Retention Edge E06: Can You Track Word of Mouth? This Founder Did. w/Alonzo Nieves

In this episode of the Retention Edge podcast, we talked with Alonzo Nieves, CEO at Flywheel.

This episode uncovers why Alonzo believes the next great acquisition and retention channel isn’t ads or influencers — it’s everyday customers posting about brands they love.

Dive into the episode in full below (or head to YouTube or Spotify — don’t forget to like & subscribe!):

Here’s what we discussed on the pod:

Alonzo’s Path to Flywheel

• Went from teenage dropshipper to law/accounting grad, then back to e-commerce to build tools that reward shoppers for sharing.

• A COVID-era pivot transformed his “story-for-incentive” idea from restaurants to online retail.

Why Word-of-Mouth Beats Ads Right Now

• Friends and family still hold the deepest trust, while influencer ROI keeps slipping.

• Brands that treat WOM as a core channel — not a side referral link — win cheaper, stickier customers.

How Flywheel Turns Posts into Data & Revenue

• Shoppers post an Instagram Story, tag the brand, and claim a reward; Flywheel verifies the post, measures views, and syncs data back to Shopify/Klaviyo.

• Consent-based “social graph” links each customer’s reach to order history, giving marketers real attribution for WOM.

Principles for Scalable Customer Advocacy

• The incentive × ego-barrier: the reward must outweigh any hesitation to post.

• Niche passions (gamers, new moms, fly-fishers) beat broad demographics for authentic shares, and genuine stories convert better than AI-generated UGC.

What’s Coming Next

• Verification tech finally gives WOM the attribution brands need, so expect “ads dashboards” for customer posts to hit mainstream by year-end.

• Posting challenges will evolve from acquisition gimmicks into retention loops that build community and repeat sales.

You can check out all of our conversations with leading marketing, CX and retention experts on YouTube and Spotify.

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