DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

“The cost of acquiring a customer is higher than its ever been.” @JulianaJaxx #DTCPOD“Your current customers are much more likely to make another purchase from you and when they do, they often spend more money than the first time buyers.” @JulianaJaxx #DTCPOD“If your customer doesn't feel special, ultimately, he's not going to buy from you again” @JulianaJaxx #DTCPOD“By analyzing historical data, you can actually predict when people are ready to purchase again.” @JulianaJaxx #DTCPOD“Our research shows the biggest reason that customers leave stores is that they think the company doesn't care about them.” @JulianaJaxx #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:00] About Juliana and Omniconvert[02:30] Why retention is just as important as acquisition[03:35] The two different ways to think about growth in eCommerce[06:35] How customer lifetime value (LTV) helps you track business growth[09:30] Calculating customer acquisition cost (CAC) correctly[11:20] How the LTV equation has changed over time[13:20] Other metrics brands should be following to track growth[17:20] How segmentation can help you increase purchase frequency[19:30] Predicting and driving repurchases for your brand[25:35] Predicting and solving for customers that won’t repurchase[30:20] Tools and strategies for better understanding your customer segmentsBrand growth is more than customer acquisition, it’s also retentionJuliana Jackson, Head of Product Marketing at Omniconvert, joins the POD to talk about eCommerce growth metrics and marketing to the right people at the right time.Omniconvert is a company that helps data-driven marketers around the world to understand, segment, convert, and retain more customers.Building a brand is much more than acquiring customers.Customer acquisition is important but without retention, your eCommerce brand can’t grow.That’s why you need to pay attention to metrics like customer lifetime value. Understanding how much your customers spend with you and how they feel about your brand are just as important.Today’s brand growth equation needs to account for more than just lifetime spend though. You also need to look at customer experience, net promoter scores, and customer support.Understanding customers on a deeper level can fuel eCommerce growthBrand growth isn’t just about the metrics. You need to understand what segments your customers fall into.You don’t need to build out crazy segments but you should consider grouping customers based on recency and frequency of purchase.Knowing how often and when customers purchase is a big piece of nurturing.By splitting up your customers, you can understand which customers are likely to continue to purchase from you and which are likely to churn.This helps you build a more predictable business model.Stay tuned as Juliana provides tips on what metrics you should look at, how to better predict repurchases, and how to delight your customers.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:Omniconvert’s website: https://www.omniconvert.com/Connect with Juliana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iulianajackson/

“When working with creators and influencers, you want to have a really structured and optimized process for content creation.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Most campaigns should look to drive brand awareness and create content. Those are the only things that are guaranteed.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Lifestyle content is great because it allows an audience to make the connection that they can see themselves using the product.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Consider creating content for different stages of your customer journey.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“A strong, professionally created testimonial by a create could be the difference of someone watching an ad for a second vs five seconds. That could make all the difference in conversion.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:30] Why you need templates in your influencer campaign strategy[01:45] How to run a successful lifestyle content campaign[02:55] What you will get out of a product shot campaign[03:55] A campaign that will help you get more followers for your brand[04:40] Testimonial campaigns and why they are so good for your brand[05:25] Creating a campaign to map out your entire customer journey[06:45] A campaign idea that engages your audience to buy for their friends and family[07:35] The bare minimum campaign strategy you should be running with creatorsWorking with influencers is more than just sending out a product and getting them to take a photoAt Trend, we’re always talking about the importance of adding structure to your influencer campaigns. So today, we’re going over some structured campaigns you can create.These ideas are different types of campaigns you can run with influencers.We’re going through six different campaign ideas and offering a bare minimum framework that you can use right now. The content you receive from these campaigns is sure to improve your content calendar.By using this framework you will be able to create different themes around the content you create. As a brand, you will also be able to improve the stories you can create with your content.Stay tuned as we run through various influencer campaign ideas, discuss the goals you should set for them, and talk about how to use the deliverables to grow your 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.Mentioned Links:Set up a free Trend campaign and get access to templates for your next creator campaign:https://app.trend.io/signup

“Apple’s new update on iOS 14 will make users opt-in for advertising data rather than opting out.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“With Apple’s change, if some adds to a cart and purchases, you will only see the purchase conversion if the purchase is prioritized.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Make sure you're adding simple elements to your creative like price overlays, discount call outs, shipping call outs, product benefit call-outs.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Make sure you have the Facebook Conversions API installed on your website.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“With these changes, tracking data on your end is going to be even more important. Consider using a CRM and use UTMs as well.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:25] About Apple’s AppTracking Transparency (ATT) update and what it means[01:15] What ATT means for event management[02:20] Actions to take for ATT for Facebook event tracking[03:05] How ATT will affect dynamic ads[03:50] Actions to take for Facebook dynamic ads[04:40] What ATT means for measuring ads[05:30] How to prepare for Facebook ads measurement changes[08:20] Preparing for the changes outside of FacebookApple is making it a lot easier for users to opt-out of data collection with the iOS 14 update, here’s what it meansUsers who update to iOS 14 will find it easier to opt-out of data collection. While that’s a win for users, it is going to make it a lot tougher for small businesses to optimize their ads.As a result, Facebook is making some changes to its ad platform to better reflect the changes.With this new update, Facebook ads managers will see changes to things like event tracking, measurement, and more. It will have a significant impact on how brands and agencies set goals and optimize for conversions.Stay tuned as we go through what these changes mean for your ads and how you can better prepare your ad account for these changes.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:How iOS 14 may affect your ads (from Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/business/help/331612538028890?id=428636648170202Facebook’s update for developers with iOS 14: https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2020/12/16/preparing-partners-ios-14-mobile-web-advertisingHow to verify your domain with Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/245311299870862Shopify’s Facebook app: https://apps.shopify.com/facebook

“Brands that are doing partnerships well think about partnerships put a lot of thought into building authentic relationships with partner brands.” @connersherline #DTCPOD“We haven't necessarily seen the highest cross-selling metrics on products alone. It's so much more psychographic.” @connersherline #DTCPOD“The best partnerships really are like a win-win on both sides.” @connersherline #DTCPOD“I see consumers being able to personalize their experience and cut through the noise in a better way than just getting served up the next Instagram ad.” @connersherline #DTCPOD“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 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] About co-op commerce[02:45] Where brand partnerships fit in the marketing funnel[05:50] How brand partnerships are moving more towards the bottom of the funnel[07:45] Some of the challenges in brand partnerships[09:50] Conner’s data insights on what type of brand partnerships work[14:45] The type of products that work best for brand partnerships[17:20] Facebook ads vs brand partnerships[19:45] Conner gives his take on the future of brand partnerships[21:45] Where social commerce fits in with brand partnerships[25:15] Conner and Jay talk DTC marketplaces[28:30] Conner lists 3 things brands should look at before partnering with other brands[30:05] How far we are from the future of commerce[31:15] Brand partnerships and how they relate to influencer marketingA look at the future of brand partnerships and brand collaborationsConner Sherline, founder of co-op commerce joins the POD to discuss brand partnerships and brand collaborations.Before starting co-op, Conner spent five years working for Facebook and Instagram.Conner and his wife (also his co-founder) have brought a disruptive platform to the brand partnership space allowing brands to cross-sell each other products with no risk.Brand partnerships and collaborations are a common way for early-stage brands to go. It allows each brand to capitalize on the other’s audience and grow. Typically, however, most brand partnerships focused on top of the funnel tactics.Thanks to improvements in shopping platforms, it is now possible to create brand partnerships that focus on the bottom of the funnel.This is where co-op comes in.The best brand partnerships are rooted in authenticityA fancy platform can help you better leverage partnerships but it isn’t the only thing you need.When building partnerships, focus on creating authentic relationships.You should look at what kind of audience buys your products and work with brands that have a similar audience.This will increase your chances of having a successful brand partnership.In addition to looking at the audience, it’s also important to look at values. Your values should align with the brands you are working with.Stay tuned as Conner discusses some of the challenges brands face when partnering, what they can do to overcome them, and what the future of commerce looks like.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:co-op commerce’s website: https://www.coopcommerce.com/co-op’s marketplace: https://www.thecoopcollective.com/

“We waited until feedback said 90% of our customers loved our product and found it useful before deciding to launch.” @aishacee #DTCPOD“We decided to switch to pre-orders when we ran out of inventory and were clear in communicating when customers could expect their product.” @jennygao #DTCPOD“People don’t want to just buy stuff they want to feel like they are a part of something and feel a connection.” #theverticale #DTCPOD“For a brand that’s sub-$10M in revenue, there has to be some kind of economic moat in the company that gets them to $10M.” @mrsharma #DTCPOD“When you find good people keep them close, even if you don’t know yet how you might work with them.” #littlerituals #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:10] What we learned from Moment about product feedback[02:15] How Fly By Jing dealt with supply constraints[03:50] What learned about consumer buying habits from The Verticale[04:50] Nik Sharma’s tip for getting your brand to $10M in revenue[06:10] Sonia Nagar’s tips as a former DTC investor turned founderMore eCommerce and DTC tips to follow from smart marketers and foundersWelcome to part 2 of our series recapping our favorite tips from DTC POD guests.If you missed part 1, you can access it here.Part 2 features tips from Shark Tank contestant Aisha Chottani, Jing Gao from Fly By Jing, Nik Sharma, and more.In this episode, we’re covering things like product feedback, consumer buying habits, and tips from a former DTC investor.Part 1 featured five tips and this time we’re throwing in a bonus 6th tip that you will have to listen for. It’s from out guest Sonia Nagar who dropped a ton of knowledge in episode 58 of the DTC POD.Stay tuned as we recap these great tips to help you level up your eCommerce and DTC brands.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:EP 50 with Nik Sharma on building a $10M brand: https://trend.io/blog/nik-sharma-dtcEP 52 with Aisha Chottani on customer feedback: https://trend.io/blog/founder-stories-moment-beverageEP 54 with Jing Gao on importing products and dealing with increased demand: https://trend.io/blog/founder-stories-fly-by-jingEP 56 with The Verticale on DNVBs and the future of DTC: https://trend.io/blog/the-verticale-dnvb-dtc-marketplaceEP 58 with Sonia Nagar on advice from an investor turned founder: https://trend.io/blog/dtc-investor-turned-brand-founder

“Influencer marketing and creator marketing is a lot more than just sending creators product and having them post.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The fastest way to level up your content is by delivering creators a strong creative brief.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“In your creative brief, you want to include three to four brand values and three to four product benefits that you want the creator influencer to mention.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If the content didn’t meet your expectations, it’s okay to provide feedback. Just make sure that it’s constructive and actionable.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You need to have firm beliefs on why you are choosing certain creators for a campaign. Is it because of their content, audience, a combination of both?” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:10] The wrong way to think about creator and influencer marketing[01:45] The most important thing you should do to level up creator content[02:15] Checklist for making the best creative brief[03:50] How to get creators excited about working with your brand[05:15] The products you should send to creators[06:00] Rules for effective communication with creators and influencers[06:45] How to make sure you get the best content from creators[07:35] The one thing you need to make sure to tell creatorsLevel up your creator and influencer marketing campaigns in five easy stepsWhen influencer marketing got its start, it was very much the Wild West. Most brands were just sending product and waiting for influencers to post.Now, there is much more involved in the process.If you really want to get the most out of influencer marketing, you are going to need to do more than just send product to an influencer or creator.That part is important, but it’s also important that you get the most mileage out of your campaign. This means focusing on the content as much as picking the creator with the right audience.Focusing on the content can allow you to get more value out of influencer marketing. You can repurpose content in ads, social media, your website, emails, and more.This content usually performs much better than in-house content so getting this right can add big benefits to your marketing strategy down the line.The road to better content from creators starts with a strong style guide. You need to tell creators how you want the content shot, what shouldn’t be included, and provide great examples.If you don’t have great examples, pick up some photos from Unsplash, do a quick search on Google images, or share screenshots from a brand whose content you enjoy.Looking for more tips?Stay tuned to this episode as we dive into further detail about the style guide and offer four more tips to follow to maximize the value of working with creators and influencers.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:DTC POD episode on whitelisting and dark posting: https://trend.io/blog/influencer-whitelisting-dark-posting-podcast

“Even if it’s just one or two degrees of innovation, being slightly innovative allows a brand to connect with people in a different, unique, and authentic way.” @goodwipes #DTCPOD“Any category that you go into is going to be competitive, whether that's online or in brick and mortar. Most likely, there will be something that exists that’s somewhat similar to what you are trying to achieve.” @goodwipes #DTCPOD“What made us most productive in our conversations with retailers was having a strong founder story and backing it up with market research and analytics.” @goodwipes #DTCPOD“Great brands need great operating teams. The brands that survive have great operating teams whether they make millions or thousands.” @goodwipes #DTCPOD“I see competition as a positive because it helps validate that the market exists.” @goodwipes #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] About Sam[01:20] About Goodwipes[03:05] Why Sam and Charlie started Goodwipes[07:25] Sam and Charlie’s path to founding Goodwipes[08:55] How Sam and Charlie put together the money to start Goodwipes[10:20] How Goodwipes became a category leader[13:00] Sam’s thoughts on why we’re seeing a product reinvention revolution[16:05] Sam’s advice for getting your product in retail[19:10] What Sam thinks is possible for other brands looking to do product reinvention[21:10] How Sam is staying ahead of competitors[23:55] Sam’s advice for others trying to do product reinvention[25:50] Brands and people that Sam follows and looks up to[28:55] Sam’s advice for overcoming challenges[30:15] What’s next for GoodwipesHow to reinvent an existing product in a category that hasn’t seen much innovationSam Nebel, Founder of Goodwipes, joins the POD to talk about product reinvention. Sam knows a thing or two about product reinvention.His company, Goodwipes, sells disposable wipes.Even though disposable wipes have been around for a while, Sam and his Co-founder Charlie decided to take a stab at reinventing the space.No one was really innovating in disposable wipes so they decided to bring their wipes to the market as a high-quality, premium, and eco-friendly option.To bring a better product to the market, Sam and Charlie spent a good part of a year doing research and development.To reinvent a product category, you need more than a great founder storyThe part that put Sam and Charlie over the top was their attention to understanding the market. They had a fantastic founder story, but to convince retailers they needed more.Their understanding of the toilet paper market and how they could acquire customers was a big reason that retailers decided to supply their products.Sam and Charlie also had a great understanding of shoppers. They knew that many adults really didn’t want to shop for disposable wipes but were open to more brands that were value-driven.Goodwipes was able to capitalize on that market gap to grow.Even though Goodwipes had a first-mover advantage, they are constantly working to grow and maintain their share of the market.Stay tuned as Sam discusses his thoughts on product reinvention, whether there is still space to reinvent products, and how Goodwipes is staying ahead of competition.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 Goodwipes website: https://goodwipes.com/Follow Goodwipes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodwipes/Connect with Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nebel-6417362b

Being an early employee at Daily Harvest and getting a front-row seat to Daily Harvest’s growth was incredibly helpful in understanding how to grow a business.” @mayssa_c #DTCPOD“Something that I really love about the CPG world is that the best products rise to the top. It’s not always the ones with the biggest PR team or coolest brand.” @mayssa_c #DTCPOD“We think a lot about brand and how do we make consumers in our community know that we are a brand about eating more candy, not less candy.” @mayssa_c #DTCPOD“For the consumer, buying DTC is very different than buying off of Amazon or buying from a bodega so the unboxing experience is key.” @mayssa_c #DTCPOD“We are careful about adding new ways to engage with our community because we want them to be more additive rather than an annoyance.” @mayssa_c #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] About BEHAVE[02:30] A little about Mayssa’s path to BEHAVE[08:05] Mayssa outlines the steps that happened to bring BEHAVE to the market[11:00] How Mayssa funded BEHAVE and managed her capital[13:15] Mayssa shares her thoughts about how important funding and press is to growth[16:25] The keys to creating a disruptive product[19:45] Everything Mayssa does to build and grow BEHAVE’s community[24:45] Mayssa’s process to build BEHAVE’s brand personality[30:15] How Mayssa is creating disruption post-purchase[33:45] Mayssa’s suggestions for building a disruptive brand[36:35] What’s next for BEHAVE?Building a disruptive brand in a timeless productMayssa Chehata, founder of BEHAVE, joins the POD to talk about how how to create a disruptive brand.BEHAVE is a brand that is disrupting the candy industry both in its product which is a low-sugar candy and in its positioning which is more geared towards adults.Even though BEHAVE is new to the market, Mayssa has actually been working on the product for a couple of years.She came up with the idea two years ago and started working with a chef last year to develop the product. Although the product launch was derailed for a couple of months due to the pandemic, Mayssa and her team spent many months fine-tuning every detail of the brand.By creating a product that’s different, Mayssa has been able to get a lot of attention from investors and the press. That attention has further accelerated the growth of the product.Disruptive brands are more than cool websites and unique productsMayssa is constantly working to create the most disruptive brand possible. That starts with the way she manages capital all the way to the post-purchase experience.Although BEHAVE has received funding, Mayssa did a great job executing her go to market strategy almost single-handedly. BEHAVE didn’t add team members until close to launch.Mayssa has also optimized the post-purchase experience.BEHAVE’s strategy includes creating unique packaging that is more welcoming and enjoyable than your typical brown Amazon box.Stay tuned as Mayssa shares her best tips for creating a disruptive brand (including what signals to look for) and outlines how to build a brand with personality.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:BEHAVE’s disruptive website: https://www.eatbehave.com/BEHAVE’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatbehave/Connect with Mayssa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayssa-chehata-86b21140/

“The initial seed capital that you need to go from zero to one is usually something you will have to raise on your own.” @DanielRodic #DTCPOD“The most important thing is not the dollar amount or the valuation tied to funding, but that every single line in a contract technically has some cost related to it.” @DanielRodic #DTCPOD“At Clearbanc, we don’t make founders give personal guarantees or make liens on assets. We just charge a flat fee.” @DanielRodic #DTCPOD“Clearbanc funding is built to fund repeatable forms of growth and investment where you have a pretty predictable rate of return.” @DanielRodic #DTCPOD“We see a lot of founders leave money on the table by not taking funding when the business economics say they should and the money could help scale.” @DanielRodic #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:10] About Clearbanc[03:00] When should eCommerce brands consider funding[04:05] What VCs are looking for if you’re trying to raise equity financing[04:50] When equity dollars make sense[06:15] Hidden traps to be aware of when receiving outside investment[08:50] How Clearbanc’s financing is different from other financing and funding [09:55] Clearbanc’s investment decision process[11:50] How Clearbanc helps founders win[16:10] Daniel dives into matching investor expectations with a business[18:15] The key growth metrics you should be following[19:55] Preselling and how Clearbanc accelerates presells for brands[23:05] What brands should spend Clearbanc funding on[25:10] What brands should spend equity funding on[26:45] What to look for when spending and marketing and creating sustainable growth[30:30] Common mistakes by founders when it comes to fundingEverything you need to know about when to raise money for your brand and where to spend itDaniel Rodic, Head of Market Development at Clearbanc, joins the POD to talk about growth capital and equity funding for DTC brands.Clearbanc is the biggest eCommerce investor and has invested over $1 billion in over 3,300 companies!Daniel is a Forbes 30 under 30 alum and former podcast host himself.Many fast-growing consumer brands often raise money through equity financing. This is when investors trade money in exchange for equity from the founders.This is a common way for brands to help fund growth expenses and reach goals faster. Although equity funding is a common way of scaling a DTC brand, it’s not the only source of funding brands should be looking for.That’s where Clearbanc comes in.Clearbanc offers non-dilutive funding for brand founders looking to scale fast. Instead of taking equity, they charge a flat fee to brands. Clearbanc helps brands get capital and helps them spend it the best way possibleClearbanc doesn’t just give capital to brand founders. They also help them to succeed.Founders can decide to spend the money the way they want. If they are looking for guidance on where to spend though, Clearbanc has tools and people ready to help.Their data-driven platform can help founders understand where they rank among other brands. Also, they have strong partnerships that provide brands the people and tools they need to execute.Clearbanc’s goal is to make sure that once you receive capital, you’re able to use it to continue to grow your business.Stay tuned as Daniel also discusses what key growth metrics you should be looking at, when to get funding, and where to spend the dollars you get.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:Clearbanc and Trend’s partnership: https://beta.clearbanc.com/techpartners/TrendClearbanc’s website: https://clearbanc.com/Get funded by Clearbanc: https://my.clearbanc.com/direct/signup-valuationConnect with Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrodic/

“If you’re looking to scale user-generated content and influencer-generated content, Trend can help you do it at $100 per creator.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“To run a successful creator or influencer campaign, you want to make sure you pick creators and influencers that fit your brand.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The reason creator and influencer content works so well is that it often looks native to the platform. It doesn’t look like it’s coming from a brand.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“By using custom brand content in ads from creators and influencers on Trend, Mizzen+Main was able to increase ROAS by 2.7x.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Don’t just stop at generating the post from a creator or influencer. Use that content on your website, emails, social, and ads to get more mileage out of your partnerships.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:20] What parts of Mizzen+Main’s creator strategy we are going to cover[01:30] How Mizzen+Main activates creators and influencers[03:00] How to pick the right creators and influencers for your brand[03:40] Where Mizzen+Main is using custom brand content by creators[04:20] Why creator and influencer content will perform better than your own content[05:00] Where else to use user-generated content and influencer-generated content[05:50] Why all of your ad content should use UGC and IGC[07:10] Breaking down Mizzen+Main’s whitelisting strategy and results[08:15] What Mizzen+Main did after whitelisting to get even more results[09:30] How to start replicating Mizzen+Main’s content strategyHow Mizzen+Main increased purchases by 2.3x and return on ad spend by 2.7x with custom creator contentToday, we are breaking down Mizzen+Main’s winning creator strategy that’s increased purchases and boosted ad performance. Mizzen+Main has run campaigns on Trend, so we’re excited to break down their strategy.For context, Mizzen+Main is a clothing brand that specializes in performance fabric menswear. Mizzen+Main’s strategy for activating creators and influencers has helped boost conversions and stay top of mind for consumers.There are two big reasons Mizzen+Main has been so successful in working with creators and influencers:They make sure to pick creators and influencers that fit in with their brand.They make sure to get the most mileage out of these partnerships, using influencer-generated content in multiple ways.Continuing to get more mileage out of creator content is key in generating a return on your investment. You can’t just rely on an influencer’s post to make you money.Stay tuned as we cover where Mizzen+Main activates creators, how they pick the right ones, where they use the custom brand content they get, and what results they have generated.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:Mizzen+Main’s website: https://www.mizzenandmain.com/Facebook ads library: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/Trend breaks down Mizzen+Main’s creator and influencer strategy in a blog post: https://trend.io/blog/mizzen-and-main-dtc-marketing-micro-influencersMizzen+Main dark posting case study: https://www.facebook.com/business/success/mizzen-and-main

“When you find good people keep them close, even if you don’t know yet how you might work with them.” #littlerituals #DTCPOD“Once you take venture capital funding, the pressure to grow is on and you have to commit to a certain timeline for growing, a certain rate of growth, and a certain rate of spend.” #littlerituals #DTCPOD“Even if your unit economics don’t show growth right now, there has to be reason to believe at scale you will get there.” #littlerituals #DTCPOD“You have to have some sort of content strategy to keep your community engaged and some sort of community strategy to bring people together around your brand.” #littlerituals #DTCPOD“In the early days, storytelling is everything, even if you don’t have a strong business yet.” #littlerituals #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] About Sonia and her background[03:05] Why Sonia made the transition to founder from investor[04:05] What Sonia is building at Little Rituals and what the product stands for[05:30] Learnings as an investor that Sonia is bringing to Little Rituals[09:55] How Sonia’s experience in tech has helped her build Little Rituals[11:45] As an investor, Sonia shares what founders often miss[13:45] Indicators for brand success that Sonia looks for[17:00] How Sonia determines whether a brand will make it or break it[18:45] How Sonia is making sure Little Rituals has a compelling growth story[19:50] Sonia’s most creative brand strategies she’s seen[21:30] How to handle being out of stock and avoid missed revenue[24:40] Sonia’s advice to brands trying to raise funding[27:20] Common challenges Sonia sees and how to get over them[30:05] What’s next for Little RitualsWe spoke to a former investor now turned founder to learn what makes brands growSonia Nagar, founder of Little Rituals, joins the POD to talk about her experience as a former brand investor and now current founder.Little Rituals offers organic caffeine-free teas and vegan vitamins for little ones (kids) to learn emotional and social skills.Before founding Little Rituals, Sonia had experience in the tech industry and was last an investor for brands at a venture capital firm.During her time as an investor, Sonia learned what brands that win do well and some of the pitfalls brands face.During the early stages of a brand, storytelling and the ability to acquire customers outside of performance marketing are huge.Ads should not be your sole acquisition strategy. This expense usually increases as your brand grows so it can make it difficult to grow if you rely on ads too much.Investment shouldn’t always be your first strategyBootstrapping is a great way to grow a DTC or CPG business. Actually, it’s preferred.The more you can hold off on outside investment, the more you can prove out your business and the more of your business you get to keep.It’s very easy to start a store with Shopify today. With so many plugins too, try to build as much as you can on your own before raising money or spending.Once you start growing, be on the lookout for your performance in key metrics like LTV, CAC, unit economics, organic acquisition, and ROAS.Stay tuned as Sonia shares with us what founders often miss, how she determines whether a brand will be a success, 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:Little Rituals’ website: https://www.littleritualskids.com/Little Rituals’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleritualskids/Sonia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonias3/

“If you want to get even more mileage out of influencer and creator partnerships, you should try whitelisting and dark posting.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Return on ad spend can go up by 20% when using whitelisting and dark posting.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“A big benefit of whitelisting and dark posting is that you are essentially adding new audiences you can use in ads.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Receiving access to an influencer’s business manager on Facebook also allows you to create lookalike audiences from their existing audience.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You want to run a campaign with 10, 20, or even 30 influencers and creators so you can get a good idea on what content performs best organically.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] What is influencer whitelisting[02:00] What is influencer dark posting[03:15] Why to do whitelisting and dark posting[05:30] How to convince influencers and creators to whitelisting and dark posting[05:45] How whitelisting and dark posting allows you to build new audiences in ads[07:30] How to set up influencer whitelisting and dark posting (for influencers + brands)[10:05] Incentives to offer influencers and creators for whitelisting and dark posting[10:45] How to pick the best content to whitelist[13:00] How to pick the best content for dark posting[13:40] One of the best ways to use dark posting to generate ROIEverything you need to know about influencer whitelisting and dark postingWhitelisting and dark posting can be a great way to get extra mileage out of your content. It allows you to run ads with influencer content through an influencer’s account.Instagram users can see someone else’s post for about 24-48 hours in their organic feed. For stories, it’s only 24 hours. Once a post is gone from the organic feed, it’s doesn’t receive very many views.You need a strategy in place to maximize the dollars you spend on influencer marketing. That’s where whitelisting and dark posting comes in.Working with an influencer’s business account on Facebook also gives brands access to their audience. This allows brands to create lookalike audiences from creator accounts on Instagram.Before you get started with whitelisting though, you need to get the creator to agree to do it. There are a few different offers you can make focused on exposure and money.Stay tuned as we cover how to get your whitelisting and dark posting set up, how to help influencers set up their Facebook business manager, and how to pick the best content for this.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:Guide on how to set up whitelisting (for influencers and brands): https://www.lumanu.com/post/how-to-guide-influencer-whitelisting

“The most important thing for digitally native brands is that they stand for something beyond just the product.” #theverticale #DTCPOD“People don’t want to just buy stuff they want to feel like they are a part of something and feel a connection.” #theverticale #DTCPOD“We really want to be an authentic third-party voice that customers can trust and trust purchasing from.” #theverticale #DTCPOD“Every single brand we work with we want to make sure we’re providing value back to them.” #theverticale #DTCPOD“While most consumers are excited about purchasing from DNVBs, they really need a simplified shopping experience to be more willing to purchase.” #theverticale #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:20] About The Verticale [02:15] About Jaclyn, the CEO of The Verticale[02:50] About Michelle, the COO of The Verticale[04:05] DNVB vs DTC[05:25] The characteristics of vertical eCommerce vs other eCommerce[07:15] What makes a strong brand according to The Verticale[09:50] How The Verticale works with brands to tell their story[10:50] The Verticale value set[12:10] How The Verticale is creating customer trust [14:05] What type of brands The Verticale works with[16:30] How The Verticale vets brands[19:10] Why Jaclyn and Michelle are building The Verticale[21:15] Why it’s getting tougher and more expensive to build brand equity[22:30] What Jaclyn learned about consumer habits after talking to 200 shoppers[25:20] The broken process of product discovery[27:10] What’s next for The VerticaleThis DNVB marketplace is changing the consumer product discovery processThe Verticale co-founders Jaclyn Grauman and Michelle Silverstein join the DTC POD. We are talking about how the consumer discovery process is broken and how The Verticale is fixing it.As the number of eCommerce brands increases, it’s becoming more difficult for consumers to remember and decide where to buy.Trust for new brands is low and the total number of brands makes it difficult for consumers to remember when to buy.You might be shopping on Instagram and come across hundreds of products. Those brands are not vetted and it may take you hours to find a decent product. Even after you purchase what you think is a good product, you may receive the product and find out it’s not as good as expected.Finding great, mission-driven brands shouldn’t be a choreThe Verticale is hoping to cut through all the brand noise. Even though there are a lot of bad products on the market, there are still a lot of strong, mission-driven brands.The mission-driven brands usually deliver well on product quality. Also, they usually have a strong brand story that is reflected in the product.The Verticale is attempting to put these mission-driven brands and products together. They want to make it easier for the consumer to find great DNVB and DTC products.The burden of finding whether a product or brand is good shouldn’t be on the consumer.Stay tuned as The Verticale founders discuss their vetting process for brands, how they are improving consumer trust, and how to get ahead of rising acquisition costs.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 Verticale’s marketplace: https://shop.theverticale.com/The Verticale’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theverticale/

“If you’re sourcing and creating high-quality user-generated or influencer-generated content, throw it on your product page.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Using Trend can help guarantee that your brand consistently generates high-quality custom brand content.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You don’t always have to talk about product features. In fact, you should try to sell benefits or outcomes whenever possible.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Sprinkling in things like an FAQ or upsell opportunity can not only help seal the deal for a customer but can also increase average order value.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you have a product page you would like us to teardown, email [email protected].” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:25] What Everbrand is doing differently with stock content[01:55] How Everbrand uses UGC and IGC on their product page[02:45] What Everbrand uses in addition to stock and custom brand content[03:20] What is Everbrand’s site is built on[03:50] How Everbrand displays product reviews[04:25] How Everbrand communicates value to consumers on their product page[05:20] What Everbrand is doing to visually communicate product benefits[06:10] The CTA you need to add to your product page[06:50] How Everbrand is improving their product page with Instagram content[07:30] What Everbrand is doing to answer questions without support tickets[08:30] How Everbrand creates a strong connection with shoppersWe’re tearing down one of the most complete DTC product pages we’ve ever seenEverbrand is an eCommerce brand Trend customer with one of the best product pages we have seen.Their product page includes great stock content, user-generated content, helpful information about the product, and more.We decided to breakdown the elements on Everbrand’s SweatFlow Legging page that make it one of the more complete product pages we’ve seen.This page does a great job selling benefits, adding upsell opportunities, and answering questions that shoppers may have.Stay tuned as we breakdown the different types of content Everbrand has on its product page and how you can copy it.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:Everbrand’s website: https://everbrand.us/Everbrand’s SweatFlow Legging product page: https://everbrand.us/products/the-sweatflow-legging-v2

“I remember walking the halls of EXPO West and not really seeing any multicultural food brands. That was my ‘aha’ moment to build this brand.” @jennygao #DTCPOD“I spent years sourcing the best quality ingredients all across China for my restaurants, my private dining concept, and knew that great flavors were universal.” @jennygao #DTCPOD“The fact that we small-batch craft the sauces in my hometown and we use extremely specific ingredients helps set our product apart.” @jennygao #DTCPOD“We decided to switch to pre-orders when we ran out of inventory and were clear in communicating when customers could expect their product.” @jennygao #DTCPOD“When we had to change out supply chain from China to the US because of COVID, I actually encountered some of the same challenges I had overseas.” @jennygao #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:15] About Fly By Jing and Jing before she started her business[03:40] How Fly By Jing got its start[06:45] Why Jing decided to go the CPG route[09:00] How Jing used Kickstarter to fuel her business[10:00] How Jing was able to bridge the missing gap of high-quality Chinese products[11:40] Challenges Jing faced bringing high-quality products from China to the market[12:20] Jing talks about her brand’s moat[13:30] How Jing was able to scale her product[15:30] Jing discusses how she handled demand from her Kickstarter[18:30] Why Jing saw a demand increase at the beginning of COVID[21:30] How to handle being out of stock and avoid missed revenue[24:20] How Jing dealt with supply chain issues overseas due to COVID[27:05] Jing’s advice for other founders[30:20] Who and what inspires Jing[32:35] What’s next for Fly By JingSmart founders find market gaps and capitalize on themJing Gao, founder & CEO of Fly By Jing, joins the POD to talk about importing products and dealing with increased demand.Fly By Jing is a brand that brings the deep and complex flavors of China to the world through artisanal food products.Jing’s “aha” moment into the CPG space started with a visit to the EXPO West conference. During the conference, Jing realized how underrepresented multicultural brands were.Before Jing started Fly By Jing, she had experience in creating restaurants. Using her experience, her motivation to bring an Chinese CPG product to the US market, and her understanding of Chinese flavors, Jing created Fly By Jing.Ever since the beginning, Jing wanted to make sure she was bringing authentic flavors to the market. For Jing, that meant using a supply chain solely based out of China.It was a challenge to manufacture the product overseas but Jing knew doing so would help achieve her goal of creating a superior product.Sometimes, external factors can still derail a great productAlthough Jing had found her moat, external factors challenged business growth.When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Jing’s supply chain hit a snag. She had to quickly pivot and meet orders that had already been placed.To add presure, marketing efforts pre-COVID were finally starting to pay off. Jing had a ton of demand on hand but not as much supply.Jing was able to shift manufacturing temporarily to the US to deal with increased demand. She also did a great job managing expectations and creating a pre-order process on her site.Even with the state of the world in flux, Jing was able to meet her orders and have very little cancellations.Stay tuned as Jing covers how she built demand for her product, how she leveraged Kickstarter, and how she solved challenges bringing in a product from overseas.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:Jing’s article on what she learned from making hot sauce at scale: https://medium.com/s/story/what-i-learned-from-making-hot-sauce-at-scale-2cbb8ec709baJing’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennygaoFly By Jing’s website: https://www.flybyjing.com/Fly By Jing’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flybyjing/

“Black Friday sales in the US have increased by over $1B every year since 2017.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Let consumers know when your deals are so they don’t have any reason to hesitate on purchase and holdout for a better deal” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Discount bundles can help you get rid of slow-moving stock, allow consumers to sample less popular offers, and increase AOV.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Don’t run the same deal on Black Friday through Cyber Monday. If consumers miss out on a deal, offer the discount through a support ticket.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Performance marketing shouldn’t be your only way to promote BFCM deals.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:35] Why this Black Friday is even more important than ever for DTC[02:20] How and when to reveal BFCM deals to your email list[03:35] The deal you should run on Black Friday[05:55] The deals you should run on the BFCM weekend[07:20] The deal you should run on Cyber Monday[10:00] What to do with discount popups for BFCM[10:20] How you can build even more rapport with customers[11:20] What kind of new products can you launch for BFCM[11:40] Are landing pages important for BFCM?[13:00] How to promote BFCM deals outside of performance marketingDon’t miss these BFCM tips by Nik Sharma, Privy, and othersWe’re recapping some tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday that eCommerce and DTC experts like Nik Sharma and Privy have shared.This year’s BFCM sales for eCommerce are going to be the highest yet.More shoppers than ever are expected to buy online this BFCM due to the pandemic. Also, Black Friday sales in the US have increased by $1B every year since 2017.Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just about the offer you present. It’s also about how you present the offer.You need to make your offer clear and make sure to not run it at the expense of your business.You also need to make sure you are attacking BFCM outside of just performance marketing and email marketing. Those two channels are great but don’t forget about the value of other channels like influencer marketing.Stay tuned as we unpack how to make your offer for BFCM standout, what deals you should run, answer whether you should use a landing page, 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:Nik Sharma’s Masterclass on BFCM: https://www.privy.com/masterclass/video/bfcm-with-nik-sharmaTips from eCommerce and DTC experts for BFCM: https://unbounce.com/campaign-strategy/black-friday-tips-more-online-salesNik Sharma’s email list: https://sharma.ck.page/

“To get meaningful results from focus groups in CPG, you need to know who your target customer is, conduct blind product testing, and A/B test.” @aishacee #DTCPOD“The amount of product research you need to conduct is going to depend on your industry and your experience in your space.” @aishacee #DTCPOD“We waited until feedback said 90% of our customers loved our product and found it useful before deciding to launch.” @aishacee #DTCPOD“When customers share their thoughts over email, I’ll often jump on the phone with them to better understand what they think about the product.” @aishacee #DTCPOD“Get feedback on your product that helps you understand how your product makes customers feel and what is the use-case.” @aishacee #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:00] About Moment [03:40] How Aisha got into the beverage industry[05:00] How Aisha’s last job at McKinsey & Company shaped Moment[06:15] How Aisha shaves product costs[08:00] Aisha’s process for collecting customer feedback[11:55] How Moment landed on its final flavors to go to market [14:30] Aisha’s advice for how much product feedback you should collect[18:00] How Aisha came to the decision to stop collecting feedback and launch[20:15] Where Moment conducted its pre-launch feedback[20:50] How Aisha is collecting feedback post-launch[23:00] Aisha shares 3 key tips for collecting feedback[24:55] Who Aisha looks to for inspiration[26:35] Aisha’s advice for other founders[28:25] What’s next for MomentUseful product feedback starts with having a clear understanding of your target customerAisha Chottani, co-founder of Moment, joins the POD to talk about product feedback. Moment is a natural botanical beverage.The idea of Moment came as a result of Aisha’s own experiences. As an employee of McKinsey & Company, the constant work made Aisha crave a beverage that could help provide relaxation.Before launching Moment, Aisha and her co-founder spent about 2 years conducting product research and feedback.Aisha spent much of that time trying to understand who her target customer was, what their taste preferences were, and what kind of beverages were they looking for.Being on top of current trends and taste preferences is extremely important when building a CPG product.Aisha’s experience at McKinsey & Company allowed her to conduct great product research and ultimately land on the three flavors that now make up Moment.They tested many different combinations and conducted many focus groups (closed and open) to really understand what their target customer was looking for.Product feedback doesn’t just stop at pre-launchAisha credit continuous product feedback as a reason Moment has been successful.Even after launch, Aisha sends out product surveys, responds to DMs, and is active on email.Occasionally, she will even ask customers who respond via email to hop on a call for more product feedback.It’s important to know what your customers like about your product and maybe even more important to understand what they DON’T like.You need to have an ongoing feedback loop to help drive your product forward and have mass appeal.Stay tuned as Aisha also gives three key tips for collecting feedback, answers how much product feedback you should get, and shares when you should launch your product.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:Moment’s website: https://drinkmoment.com/Moment’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/drinkmoment/Moment’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM9ICwTJLSjTrHa9lUEmmgAConnect with Aisha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishacee/

“The recovery rate for cart abandonment is almost 2.5x greater using texts than email.” @yotpo #DTCPOD“If you don’t have brand right, you’re going to be starting with a rocky foundation. Make sure to do this in-house and don’t outsource it.” @jjeremycai #DTCPOD“Having a clean list has helped us get really high open-rates. We automatically unsubscribe anyone who hasn’t engaged with an email in 120 days.” @nomadgoods #DTCPOD“Take things from culture that already exist and put them into your brand.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“Every time we make another run of limited-edition cans we test something new in the process - content, email, new way of launching it.” @uglyhugh #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:35] What we learned about SMS marketing from Yotpo[03:35] What we learned from Jeremy Cai, founder of Italic, on getting brand right[04:00] How NOMAD gets 70% open-rates on emails[06:00] How AVEC taught us to tell a better brand story[07:25] What learned from Ugly Drinks about how to test betterHere are 5 great tips for eCommerce and DTC from some of the smartest founders and marketersWe’re recapping five of our favorite tips from some of our most recent guests.These actionable tips are definitely worth their weight in gold.We have brought on a lot of great marketers and founders recently. As result, we have expanded our knowledge of eCommerce and DTC.They have shared great actionable tips that brands in eCommerce and direct to consumer can use right now to help grow their business.The tips span from SMS marketing to email marketing to brand storytelling and more.You will find some of the best tips in the quotes above. This recap also includes two tips from some of the guests featured in this episode.These tips are must-follows for brands. We highly recommend implementing all of the tips mentioned in the episode.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.

“For a brand that’s sub-$10M in revenue, there has to be some kind of economic moat in the company that gets them to $10M.” @mrsharma #DTCPOD“You have to be consistently focused on product launches, figuring out what’s coming next, and listening to the customer.” @mrsharma #DTCPOD“Performance marketing should extend something that is already great. It shouldn’t be the tactic to build the business.” @mrsharma #DTCPOD“Having a developer on board allows you to move quickly - you can make changes, build landing pages, test site changes, implement pixels faster.” @mrsharma #DTCPOD“From the brands that I’ve seen grow the best, you have to be testing and launching new creative on a weekly basis.” @mrsharma #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:00] About Nik [02:35] What Nik looks for before investing in a DTC brand[04:00] Nik’s advice for staying ahead of competitors[05:35] What Nik thinks about first-mover advantages[07:00] Nik’s thoughts on performance marketing and growth strategies[10:15] Nik’s take on balancing moving fast, being good, and beating competitors[12:25] Why you need to be profitable or breakeven on the first purchase[13:25] How brands can be successful[14:45] The importance of having a developer on your team[15:05] What some of the smarter DTC brands are doing with pixels[17:30] Why Nik loves user-generated content[19:05] The importance of having a huge stack of creative ready to go[20:25] The brands Nik looks at for inspiration[21:35] What’s next for Sharma brandsIf you want to stay ahead of the competition, you need a moatNik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands and an active investor in the DTC space, joins the POD to talk all things DTC.Nik has worked with a lot of notable DTC brands including Judy, Hint, Dream Pops, and more.To reach a $10M level, Nik says that brands need to have an economic moat. That’s essentially a distinct advantage that competitors will have a difficult time copying.Your moat could be ingredients that people don’t have as easy access to, supply chain benefits people don’t have access to, or even a celebrity endorsement.Even though you need to have a moat, you don’t need to worry about your competition a much.With a moat, it’s going to be very difficult for competitors to just copy your brand. Nik says you really shouldn’t even worry about them much.Having a moat isn’t the only ingredient to successIt’s true, the $10M-plus brands do have a distinct competitive advantage. But if you’re not careful, you could blow that advantage.One of the pitfalls Nik says to look out for is performance marketing.Performance marketing should be used to extend something that’s already great, not build the business.Being too reliant on performance marketing or gaining press is a dangerous path. Nik has seen many brands fail this way.If you go the performance marketing route, make sure that you are breaking even or being profitable on first purchase.Nik also suggests adding a developer to your team. A developer can help you test changes on your website faster, launch new pixels, and be more agile.Many brands don’t think of hiring a developer in-house but Nik says it can be hugely beneficial.With pixels, you can even fire certain pixels based on average order value.Make sure you also focus on user-generated contentAnother key element to success is authentic content.Content that looks native to a platform performs better on that platform because that’s what non-sponsored content looks like as well.The best brands have a huge stack of creative ready to go. They are testing and launching creative on a weekly basis.Stay tuned as Nik discusses other ways brands can be successful, what he looks at before investing in a brand, and what brands he looks to for inspiration.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:Nik’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrsharmaText Nik: 917-905-2340

“You shouldn’t look at the competition you should create a brand that stands for what you stand for and what you want to disrupt.” @uglyhugh #DTCPOD“I always recommend taking a night to sleep on ideas that can have a big impact on your business. Your thinking might be different the next morning.” @uglyhugh #DTCPOD“If you put a product into a store you probably won’t hear back until 12 months whereas with DTC you can get feedback within 2 weeks.” @uglyhugh #DTCPOD“Every time we make another run of limited-edition cans we test something new in the process - content, email, new way of launching it.” @uglyhugh #DTCPOD“The beauty of being a first-time founder is you get to be scrappy, make things happen, and learn from your mistakes.” @uglyhugh #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:10] About Ugly Drinks [02:50] How Hugh came up with the idea for Ugly Drinks[05:20] The story behind Ugly Drinks’ branding[07:15] How Ugly Drinks’ brand identity has evolved[09:45] About Ugly Drinks’ big investment into community marketing[12:35] How Ugly Drinks gathers community feedback[15:50] What Hugh had to change to expand into the US market[18:30] The scrappy things Hugh and his team did to be successful[21:30] Hugh’s mentors and influences[24:20] Hugh’s advice for other foundersA great brand isn’t built overnightHugh Thomas, CEO and Co-Founder of Ugly Drinks, joins the podcast to talk about his founder story.A little about Ugly Drinks - it’s a beverage brand that sells flavored sparkling water.Even though Ugly Drinks has only been around 2015, Hugh and his team have built an incredibly strong brand.Every detail from what the company stands for, the imagery, and even the community has been carefully crafted.The Ugly Drinks brand looks like a finished product but the “ugly” truth is, the brand is continuing to evolve.Ugly Drinks has already had three iterations of the brand already. The first was to raise capital, the second version was the refinement, and the third version was done as the product expanded.As the brand grows, Hugh and his team keep testing out new ideas and new flavors to continue refining and growing the brand.Even the strongest brands need a strong communityUgly Drinks has built a strong brand internally and externally.For Ugly Drinks, even product users have branded themselves. The most loyal fans describe themselves as part of the Ugly Mob or Ugly Squad.The Ugly Mob has been a key part of Ugly Drinks’ growth. By having a strong community, the beverage brand has been able to accelerate word of mouth.The Ugly Mob isn’t just great for word of mouth though. Hugh and his team have helped foster a sense of community from the internal team as well.They have a private Facebook group that is used to collect product feedback. They also often ask buyers to give their feedback.Loyal fans are even asked to share ideas for new flavors. The ideas end up driving the product roadmap for Ugly Drinks.Stay tuned as Hugh also discusses how long it took to develop the brand, what they learned from entering a new market, and some of the scrappy things they have done to be successful.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 Ugly Drinks website: https://uglydrinks.com/The Ugly Drinks Twitter account: https://twitter.com/uglydrinksThe Ugly Drinks Tik Tok account: https://www.tiktok.com/@uglydrinksHugh’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/uglyhugh

“Even though there was a lot to learn as first-time founders but I think our lack of experience has led to innovation and belief we can do it.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“Storytelling is really powerful especially in a world where most brands are focused on performance marketing.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“One of our first meetings was writing down the values of our company as much as it was writing down the recipes for our product.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“We traveled around in an AVEC-branded 1995 Chevy van and that content outperformed our fancy photo shoots.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“For gaining press, research your targets and share why the product is relevant to them and why it’s relevant to their audience.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] About AVEC [03:50] How Dee and her co-founder, Alex, got into CPG[06:30] Where AVEC’s name comes from and the brand story[10:40] The elements of a great brand story[13:35] How to create sustainable growth and brand equity[14:50] Dee’s strategy for generating press for your brand[18:00] Culture and brands that have inspired AVEC[22:00] Dee on overcoming challenges AVEC has faced[24:25] What’s next for AVECBuilding brand equity starts with a great brand storyDee Charlemagne, Co-Founder of AVEC, joins the DTC POD to talk about brand storytelling. A little about AVEC - it’s a premium mixer that’s all-natural, made with real juice, botanicals and spices, and low in sugar and calories.Before AVEC, Dee worked at agencies and publishing companies. Her experience there allowed her to understand how brand communities are built.AVEC leans heavily into storytelling in its own brand, even with its name. AVEC means “with” in French. An aspirational goal for AVEC is to have people order drinks with liquors and its flavors (i.e. Tequila AVEC Yuzu & Lime).Many eCommerce businesses today are focused on performance marketing. While this is important, AVEC likes to lean more into storytelling.One of the first meetings Dee and her co-founder, Alex, had revolved around brand values. These are incredibly important to build brand equity.It’s important to give your brand personality (and be personal)In addition to writing down brand values, Dee thinks brand personality is important. Dee suggests writing down three words that describe your brand.The best brands are part of culture. Think about how your brand can take things from culture and include it in your story.Pick cultures that share the same values as your brand and draw from those. For example, Supreme draws heavily from the skateboard and hip-hop culture.As you add personality to your brand, it’s also important to be personal yourself. Dee and Alex put time every day into crafting media relationships. They even hand-deliver items themselves.Relationships should also not be transactional. Having a very honest approach can go a long way to building brand trust and brand equity.By continuously putting time towards building relationships, AVEC has been able to gain a lot of press.Stay tuned as Dee also talks about how AVEC has tapped into their local community to grow, what challenges they have faced and overcome, and what’s next for the 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. Mentioned Links:AVEC’s website: https://avecdrinks.com/AVEC’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avecdrinks/

“A repeatable, standardized process can go a long way to making sure you have an effective and efficient campaign.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Finding creators for your campaign is one of the most crucial steps to campaign success.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“It’s not enough to just include a checkmark that a creator is willing to join your campaign. Don’t forget things like shipping info, content rights, whitelisting, etc.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You should ship your product immediately once you agree to terms with a creator.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Don’t make your relationships with creators transactional. Focus on making long-term relationships that will benefit your brand.” @jhcjr_ #DTCODWe Speak About:[01:20] What a standardized process can do for influencer campaigns [02:10] How you can find creators and influencers[03:30] Treating your creator flow like a sales funnel[04:15] How to track and manage creators[07:00] The steps you need in your creator flow[09:30] How to negotiate the right way with creators[11:05] The importance of deadlines for creators[12:30] When you should pay creatorsToday, Jamie Catanach, head of customer success for Trend, joins the show. Trend is the leading destination for brands looking to work with creators and produce high-quality content.Have a strong plan in place with influencers and creatorsA great process is key in any business activity. This is especially true for working with influencers and creators.Executing a strong plan for creators starts with finding the right creators. You should have both inbound and outbound strategies to source creators and influencers.Think of your creator flow as a sales funnel. You need to have different sources to your sales funnel and have your steps mapped out.Once you decide to start working with creators, make sure you are tracking your partnerships. Use either Google Sheets or an AirTable. If you want a better way to track and manage creators, use Trend.It’s important to stay organized in this process. Organization is more important the more creators you work with.You need more steps than just a checkmark if a creator agrees to work with youJust like a sales or marketing funnel, your creator flow should have steps too.It isn’t enough to just mark that a creator or influencer has agreed to work with you.You should also have space for shipping information, content rights, and deadlines for creators on your tracking document.If you don’t want to track all of this on your own, Trend can help keep these steps organized for you.If you are interested in whitelisting content (running ads through a creator’s account), make sure you ask for this upfront.Whenever you are negotiating with creators and influencers, make sure your conversation is not just transactional. You want to build real relationships.By building real relationships, you are building brand equity with creators. Brand equity with creators can lead to creators talking about your product without you paying later down the line.Stay tuned as Jamie also covers how you should pay creators, and offers some tips to make relationships less transactional.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.

“You have to find a way to have scalable growth and be profitable while growing.” @DMTintner #DTCPOD“Using a subscription offering can help you achieve your return on ad spend a lot faster if your product needs to be replenished frequently.” @DMTintner #DTCPOD“If you pick the right creators to work with, they will naturally keep mentioning your product even if they aren’t being compensated for everything.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Consumers always want to lean into great user experience and great UX, getting the smallest details right, can help fuel brand growth.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“More brands are turning to content that is native to the ad platform and fits in with their target audience.” @DMTintner #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:20] About ThoughtLeaders [03:00] Why the old DTC playbook is broken[05:05] New trends that we’re seeing in DTC[07:15] Innovative strategies that brands are using to grow[13:20] How user-experience can help you win[17:10] How to stay closer to the ground with your customers [20:20] Exciting and upcoming trends in DTC[27:50] The importance of creating experiences for consumersIt’s time to toss out the old DTC playbookDavid Tintner, CEO of ThoughtLeaders, joins the POD to talk about some of the struggles DTC brands face and what the future of DTC looks like. ThoughtLeaders is a sponsorship intelligence company.When direct-to-consumer exploded, a lot of growth was based on performance marketing. The traditional DTC playbook has been to spend money on ads.Traditionally, even if you weren’t profitable on the first purchase, you would still use ads to grow. The hope for many brands is that customers would repurchase and business would be profitable on lifetime value.Now, brands need to be profitable on the first purchase.A subscription-based offering is a great way to improve lifetime value and be closer to profitability on the first purchase.Creating a strong community is also a great way to grow your brand. When consumers see a community, there is a want to fit in.The secret to winning back customersBeing profitable on the first purchase is great. But you need more to build a brand.Once you get customers, you need to listen to feedback. Feedback can help drive your product to new heights.The Harrys, Quips, and Bonobos of the world have become successful by leaning into customers and user-experience.Creating a unique user-experience can help create customer loyalty. Listening to feedback can also help drive customer retention.Your customers can tell you what’s great and what isn’t great about your product. This information can be used to guide the improvement of current products or guide future products.Create experiences for your customers too.Brand recognition and brand recall are incredibly important. Strong user-experience and positive experiences can help drive those parts.Not all experiences need to be directly attributable though. Attribution is great, but sometimes organic experiences where there is no attribution can also drive brand recall.Stay tuned as David and Jay talk about examples of things great brands are doing. We will also dive into what the new DTC playbook should include.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:ThoughtLeaders website: https://www.thoughtleaders.io/TUSHY website: https://hellotushy.com/Gymshark ambassadors: https://www.gymshark.com/blogs/athletesDavid’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmtintner

“The reason why we have such a high open-rate is that we take a very aggressive approach to list cleansing.” @nomadgoods #DTCPOD“As soon as someone gets added to our email list they have about 120 days to engage with our content. If they don’t, we unsubscribe them.” @nomadgoods #DTCPOD“We send two types of emails: 1. Evergreen flows (cart abandonment, post-purchase, etc.) 2. Campaigns (product launches, flash sales, branded content, lifestyle content).” @nomadgoods #DTCPOD“We used to do a lot of segmentation but it didn’t really move the needle for us.” @nomadgoods #DTCPOD“Don’t put out content just for the sake of doing it. Make sure it’s relevant to your audience” @nomadgoods #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:20] About NOMAD [02:50] How much revenue does email generate for NOMAD[04:25] What contributes to their email success[07:15] The content and frequency of their emails[10:20] How they landed in the primary inbox over promotions[12:20] Why they don’t follow best practices for segmenting [15:30] How NOMAD approaches branded content and building their brand[21:40] What helped NOMAD grow fastHow NOMAD keeps open-rates above 40% with over 1 million emails sentChuck Melber, Director of Marketing at NOMAD joins the POD to talk email marketing. Chuck has been with NOMAD since the beginning and has created the marketing team.NOMAD experiences a lot of success with email marketing. Over 20% of its revenue is attributed to email marketing. And email marketing contributes even more for repeat customers.Chuck and his team started small. Originally they created their own email content, including the graphics.The real secret to NOMAD’s success in email marketing has been list cleansing. Chuck automatically unsubscribes users who aren’t engaging with NOMAD’s email content.It was a little scary at first but it has proven to be key to success. List cleansing has also helped NOMAD land in the primary inbox.Keep evolving and growing your email and brand strategyNOMAD’s email marketing (and content marketing) strategy has grown and evolved over time.As the companies success grew, Chuck added different people and different tools to his arsenal. They added graphic designers and content writers. They made a blog.Chuck has performed a lot of testing to get to this point. As a result, they don’t really segment users much. Chuck has found it doesn’t move the needle much.They will test to see whether certain users are more open to other products but that’s about it for segmentation.Even though segmentation isn’t used much, personalization has been key. Asking for feedback is a great way to engage your audience and create loyalty.Brand growth has allowed NOMAD’s content to grow as well. They are now able to create branded and lifestyle content that is used in campaigns.Stay tuned as Chuck provides us with his best recommendations for email marketing. We also dive into how to grow and maintain your list.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:Website: https://nomadgoods.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomadgoodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomad/Chuck’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckmelber

“Work with some of your best creators and influencers for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“When someone sees your product in the hands of a creator, that social proof can speak volumes.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“When you are partnering with content creators, leverage that content in email marketing.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“FOMO is a great way to generate conversions for your business.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Make sure you repurpose content from creators.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPODWe speak about:[03:00] Make a campaign plan for Black Friday and Cyber Monday[07:10] Meet your customers where they are [08:55] The importance of email marketing [10:45] Why you should partner with a creator for the holidays[18:30] The latest day you can start your campaign for Black FridayToday, Jamie Catanach, head of customer success for Trend, joins the show. Trend is the leading destination for brands looking to work with creators and produce high-quality content.You need a campaign plan for Black Friday and Cyber MondayCOVID is changing how Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) will look in 2020. People are more hesitant to shop in person – they are more interested in making purchases online. Thirty percent of annual retail sales happen between Black Friday and Christmas – the holiday season is HUGE for businesses. Make sure that you have a plan in action ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. How do you start a plan? First, set your goals. It’s essential to know what you are trying to achieve during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.We are a few weeks out from BFCM – get focused on it sooner rather than later. Think about the plan you can put in place. It’s never too soon to set things in motion.Sixty-seven percent of shoppers intend to buy online this year because of the pandemic. As a result, you should increase your focus on digital presence efforts, even if you have a brick and mortar location. Make sure you have a strategy for this holiday season.Working With Creators For The HolidaysWorking with creators and influencers is an essential piece of the puzzle for your Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing. They can help you get in front of your customers and your audience.Your goal should be to spread word of mouth, social proof, and generate website traffic to create conversions.If your product is suitable for gifting, make sure that your customers know that. Use your influencers to do an unboxing. You can also create exclusive discounts for your creators.When your product is in the creator's hand, it can provide social proof for your company. You can also repurpose this content in paid ads. You will create more touchpoints that can end in conversion as a result.Most brands will be discounting their items, so why not work with an influencer and creator to promote a discount and create great content? It will help you stand out from your competition. When you run a Black Friday campaign, you want to reach the most amount of people. Overall, creators and influencers are great partners for the holidays. Jamie says it can be a cheaper option because the cost for paid ads this year will be higher due to the US election. With Trend, you can activate micro-influencers at $100 a pop (and you keep the rights to the content too). Stay tuned as we talk about the importance of repurposing content and the latest day you should start your campaign.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.

“In consumer commerce, you always have to be chasing your next customer.” @jjeremycai #DTCPOD“Even with the introduction of direct to consumer, the product quality and the product price points haven’t really changed much for consumers.” @jjeremycai #DTCPOD“The challenge with DTC is that once you saturate your core market, you see a big jump in customer acquisition.” @jjeremycai #DTCPOD“Sometimes your best customer might not convert immediately, they might be receiving your content for a while before converting.” @jjeremycai #DTCPOD“If you don’t have brand right, you’re going to be starting with a rocky foundation. Make sure to do this in-house and don’t outsource it.” @jjeremycai #DTCPODWe speak about:[00:50] About Italic [02:30] Jeremy’s experience as an entrepreneur [06:20] The buildup to Italic [09:10] The transition to direct-to-consumer [13:00] How Italic’s model approaches marketing [20:00] The importance of recall for your brand [22:30] Advice for founders Jeremy Cai currently serves as the CEO of Italic and helps his SO Kati with Not Pot. The Entrepreneurial Journey To ItalicIn this episode, Jeremy dives into his entrepreneurial journey. First, Jeremy dropped out of school to build an enterprise software company. However, Jeremy sought to do something more innovative that no one else was doing. The inspiration for Italic came from marketplace enabled companies like Uber and Airbnb. Neither company takes inventory. Instead, they empower the individual hosts to monetize their own places.In the same lens, Italic doesn’t sell marked-up goods to its customer. Instead, they replace the brand and take the retailer out of the supply chain. They then provide the savings to the customer and offer a higher yield per unit to the manufacturer.Italic is not incentivized to sell their products; they are incentivized to sell their membership. They had to spend a long time developing their product assortment. There are over 1,000 SKUs on their website that they have created themselves.To help build Italic, Jeremy spent time living in China and Italy to make relationships with manufacturers. Italic doesn’t buy their inventory; their manufacturers float the inventory for a higher yield per unit.Focus On Your Brand’s ValueWhen you sell products and monetize the markup, you always have to be chasing the next customer - with this model, you aren’t incentivized with loyalty. When Italic sells a subscription product, their payback is not immediate. Italic is profitable when a consumer first buys their membership. Asa result, they are much more focused on engagement metrics and how to change their merchandising strategy. Similar to Spotify, they focus on continually delivering value to their customer to ensure they come back.Jeremy talks about how recall is critical for your brand. Sometimes, your best customers won’t convert immediately. There are many ways to make a sale; it depends on your brand, what you stand for, and what your customer gets out of you.Stay tuned as Jeremey gives his advice for founders and he reveals what is coming next for Italic. 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:Website: https://jeremycai.comItalic: http://italic.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjeremycaiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/italic/

“Campaign guidelines mean setting the right expectations and setting yourself up for success.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Let the creator craft the message to their audience themselves.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“You need content for your business to stay relevant.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Let your creator know what the campaign should and shouldn’t do.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Working with creators is great for going after tried-and-true audiences or testing out new audiences.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPODWe speak about:[02:00] The essential elements of campaign guidelines [06:00] Helpful guidelines for creators[12:35] Working with creators to test out new audiences [15:10] How to put together your style guide when you’re just beginning [17:45] The ideal timeline for your campaign [21:50] Jamie’s final advice to ensure a successful campaign Today, Jamie Catanach, head of customer success for Trend, joins the show. Trend is the leading destination for brands looking to work with creators and produce high-quality content.The Basic Elements of Influencer Campaign GuidelinesCampaign guidelines are a critical piece to the success of an influencer campaign. Have a plan from the start! The goal with campaign guidelines is to set the expectations for creators upfront.Creators will be basing their content off of the campaign guidelines. You want to provide as much detail as possible here. Also, you want to be clear and communicate exactly what you are looking for.Make sure that the creators know upfront that you intend to have the rights to their content afterward. If you are on Trend, our platform will manage this aspect for you.You should be upfront about a timeline for your creator. When reaching out to creators, a timeline should be clearly communicated and confirmed with the creator.Make sure that the creator understands what products they will be receiving. Also, share talking points around your brand and the products that you’re sending.Your creator should be creative about the caption that they provide. However, you should provide five to ten bullet points about the brand and the product. Then, your creator can reference some of those things in their caption. The Style Guide Is A Critical Element of Your Campaign The style guide is where you describe the type of content that you are looking for. Make sure you communicate the kind of digital aspects you are looking for the creator to create.When communicating guidelines, be as specific as possible. Should the creator be outside, indoors, in nature, with their family? This type of information is critical when communicating the kind of content you are looking for from creators. Lastly, don’t hesitate to provide examples. If you see some great content on Pinterest, don’t be afraid to share it with your creator. If you like bright warm photos, find creators with that type of content. Stay tuned as Jamie explains how to create a style guide when you’re just in the beginning stages of content creation. Plus, Jamie reveals what to consider when figuring out your campaign timeline. 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.

“Micro-influencers have a deeper connection with their followers.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Content that is produced on social channels by creators tends to be more authentic.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Make sure the expectations to the creator are clear and concise.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Focus on the content that your creator has produced in the past.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPOD“Find creators that have an audience that is perfect for your brand.” @jhcjr_ #DTCPODWe speak about:[02:05] How to pick the best creators[09:15] The importance of high-quality content [14:00] The most important things needed to produce a successful campaign[17:30] Exactly how many creators your business should be using Today, Jamie Catanach, head of customer success for Trend, joins the show. Trend is the leading destination for brands looking to work with creators and produce high-quality content/How To Pick The Best Creators For Your BrandWhen a brand is looking to work with a creator, they first need to think about their goals. Are you working on brand awareness or are you trying to get sales for your business? Setting goals upfront is an essential part of the process.Creators and influencer marketing is a great way to build brand awareness, but it’s also a driving force for brands to get a massive amount of content for their business. Micro-influencers are talented and can deliver great social proof to your audience. For content-driven campaigns, content aesthetic is an important factor. Your creator should fit the persona of your ideal customer. That way, the content can seamlessly flow on your website and social media channels and appear natural.If you’re trying to drive sales through influencer marketing, include discount codes and affiliate links. Here you may need to be more focused on engagement numbers, rates, and follower counts.High-Quality Content Is Critical For Your Campaigns As a bi-product of working with creators, you will also receive brand awareness. Other consumers may purchase and tag your products in their photos, delivering more social proof. High-quality content is always essential. You want to make sure that the little things are right – the content should be well lit, and the product should be clear. Make sure you take a look at your creators' past content to ensure their work is ideal for what you need. The content that really wins is authentic content – it looks like your friend made it. Authentic content converts at a higher level in the right channels than something created in a professional studio.Stay tuned as we talk about the essential things necessary to produce a successful campaign, the importance of setting expectations, and how many creators your business should be using based on size.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.

“There’s too much of an opportunity cost to not know how well your content is doing.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“As soon as you see content perform, you immediately want to know how to make it better.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“Producing more content means you can stay top of mind.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The faster you can test, the more data you can test, and the better decisions you can make.” @ramongberrios #DTCPOD“People are going to go to McDonald’s not because of the burger, but because of the experience.” @ramongberrios #DTCPODWe speak about:[01:05] Why most brands need more content.[04:40] Staying top of mind to keep consumers coming back.[09:20] Tailoring your content to customer personas.[11:18] Tagging your product in user-generated content.[13:30] Creating experiences is what will ultimately convert customers.Why You Need More ContentIn this episode, Jay and Ramon talk about why you need more content for your brand.The most obvious reason you need more content is that you really can’t afford to leave holes in your content delivery for your customers. Ramon says the opportunity cost is too great to not really know how well your content is doing.Another immediate benefit of creating more content for your channel or brand is that it gives you more data. The more content you have the performs well, the more quickly you can analyze that and put out more content like it to grow your base.You Need to Stay Fresh in the Customer’s MindStaying at the top of your customer’s mind is the goal. You want them to think of your brand before anyone else’s, and pushing more content can help you to do that.A lot of times it’s hard to keep the flow up, but there are tools and agencies available (like Trend) to help you produce more content and stay in the conversation.Agencies need to actually deliver value to their customers, so make sure whoever you hire to help drive content is actually creating value for you and your customers. Having a limitation of content may actually reduce your engagement, so think about that.In other words, spending time researching the customer personas can help you to “segment” your content and target them directly. This kind of content production can lead to more customer conversions and more overall growth.Crossover Between Influencers and Content CreatorsIn addition to your regular content, you need to look for ways to bring your content to different consumer markets. And you need more content in general to do this.Look at the recent example of McDonald’s crossover campaign with Travis Scott. We don’t know how much that partnership cost McDonald’s, but we can probably assume it was less than trying to advertise directly to Travis Scott fans. The crossover of brands allows McDonald’s to sell that experience without even creating a new menu item. This also created content that mapped the entire customer journey and can be used to drive traffic.Additionally, the more personalized your content is, the better. Pay attention to what your customers actually want, and make efforts to deliver that. To sum up, the more content you have, the more you can do the following things: 1) learn about what content is performing, 2) create opportunities to stay in the minds of your customers, 3) successfully convert more consumers from other markets to ultimately grow your brand, and 4) reduce ad fatigue.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.

“49% of consumers are already signed up to receive text message marketing from brands.” @Yotpo #DTCPOD“The average person spends over four hours a day on their mobile device.” @Yotpo #DTCPOD“Consumers check their phone over 150 times a day.” @Yotpo #DTCPOD“Customers are deciding which channel they like to engage with more.” @Yotpo #DTCPOD“Consumers are actively interested in signing up for text messaging.” @Yotpo #DTCPODWe speak about:[00:55] About Yotpo[02:10] What is text message marketing? [06:45] The benefit of SMS marketing over email marketing [12:00] When you should and shouldn’t use text message marketing [16:20] How to acquire a text message audience [18:35] About the regulations behind text message marketing [20:40] The best ways to market using SMS How Text Message Marketing Is Taking Over eCommerce Today, Kim Winter, Product Marketing Manager at Yotpo, joins the show. Yotpo is an eCommerce marketing platform offering the most advanced solutions for customer reviews, visual marketing, loyalty, referrals, and SMS marketing.Text message marketing (SMS marketing) is truly taking over the eCommerce industry. Consumers are busy texting each other. However, brands have recently caught up to SMS marketing's power – it's the fasting growing marketing channel for brands worldwide.By the end of this year, 49 million consumers will agree to receive SMS notifications from brands. There’s a massive amount of momentum behind text message marketing. Plus, 49% of consumers are already signed up to receive messages from brands.Brands need a way to leverage as many media channels as possible. Customers are on their mobile phones, so it's an excellent place for the brand to be.SMS has an open rate of 98%, and 90% of messages are opened within three minutes. It’s such a direct way for brands to connect with their consumers. Most importantly, the ROI speaks for itself. Yotpo’s clients see a 25% increase in ROI on their mass campaigns. There is no other channel that is reaching that level of ROI during this time.Is SMS Marketing Better Than Email Marketing?SMS marketing is a lot better than email marketing. Both channels are used to engage with customers, but they each have their unique benefits. You can use both smartly and strategically.While email has a longer response time, text sees an immediate response time. Email content is lengthy, whereas SMS is short. Plus, SMS sees higher engagement rates than emails.Kim says that she would do a healthy mix between text and email marketing on a limited budget. It would be a mistake just to choose one; you want to ensure you catch customers across a variety of their preferences.Consumers prefer to engage with brands through text over email because they want to have a back and forth conversation. It opens up a massive opportunity for brands. That way, brands can develop relationships with their customers. Stay tuned as Kim reveals how to collect mobile numbers, the possibility of text message saturation, and the best ways to utilize text message 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.Website: https://www.yotpo.comKim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-winter/

“In-house content loses a little bit of its authenticity when you’re the one that’s being the creative director. You might know what you’re audience is looking for, but you may not be as highly tuned in as you think you are.” #DTCPOD“You don’t want to be making content using the same mug (if it’s a drink), the same kitchen, and the same person over and over.” #DTCPOD“If you really like a content creator, more discounts aren’t going to incentivize them.” #DTCPOD“We have a customer that’s put half a million dollars on ads to an image that cost him a hundred dollars on Trend.” #DTCPOD“When you’re a small business, your time matters a lot. There are many hats to wear for every team member and putting resources toward making content doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.” #DTCPODWe speak about:[00:30] What is in-house content?[01:38] The biggest limitations of producing your content in-house[04:45] Strategies to overcome the challenges of in-house content creation[08:42] What it takes to work with content creators[11:13] There is immense value in user generated content[13:55] Another limitation: Moving fast is difficult when you see ad performance failing [15:03] Watch the data and test it out + Try Trend for free!It might be time for you to change the way you produce your content In-house content is anything made by an internal team. It takes time and has some limitations regarding cost, authenticity, scalability, the potential of fatigue, and of course, the pandemic. People don’t like seeing the same thing repeatedly on social media or TV. They’re going to be engaged when they have something new and fresh to look at. In this episode, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of producing content in-house. With in-house content, it’s hard to develop new settings and new people, while keeping your content relevant and authentic.In addition to content fatigue, you could end up spending way more money on in-house content than if you just sourced your content from freelancers or independent contractors.Outsourcing your content creation frees up time and energy you can spend on other tasks and projectsHere are some good strategies to overcome the challenges of in-house content creation:Keep it authentic, don’t try to make it professional.Avoid putting the same person in front of the camera multiple times. Switch it up by only including hands in your content or keeping the faces of your team out of it. To go even further, you can use your customers as content creators, (although it can be tedious and time consuming to scale).With Trend, the turnaround time for content production is much shorter. Stay tuned as we discuss the value of being able to speak to what you need from creators and how to control the creative process without having to be the full-time creative director.We dive into what kind of people you need in your internal team, what the process look might like, and what the result looks like.Mentioned links:Interested in Trend? Try it for free.

In this episode, Jay is joined by Farhaj Mayan, Co-Founder and CEO at Kanna.Kanna is a people operations system for cannabis farms and dispensaries that helps manage staff and compliance, and offers these businesses vetted independent contractors available for hire.Farhaj kicks the podcast off with a little history of Kanna.Later in the episode, we discuss the rise of marketplaces (since Trend is also a marketplace), the gig economy, and the push to add structure to gig economy jobs in different industries.For more information on Kanna, visit: https://www.hirekanna.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay is joined by Brad Redding, Co-Founder of Elevar.Elevar is a platform that helps eCommerce brands better understand their marketing analytics through automation.In this podcast, Brad walks us through some common errors in Google Tag Manager for eCommerce brands and what are the most important events to track for.He also discusses events that can help move the needle for brands.One interesting feature of Google Tag Manager is tracking coupon codes across pages. This could be especially useful for users using creators and influencers like the ones on Trend.For more information on Elevar, visit: https://www.getelevar.com/.To download Elevar’s chrome extension for GTM tagging check out: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/elevar-gtm-event-builder/aanpkkmackhljjnbcopdoidpdjngfooc?hl=en-USIf you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Jamie are joined by Joe Christensen, Founder & CEO of MCTco.MCTco. is a protein keto bar snack company.Joe is here to share his experience of starting MCTco.Joe breaks down how he came up with the idea for MCTco.’s bars, what he had to learn to get started in the industry, and how he has had to reposition the brand.We also spoke with Joe about the biggest challenges he has faced and what he wished he did sooner in his business.Joe also mentions which brands have inspired and assisted him along with what’s next for MCTco.To purchase products from MCTco., visit: https://mctco.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay is joined by Chris Moe, COO and Co-Founder of Cartograph.Cartograph is an eCommerce focused agency that helps organic and natural CPG brands sell their products on Amazon.Chris joins us on the podcast to discuss how to sell better on Amazon. He walks us through how most of the value on Amazon is created upstream and what exactly is meant by that.We also discuss what you need to have in place before you sell on Amazon, why you need to sell on Amazon, and what product offerings work best on Amazon.Chris also talks about why there shouldn’t be much concern about Amazon cannibalizing your sales and what metrics signal success on Amazon.To learn more about Cartograph, visit: https://www.gocartograph.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Ramon are joined by Clark Nowlin, Founder of Golden Ratio.Golden Ratio is a coffee brand that sells gold coffee. On his launch day, Clark was able to generate over 10k in sales.During the podcast, Clark discusses how he was able to generate over 10k in sales on his launch, how much of it came from friends and family, and what sources he leaned into to generate revenue.Clark also talks about his founder story. He takes us through his path to starting a CPG brand and where the idea from gold coffee came from.In the podcast, you will also hear the importance of mentors for Clark as a first-time CPG founder.To learn more about Golden Ratio, visit: https://drinkgoldenratio.com/ (Bonus: Enter the code “Trend” at checkout for a little discount!).If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay is joined by Nicolas Derico, Director of Marketing at Wayflyer.Wayflyer is a company that offers revenue-based financing for eCommerce brands.In this podcast, Nicolas discusses when is the right time for brands to seek out funding, along with the requirements they should meet.Nicolas also discusses what brands should use their funding as a means to grow their business.Finally, we will also dive into some specific marketing strategies that Nicolas believes are crucial for businesses at any stage to use in order to keep growth steady.wTo learn more about Wayflyer, visit: https://www.wayflyer.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay is joined by Celeste Markey, Founder & CEO of Careste.Careste is a new American luxury brand offering on-demand couture.In this podcast, Celeste shares learnings from her extensive experience in the fashion industry along with her inspiration for on-demand fashion.Celeste discusses why Careste has taken this unique approach along with some of the benefits and challenges of going on-demand.We also cover what came first, the product or the brand, some recommendations for founders, and what’s next for Careste.To learn more about Careste, visit: https://careste.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Ramon are joined by Emmett Shine, Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director at Pattern Brands.Pattern (previously Gin Lane) creates purposeful brands that inspire you to learn, experiment, and enjoy.Before Pattern, Emmett has worked with big brands such as Sweetgreen, Bonobos, Everlane, Harrys, Smile Direct Club, Shake Shack, Quip, hims and more.In this podcast, Emmett sits down with us to share about what influenced him to create Pattern, his thoughts about building a brand, and how to build better relationships with customers.Emmett also dives deep into relationship design and why it’s a strategy that he and his team lean into.Additionally, we also hear about what Emmett envisions for the future of Pattern.To learn more about Pattern, visit: https://patternbrands.com/about-usTo see Pattern’s brands, visit: https://patternbrands.com/our-brandsIf you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Ramon are joined by Salim Najjar, Co-Founder of SOUND.SOUND is a beverage brand that sells tea-based sparkling beverages.Salim is here to share his and his Co-Founder’s experience of starting SOUND.Salim breaks down where the idea for SOUND came from, how they were able to crack retail, and how they are shifting to DTC during the pandemic.In addition to covering the success story of SOUND, Salim also covers some of the challenges he’s faced and offers recommendations for founders to overcome challenges.He provides insight on how others can break into retail, what goes into building a brand, and what’s next for SOUND!To learn more about SOUND, visit: https://drinksound.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Ramon are joined by Robby Switzer and Nathan Otwell from SHOPANOVA.SHOPANOVA is an agency that helps online stores get massive eCommerce growth. They specialize in paid media, specifically Facebook and Instagram ads.Facebook and Instagram ads are a popular growth channel for eCommerce businesses.The wide audience on these platforms allows new brands to reach a ton of consumers with a smaller advertising budget.But running Facebook ads does not always guarantee success.There is a learning curve to running ads and, if you’re not careful, you could end up spending thousands of dollars with no return.So how can you position yourself for the best return on ad spend (ROAS) possible? SHOPANOVA has some suggestions.We’ll discuss what’s the most important metric you should be measuring in ad campaigns, according to the experts.We’ll also talk about when you should run ads, how long you should wait before killing campaigns, and the importance of collecting data through Facebook’s pixel. To learn more about SHOPANOVA, visit: https://shopanova.com or https://shopanova-and-me.comIf you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay discusses how you can use user-generated content to help provide social proof and grow your brand.We’ve said it over and over on Trend (and so have others!), social proof is king!What better way to show social proof than through user-generated content. If you have paid for creating user-generated content, or just have a big library of, you may be wondering how you can leverage this powerful content even more to grow your brand.We’ll discuss 8 channels you can use user-generated content on to amplify your message and convince consumers.We’ll also talk about different strategies you can use on these 8 channels to maximize average ticket price and sway buyers into an upsell. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay is joined by guest Michael Cole, VP of Marketing at Everflow.Everflow is a partner marketing platform that helps businesses track results from partnerships through clickless tracking and offers real-time analytics.Businesses doing influencer marketing are receiving a 6x ROI.Ever heard that before?Many businesses have, and haven’t found quite the success they expected when trying influencer and affiliate marketing on their own.One of the biggest reasons why is because of failed attribution.Although influencer and affiliate marketing can help thrust your brand into the spotlight, having good tracking can help ensure a successful campaign.We’ll discuss why influencer and affiliate marketing should be a part of your marketing spend.We’ll also talk about how to properly attribute influencer and affiliate marketing, and how you can do it on your own. To learn more about Michael’s company, Everflow, visit: https://www.everflow.io/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Ramon are joined by guest Evan Rallis, Marketing Product Manager at MarketerHire.MarketerHire is a premium marketer network that helps connect expert freelance marketers with businesses quickly and seamlessly.Finding success in marketing, especially ad campaigns can be a daunting task for eCommerce brands.As a result, some brands are turning to freelance marketers who are experts in paid social to help make their ads overperform, scale, and generate a ton of revenue for their business.But what type of person should you use to run your ads?Should it be in-house, should it be a freelancer, should it be an agency or should you hire someone fulltime? Also, should the person in charge of ads change depending on the stage of your business?We’ll discuss who would be the best person to run your ads depending on which stage of the business you are in.We’ll also go in-depth on how you can get your ads to perform better and what you can do to scale ads and revenue with a small budget. To learn more about Evan’s company, MarketerHire, visit: https://marketerhire.com/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Ramon discusses how to grow as a creator, along with some of the challenges you may face.In the old days, creators only had a few digital outlets to share their content. Now, there are dozens of ways to grow a creator’s brand.From videos on YouTube, to Instagram, to podcasts, to blogs, to maybe even selling your own product line online, options for creators today are endless.But, how do you manage your time and your challenges so that you can grow as a creator?Through differentiation and leaning on the skills of others.Ramon will discuss how you can tackle the challenges of limited time, and free up your time to work on new projects. He will also look at ways you can grow your personal brand and build a powerful audience across multiple channels.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay discusses how influencers are starting to gain more power over monetizing their content.In the early days of influencers, creators were left to fend for themselves to monetize their content. Social platforms ran ads but none of that money went to creators. So influencers had to sell themselves to brands, or create their way to monetize using tools like Patreon, their own merch, etc.Now we are starting to see a shift in the creator economy with platforms starting to share some of their revenue with creators.YouTube was the first to do so and now Instagram says it will share revenue through IGTV ads.We’re also seeing Instagram look into post embeds and discussing whether publishers will need to seek approval from creators before embedding content.We’ll discuss how these changes will impact the creator economy for both influencers and brands. We’ll also look at why it’s going to be more important than ever for brands to acquire licensing rights to content, and how they can do so.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay discusses what you can do if you need to create more content.If you need to scale your content production or don’t have enough content right now, we have some suggestions on where you can get it.With so many platforms for brands to be active on, it can be a huge challenge to produce the content you need to be effective on each channel. Plus, once you start producing engaging content, consumers expect you to continue to deliver the same amount of content on a regular basis.As content studios stay closed and new brands continue to be created, there is a growing need for content.We’ll go through a proven strategy to determine how much content you need. We will also go through different solutions you can use to start creating on-brand content now, for any budget.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay and Ramon are joined by guest Arnold Ma, CEO and Founder of Qumin.Quim is a people and experience business focused on China.With Qumin’s experience in ecommerce and marketing in China, Jay and Ramon join forces with Arnold to discuss why marketing in China is so different than the approach brands take in the US.eCommerce and influencer marketing has developed very differently in China than it has in the West. A focus on digital payments, livestream selling, and an increased value on peer opinions are just some of the major differences that exist in China vs the West.Are these trends that will transfer over to the West, or are there other factors that will create a different evolution of eCommerce here?We’ll take a look at social commerce in China, and how China’s lack of infrastructure for the desktop-era pushed brands and consumers to mobile.We’ll also go in-depth on specific campaigns that Arnold and his team have completed, and why they had to take a different approach than what would work in the West. To learn more about Arnold’s company, Qumin, visit: https://qumin.co.uk/If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Jay discusses Facebook’s newest feature, Facebook Shops, and how it will impact eCommerce and influencer marketing.Facebook has been slowly creeping into the eCommerce world with features like Marketplace and Instagram Shopping. Now they are launching arguably their biggest step into the eCommerce universe, Shops.It comes at a time when small businesses are reeling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as Facebook continues to add offerings to help small businesses.This free feature will allow any brand or business to set up an online storefront on Facebook and Instagram for free, and customize it to their brand.We’ll discuss the top reasons for why you will want to set up a Facebook Shop. We’ll also dive into what are all of the available features for Facebook Shops.For more information on this topic, check out:https://trend.io/blog/facebook-shopsIf you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

In this episode, Ramon discusses how brands can still grow without ads, and why it’s important to be not fully reliant on them.Social ads have become a powerful tool to grow brands.For many brands, adding a Facebook pixel and creating retargeting campaigns is the next step after building your website.While this can be an effective way to grow your brand, it’s expensive and puts your business at the mercy of platforms like Facebook.Positioning yourself as a thought leader, and a master of your space can be a more effective way to grow your business long-term, and build brand value.Ramon will discuss how you can position yourself as a brand leader and create a brand that consumers keep on coming back to, not just because of Facebook ads.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for users and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.