Ember & Oak faces a stark competitive reality: your competitors Brooklyn Candle Studio and Homesick each generate approximately 77,000 monthly organic visits, while your site captures effectively zero organic traffic. P.F. Candle Co., a brand you could reasonably model, pulls 178,000 monthly visits. You're bringing a knife to a gunfight by relying 90% on Instagram, a channel where algorithm changes can crater your visibility overnight.

The good news: your price point ($38-55) sits in a validated sweet spot. Reddit's r/luxurycandles community actively seeks "favorites under $40" and discusses brands at exactly your tier—PF Candle Co, Otherland, Boy Smells. Your competitors have documented weaknesses: Brooklyn Candle Studio receives consistent complaints about weak scent throw; Homesick has Trustpilot reviews citing aggressive upsells and poor customer service. These are openings.

The path from $15K to $50K monthly won't come from doing more of what you're doing. It requires channel diversification: building an SEO foundation that generates traffic while you sleep, establishing wholesale relationships through Faire (one Reddit user reported $70K in candle sales on Faire since 2023), and repairing your email program. Your 2K list with declining open rates is a symptom of treating email as a broadcast channel rather than a relationship. Boy Smells grew DTC sales 450% by 2021 through identity-driven messaging—you need a point of view that gives people a reason to open.

Core Problem: You've built a business on rented land (Instagram) with no owned acquisition channels. When CPMs spike or algorithms shift, you have no fallback.

Direct Competitors (Premium Handmade)

Aspirational Model: Boy Smells

Boy Smells grew from a kitchen side hustle to a challenger brand with:

• 450% DTC sales increase (2019-2021)
• 305% YoY wholesale increase
• 55% of sales from wholesale (Nordstrom, Space NK)
• Strong identity positioning ("genderful") that creates cultural relevance

Key Lesson: They didn't try to out-Instagram bigger brands. They built wholesale distribution and a distinctive point of view.

Your Competitive Position

You're competing for the customer who:

• Wants premium quality without Diptyque prices ($72+)
• Values supporting small/handmade businesses
• Cares about ingredients (soy, clean burning)
• Seeks seasonal/unique scents not found at mass retailers

This customer exists and is actively searching. You're just invisible to them.

1. Stop posting polished product photos as your primary Instagram content. They don't perform in 2025. Behind-the-scenes process content gets 3-5x the engagement for small makers.

1. Stop sending broadcast promotional emails to your entire list. You're training subscribers to ignore you. Segment by engagement and purchase behavior.

1. Stop gifting influencers without affiliate tracking. "Mixed results, expensive" means you can't measure ROI. No tracking = no learning.

1. Stop treating Pinterest like a social platform. It's a search engine. Your inconsistency isn't the problem—your lack of keyword optimization is.

1. Stop waiting to build wholesale relationships. Every month without Faire listings is leaving money on the table. Boutique buyers are actively searching for products like yours.

Track weekly. Update every Sunday.

Acquisition Metrics

Activation Metrics

Retention Metrics

Revenue Metrics

Template 1: Welcome Email Flow (5 Emails)

Email 1 (Immediate): The Welcome

• Subject: "Welcome to Ember & Oak—here's 10% off"
• Content: Brief founder story (2-3 sentences), what makes your candles different (scent throw, small batch, seasonal), 10% discount code, single CTA to shop bestsellers
• Goal: First purchase

Email 2 (Day 2): The Process

• Subject: "How we make candles that actually fill a room"
• Content: Behind-the-scenes of your pour process, why small batch matters, photo of you working, link to "Our Process" page
• Goal: Build trust

Email 3 (Day 4): Social Proof

• Subject: "What people are saying about [bestseller name]"
• Content: 3-4 customer reviews with photos if available, "most popular for gifting" angle, reminder of discount code
• Goal: Reduce purchase anxiety

Email 4 (Day 7): The Seasonal Story

• Subject: "Our [current season] collection is here"
• Content: Introduce seasonal scents, the inspiration behind them, limited availability messaging, scent descriptions that evoke imagery
• Goal: Create urgency

Email 5 (Day 10): Last Chance

• Subject: "Your 10% off expires tomorrow"
• Content: Short, direct reminder, single bestseller recommendation, final CTA
• Goal: Convert remaining subscribers

Template 2: TikTok/Reels Content Framework

Hook (First 1-2 seconds): Start with the most visually satisfying moment

• Wax being poured into vessel
• First flame lighting
• Packaging being assembled

Content Types That Work for Candle Businesses:

1. The Satisfying Pour

• Film overhead, slow-motion pour of wax
• No talking needed, use trending audio
• Caption: "POV: you ordered from a small candle business"

1. Packing Orders ASMR

• Show the full packing process: tissue paper, candle placement, thank you card, seal
• Soft sounds, no music or ASMR audio
• Caption: "Packing orders for [customer name]—thank you!"

1. Scent Description Challenge

• Hold candle, attempt to describe the scent in vivid terms
• Be genuine about difficulty: "How do I describe this... it's like Sunday morning but make it autumn"
• Caption: "POV: trying to describe a scent without saying 'it smells good'"

1. Behind the Scenes Reality

• Show the real workspace, the testing process, the failures
• Authenticity > polish
• Caption: "What running a candle business actually looks like"

Posting Schedule: 1 video/day for first 30 days, then assess what's gaining traction

Template 3: Corporate Gifting Outreach Email

Subject: Custom candles for [Company Name]'s holiday gifting?

Body:

Hi [Name],

I run Ember & Oak, a small-batch candle studio. We make custom corporate gift candles—your logo on the label, your choice of seasonal scent, packaged for direct shipping to recipients.

A few things that might matter to you:

• Minimum order: 25 units
• Lead time: 3 weeks
• Price: $28-35/unit depending on volume (includes custom label, gift packaging)
• Shipping: We can drop-ship directly to your recipients

[Bestseller scent] has been popular for corporate gifts—it's a [brief description] that works in any office or home.

Happy to send samples if you're exploring options for Q4.

[Your name]

Ember & Oak

Follow-up (5 days later):

Subject: Quick follow-up—corporate candle gifts

Hi [Name],

Just following up on my note about custom candles for [Company Name]. Happy to send a sample if it's easier to experience the product before deciding.

Any interest?

[Your name]