DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

“We’re a digital marketing agency but we've succeeded because we're thinking about the business from a partnership perspective rather than just buying media” @_Liso_ #DTCPODWe try to work with brands that we have long term partnerships with and really grow them.” @yo #DTCPOD“The importance of customer service is to actually develop those relationships with the consumer of your product.” @yo #DTCPOD“It's OK to fail, but it's not OK to fail and not learn from it.” @yo #DTCPOD“It's not just about getting the traffic and getting folks on the website. It’s about what those folks are seeing, what they’re thinking and what's getting them excited about the product or offer. @_Liso_ #DTCPODWe Speak About:[02:21] Troy and Mike introduce themselves and discuss previous business experience [06:56] The business plan behind JUICE [08:41] How the agency differentiates itself from the competition[09:57] Elements of strategic advising [12:58] A unique competitive edge through the customer experience [14:39] Elements curating brand revenue growth [16:30] Redefining what customer service means for the brand[21:22] Putting money in where you get money out [24:36] Advice on positioning your brand to get invested [27:29] Tips to entrepreneurs when making mistakes [29:19] What’s next for JUICE and where to find the brand, Troy Osinoff, and Mike Lisovetsky online How JUICE differentiates itself as a digital marketing agency. Troy Osinoff and Mike Lisovetsky, co-founders of JUICE, join the POD to give some insight on the business’s growth and customer experience strategies. JUICE is a digital marketing agency that takes a modern approach to helping other brands grow. Both co-founders recognized that their brand needed to step out of the traditional agency methods and work thoroughly with each brand to create actionable plans and a relentless approach.An approach is taken in generating brand revenue growth through relationship building in channels primarily recognized as promotional tools.Mike recognizes that it is important to create a community for your customers to provide feedback and have a personalized customer experience. There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all marketing strategyJUICE is a digital marketing agency that takes a modern day approach to helping other brands scale their businessTroy and Mike curated this entrepreneurial opportunity through a well experienced past in business endeavours.Both co-founders view their agency as a partnership with other businesses, and take a unique strategy of limiting their clientele to brands they believe they can grow. Their brand takes a strategy to foster growth by implementing activities catered towards customer retention, with the idea in mind that activities meant to help a customer will result in positive feedback. Troy recommends learning from your mistakes as an entrepreneur and using the experience to your benefit. Stay tuned as both co-founders discuss their fund for JUICE and additional ways to scale a business.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:JUICE website: https://www.thinkjuice.com/Troy Osinoff’s twitter: https://twitter.com/yoMichael Lisovetsky’s twitter:https://twitter.com/_Liso_

“Know a couple or at least one brand that you want to check out and then look at some other brands related to it for competitive research.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Tiktok can be a great discovery source for finding what products are working really well on their platform and popular hashtags.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you go into Twitter and type in the name of a product, you can search for other similar products as well.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:01] How to use Facebook for competitive research [02:05] Navigating instagram for landing pages and product research [02:51] A resource to identify new brands on the rise and brand research[03:24] Using TikTok as a discovery source[04:26] How to use Twitter for product comparison [05:16] Up and coming marketplaces How to get an undercover look at your DTC competitorsCreating a product that differentiates itself in the market is a key strategy that leads to brand growth, but this element is not as simple as it sounds.First you have to look at your competition to know what you're dealing with, but how do you go about this? This can be done through competitor research, knowing what similar brands are doing and their strategies for growth and retention will help you learn about the market.There are numerous sources beneficial for finding competitors, and these sources can provide insight into what’s working for a brand, whether it's ads, their websites, trending products, or more. Stay tuned as we discuss media platforms useful for researching brands and how to navigate them. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Facebook ads library: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/Nextbrand trending brands: https://www.nexttbrand.com/

“Being a good person, treating people like humans, and delivering experiences with empathy every day is number one for our brand.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“Knowing you'll be taken care of makes you want to come back. It's not rocket science, so long as the product is great.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“When it comes to building a team, it really matters to hire the really good people that deeply care. You can teach anyone how to use tools, but you can't teach people to give a shit.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“Giving your team the allowance to create these experiences, empowering them to create these experiences for the customers, is important.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“Do not take what you learned last year and use it this year, constantly learn and listen and engage with customers. @eliweisss #DTCPODWe Speak About:[02:28] Eli introduces himself and Olipop [03:45] What customer experience means to the brand[05:34] How to curate an intentional SMS [09:01] Implementing personalization into a marketing channel [12:13] Elements of a subscription to create retention [15:01] Where to brand discovers inspiration for their subscription model [15:53] Factors that have led to brand growth [20:31] important steps during customer acquisition [22:13] How to scale the customer experience[24:16] The importance of empowerment [25:48] Allocating finances to the customer experience [27:17] How to drive brand loyalty [29:43] Thinking like a customer [31:58] What’s next for Olipop and where to find Eli Weiss and the brand onlineHow OLIPOP scales customer experienceEli Weiss, director of customer experience at Olipop, joins the POD to give some insight on the business’s growth, customer experience strategy, and retention. Olipop is a beverage company, formulating a gut healthy soda with plant fiber, prebiotics, and botanicals.Eli recognized that when it comes to creating a good brand, having a good product is only half the formula to keep consumers happy and returning. Providing consumers with a positive, personalized, and interactive customer experience is an essential factor leading to brand loyalty. Eli points out that anyone can be taught the skills to perform in a work setting, but you can’t teach someone to care about your brand so it is important to hire the right people.In DTC, you have to think like the customer to winOlipop stands out as an eCommerce beverage company, not only for its modernized product, but also for the brand's exceptional customer service.The brand has experienced growth and customer retention by prioritizing the customer experience and developing a thoughtful subscription model. Eli takes a unique approach to achieving successful retention by developing an SMS channel that caters to the customers needs rather than a brand incentive to increase sales. Additional steps to improve the customer experience are taken by listening to the customer and responding to their needs. Eli recommends discovering ways to make your subscriptions exclusive without intruding on consumers' feed. Stay tuned as Eli discusses key components to heighten the customer experience and how empowering your team leads to success. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Olipop’s website: https://drinkolipop.com/Eli Weiss’s twitter: https://twitter.com/eliweisss

“Set your goal to get subscribers to engage with your brand and set the tone of the relationship.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The second email you send should focus on the brand story, unique quality standards that you might have and the benefits of shopping with your company.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The last email you send needs to focus on the community aspect.” @jadesai94 #DTCPO“Frequency is an important factor that's used for ads, and there's no reason why it’s not relevant to email.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:59] Intro to non-buyer welcome series[01:54] Defining non-buyers and the first step in attracting them through an email sequence [02:57] How to formulate an email to potential consumers [04:19] When to send a second email and what to include [05:28] What to include in a third email to promote customer conversion [06:15] Outline for the last email in the email sequence In DTC, frequency is key to convert non-buyersAttracting new customers doesn’t always succeed on the first try, and these types of shoppers, who have not yet purchased your product, are known as non-buyers.So how do you promote customer conversion? Sometimes influencing the amount of times a person comes into contact with your ads will promote purchase behavior.One marketing strategy used to sway potential customers is through an email sequence.Stay tuned as we unwrap an email marketing outline by Chase Dimond, and how to tailor the four types of emails designed for customer conversion. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Full thread on non-buyer welcome series by Chase: https://twitter.com/ecomchasedimond/status/1378008560894767104Chase’s email newsletter: https://chasedimond.com/chase-email-newsletterChase’s podcast: https://kite.link/chase-dimond-podcast

“The idea has always been trying to crack the system of what makes brands work and what makes brands fail in some cases, and then reverse engineer it” @markpatchett #DTCPOD“The first bit is to really understand the core fundamental numbers of your actual business” @markpatchett #DTCPOD“Take care of the right people that are going to amplify my brand because it compounds and increases your conversion rate and allows you to spend more money.” @markpatchett #DTCPOD“When you're starting out, go to where the audience is largest and the platform is most sophisticated.” @markpatchett #DTCPOD“Brand is really about the continuity of a strong message across all of the different touch points when someone comes into contact with your company.” @markpatchett #DTCPOD“As you start scaling your brand to new audiences, you may find that you need to tweak the way you communicate what your product does and what your brand is about to actually work for that large audience.” @markpatchett #DTCPOD We Speak About:[00:56] Mark introduces himself and Growth Shop [02:11] Previous entrepreneurship that led to creating a successful brand [04:40] Advice to brands before scaling a business [07:31] Acquisition strategies for inventory [09:47] The importance of paying more when it comes to contracts [11:01] Implementing personal relationships to maintain customer engagement [13:17] Where to disperse spending when scaling a brand [16:37] Major components of scalable growth [18:37] What a brand really is [21:23] Breaking down marketing activities for retention and new customer acquisition[22:23] Why brands should evolve [23:33] Building an unfair advantage[25:21] The framework for product differentiation[28:52] Pivotal roles in brand growth[31:30] The importance of a collaborative customer service [33:17] Where to find Growth Shop and Mark Patchett onlineHow a past in entrepreneurship led to the future of Growth ShopMark Patchett, founder of Growth Shop, joins the POD to give some insight on the business’s strategy for helping brands scale their business without outside capital. Growth Shop is an eCommerce organization that advises, invests, and acquires direct to consumer brands and supporting technology platforms. Mark realized from his experienced past as an entrepreneur that he had gained important insight as to what makes a brand work and what doesn’t. He then founded Growth Shop as an embodiment of this knowledge with a goal in mind of helping other brands scale their business. A unique perspective on scaling a business is taken by an emphasis on evolving your brand. Mark views a brand as a product that continually changes as the consumer expands. Mark recognizes that brand is continuity, and maintaining a strong message across all touch points for your brand is crucial for growth. Sometimes in DTC, it’s all about building an unfair advantageGrowth Shop stands out as an eCommerce company that helps direct to consumer business grow exponentially and sustainably.The business enables brand growth by prioritizing key roles such as acquisition strategies, maintaining product excitement, and iterating the importance of customer service on all levels of operation.Mark takes a further approach to achieving successful growth emphasizing the importance of having an unfair advantage for your brand. One simple strategy Mark has suggested for achieving this is through customer engagement. By asking why customers buy your product or what would make your product better, an unfair advantage can be curated. Mark recommends implementing personalization into your brand and keeping operational costs as low as possible.Stay tuned as Mark dissects the meaning of a brand and how a collaborative customer service can make or break your company. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Growth Shop’s website: https://growth.shop/Mark Pachett’s email: [email protected] Patchett’s linkedin: linkedin.com/in/markpatchett

“The strategy that's been gaining more traction recently is engaging brand created content.” @jadesai94 #DTCPO“Accounts creating content around their domain of expertise creates views and followers that translates over into an owned audience” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:42] Jay shares a resource on fastest growing brands on TikTok[01:45] Brand content strategies[03:05] Which strategies are gaining and losing traction[04:23] Brand categories leading the way on TikTok [05:50] Translating an analysis on TikTok brandsA behind the scenes look at the top eCommerce brands on TikTokOnline brand promotion offers the advantage of exposing your brand to a wide variety of demographics at a low cost, and TikTok is one of many media outlets that can provide this.Jay discusses an analysis of the top 50 brands growing on TikTok and their strategies used to achieve growth. Key takeaways include what strategies are gaining and losing traction, and what methods are gaining a high turnover rate for followers.Stay tuned as Jay dives into the different categories of brands and which ones are dominating the social media platform.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Nextbrand Substack: https://nexttbrand.substack.com/Nextbrand website: https://www.nexttbrand.com/Spreadsheet with top 50 brands on TikTok: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nvdoNCOygpwIN4j5IB48qlIfKsCVsxZbGqpBdhuJQzM/edit#gid=422642932

“People are starting to get back to normal in some places, which means that habits are starting to change ” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD‘We're going to be expanding into customer experience leaders, product builders and more” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“We’re so excited to share with you more stories of not only agency owners giving some great advice, but also brand vendors, marketers, customer experience leaders and more.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:36] Changes in consumer habits [01:23] Previous guests on the DTC pod[02:05] Exciting news and what’s next for the DTC podWe’re celebrating half a year on the DTC POD by discussing some exciting new ideas to come!As retail begins to open back up and things start getting back to normal, consumer habits continue to change and evolve and we plan on providing insight to that experience.Jay discusses previous guests on the POD who persevered through COVID-19 as agency owners, brand founders and marketers. Stay tuned as Jay discusses new things to come for the DTC POD and an outline of what to expect for the second half of the year!If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.

“It's cool to see other ambassador programs that are empowering individuals to share and talk about a brand.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Coldest Water is teaching people how to become better influencers and to sell better, and I think it's a big win for not only the brand but also the ambassadors.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“One aspect of the landing page that works really well is that they quickly jump into the benefits and what you can do with the brand.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:03] Coldest Water’s successful landing page [02:58] A rare aspect of their Ambassador landing page[03:22] How they connect to their audience [04:38] A unique factor of Cold Water’s ambassador program[06:41] How the brand creates learning opportunities for their ambassadorsColdest Water’s ambassador program differentiates itself from the norm There are numerous strategies a business can use to promote their brand, and one common technique is through the use of brand ambassadors.This marketing strategy allows individuals to form a partnership with a company and personally promote their product(s).However, Coldest Water takes an uncommon approach to their ambassador program by using it as an educational opportunity for their promoters and creating a unique incentive to sell.Stay tuned as we discuss how Coldest Water’s stays transparent with their ambassadors and additional factors of their landing page. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn. Mentioned Links:Coldest Water ambassador landing page: https://thecoldestwater.lpages.co/coldestsponsorship/Coldest Water ambassador program pricing: https://thecoldestwater.com/join-us/Coldest Water on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecoldestwaterColdest Water brand hashtag: https://www.tiktok.com/tag/thecoldestwater

“We found a product, created it, brought it to market, rapidly scaled multiple brands, and eventually sold our brands. That's how we were able to grow our agency so fast.” @iamdansnow #DTCPOD“The best way to think about content, in terms of when it's time to launch a brand, is to put together various customer personas that you think might be in the market to buy your products” @iamdansnow #DTCPOD“There is a reason why when you grow a company you hire people because you can't do everything yourself. People give you more leverage than you trying to do things yourself.” @iamdansnow #DTCPOD“If you've got great engaging content that resonates with your target persona, your clickthrough rates are going to be higher quality scores.” @iamdansnow #DTCPOD“If you grow too fast, odds are your customer experience is going to take a hit, and products are going to be delayed” @iamdansnow #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:55] Daniel introduces himself and The Snow Agency [02:13] The motive behind building the brand[03:38] Tips for product launching [05:45] How to find your target audience[07:45] How to turn an idea into a business opportunity [09:48] When to keep content in-house and when to outsource [11:51] When do do it yourself and when to seek an expert [14:44] Key indicators for finding the perfect product market fit [16:54] The Snow Agency’s strategies for growing brands [17:53] When to use a subscription [20:08] How to keep the brand in the customers’ mind [21:22] Daniel’s most impactful marketing projects [23:19] The importance of content [25:30] Biggest mistakes to avoid when growing a brand [26:39] What’s next for The Snow Agency and where to find Daniel Snow online How The Snow Agency helps to scale your business Daniel Snow, Co-founder of The Snow Agency, joins the POD to give some insight on the digital marketing service and how to scale and grow a brand. The Snow Agency is a full service digital marketing agency that offers unique digital strategies to help build your business. Daniel recognized that when it comes to brand growth, it is important to not try and do everything yourself. Creating a community and hiring people to help take the pressure off learning everything yourself creates an environment for success. Content for advertising is recognized by his business as one of the most important aspects of building a business, and The Snow Agency works diligently to deliver this.Sam recognizes that keeping the customer happy is a top priority, and incorporates this idea into his own brand. Sometimes In DTC, it’s okay to ask for helpThe Snow Agency stands out as a new but successful virtual marketing agency. It was founded two years ago, yet it’s a fast growing agency with an experienced team. The agency has experienced continuous sustained growth by using their previous knowledge in the industry and iterating the importance of developing creative content for advertising. Daniel’s approach to helping brands grow is analyzing potential subscription opportunities for customer retention creating strategies to keep the target audience focused on the brand. The brand has fostered success for their clients by enabling marketing strategies to put the brand in a position of success.Stay tuned as Daniel discusses common mistakes to avoid when growing a brand and how to locate and grow your target audience. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:The Snow Agency’s website: https://thesnowagency.com/Daniel Snow’s twitter: https://twitter.com/iamdansnowDaniel Snow’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dapper/Daniel Snow’s email: [email protected]

“A market basket analysis helps you better understand purchasing patterns.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Doing a basket analysis can show you combinations of products that are most frequently occurring together in your orders.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“A basket analysis can help you optimize your conversion rates, your average order value, and your customer lifetime value.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:56] What is a basket analysis [01:26] How a basket analysis can help optimize your business[02:31] Ways to use a basket analysisA market basket analysis should be a standard analysis for any eCommerce brand with multiple SKUsBetter understanding customer purchasing patterns is a primary factor for increasing sales.So what strategies can a brand initiate to gain a greater understanding of their customers' relationships with their products? A basket analysis is a data mining technique used to identify purchasing patterns and optimize conversion rates, average order value, and the overall customer lifetime value. This strategy can help to give suggestions in terms of cross-selling and promotions to increase overall sales.Stay tuned as we discuss specific strategies to use when conducting a basket analysis. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on running a market basket analysis: https://gecdesigns.com/blog/how-can-market-basket-analysis-help-e-commerce-businessAn example of running a market basket analysis: https://smartbridge.com/market-basket-analysis-101/

“The Internet has created an easier way for brands to go to the public and sell their goods.” @edgar-blazona #DTCPOD“There's pitfalls and things that you pick up along the way and I think being a hands-on founder helps.” @edgar-blazona #DTCPOD“As we were brand building, we had a good story to tell, and we were producing great products in a short timeline. So we went after a lot of press to help amplify our story.” @edgar-blazona #DTCPOD“Having those storylines and continuing being something a little different than everyone else has paid off and really helped us grow.” @edgar-blazona #DTCPOD“When building a business you're going to have to be able to roll with the punches and take those highs and lows, because sometimes the lows are so low you want to give up and other times the highs are so high that you think you're going to rule the world.” @edgar-blazona #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:53] Edgar introduces himself and Benchmade Modern [02:18] How Edgar got started in the industry [04:17] Changes in consumer behavior [07:59] How the internet has benefited the furniture industry [09:42] Past experience that led to success in the industry[12:05] How one brand led to opportunities for another [15:36] How supply chain efficiency was achieved [17:53] Key factors that contributed to brand growth[20:30] Advice to other entrepreneurs[23:02] What’s next for Benchmade Modern and where to find Edgar Blazona onlineHow Benchmade Modern gained exponential growth through changes in consumer behavior Edgar Blazona, founder of Benchmade Modern, joins the POD to discuss the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, brand differentiation, and how the industry has flourished in a technological era. Benchmade Modern is a direct to consumer, custom upholstery business, focused on quality products and fast delivery.Edgar recognized that when it comes to furniture shopping, the timeline between ordering a product and receiving it can take weeks to months. To fill this gap, Edgar founded a furniture brand that creates and delivers high quality custom sofas without the extended wait.Edgar offers a unique approach to the industry by growing in a construction family and learning the ins and outs as a manufacturer which led to his success as an entrepreneur.He recognizes the importance the internet has on giving businesses like his a platform without relying on big furniture retail stores.Sometimes in DTC, quick and efficient paves the wayBenchmade Modern stands out as an eCommerce furniture company that delivers custom products in an efficient time manner.The brand has experienced exponential growth by developing from a consumer need and offering personalized products that would not be available in large retail furniture stores.Edgar took an approach to achieving successful growth by getting his brand in the press early on to attract an audience. The brand has also derived from previous entrepreneurship opportunities that have all centered around listening to the needs of his consumers.Edgar recommends seeking honest investors and pushing through the highs and lows of developing a startup. Stay tuned as Edgar discusses unanticipated business experiences that helped to develop his brands and advice to the entrepreneurs. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Benchmade Modern’s Website: https://benchmademodern.com/Edgar Blazona’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgar-blazona

“A lot of product searches nowadays are happening on mobile, you want to make sure your navigation is really clean and easy to use.”@jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you're having trouble figuring out what to name a category, see what else is out there in the market, check out your competitors and see what product categories they're using.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:35] Structuring product categories [01:06] Levels of navigation for categories [02:23] The importance of having good search [03:15] How to research the market Simple tips when it comes to structuring product categoriesWhen attracting an audience to your brand's webpage, it is important to stay organized. One key way to do this is through efficiently structuring product categories so that your potential customers can find what they are looking for. One important idea to keep in mind is how to navigate this factor with the rise of mobile shopping. Stay tuned as we discuss three simple tricks to optimize product categorization and what to avoid . If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.

“It's the simple stuff that makes a difference and drives the needle. Talking to your customers, making sure you have open feedback channels, and knowing who your users are.” @jadesai94 #DTCPO“Content marketing, even though it's a longer term play, can build a brand and an audience and help you acquire customers in a way that's not dependent upon the customer acquisition cost.” @Ramone #DTCPOD“It doesn't just have to be your core product that you're generating all your revenue from.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You don't have to limit yourself to one product, a lot of people have expanded into other brands and have worked on other things as well” @jadesai94 #DTCPODThe DTC POD community is a hub of resources for founders to be able to learn from each other, grow a business faster, and not have to make errors that other people have already made.” @ramongberriosWe Speak About:[00:49] Host Jay and Ramon reflect on past episodes [03:12] A brand building resource [04:38] Having one product skew[07:39] Simple steps founders have used to drive sales [09:44] Creative customer engagement strategies founders have initiated [11:06] Unique ways to enable revenue growth[12:29] Expanding to other brands [13:50] How the DTC podcast has evolved We’re celebrating 100 episodes of the DTC POD by reflecting on key brand growth strategies from foundersReflecting back on previous episodes, there are many creative and innovative techniques founders have used to build their successful brand. Jay and Ramon discuss these techniques and their greatest learnings from these founders.Key takeaways, such as focusing on the simple steps to drive revenue and what it means to only have one product skew, are discussed. Stay tuned as Jay and Ramon dive into a few founder’s marketing strategies that helped them to build their brand. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.

“The program allows these tastemakers and insiders, which are essentially macro and micro-influencers, to create their own storefront for West Elm.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The ambassadors get early access to product launches and catalogs, giving them the ability to add new items to their shops.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“This is an interesting idea, to set up some sort of ambassador program that gives your influencers the ability to select what matches their personal preferences.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:08] Background of West Elm collective [02:54] West Elm’s unique ambassador program[03:44] Unpacking West Elm’s new influencer marketing strategy [04:44] Where to find the West Elm collectionsWest Elm’s new approach to an ambassador program and influencer marketing Product promotion is a fundamental factor for brand growth, and West Elm’s new strategy might be one of the best ones out there.There are unlimited ways for a brand to exercise creativity while bringing awareness to their product, and one common technique to drive revenue is through influencers.West Elm has taken a new approach to this by creating an ambassador program where anyone can apply to be an influencer, and if approved, each individual can create their own store front. This approach not only personalizes the brand, but also attracts a wider audience that may have a preference for one influencer’s collection over another’s. Stay tuned as we dive deeper into West Elm’s innovative marketing strategy and how this technique can be used to drive traffic . If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:West Elm Collective Landing Page: https://www.westelm.com/shop/collaborations/we-collective/More on West Elm’s new program: https://www.modernretail.co/retailers/west-elm-is-launching-a-new-influencer-network/

“Community is everything, that's absolutely shaped the way that I approach eCommerce brands.” @pug #DTCPOD“Managing one brand and managing six brands actually doesn't mean that it's six times as hard as long as you're able to follow the same framework and systems.” @pug #DTCPOD“My background as an influencer helped me understand how to make content as a brand.” @pug #DTCPOD“If a secret is the only thing that's keeping my business afloat, then I'm standing on weak ground.” @pug #DTCPOD“Make sure that you can stretch the lifetime value or increase the chance of customers coming back so you don't have to spend money acquiring them all over again. That's how you survive.” @pug #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:02] Jason introduces himself and Wonghaus [01:59] How Jason got his career started[04:38] The importance of community [06:40] Tools and resources to identify and learn about your target audience [09:13] How to use influencers to locate your audience and increase promotion[12:02] The creation behind Wonghaus [14:25] Jason’s process for developing and expanding products [16:13] Important factors for driving sales [18:31] Sharing knowledge to other founders through Shopify [22:08] Leveraging tiktok for brand growth[25:36] Tiktok’s unique algorithm for attracting an audience [31:57] additional projects Jason has worked on[35:57] What’s next for Wonghause and where to find Jason Wong onlineBuilding a brand starts with the community Jason Wong, entrepreneur and managing partner of Wonghaus, joins the POD to give some insight on the venture studio and strategies for building a brand.Wonghaus is a brand incubator focusing on creating solutions for eCommerce merchants.Jason recognizes that an important component of brand promotion is creating a community for your product and understanding how to market to that community. A beneficial approach for brand development is suggested by first creating products derived from a solution to a problem, and then from there engage in market research. Virtual strategies for eCommerce brand promotion Wonghaus is a fast growing venture studio helping brands in the consumer space, and one of jason’s many marketing projectsJason’s incentive for creating Wonghaus was to create more companies, with the idea in mind that following the same framework and systems for each brand is the key to managing them all successfully. Jason discusses how to locate the right influencers for your brand through their audience composition and affinity, and how to optimize this strategy to create brand recognition and audience attraction. TikTok’s unique algorithm that differentiates it from other media platforms in attracting consumers is also discussed.Stay tuned as Jason shares additional projects he is working on and important tips from these experiences. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Wonghaus’s website: https://www.wonghaus.com/Jason Wong’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pug/

“When we're talking about break-even ROAS, the real importance comes into mind when you're comparing it to your actual return on ad spend.” @JayAtSwpely #DTCPOD“When the break-even ROAS number and the ROAS number are very close together, that means that you might have a better chance of profitability.” @JayAtSwpely #DTCPOD“Discounts can be really helpful for achieving ROAS goals. But be careful because they can also increase what you need to break even.” @jadesai #DTCPOD“Product customization or monogramming can help boost brand loyalty.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“A lightly discounted bundle of complementary products can boost your average order value.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:57] Defining ROAS[02:34] How to calculate your break-even ROAS [04:34] The importance of discounts[06:14] Tips to maximize your ROAS and reach your break-even ROAS doesn’t always paint the full picture, so make sure you check break even ROAS tooWhen building a business, there are many strategies to measure success. The strategy discussed in this episode is break-even ROAS, which gives a business an idea of what their margins are and return on dollars spent. To make money you have to spend money, and it is important for businesses to measure costs against return value to examine how to maximize profits. Stay tuned as we discuss how to calculate discounts into your break-even ROAS, and other techniques to increase returns on dollars spent. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on break-even ROAS: https://marketerhire.com/blog/how-to-calculate-roas

“Having a quiz to connect with your customers on site has become almost an essential part of the shopping experience.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“You're collecting key insights about your customers with every question you ask and then using that to create personalized recommendations and personalized future engagements.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“Quizzes are an opportunity to increase AOV because you have people purchasing more than maybe they would if they were just cruising through your website and happened to find that one single product.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“An advantage of using a quiz is having personalized emails, SMS, and Facebook messenger messages that you send to customers to bring them back, and to engage with them again.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“Based on the information that you've collected through a quiz, you can be strategic about the questions you ask to get that information, you've learned so much about who your customers are to create this full profile of every single one of them.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:04] Tina introduces herself and Octane AI [02:17] The development process of Octane AI[04:34] The different types of quizzes and the benefits it builds for a brand[06:24] How the tool collects insight and offers personal engagement for customers [09:59] Marketing strategies to optimize the consumer quiz experience[13:26] How quizzes maximize AOV [15:36] what strategies work best for cross and up-selling [17:44] How quizzes create an informed and personal brand [23:28] Additional brand value [25:33] How and when to implement a quiz in the customer journey [28:16] Creative ways to introduce personalized products [30:49] Where to find Tina Donati and Octane AI onlineIf you want to build a strong brand, you need build strong relationships with customers (and use quizzes!)Tina Donati, content marketing manager of Octane AI, joins the POD to give some insight on the business, and the creative value quizzes can add to your brand . Octane AI is an all-in-one platform for quizzes, messenger, SMS, and opt-ins that powers a personalized cross-channel experience. Tina recognizes that when it comes to building a brand, knowledge about your customers and personal engagement are key components for customer retention and brand growth.To provide this experience, Tina is part of a team that focuses on developing this value for businesses. An approach to gaining these key components is through quizzes. Offering a customer quiz on the brand website provides useful information to the brand and creates an engaged experience for the customer. Tina recognizes the importance of this, and Octane AI has developed a shop quiz platform that businesses can use.In DTC, you need to find unique ways to add value to the customer experiencePersonalized quizzes can be great for optimizing the customer experience and driving brand affinity. Quizzes can act as product recommenders and virtual assistants, adding value to the customer experience as they lead them to personalized products and create cross-selling. This in return may lead to an increased AOV.Tina addresses the types of quizzes and how to utilize them to create an engaged consumer. Further brand opportunities are discussed through marketing strategies with quizzes.Stay tuned as Tina discusses the post-purchase process and lifetime value tips when integrating a shopping quiz. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Tina Donati’s email: [email protected] Donati’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-donati-61Octane AI’s website: https://www.octaneai.com/

“Values matter a lot and people sniff through false values. If you're a sustainable brand partner with sustainable brands. If you are a clean beauty brand partner with other brands that actually speak to your mission.” @connersherline #DTCPOD“I like thinking about my influencer strategy with the micro-influencers mostly, and then plugging in a few strategic macros that we create a longer-term relationship with.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPOD“As it becomes easier and easier to create products or offer classes or sell content, the relationship that you build with your customer is going to be the biggest key.” @LukasThoms #DTCPOD“The main thing is just listening to our customers, who already love your products and asking them what they want to see next.” @jazyfent #DTCPOD“If you have good people and the position is not working, recognize if they bring value to the company, then figure out how to make it work in another position.” @irleslie #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:57] Advice on brand partnerships[02:21] Influencer marketing and strategies [03:56] The importance of building customer relationships[05:41] The benefits of customer feedback [07:14] Paying attention to the inner workings of a business We’re recapping some of the best tips from DTC and eCommerce leadersThere are many strategies the businesses take on when building a successful brand.These strategies can range anywhere from product promotion to customer retention, all sharing a common goal of building a successful business. Many companies take different approaches to gaining brand awareness, and learning tips and tricks from numerous companies is a beneficial component to building your own brand.Stay tuned as we discuss important tips from previous episodes, and what key strategies led these companies to the success they have today. From leaders of 8-figure brands to eCommerce influencers and more.If you missed part 2, you can access it here! If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Podcast with Conner Sherline on brand collaborations: https://trend.io/blog/brand-partnerships-collaborationPodcast with Amanda Goetz on using influencers for SMBs: https://trend.io/blog/early-stage-smb-influencer-marketingPodcast with Lukas Thoms on brand storytelling: https://trend.io/blog/design-brand-storytellingPodcast with Jaz Fenton on hero products: https://trend.io/blog/hero-products-rebranding-yellow-beautyPodcast with Ian Leslie on lessons from a CMO at a 10-figure brand: https://trend.io/blog/industry-west-b2b-dtc-sales

“Our hypothesis was if we can really give content a shot and really invest in content marketing for a couple of months, maybe that can be our competitive moat.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“The way I look at retail is ‘if we're not on the aisle in the broth and stock section, then we're going to lose market share’.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“I think the key thing is to remember, is our marketing plan is just a plan and plans change constantly. It's important for us to be flexible to where, as we see opportunity, we're able to jump on it.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“We try to leverage our experience on the performance marketing side to get what we need from the retail side.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“Our core channels from the early stages were influencer and affiliate marketing and they are still core channels for us today.” @JVMeredith #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:15] Backstory on Trend’s personal connection to Kettle & Fire [02:30] About Jack and Kettle & Fire[05:00] Kettle & Fire’s unique content marketing approach[06:00] Why Jack and his team invested heavily in content and the results that followed[10:15] Kettle & Fire’s Facebook ads approach with a consumable good[12:50] How retail plays into Kettle & Fire’s marketing strategy [15:25] Jack’s approach to setting KPIs for Kettle & Fire[17:20] Trying to attribute and get data on retail sales[19:50] Key metrics for retail sales[22:55] How Kettle & Fire nailed their first retail experience[25:40] The channel Kettle & Fire used while warming up SEO[28:05] How Jack does influencer and affiliate marketing[33:20] What’s next for Kettle & Fire?The scrappy marketing that grew Kettle & Fire into an 8-figure brandJack Meredith, VP of Marketing at Kettle & Fire joins the POD to talk about their unique approach to marketing and growth that’s turned the brand into a retail and DTC star.Kettle & Fire is a brand that has created the first 100% grass-fed, shelf-stable beef bone broth.When Kettle & Fire started, they didn’t have a ton of money resources to grow the brand. So instead, they turned to content and influencer marketing.Content has been a huge growth lever for Kettle & Fire. Today, the brand ranks at the top for hundreds of keywords that creates a great funnel for customers.Jack and his team have taken an almost B2B-like approach for content marketing and it’s paid off big time.Tracking performance is key to growing a brand, even when data is hard to come byContent and influencer marketing aren’t the only growth levers for Kettle & Fire though.As the brand has grown, paid ads and retail have become a large source of growth for the business.Opening up the retail channel specifically has yielded huge returns for the business. Jack sees it as a way to complement the online strategy.Even though retail data is hard to come by, the brand is constantly trying to use their learnings in performance marketing to track performance in retail better.Stay tuned as Jack breaks down all of the channels Kettle & Fire uses for marketing, how they’ve mastered retail, and the exact KPIs the brand uses to grow.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Kettle and Fire’s website: https://www.kettleandfire.com/Jack’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/JVMeredithJack’s DTC playbooks: https://www.dtcplaybooks.com/

“Pinterest is a great opportunity to be able to direct traffic to where you want it to go.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“About 97% of the top pinterest searches are unbranded, this gives brands a huge opportunity to engage with customers who are planning future buying decisions” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Pinterest is a great way to build a community and educate customers.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODPinterest isn't just a great place for static image content, videos can also highlight your brand and the product functionality ” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:53] Pinterest as a user-generated platform[01:21] How to promote products through the shopping experience [02:11] Utilizing pinterest to direct traffic[03:37] Pinterest marketing tools and techniques [05:10] Well-established brands on pinterest[05:46] The analytic benefitsOften forgotten, Pinterest can be a great place to grow your brandProduct promotion is the first step to building a successful brand, and this element can be accomplished in various unique ways.Many brands take to Facebook and Instagram to engage with potential consumers, but there’s an underlooked platform with a high rate of users - Pinterest.Pintrerst is a popular social media outlet known for its creative user-generated content, and its development as a purchase point to connect users with brands.Not only can this platform be utilized to inform users of your product, it's also a beneficial resource that provides feedback on competitors. Stay tuned as we discuss key strategies for marketing on Pinterest and additional components to increase brand value through this platform. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Key Pinterest stats: https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31147/the-ultimate-guide-to-mastering-pinterest-for-marketing.aspxBrands with great Pinterest strategy: https://later.com/blog/brands-on-pinterest/How to build your own Pinterest strategy: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/nail-pinterest-marketing-pinterest-ads

“We had another launch within the first hour. We did one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of sales and then we sold out.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“You're either going to pay with your time or you're going to pay with your money to the big platforms.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“People that like the same product love to be validated in their choices, and when you gather everybody together in a VIP group, they're validating each other.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“A great way to get feedback is by running post purchase surveys.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“Build that gathered community where people can talk back and forth among themselves and create something bigger than you could create by just advertising to them.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:09] Jordan introduces himself and Mindful Marketing [05:42] How minimal advertising became profitable [07:07] How having a VIP Facebook group led to higher sales[12:46] The strategy for obtaining initial users [14:18] Sustainable group growth[15:53] How to run a successful product launch while building an audience [17:06] How gathering consumers together generates brand buzz[18:44] Utilizing post-purchase surveys [21:00] Mixing up the product launch strategy[22:22] Strategies for increasing customer lifetime value[24:32] The benefits of utilizing consumer generated content [26:46] Tips on how to grow and scale your business [28:08] Where to find Mindful Marketing, and Jordan West onlineHow one brand supercharges growth with a Facebook GroupJordan West, agency owner of Mindful Marketing and co-owner of Little and Lively clothing, joins the POD to give some insight on the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, marketing strategy, and customer retention. Mindful Marketing is a digital marketing service aimed to help businesses find customers. This company derived out of the strategies that were used to market his own clothing company, Little and Lively.Jordan recognizes that when it comes to brand promotion, product launches are a valuable way to generate business and increase profit. To initiate this marketing strategy, Jordan produces gated and ungated launches to keep customers excited and ready. A beneficial approach was taken by utilizing a VIP Facebook group to centralize customers, which has created a platform for customer feedback and consumer generated content. This entail has led to higher profits. Jordan values the feedback from his consumers, and knows that building a loyal following is a key strategy for building a brand.Sometimes in DTC, let the people do the talkingMindful Marketing stands out as an online service agency that was created to help others grow a business, by using marketing experience from their own clothing company. Jordan takes a unique approach to achieving successful growth by limiting costly advertising and benefiting from consumer generated content.The brand favors a VIP Facebook group, which has given customers a platform to promote and provide feedback on products as well as get premium access to gated product launches and limited offers.Jordan recommends continually developing new products and to establish a goal with your advertising besides driving straight purchases. Stay tuned as Jordan discusses how building a gathered community creates profit and additional techniques to promote products . If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Mindful Marekting’s website: https://mindfulmarketing.co/sales/-launch-checklistJordan West’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jordan-west-marketer

“Native deodorant went from zero to selling for $100M in 2.5 years.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“It's important to have sustainable growth. Sometimes businesses die from not having enough customers and sometimes businesses die from having way too many customers at once.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Nail down that product and provide a really good experience and a really good product that people are going to repurchase from, before you think about expanding your line.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You have to focus on where you are getting the most money from time spent, per dollar spent and how you can double down and grow and scale that channel. ” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The big points from this growth story are standing out from the crowd with a bold message, really understanding your customers and building your business in a way that builds repeatable business.” @jadesai #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:56] How focusing in on profitable purchases led to high customer retention [01:48] Curating meaningful hero products[02:51] The benefits of modifying a product through customer feedback[04:26] The importance of sustainable growth[05:27] Marketing strategies that led to strong brand retention [07:00] How deep customer understanding can drive more product usage [07:59] Key points in Native’s growth story In DTC, brand growth starts with listening to the people Customer retention is a key strategy that leads to brand growth, but this element is not as simple as it soundsSo how do you create a meaningful product that will build the brand and accumulate repeat purchases? Native Deodorant mastered just this by reaching an exponential brand growth in only two-and-a-half years with a 50% retention rate. The strategy for building such a successful business in a small period of time includes valuing every customer feedback and using this info to make their product better. Stay tuned as we discuss when to expand your brand and when to not, and additional key points for promoting repeat purchases. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.

“We focused on making a skin care brand that would make the process of buying and using skin care itself simple, fun and engaging for men” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“We didn't hire a design firm. We didn't hire a marketing firm. We didn't hire content firms. We did everything ourselves.” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“We did a better job ourselves in the end, just by learning the ins and outs and no one cares as much as you do.” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“If we're trying something we've never done before our risk tolerance is high because it's worth it to find out if that works.” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“Through iterating and talking to our customers and learning, we've been able to figure out exactly what they want and we've been able to continue that.” @SLewkowict #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:01] Sam introduces himself and Black Wolf[02:41] How Black Wolf became a business opportunity[03:59] The independent and affordable strategy that caused exponential brand growth[06:16] Elements of sophistication that added value to the brand[09:11] An unanticipated additional business opportunity that derived from Black Wolf[11:35] Prioritizing customer experience and marketing for sustained growth[13:46] The importance of doing it yourself[16:43] When to take risks with the marketing strategy[19:09] The company’s successful approach for achieving customer retention[23:03] Building a brand through customer feedback[25:17] Advice to direct-to-consumer brands[28:16] What’s next for Black Wolf and where to find the brand, and Sam LewkowictHow Black Wolf targeted an underserved audience and gained exponential growth Sam Lewkowict, Co-founder and CEO of Black Wolf, joins the POD to give some insight on the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, marketing strategy, and how the brand got started. Black Wolf is a cosmetic brand targeted towards men, focused on being simple and effective.Sam recognized that when it comes to skincare, men are often uninformed and left with limited options and ineffective products. To fill this gap, Sam and his brother developed a skincare brand for men and focused intently on customer feedback for further development.A unique approach was taken by handling finances and operations independently, without hiring an outside firm to help in design and marketing. All investments went into ads, and this strategy led to higher profits. Sam recognizes that no one cares about your brand as much as you do and that doing the hard work yourself is an opportunity to better yourself and your company. Sometimes in DTC, it pays to not payBlack Wolf stands out as an eCommerce skincare company that caters to men with simple, effective, and reliable products. The brand has experienced continuous sustained growth by prioritizing customer feedback to improve their products and marketing the brand themselves. Sam takes a unique approach to achieve successful growth by limiting costly outside parties and handling product, production, and promotion independently. The brand has fostered further entrepreneurship opportunities through the founder's policy of doing it yourself.Sam recommends seeking advice from honest investors and pushing through adverse feedback if you truly believe in your brand. Stay tuned as Sam discusses how Black Wolf fostered customer retention and why doing it yourself may lead to higher profits. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Black Wolf website: https://blackwolfnation.com/Sam Lewkowict’s twitter: https://twitter.com/SLewkowict

“A marketing calendar can help drive revenue and create the structure for how you want to grow.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Product releases are a great way to drive an extra event and you can manufacture this moment.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Having more moments is a good way to help grow revenue during those off months or areas where you might be running standard ads throughout the year.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you're working with creators or influencers, those are moments where you can double down and really put together more creative pieces of content at once. ” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The more kind of moments you can create, the more personalized it feels towards your audience, towards your brand story, the more effective those events are going to be.” @jadesai #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:52] How to manufacture moments to drive revenue growth[02:30] Differentiating the marketing calendar through product releases [03:29] Utilizing cultural moments to promote brand growth[04:05] How personalizing moments increase brand value[05:11] Integrating PR hits and influencers [06:10] The benefits of adding additional moments for peaks in revenue [07:02] Tools and techniques for creating content Marketing calendars are an essential strategy for sustainable revenue growth Hosting events is a marketing strategy most companies conduct to promote brand awareness and revenue growth, and these promotional efforts typically occur twice a year.So how do you manufacture moments to create the most growth? Additional ways to further this promotional effort are through product releases and utilizing cultural moments.Personalizing these events to your brand story creates additional value that may lead to peaks in revenue.Stay tuned as we discuss how to add value to an eCommerce Calendar, integrating influencers and PR hits into creating content, and the tools and techniques to help event promotion. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Build a marketing calendar with more revenue peaks: https://commonthreadco.com/blogs/coachs-corner/ecommerce-marketing-calendarDemonstration of how to think of your eCommerce marketing calendar: https://youtu.be/zBW9NCJ9ttM

“There's no ideal or perfect founder background. It's a collection of different experiences that ultimately bubble into a skill set that arms you to be strong in certain categories” @matt.mullenax #DTCPOD“We preach efficiency across everything that we do from supply chain to marketing to hiring.” @matt.mullenax #DTCPOD“We're trying to better serve the consumer who's been historically underserved for quite some time.” @matt.mullenax #DTCPOD“People are digging into the why behind brands, identifying the personality of brands and the personas who make up these brands. What exists behind the scenes people seem to be a lot more interested in and it gives us more runway” @irleslie #DTCPOD“You have to find some time to do the things that will keep you going for the long run.” @matt.mullenax #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:48] Matt introduces himself and Huron[06:38] How the brand developed and differentiated to cater to its target audience [09:18] Past experience that has driven brand strategy [12:36] Product positioning for an underserved market[15:12] Curating a marketing strategy through brand persona [17:14] The importance of risk mitigation [18:48] How positive feedback turned brand testing into brand growth [20:19] The fundraising strategy [22:59] Advice to DTC founders [25:35] Where to find Huron and Matt Mullenax onlineBringing a DTC brand to an underserved marketMatt Mullenax, co-founder and CEO of Huron, joins the POD to give some insight about his skincare company’s growth and marketing strategies.Huron is a hair and skincare business catered towards men in a direct-to-consumer market. Matt saw the beauty industry as a market underserved towards men, and developed products to better serve their needs. He developed his products by forming a strong persona around his brand that derived from his own personal struggle with discovering effective skin and hair care products.Huron’s differentiation and eCommerce product strategyHuron stands out as a high quality and affordable skin and hair care brand catered towards men. It is an eCommerce company paving its way in the beauty industry.Matt noticed a disconnect between men and the beauty industry and created a brand to fill that gap. From packaging to effective formulas, the products are designed to meet the needs of a growing consumer. Matt talks about how creating a brand persona is a leading factor in Huron’s marketing strategy, and offers advice to other DTC businneses on how to build a successful company. Stay tuned as Matt discusses Huron’s marketing strategy and growth through the growing men’s skincare market. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Huron’s website: https://usehuron.com/Huron’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usehuron/Matt Mullenax’s email: [email protected] Matt Mullenax’s instagram:instagram.com/matt.mullenax/

“User-generated video has become even more popular thanks to TikTok and Instagram Reels.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“When you use video, you’re able to tell a better story than you would be able to with images.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Video editing tools for beginners has really improved over the past few years making UGV an inexpensive form of content to produce.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Social monitoring can be a great starting point for finding user-generated video that already exists.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The emotional approach is going to get people to buy regardless of whatever the price, convenience or product is.” @jadesai #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:20] Why user-generated video?[01:25] Stats on performance of UGV [02:00] User-generated video might be better than user-generated images[03:05] UGVs growth with consumers[03:20] Platforms and tools that support user-generated video[04:25] How to generate UGV[05:10] Who to use in user-generated video[05:30] UGV contests[06:05] Working with creators for user-generated videoUser-generated video might be the secret to unlocking better performance If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million words.Today’s best DTC brands are using video to convert even more customers and complement the customer journey.Thanks to advances in software, it’s easier than ever for customers and creators to make high-quality videos (and edit them too!). That gives brands who use video a big advantage when it comes to selling customers.Video how-tos, product unboxing, and more are all expected from consumers today.Stay tuned as we discuss the benefits of using video, what types of videos to produce, and where to get content.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on UGV: https://trend.io/blog/user-generated-video-content

“That's the beauty of Pinterest. You don't have to spend a lot. It's a very, very low spend platform.” @lynnpowered #DTCPOD“Out of all the social platforms there are, Pinterest is the one that has the most empathy and the most positivity.” @lynnpowered #DTCPOD“There's lots of things you can do with no money, unpaid social being an obvious one and creating your own content.” @lynnpowered #DTCPOD“And then partnerships. That's the other thing you can do, which costs nothing. We have partnered with a bunch of like minded brands, other clean beauty brands, other luxury brands, other female founded brands.” @lynnpowered #DTCPOD“We're all about sustainability. We make products that are good for you and good for the environment.” @lynnpowered #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:11] Lynn introduces herself and MASAMI[02:55] How the brand got started [06:31] Utilizing Pinterest to build brand awareness[09:08] Navigating Pinterest as a developing social commerce tool[11:49] Digital marketing techniques to promote product purchase[13:54] How the brand progressed to paid advertising [16:11] Content creation mechanisms to foster brand growth[19:55] The benefits of promoting brand through Pinterest[24:23] Additional social media strategies to build the brand[27:00] How partnerships can add value to a brand[28:50] How MASAMI used Pinterest to help promote giveaways [30:31] Future of MASAMI and its growth[31:05] Where to find MASAMI onlineHow MASAMI built a brand awareness channel with PinterestLynn Power, co-founder and CEO of MASAMI, joins the POD to share a little bit about the haircare’s marketing strategies and utilizing Pinterest to foster brand awareness.MASAMI is a premium hair care line with a unique ingredient and clean formulation, promoting brand recognition through partnerships and social media platfroms. However, the co-founder and CEO saw Pinterest as an underused advertising source, and used this platform to create brand awareness and test different types of content forms.Tapping into user-generated content and product content to growMASAMI stands out in the beauty industry by promoting sustainable and clean beauty products. While differentiating through a unique ingredient, Mekabu, MASAMI promotes this quality through their many channels.MASAMI has tapped into the online media platforms as their main source of brand promotion; However, Lynn took this a step further by using Pinterest as a social commerce tool. Pinterest offers a different perspective for brand recognition, and this community provides insight into MASAMI’s products while merging with other media platforms to create a purchase point. Lynn recommends partnerships as another advertising technique that can add value to your brand. This is a technique MASAMI uses to support other start up businesses and add value to its own.Stay tuned as Lynn discusses how MASAMI uses social media platforms in a unique way to advertise their brand and gain a following. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:MASAMI’s website: https://www.loveMASAMI.com/MASAMI’s Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/loveMASAMIhair/Mamai’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/loveMASAMIhair/

“When you're building your loyalty program, make sure and focus your efforts on understanding what drives loyalty for your customers.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“When you're thinking about your rewards and loyalty program, tie it back to business objectives.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Points might be more effective for targeting spending habits and engagement, while discounts might be a good way to get people to purchase a new product.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You need to educate customers on your brand story or leverage inner purchase engagement to drive repeat purchases” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The emotional approach is going to get people to buy regardless of whatever the price, convenience or product is.” @jadesai #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:50] How loyalty programs help to compete in big markets[01:55] The importance of tailoring loyalty programs to the customer [03:42] Factors to consider when building a loyalty program[05:31] The three different types of loyalty programs[06:39] The transactional approach and the brands that benefit [07:35] The benefits of a functional approach and what brands it is tailored towards [08:58] The perks of an emotional approach and what goals it accomplishes Loyalty programs provide a competitive edge that cater to specific brand goals Today, there are hundreds of DTC brands competing in product types. Not to mention most brands have to also compete with retailers and Amazon.So how do you foster brand recognition and preference? One way to successfully attract and retain customers is through loyalty programs. There are three major types of loyalty programs, all catered towards different business objectives. Getting customers to repurchase and prefer your brand is extremely important for a business. Loyalty programs foster these activities and provide brand growth. Stay tuned as we discuss how to build a loyalty program, the types of approaches, and which approach is right for you. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on loyalty programs: https://www.yotpo.com/direct-to-consumer-loyalty-playbook/

“A consumer's attention is a finite resource. Make sure you do the most with the time you have with them.” @alliareed #DTCPOD“Reddit is a wonderful tool for research, for tapping into that community and getting a finger on feedback for a product.” @alliareed #DTCPODI didn't spend any money on marketing or advertising of any kind for the first three years. So it was 100% organic growth.” @alliareed #DTCPOD“On Instagram, I shared the science that I was discovering behind the research, and it was something that you couldn't really get anywhere else because there weren't a lot of people manufacturing cosmetics live.” @alliareed #DTCPOD“I think there is a unique challenge in selling direct to consumer skincare in that if you're selling fashion, you can like how it looks. Skincare isn’t something you can necessarily convey digitally. ” @alliareed #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:53] Alli introduces herself and Stratia [03:21] How Stratia became an unanticipated entrepreneurship opportunity[04:14] Previous work experience that helped shape the marketing strategy for Stratia[06:57] Utilizing Reddit as a foundation for building the brand [10:37] How the brand stays an active part of the consumer community [12:05] How the marketing mix has altered as the brand has progressed[14:16] The social media platforms that enabled early product growth [15:38] Growth strategies on Instagram that differentiated the brand[18:30] The unique approach for promoting through TikTok [20:19] Challenges faced with differentiating the brand through social media[22:30] How to avoid common mistakes when building a business [24:04] Industry networking for Stratia Skincare[25:30] What’s next for Stratia and where to find Stratia Skincare, and Alli Reed onlineHow Reddit helped launched Stratia skincare from hobby into full-time jobAlli Reed, Owner of Stratia Skincare, joins the POD to give some insight on the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, marketing strategy, and how the brand got started. Stratia Skincare is a cosmetic brand focused on being affordable and effective that started off on Reddit and exponentially grew.Alli had no expectations of the product developing into a large entrepreneurship opportunity; However, the product grew a natural following and boomed from there. No marketing or advertising expenses were involved for the first three years of production. Brand growth was fostered by positive reviews and word of mouth. Product growth transitioned the marketing mix and sales coming from reddit have extended to other platforms. As the business has grown it has now saturated credit markets.Alli recognizes that Stratia is an authentic cosmetic company that will continue to grow, as direct- to-consumer companies are gaining more attention due to COVID-19 increasing online shopping.Sometimes in DTC, it pays to market differentlyStratia Skincare stands out as an eCommerce cosmetic company that delivers simple, effective, and affordable products. The brand further differentiates itself by providing the science behind the ingredients in their products and sharing this knowledge with their consumers. A large percentage of their business now comes from instagram, and Alli is now utilizing TikTok to further the brand’s growth.Alli takes a unique approach of showing how knowledge based the brand is and the level of research involved, through social media platforms. Alli recommends seeking advice from established companies in the industry you are getting into to avoid simple mistakes. Stay tuned as Alli discusses how Stratia Skincare has grown from a small hobby into a successful business. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Stratia Skincare website: https://www.stratiaskin.com/Stratia Skincare instagram: https://instagram.com/stratiaskin/ Stratia Skincare TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stratiaskin/Alli Reed’s email: [email protected]

“Brand exclusives and community go hand-in-hand for brands. You need a great offer to get customers in your community.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Communities can be brand-owned or not brand-owned. It just depends on the bandwidth you have.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you decide to create a brand-owned community, build it where your audience is. Don’t just build it on Facebook because it’s Facebook.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Communities can be a great source of product feedback. They can tell you what new products they want next too.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Make sure to have a qualification process on how to decide when customers can enter your exclusive community.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:45] Driving community and how it relates to exclusives[01:30] Benefits to offer to your community[02:40] Brands that do a great job with exclusives and community[04:45] Brand-owned communities vs non-brand owned communities[05:05] Companies that have brand-owned communities[06:35] How to build brand-owned communities[08:55] Advantages of building communities[11:05] What you need to run a communityBrand communities - it’s time to start building one if you haven’tEverybody knows the power of community. So why is it that some brands don’t invest in it?Brand communities can be a powerful tool when done right. They can be great sources of feedback, recurring revenue, and even reduce support tickets.A good community feeds off of each other and acts like an extra employee and a super customer, spreading the word about your brand and buying up a lot of products.Communities can be either brand-owned or not brand-owned. There’s no right or wrong choice between the two. They are just different.To get people to buy into your community though, you might need to sweeten your offerStay tuned as we discuss where to build communities, what’s a brand-owned community, brands that are crushing community, and more.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Great DTC brand communities: https://socialladderapp.com/2020/02/11/4-dtc-brand-communities-we-love/Steps to build online communities: https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/online-communities/#7-steps-for-building-an-online-community

“The more you’re able to provide DTC type tools on a B2B scale, you’ll be better off and have a leg up.” @irleslie #DTCPOD“Where we differentiate is a lot of small things that add up to people wanting to be a part of our brand.” @irleslie #DTCPOD“What makes us unique is that we really don’t have to segment by “office-desk chairs” because we’re not traditional office furniture.” @irleslie #DTCPOD“We never have a lack of data. I think what's tough for us is to really extrapolate what's the important data and what's the actionable data points.” @irleslie #DTCPOD“If you have good people and the position is not working, recognize if they bring value to the company, then figure out how to make it work in another position.” @irleslie #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:00] Ian introduces himself and Industry West[02:10] How Industry West became grew a DTC channel after focusing on B2B[04:06] B2B verticals versus eCommerce[06:00] How Industry West stands out with quality, curation, and sales support[08:00] Curating the catalog with the CEO for cool, cost-effective products[10:10] Importance of retaining acquired customers[12:20] Insight into traditional versus eCommerce sales cycles in the furniture industry[14:45] How Industry West targets customers online[18:00] The data, tools, and metrics used to track financials of advertising and sales[21:00] Value of having the right people and an eCommerce director[24:30] eCommerce tools that improve conversion rates[27:15] Future of Industry West and its growth[28:25] Where to find Industry West, Favor, and Ian Leslie onlineBringing a B2B furniture store to eCommerceIan Leslie, CMO of Industry West, joins the POD to share a little bit about the eCommerce furniture company’s growth and marketing strategies.Industry West is a furniture retailer with bold designs for modern living that started off on the B2B side. However, the founder and CEO saw the need for an eCommerce play in their industry. This allowed Industry West to connect directly and quickly with interior designers to support B2B furniture needs.Only five years ago, Industry West became more residential and consumer focused, which has heightened because of COVID.Ian recognizes that B2B is a legacy vertical overall, but doesn’t tend to be eCommerce friendly. If the verticals adapt well, companies that are able to provide DTC tools on a B2B scale will have a leg up.Industry West’s differentiation and eCommerce toolsIndustry West stands out, not only as an eCommerce furniture company but also due to its quality of products, customer experience, and curated catalog. The process of choosing products starts with the CEO and is then collaboratively developed with the product development team. This is how Industry West finds quality products that are cost-effective. These products are typically sold in the furniture industry’s vertical through emails and customer calls. Industry West receives a large percentage of their business this way, and Ian understands that this segment of the market will always exist.Nevertheless, Industry West has seen growth in online sales as a result of digital tools and website development. Three tools that Ian Leslie recommends to measure KPIs are Nosto for e-Commerce personalization, Magento for business intelligence, and Google Analytics to track daily website traffic. Stay tuned as Ian discusses how Industry West has grown in a traditional B2B space as a DTC eCommerce platform. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Industry West’s website: https://www.industrywest.com/Favor’s website: https://infavorof.com/Ian Leslie’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/irleslie/

“The most common subscription model for eCommerce is a replenishment model. People receive new orders, every X months.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you’re able to move more customers to a subscription model, you start to operate more like a software business with recurring revenue.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Creating recurring revenue through subscriptions can help you forecast sales much better. Especially if you’re retaining those subscriptions.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“When you get customers to subscribe, you should focus on turning them into superfans.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Subscription models are often the fastest way to increase lifetime value for a customer.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:55] Different types of eCommerce subscription models[02:30] The perfect business model for subscription[03:15] High margins and subscription models[03:45] Some benefits of an eCommerce subscription model[04:55] Incentives for getting customers to subscribe[06:25] Ideas for turning subscribers into raving fans[08:15] Using subscription customers to optimize ad spend[08:55] Tools for running your subscription businesseCommerce subscription is your friend for increasing lifetime valueWe’ve all seen DTC and eCommerce brands ask to subscribe and save. But how do you run a subscription model that actually gets customers to subscribe?The first thing you’re going to need to successfully run a subscription model is a great business and great brand.Getting customers to subscribe is incredibly valuable to your business. When customers subscribe you don’t need to spend money reacquiring them and your lifetime value increases.To get more customers to subscribe, you are going to have to make an unbeatable offer. A good offer makes customers feel special and feel rewarded for subscribing.Stay tuned as we discuss what makes up the perfect business for subscription, some incentive ideas for your brand, and how to use subscribers to optimize ad spend.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Types of eCommerce subscription models: https://www.coredna.com/blogs/ecommerce-subscription-servicesDTC POD with Italic on access subscription model: https://trend.io/blog/founder-stories-jeremy-cai-italic

“We really invested in our formulations, which allowed us to scale because our products work and our return rate is less than one percent.” @itmebenji #DTCPOD“The space is becoming more crowded, but I view that as very validating and not something that keeps me up at night.” @itmebenji #DTCPOD“We made our facial cleansers in solid stick form, like a deodorant stick. We really took care and effort to make sure that our cleansing experience was pretty enjoyable.” @itmebenji #DTCPOD“We really started to find our stride and figure out how to speak to customers better. And that's what's allowed us to scale so quickly.” @itmebenji #DTCPOD“I took stock and thought about and reflected on that where society was heading and had a lot of conviction about skincare becoming a much bigger part of men's lives.” @itmebenji #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:50] Ben’s background in health and wellness[03:45] How and why Disco was created [07:45] Disco’s customer validation in a crowded market[13:20] Getting a “good handle” on an estimate of users[15:25] How Ben realized there is a growing market for men’s skincare[18:25] Branding and pricing standpoint to compete against drugstores, and big brands[21:20] Creating organic and UGC content to educate consumers and solve problems[25:15] Ben talks about the challenges of being a founder[28:20] Three steps to connect better with customers that were a turning point for Disco[31:20] How Disco educates their customers about skincare in post-purchase content[33:40] Where to find Disco on socials and the webStanding out in a crowded, yet growing marketBenjamin Smith, founder & CEO of Disco, joins the POD to talk about changing the standard for men’s skincare and the importance of customer validation.Disco is a science-backed skincare brand with a focus on product development for a growing market of men.Benjamin has always been invested in his own health and wellness, especially skincare. Growing up, a family friend and dermatologist who is now Disco’s medical advisor, taught him how to take care of his skin early on.Having a dermatologist on the Disco teams helps them create clean products with deliberately chosen ingredients.There’s a gold rush to capture the market share of men, and the skincare space is crowded, but Ben views this as validating. Having a unique brand and effective products, allows Disco to reach its target consumers.A founder’s perspective, the importance of listening to customersBen understands from experience the challenges of being a founder. From the launch to the middle of last year, Disco had a low conversion rate and couldn’t figure out how to acquire users properly. Ben even ran out of money a couple of times.Finally, in the summer of last year, Disco found its stride by learning how to speak to customers better. That’s what allowed them to scale so quickly, especially in the last six to seven months.The three actions Ben took for Disco to reach its recent turning point were adding a post-survey into the checkout process, reaching out to customers for feedback, and noticing patterns between the two. Post-purchase surveys had five different reasons why customers may have purchased Disco. This gave real data from customer responses to understand why people were actually buying.Reaching out to customers, Ben received valuable feedback about the website experience and the product that was similar to post-purchase survey responses. Ben learned Disco needed to acquire customers in a different way. That’s when they really had a product-market fit and started to grow. Stay tuned as Ben discusses how he validated Disco, how to scale an eCommerce brand fast, and how Disco is using content to grow.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned links:Disco’s Tik Tok account: www.tiktok.com/@letsdiscoDisco’s Instagram account: www.instagram.com/letsdiscoDisco website: www.letsdisco.com

“To address operating constraints created by free shipping, consider adjusting your offer to create efficiency for your business.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Sometimes you’ll see AOV dip with free shipping but that’s usually because of price points when consumers earn free shipping.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Even if your AOV falls, make sure to pay attention to other metrics like conversion rate to see the bigger picture.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Creating FOMO in regards to your shipping can be a great way to boost orders on certain days.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Don't let pushback from one-time purchasers impact your pricing strategy. Focus on building lifetime value and super fans.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:20] Heartland Bread’s price change to fit in free shipping[02:20] How free shipping affect Heartland Bread’s conversion rate[03:30] Impact of free shipping on order size[05:05] Free shipping effect on daily money intake[05:55] How free shipping affected Heartland Bread’s daily money intake[06:45] Heartland Bread’s decision to change shipping process[08:30] Customer reaction to price strategy change[09:55] How to A/B price strategy and free shipping changesIs free shipping something to consider for your brand?Free shipping. Everybody loves it. So why is it that some brands choose to pass shipping costs to customers?Is it because of logistics issues? Is something else?In this episode of the DTC POD, we dive into Heartland Bread’s decision to change its pricing strategy and offer free shipping for its customers.Based on the price of your product, free shipping is something you may or may not want to consider.If your product is less expensive, rolling shipping costs into the product could make your product too expensive for customers. If your product is more expensive, free shipping might be a no-brainer.Stay tuned as we discuss Heartland Bread’s previous pricing strategy, their new strategy with free shipping, and the effect it had on their business.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on Heartland Bread’s free shipping strategy: https://sendeats.com/blog/free-shipping/

“In Q1 of 2021, we spent $4,315 on Trend and made $51,194 from working with creators on Trend's platform.” Ashton Marshall #DTCPOD“We make sure and pick influencers who are aligned with our product and our target market.” Ashton Marshall #DTCPOD“At the end of the day, you need to create trust. That's the only way people are going to buy it from you.” Ashton Marshall #DTCPOD“Our Facebook group has about 2 million people in it. The reason it works so well is that the people in that group post content about their interests and support each other.” Ashton Marshall #DTCPOD“People miss out on many opportunities because they aren't as open-minded. If something doesn't work once, give it another shot in a more optimistic way.” Ashton Marshall #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:55] About Ashton and Mindful Health[05:10] Affiliate vs Influencer marketing[06:45] Growing brands and engaging audiences[11:20] Ashton learning and using influencer marketing[16:35 How Mindful Health drives results[18:05] Utilizing content to boost results[20:35] Ashton’s Facebook group with 2 million users[27:00] Remaining optimistic with your brand[28:10] What’s next for Mindful HealthWhen used right, influencers can 7x your revenue. Ashton Marshall, Affiliate Manager of Mindful Health, joins the POD to talk about the differences as well as the benefits of influencer marketing and working with creators. Mindful Health focuses on internal and external wellness, acquiring brands to promote and achieve their mission. In the podcast, Ashton not only discusses the benefits of influencers but also the benefits of a good affiliate strategy.Affiliate and Influencers are two different things that are often confused, but affiliate generally encompasses email and traffic. It is a lot easier to gauge specific traffic from affiliates, rather than through using influencers, and understand how much revenue can be generated. But when you combine spend with gut and analytics, influencer marketing can be much more lucrative than affiliate marketing sometimes.Influencer Marketing has shown to be a necessary strategy for Mindful Health. In the past, Ashton had little success working with influencers to grow the brand, especially Instagram. Using Trend has helped Ashton and Mindful Health with achieving more success with influencer marketing. Trend pre-vets influencers for brands. Pre-vetted influencers on Trend create better content and have more to offer to brands. This was key in Ashton's success with Trend. It is also important to understand and know your audience so that you can properly get the message across to them. Stay tuned as Ashton shares his experience as an affiliate manager and working with influencers for Mindful Health and how it has helped the brand growIf you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Mindful Health’s website: https://mindfulhealthlife.com/Mindful Health on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindfulhealth

“There are two components to going viral, either the product itself is viral or the creator or the person who uses it as viral.” @conorblewis #DTCPOD“I did most of my funding because I was sending out to eighty thousand people that I had nurtured and gotten to know personally. That is the power of generating a strong list and educating your customers.” @conorblewis #DTCPOD“Building a community was a really personal touch from the beginning where you need to nurture it as it grows.” @conorblewis #DTCPOD“You can make a product and put it out in a short amount of time if you're willing to learn and research. It’s about three things: making it, sourcing it and putting it out to get it validated.” @conorblewis #DTCPOD“Use all the free resources at your disposal to make that happen. For me, it was podcasts, books, a ton of online research.” @conorblewis #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:55] About Conor and FORT[02:25] FORT’s product development timeline[04:45] How FORT raised over $2 million on Kickstarter[10:55] Gamifying FORT’s marketing strategy[09:55] Creating virality with a product[12:00] Expanding reach while limiting advertising costs[19:40] FORT’s Kickstarter timeline[16:35] Building FORT’s online community[20:20] Using sustainable materials in your product[23:35] Advice for other founders[27:50] What’s next for FORTStrong research and product development lead to successful products. Conor Lewis, CEO and founder of FORT, joins the POD to talk about FORT’s successful crowdfunding campaign and strong Facebook community.His company FORT, sells magnetic pillow fort for children. Conor lost his job in April 2020 and started FORT soon after. The idea was one of many startup ideas on Conor's phone. FORT was developed in only a couple of months due to Conor’s push to develop a product fast. FORT already had a strong email list and community before deciding to crowdfund on Kickstarter. Building an online community and how to leverage it into a successful crowdfunding campaign. FORT gamified the sharing of their product, allowing them to expand their reach using their strong online community. Using a private Facebook group, Conor was able to build personal connections with his audience.He used the Facebook group as a way to get feedback on the idea of his product and answer questions personally to his audience. Because of the nurturing of this community, FORT’s Kickstarter campaign was able to raise over 2 million dollars in less than a day. Stay tuned as Conor shares his experience launching FORT on Kickstarter thanks to a strong online community. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Follow Conor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conorblewisFollow Conor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorblewis/FORT’s website: https://getthefort.com/FORT’s Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/conorblewis/fort-magnetic-pillow-fortFORT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/getthefort

“I love the idea of crowdfunding. I'm a huge community builder, super connector, and I love the idea of building an army of people who are fighting for us to succeed.” @cbm #DTCPOD“Our products can create a lot more intimacy and conversation. And I think it's a beautiful thing in a world that's increasingly digital to be in the physical product space.” @cbm #DTCPOD“And I think building interesting networks and online communities allow you to move a bit faster, even if the industry does not move at that pace.” @cbm #DTCPOD“There's an initial boom when you launch and then waves of booms with periods to mellow out. That’s how we've done a pretty good job at keeping that momentum going.” @cbm #DTCPOD“We post every day on Instagram. We're commenting on other people's posts. And I think that engagement is really important.” @cbm #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:20] About Courtney and AKUA[03:20] AKUA’s history in crowdfunding[07:15] Developing the initial Kelp Jerky product[10:55] The sustainability of using kelp[13:45] Courtney’s transition from tech to food[15:35] Building a community with your brand[19:40] Richard Branson’s testimony for AKUA[23:50] Advice for other founders[25:45] What’s next for AKUAProduct lines can be both sustainable and successful. Courtney Boyd Myers, CEO and co-founder of AKUA, joins the POD to talk about AKUA’s dedication to sustainable meat alternatives in the form of ocean-farmed Kelp. Courtney first learned about kelp through a friend, who runs a nonprofit dedicated to growing kelp farms, which started her interest in kelp. AKUA utilized crowdfunding to expose their product and build an online community surrounding their brand. Kelp is both a sustainable source of food, but it is extremely high in nutritional value. The Kelp Jerky was their first product, trying to start with a dried, shelf stable product for their customers and later expand into other meat alternatives. Building an online community is important in developing your brand. The transition from the tech industry to the food industry for Courtney. One of the biggest challenges was the differences in pace between tech and food, but building a community was essential to Courtney’s success. Creating a product was difficult for Courtney and she underestimated the product development timeline. She created a facebook group to foster growth and build the community for her brand. Timing is important and maintaining momentum with content is important to keeping the community engaged and invested in your product. Stay tuned as Courtney shares her experience launching her sustainable meat alternative using kelp as well as building a community through crowdfunding and creating meaningful content. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Follow Courtney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbm/AKUA’s website: https://akua.co/AKUA’s Republic Page: https://republic.co/akuaFollow AKUA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeakua/Follow AKUA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifeakua

“Make sure you tailor your offer to something that's personal to a customer or shopper.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“DTC brands are starting to look the same. We're going to start to see a shift in brand palettes this year.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Live streaming has really taken off in the past couple of years and will continue to take off.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The biggest thing that you can do is really understand how you can create demand - the messaging that you can do, the positioning, and the story that you can tell.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Don't limit yourself to only domestic sales if possible. Do some research on selling internationally. The international markets are a great way to grow.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:55] Offering a personalized experience[01:55] Trends in brand aesthetics[02:35] The growth of live streaming[04:50] DTC brands globalizing[07:00] The growth of social commerce[07:50] Payment via textBeing unique is one of the biggest trends for DTC brands in 2021.We’re covering some of the up-and-coming trends to look out for in DTC brands for the year. Tailoring your offer to something that's personal to a customer or someone that's interested in your product is key. Many DTC brands are beginning to look the same. We're going to see a little bit of that changing.That doesn't mean that you should just jump right into a rebrand. Making sure your product and your brand is unique in terms of messaging and positioning is one of the most important things to do in order to stand out. The use of technology has expanded the horizons for marketing in DTC brands, especially because of the pandemic. Expanding product markets internationally is another trend that has grown within the past year and might be a good way to grow. Social commerce has become really popular through apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and there's been a lot of moves towards that. More and more companies are enabling payment via text. Text communication enables the possibility of offering new things for your customers while selling your product. With the pandemic, eCommerce has grown tremendously, and so has technology in terms of marketing DTC brands. Stay tuned as Jay shares the trends in the DTC world to look out for in 2021. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on DTC trends for 2021: https://marketerhire.com/blog/dtc-trends

“I would definitely recommend starting small with your product line. You can always add but you can’t always take away.” @jazyfent #DTCPOD“You don't need 30 different products. It's so much more than that. You only need a few that customers use very consistently.” @jazyfent #DTCPOD“The main thing is just listening to our customers, who already love your products and asking them what they want to see next.” @jazyfent #DTCPOD“As long as you're communicating your rebranding process, your customers are going to continue to buy from you.” @jazyfent #DTCPOD“if you are looking to rebrand or change a name, make sure that your logistics and business is still running well throughout the process.” @jazyfent #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:50] About Jaz and Yellow Beauty[02:00] Yellow Beauty’s product line[07:50] Getting market insight[10:55] Investing in marketing for Yellow Beauty[11:55] Jaz’s experience launching her product line and initial problems[18:00] Yellow Beauty’s rebranding[21:00] Lessons learned from being a founder[23:35] Pivoting your brand[26:55] What’s next for Yellow BeautyProduct lines don’t have to be large to be successful. Jaz Fenton, CEO and co-founder of Yellow Beauty, joins the POD to talk about the curation of meaningful products and her experiences with rebranding. Yellow Beauty has been in business for almost five years with only four products, but they are strong and successful with customers. Making sure that a product would hit and resonate with customers was crucial due to Yellow Beauty’s lack of access to capital. They don’t do multiple versions of the same product with small variations because of the added saturation. Listening to customers has been important in Yellow Beauty’s success in expanding their product line and improving their existing products. Rebranding your company is not something to be afraid of.Yellow Beauty decided to rebrand to broaden its horizons beyond turmeric. One of the biggest challenges of being a founder is the drastic ups and downs while working on your company and product.There are so many people and other founders willing to help and offer advice to new businesses.It is tough and scary to change the name and messaging of your business, but communicating that process to customers is essential to rebranding successfully. Staying on top of logistics and business operations throughout the rebranding process is also essential. Stay tuned as Jaz shares her experience launching a small, but strong skincare product line based on turmeric as well as her rebranding story to expand her company’s horizons. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Follow Jaz on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jazyfentYellow Beauty’s website: https://yellowbeauty.com/Yellow Beauty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellowbeauty

We’re changing things up this week with an introduction to the DTC POD’s new DTCers community - an invite-only community for DTC and eCommerce founders, marketers, and more.Most of the Trend team (the operators of the DTC POD) is based out of Austin. Last week’s snowstorm in Texas left most of the team without power (so no podcasts).So we figured this would be the perfect time to jump back into the podcast fresh and make two big announcements.First, our DTCers community is officially live! You can apply to join at trend.io/podcast.We’re talking marketing, product, growth, DTC news, fireside chats with founders, and more! You can even ask for help or promote your brand.That leads us to our second big announcement, a whole page dedicated to the DTC POD. Check it out at trend.io.You can listen to past episodes, apply to join our Discord community, and even apply to be a guest on the DTC POD.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Apply to join the DTCers community: https://airtable.com/shrH1QfmUSvjEFYHRDTC POD on Trend.io: https://trend.io/podcast

“Design is so core to telling your story, and that's really what building a great brand is all about.” @LukasThoms #DTCPOD“There's no longer going to be a single channel business. Everyone is multi-channel, everything is multi-channel, and increasingly everything is more experimental.” @LukasThoms #DTCPOD“As it becomes easier and easier to create products or offer classes or sell content, the relationship that you build with your customer is going to be the biggest key.” @LukasThoms #DTCPOD“If you can tell a great story through a website, Tiktok, or an Instagram post, you're going to get someone's attention.” @LukasThoms #DTCPOD“The more ways that you leverage your brand, the stronger your relationships are and the depth of the relationships that you build.” @LukasThoms #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:10] About Lukas and Squarespace[03:45] Squarespace’s emphasis on design for brand building[06:25] Breaking down the pandemic’s impact on eCommerce for today and tomorrow[11:55] Squarespace’s role in empowering SMBs[14:35] The importance of storytelling in business[15:45] Utilizing new platforms to help monetize your audience[17:20] Lukas’ view on the future of commerce[21:35] What the best entrepreneurs do to grow[23:35] Three non-negotiables for eCommerceTelling a story is core to creating a brand and developing strong relationships with consumers. Lukas Thoms, a Group Product Manager at Squarespace, joins the POD to talk about the importance of design in eCommerce and how Squarespace helps enable and empower that. Lukas has been in eCommerce for almost a decade, now focusing on building tools for small businesses for selling online. Design is at the center of everything Squarespace does and it's their biggest differentiator. Design is core to storytelling. For eCommerce, telling the story of your business and product is the most important thing you can do.With the pandemic, eCommerce has grown tremendously. This has forced businesses to experiment with different channels of selling. Creating a strong customer relationship is important to building a strong brand. Small businesses that create relationships with their customers can use those relationships to fuel multi-modal growth.Where does Squarespace come in?Well they help brands showcase their strong, compelling story and unique product to customers. Once you’ve created your audience, you can also work to sell on other channels. This is a great way to create multi-channel growth.The more ways you can leverage your brand, the stronger relationships you can build with customers.Stay tuned as Lukas shares how to tell your brand story better, how to leverage your customer’s attention, and the future of eCommerce in response to the pandemic and social media. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Squarespace’s website: https://www.squarespace.com/Squarespace on Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarespaceSquarespace on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarespace/Follow Lukas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lukasthoms

This isn’t your ordinary chicken nuggetWe’re covering one of the hottest brands in DTC - NUGGS, a plant-based chicken brand. NUGGS was founded by Ben Pasternak, who started as a young, but successful iPhone app creator before starting NUGGS. NUGGS is targeting millennials and Gen Z people, using irreverent, witty, unapologetically tech-forward branding. NUGGS are continuously being updated, like software, by food scientists and engineers. NUGGS uniquely describe themselves as the “Tesla of Chicken,” creating a brand identity that has never been seen before. Their website furthers this unique identity, having only 3 options of nuggets to purchase: $34.99, $44.99, and $10,000. NUGGS also has a beta testing, monthly subscription-based system, offering more unique ways to purchase their product. Be like NUGGS - focus on creating strong messaging towards your specific target marketNUGGS tries to treat their customers as actual people, rather than data points. They understand their specific market is trendy vegans/vegetarians and rich suburban moms and focuses on them.They definitely don’t market towards everyone and it helps create strong brand loyalty.NUGGS is big on multiple social media platforms which helps them spread their message to their specific target.Stay tuned as Jay breaks down NUGGS’ positioning, go to market strategy, unique audience approach.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:NUGGS website: https://eatnuggs.com/Simulate website: https://simulate.com/NUGGS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuggs/Medium Article: https://medium.com/the-anatomy-of-marketing/what-a-vegan-chicken-nugget-brand-can-teach-marketers-e75aa72d226Marketing Teardown Powerpoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JK8dJQ4bz-X4WjLZ5o2vTG7hFUrSO_UlCitMbgg0txs/edit#slide=id.g8d807f2199_0_437GFI Article: https://www.gfi.org/wenger-manufacturing-brian-plattnerGravity Junction Article: https://gravityjunction.com/marketing-golden-nuggets/

“My aha moment was when there was a middleman who was not really providing value. So we thought if we could find a way to go directly to the consumer, then we have a business.” @OscarAdelman #DTCPOD“I think we have the idea that if we're doing well now, we're really going to be able to crush it on the other side of this.” @OscarAdelman #DTCPOD“What sets you apart is the relationship that you build with the customer. And while we can't have the customer here in our office like the dentist does, we have to still find a way to build a relationship with them.” @OscarAdelman #DTCPODThat type of attention and type of care, it costs more, but the return on investment is high. ” @OscarAdelman #DTCPOD“One of my classes at NYU really focused on making us talk to customers. In that class, we had to go out and talk to strangers in Washington Sqaure Park to collect feedback. It wasn’t easy but it trained me well.” @OscarAdelman #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:47] About Oscar and what led to starting Remi[03:35] Introduction to Remi Nightguard [05:23] Oscar’s launch strategy during pandemic[08:19] Validating your product and getting it to customers[10:49] How Oscar settled on the pricing structure for product[13:54] Remi’s messaging vs drugstores[17:19] Oscar’s outlook on customer experience[19:25] Creating value with subscription service pricing[26:18] Oscar’s use of testing to improve the business[27:50] Oscar’s strategy in scaling the business to create high retention[31:01] What’s next for RemiTo launch a brand in the middle of a pandemic, you have to execute strongly. Oscar Adelman, Founder and CEO of Remi, joins the POD to talk about how he successfully launched a business during the pandemic, focusing on customer experience. Oscar started Remi, a custom night guard, after being a teeth grinder for years, spending thousands of dollars on night guards from dentists. He wanted to find a middle ground between the expensive night guards from the dentist and cheap drug store alternatives. Just when he was ready to launch everything, the pandemic happened.Oscar actually sees launching during the pandemic with a positive spin. He says that successfully launching during the pandemic means that they should be able to succeed outside of it. Part of that success is driven by making a strong effort to get outside and talk to customers. Creating a strong customer experience and relationship is important to building a strong brand. Building the best customer experience was an important task for Oscar and his business. Having the right message to position your product against competitors is an important part of building a successful brand. Establishing a strong relationship with the customer creates a strong return on investment through their loyalty. Stay tuned as Oscar shares how important it is to develop relationships, how to create repeat customers, and how to successfully grow your business (even in a pandemic). If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Remi’s website: https://shopremi.com/Oscar’s website: http://www.oscaradelman.com/Follow Oscar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/oscaradelmanRemi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Remi_TribeRemi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RemiTribe/

“Paid advertising should be complementary to organic efforts instead of being the main driver.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you’re able to acquire customers for 50% less, you can put that money back into your brand to grow your product line, do more research, or use it to support your community.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You should work on decreasing customer acquisition cost and increasing AOV.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“Feedback that you get for your product is so critical that if you're acquiring customers that aren’t going to use your product, you could be harming future growth” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“Great storytelling can lead to recommendations even from people who aren’t users of your product.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:00] The switch from paid acquisition to organic[01:35] How creators are building brands with their audiences[02:35] Who is performance marketing for?[03:15] Thinking about CAC differently[04:05] What can do you outside of dropping CAC to maximize organic growth[05:10] Understanding your acquisition[06:05] How organic growth fuels AOV[06:30] How to acquire customers organically[08:00] Building in public and its relation to organic growth[09:35] Effective storytelling and audience growth[12:05] Tips for finding more of your audience[13:00] Building your audience in the best way for your brand and yourselfOrganic acquisition is the best way to create sustainable growthJay and Ramon discuss organic acquisition on this episode of the DTC POD.Traditionally, brands have used paid marketing (or performance marketing) to acquire customers. With performance marketing, the brand’s goal is to acquire as many customers as possible at the lowest cost possible.Now we’re starting to see brands shift to creating their own tribe and working harder to create organic growth.Organic growth has great benefits for eCommerce brands. Organic customers generally have higher AOV over time, are more likely to repurchase, and are more likely to refer your brand.To build an organic channel for growth, you’re going to have to be an effective storyteller and work on building your brand.Stay tuned as we discuss strategies to acquire customers organically, how to think about customer acquisition, and how to tell an effective storyIf you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Zillion Beers podcast: https://trend.io/blog/podcast-zillion-beers-mike-bloomberg

“When I think about go-to-market strategy, there are two ways of doing it. Top-down where you get as many eyeballs on your brand as possible or bottoms up where you try to turn early adopters into loyalists.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPOD“I believe in brand marketing where you create a community first that understands you and is a part of your brand.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPOD“I like thinking about my influencer strategy with the micro-influencers mostly, and then plugging in a few strategic macros that we create a longer-term relationship with.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPOD“One trend that I am really, really interested in right now is the fact that some of these major creators are now becoming investors and getting into the investor game.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPOD“As a founder of an early-stage company you have to remember that you’re on day one when comparing yourself to competitors that might already be doing this for a few years.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:00] About Amanda and her experience[03:15] Why Amanda started House of Wise[05:20] Amanda’s thoughts on go-to-market strategies[06:35] The importance of brand marketing when building[10:15] How Amanda thinks about influencer marketing for SMBs[13:45] Is influencer marketing still effective for growing brands?[16:25] Fitting influencer marketing into your marketing mix for SMBs[19:25] Amanda’s strategy for influencer marketing for early-stage brands[24:10] How Amanda approaches influencer pitches[27:50] What matters to Amanda when selecting influencers[31:15] Pitfalls to avoid for early-stage brands doing influencer marketing Influencer marketing for early-stage brands works. Here’s the playbookAmanda Goetz, CMO of Teal and Founder of House of Wise, joins the POD to talk about how SMBs can successfully do influencer marketing.Customer acquisition today is more about building an audience than just running paid advertising campaigns.That’s where influencer marketing comes. Working with the right influencers can help you build your audience and keep your brand top of mind which is key in the early stages.When you’re building your brand, you want to turn early adopters into brand loyalists.Doing this means talking to early adopters and creating strong relationships that keeps them loyal to your brand.The way you turn early adopters into loyalists is the same approach you should take with influencersStrong relationships shouldn’t only be with customers. They should be with influencers too.To get the most out of influencer marketing, you also need to create strong relationships with creators.That means getting them excited about your brand and getting them to buy into your mission, vision, and most importantly, the product itself.Stay tuned as Amanda shares how SMBs can correctly use influencer marketing to grow, how to select creators, and some of the pitfalls you should avoid in influencer marketing.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:House of Wise’s website:https://houseofwise.co/Follow Amanda on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaMGoetzHouse of Wise on Twitter: https://twitter.com/house__of__wiseHouse of Wise on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/house__of__wise/

“If your target audience is experiencing ad fatigue, they aren’t going to be responding well to your ads.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Ad fatigue can cause your conversions to go down and your costs to go up.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“AdEspresso reversed an image and saw a 10% decrease in CPC.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Make sure that your ad campaigns are not creating an overwhelming experience if a customer is also receiving emails post-purchase.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you need to create new content, consider using a service like Trend that allows you to create content for $100 per piece of content.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:25] What is ad fatigue?[00:50] Effects of ad fatigue[01:20] Importance of ad frequency[02:25] Checking ad rotations[03:25] Refreshing your ad creative[05:35] Adjusting your targeting[06:05] When to not hit customers with ads[06:35] The best way to combat ad fatigueSeeing CPC rise on your ads? It might be because of ad fatigueIn this episode of the DTC POD, we’re discussing the effects of ad fatigue.Ad fatigue happens when your target audience has seen your ads one too many times and they stop responding as well to your ad placement.This can drive up your ad spend and reduce your conversions at the same time.In order to combat ad fatigue, you need to stay sharp on your ads. That means keeping watch of rising costs and lower conversions.When ad fatigue starts to happen, you want to start mixing up your ads and frequency to avoid wasting dollars.Stay tuned as we cover ways to combat ad fatigue, the most effective way to refresh your ads, and offer some tips and tricks to keep your ads fresh.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Facebook ad library: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/Trend’s blog post on ad fatigue: https://trend.io/blog/ad-fatigue

“The bridal industry is mostly set up for brick and mortar and wholesale. Because we don’t have a store, we're able to pass savings directly to the customer and keep healthy margins.” @graceleew #DTCPOD“I love creative, I love visuals. I love copy. And so I think just being able to do all of that myself really helped. I didn't have to hire anyone in the early days.” @graceleew #DTCPOD“In the early days, we only used Instagram and I did that very intentionally. I had a limited budget and I knew that our target customer is very comfortable buying off her phone.” @graceleew #DTCPOD“Really understand who your customer is and understand how you believe she shops and then stay really targeted to that platform in the early days.” @graceleew #DTCPOD“Word of mouth is so huge in bridal. It’s most people’s first time planning a wedding and they really turn within their network for advice on vendors.” @graceleew #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:10] Background on Birdy Grey and how Grace started her business[02:20] How Birdy Grey got its start and how DTC helped them get competitive pricing[03:30] How Birdy Grey has simplified the bridesmaid dress decision-making process[05:45] How the customer feedback loop informs Birdy Grey’s dress color selection[08:05] How Birdy Grey leverages IG polls and data to inform product development[09:20] Grace talks about how important color selections are in the bridal industry[10:45] How Birdy Grey has streamlined their website for better UX[11:35] How Birdy Grey creates an “in-store” experience in a digital space[13:35] How Birdy Grey creates fun, out of boutique experience for bridal parties[14:35] What Grace did to get her business started and raise capital[16:10] Grace talks about the importance of their virtual Bridal Studio [17:30] Grace breaks down Bridy Grey’s IG growth strategy[20:10] What channels are in Birdy Grey’s media mix and how they are leveraging them [21:35] Grace talks about how key a role “word of mouth” plays in the bridal industry[22:45] Grace explains the importance of investing in customer retention programs[24:40] Grace shares what things made the most positive impact for Birdy Grey early on[28:25] What Grace hopes the team at Birdy Grey and the bridal industry will see in 2021To disrupt an existing product category sometimes less is moreGrace Lee, founder & CEO of Birdy Grey, joins the POD to talk about how to leverage the customer feedback loop to streamline strategy and create a digitally native DTC business. Birdy Grey simplifies a bridal party’s search for bridesmaids dresses by offering curated dresses in a range of trendy colors at an affordable price point in a DTC channel. Enter Grace who, after being a bridesmaid six times, saw a need to reimagine how bridal parties were approaching the search for the perfect bridesmaid dress. Prior to creating Birdy Grey, Grace began her career focusing on social media and digital content for a few different fashion and cosmetics brands. Armed with an abundance of industry knowledge and the desire to learn more about the bridal industry, Grace bootstrapped Birdy Grey in 2017 and made $2 million in revenue within their first year. After bringing on her co-founder and best friend, Monica Ashauer, and establishing a core team at Birdy Grey, the team built a social media machine that powered an endless customer feedback loop that informed important strategy and decisions for the business.Building a better alternative in DTC also requires you to listen to intensely listen to your customersOnce establishing how important color selection and customer experience are, Grace and the team at Birdy Grey skyrocketed into popularity becoming a go-to choice for bridal parties everywhere. With an affordable price point for a range of dress options exclusively being sold at $99, brides saw a quick and seamless solution for their bridal parties that also fit in with the color palette they envisioned for their big day. While the bridal industry has encountered numerous struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic, Grace and the team at Birdy Grey have taken the time to dig deeper into what their target market is looking for.With informed data points and customer feedback from social channels, the team has created an “in-store” experience for their customers at home. You won’t want to miss how Grace leveraged social channels to craft Birdy Grey’s visually stunning and seamless website. In turn, making Birdy Grey a go-to brand for many bridal parties in an industry that is powered by word of mouth marketing. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Birdy Grey’s website: https://www.birdygrey.com/Birdy Grey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdygrey/Grace’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceleew/

“By blending the line between media and commerce, you can lower customer acquisition cost and increase lifetime value.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“There are five different way that you can use to launch your direct to consumer brand according to Web Smith’s concept of linear commerce.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You should focus heavily on acquiring your audience.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Launching with either a PR strategy or a go-to-market strategy with a well-received media push are usually the more predictable paths that are taken by venture back DTC brands.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“When you're creating content, you want to be providing value.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:45] What is linear commerce?[01:15] Different types of launches on the linear commerce line[03:35] How VC-backed eCommerce companies typically grow[03:50] Creating sustainable growth for eCommerce[04:20] Building your tribe[04:40] An example of using content to grow an audience[05:05] Benefits of building your audience firstThe line between media and commerce are blending, and it’s a big win for DTC brands that get it rightLinear commerce - it’s a term coined by Mizzen+Main founder Web Smith that identifies the different ways a DTC brand can launch.According to Smith, there are five different ways a direct-to-consumer brand can launch. On one side of the line, you have a brand that acquires most of its customers through paid efforts. On the other side, you have a media company that may eventually launch a product years later.As eCommerce and brand launches continue to evolve, the line between media and commerce is blending.The brands that now launch with an established audience can acquire customers for less and have higher lifetime value.By leaning into audience growth first, you can build a more sustainable business.Stay tuned as we discuss the five different versions of DTC launch strategies, what is the best strategy you can take for your brand, and some ideas to build your audience first.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Web Smith’s 2PM: https://2pml.com/More on linear commerce: https://2pml.com/2019/04/22/on-linear-commerce/

“One of the reasons why TBC-Capital is education first is because we're trying to democratize all the information that's stuck in these corporate boardrooms.” @shondradanielle #DTCPOD“One of my goals in helping underrepresented founders is to help remove as many barriers as I can.” @shondradanielle #DTCPOD“The whole point of live crowdfunding is really for the people in the audience to be able to democratize the investing process and doing that using crowdfunding.” @shondradanielle #DTCPOD“Crowdfunding isn't just putting your company on to a platform to raise. There is a lot of PR and marketing you need to do in order to make it successful.” @shondradanielle #DTCPOD“Crowdfunding is great because you can turn your customers, the people that love your brand, into investors and align incentives.” @shondradanielle #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:15] About Shondra and her background[02:20] How Shondra ended up in the startup space[04:20] Shondra’s first take at community building for underrepresented founders[07:20] How Shondra built Pitch Practice on Clubhouse[09:40] Shondra’s plan on growing Pitch Practice and Crowdhouse[11:00] How Shondra’s experience in investment baking has impacted her current role[11:55] What Shondra is trying to accomplish with helping underrepresented founders[15:05] The future of crowdfunding[17:45] Is crowdfunding for every brand? The ingredients for success if you do it[20:15] What you need to do to crowdfund[21:50] Does crowdfunding have more potential than traditional fundraising?[23:45] How crowdfunding impacts revenue and customer growth[25:05] How Shondra helped 18.21 crowdfund over $100k[27:10] Participating in Shondra’s crowdfunding sessions[28:50] What’s next for Shondra?How Shondra Washington and Clubhouse are helping to democratize information about investingShondra Washington, Co-Founder of TBC-Capital, joins the POD to talk about live crowdfunding and how she’s helping underrepresented founders raise.Shondra co-founded TBC-Capital, an education-first advisory and consulting firm, offering on-demand CFO, business development and strategy services for early-stage companies. Through her efforts her clients have raised over $1.8M in grants and startup capital. She’s currently based in New York and focuses her work in consumer tech, CPG and marketplaces.Thanks to the rise in social platforms, more founders are able to share and learn about the investing space.Not knowing investor jargon can put you at a disadvantage the space so Shondra really wants to make sure education in this space is available for all.Part of doing that is through Shondra’s pitch practice and crowdhouse club on Clubhouse, a new social app that’s audio-only.Crowdfunding allows founders to get closer to consumers and bring them on as investors.Crowdfunding isn’t for everybody thoughEven though it’s easier than ever to start a crowdfunding campaign, Shondra says that crowdfunding isn’t for everyone.Crowdfunding is not as simple as launching a campaign on a website. You need to make a strong PR and marketing effort to be successful.If you are successful though, you can bring in a lot of brand loyalists.Stay tuned as Shondra offers some recommendations for crowdfunding, where she thinks live crowdfunding is headed, and how you can take advantage of this new form of funding.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More about Shondra’s company, TBC-Captial: https://tbc-capital.com/Connect with Shondra on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shondradanielle

“It took McDonald’s over 10 years to launch 700 locations but Mrbeast was able to launch 300 locations almost overnight.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“Mrbeast and his team were approached by Earl Enterprises many times to build a virtual restaurant concept his team turned them down many times.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“Mrbeast Burger is just the tip of creator collaborations. The app they created had over 1 million downloads so we could be in for more collabs like this.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“What’s great about Mrbeast Burger is the operational efficiencies they have. They didn’t need to spend much money on infrastructure or marketing.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“When creators take a direct launch for a product, they don’t have to build an audience because they already have the audience.” @ramongberrios #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:40] Who is Mrbeast?[01:10] About Mrbeast Burger[02:15] Why Mrbeast Burger almost never happened[03:05] How Earl Enterprises was able to convince Mrbeast to start the burger chain[03:45] The pitch for Mrbeast Burger[04:25] Why Mrbeast was the perfect fit for this[06:00] Discussing Mrbeast’s decision to build an iOS app for the burger chain[06:50] Some of the logistical challenges Mrbeast faced with the iOS app[07:40] Key takeaways for the creator economy from Mrbeast Burger[08:35] Comparing McDonald’s brand collaborations with Mrbeast Burger[10:00] How Travis Scott’s collab with McDonald’s and Mrbeast Burger will change DTCHow Mrbeast Burger was able to launch 300 restaurant locations overnightIt took McDonald’s over 10 years to launch 700 locations. It took one night for Jimmy Donaldson aka Mrbeast to launch a burger chain in 300 locations.Thanks to over 49 million subscribers, Mrbeast was able to successfully launch a restaurant chain without spending anything on infrastructure or marketing.He and his team have already built an audience, so getting people to buy in on Mrbeast Burger was pretty easy.This launch will surely upend the fast-food industry. Creators looking to expand their reach and engage with their audience can do the same with the loyal following they have built.The future of direct to consumer is also one to look out for. With creators already having an audience, more will probably jump on board to launch their own product.Mrbeast has provided the blueprint for launch, now it’s up to other creators to follow.Stay tuned as we discuss how Mrbeast executed this launch, the challenges he faced, and what this means for the future of the restaurant industry and DTC as a whole.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:About Mrbeast Burger: https://mrbeastburger.com/about/Mrbeast Burger’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbeastburger/