers for early-stage homeowners.
A/B tested creative + send-time logic, reallocating volume to the highest-performing channels and message formats.
200%+ year-over-year growth in customer engagement, driven by improved lifecycle sequencing and high-value triggers.
$50M+ in attributed annual revenue generated through engagement-driven repeat hiring and reactivation.
Weekly campaign volume lifted platform demand, resulting in more active searchers and more connected hires.
78% increase in in-product searches, driven by personalized reminders and dynamic ZIP-based pro recommendations.
High-intent messaging led to meaningful reactivation, improving search-to-hire efficiency across core categories.
Stronger marketplace liquidity, with more connections between customers and pros at lower acquisition cost.
