eCommerce Evolution

Josh Hadley is a podcast host and a successful brand builder. His business Hadley Designs, just crossed 8 figures in annual sales.One key to his success is hiring manager-level talent overseas. His approach to hiring is fantastic. It's definitely one of the better ones I've seen.But that's not all! Before we dive into our discussion on hiring, we do a rapid-fire exchange of our top 6 takeaways from recent podcast episodes. Super fun and hopefully inspiring. Here's what we cover: Bonus Content: Creative problem-solving as a competitive advantage. The numbers behind successful infomercials. The metric YouTube cares about to boost your brand's YouTube channel? Hiring Content: How to get clear on WHO you should be hiring. How to measure the success or failure of a new hire before you hire them. How to create a compelling job description. How to find, attract, and retain top-level talent overseas - get Josh's full formula.

What started as a way to boost sales during slow summer months has turned into two of the largest shopping days of the year: Prime Day. More accurately, the event is 48 hours of lightning deals, promos, coupons, and shopping frenzies. Prime Day is a great way to attract new customers and gain momentum that can impact your business. But, it’s not without risk or peril. It's not uncommon for things to break or go wrong in the lead-up to Prime Day or during the event itself. In this episode, two OMG experts are joining me to talk about maximizing Prime Day sales. If you sell on Amazon, this is a MUST-watch episode. The insights are not only applicable to this Prime Day 2023 but will boost your success for future Prime Days, as well as upcoming holidays.What we cover:Pricing Strategy - Raising your prices is a no-no in Amazon’s book. Lowering prices is almost always welcomed from Amazon’s perspective but could be detrimental to your business. Here’s how you should think about pricing strategy leading up to Prime Day. Listing Optimization - While you don’t want to make big changes leading up to the event, you do want to give your listings a boost. Here’s what you should consider changing and what you shouldn’t. Overall Ad Strategy - Your ad strategy could make or break your Prime Day performance. How should you approach bidding and budgeting, and what factors should shape your ad strategy? Post-Prime Day Ad Strategies - How can you get new customers who learned about your brand during Prime Day to… 1. Buy again, and 2. Buy other products you sell? By running great ads. How much caffeine should you consume while watching and managing Prime Day performance?Plus, extra tips and bonuses like Amazon Live, Amazon Influencers, Amazon Posts, and more that could give you an edge.

This episode of eCommerce Evolution is one-of-a-kind!Recently, I had the pleasure of joining Matt Edmundson on his show, the eCommerce Podcast, and let me tell you, it was an absolute blast! We had such a great time that I couldn't resist featuring it on eCommerce Evolution as well.Matt Edmundson is an eCommerce expert and CEO at Auron Media. With over 20 years of experience, he has left a mark on the industry as both a successful business owner and a respected teacher.His podcast serves as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs looking to level up their stores! So take advantage of this opportunity to gain insights on what is working now with Google and YouTube Ads.Here's a sneak peek at what we cover: Why you should consider running YouTube ads. How to use YouTube as an advertising channel. The importance of long-form content on YouTube. The differences between TikTok and YouTube advertising.The relationship between Google and YouTube ads. What Performance Max is, and how it works.Plus more! P.S. If you are interested in the topic of “leadership,” I invite you to listen to our discussion on Matt’s other show Push To Be More, a podcast centered around what it takes to make life work! 

Andrew Foxwell and I go way back. We recorded our first podcast together over 6 years ago!Andrew is a seasoned expert in the advertising industry and the driving force behind a remarkable Meta agency that collaborates with renowned brands like Trek.He also runs an amazing community of brand owners, agency owners and marketing professionals called Foxwell Founders. (Over 400 members strong and collectively spending 250 million plus per month on ads.)Join us as Andrew shares his invaluable insights on the ever-evolving advertising landscape.Here's a glimpse of what we cover in this episode:What creatives are working best right now on Meta and Google, and are TikTok-style ads worth testing on multiple platforms?How answering questions is essential on more platforms than just Google search.What strategies are working right now with different Meta campaign types.Why having great creatives is only valuable with proper creative testing.How to focus on what's really unique about your product in your ads.Andrew's approach of "scaling in place" and how it applies to Meta and YouTube.Operational AI vs. Platform AI.What Andrew's "not, not excited" about AI means (I tend to share his perspective).

Good ads are just the beginning when it comes to growing your business. The real game-changer lies in your landing pages. They hold the key to turning visitors into loyal customers.That's why you can't afford to miss our latest podcast episode. We've brought together two absolute legends from OMG Commerce - Matt Slaymaker and Bill Cover - to discuss their favorite landing page tips and share real-life examples.With over $100 million managed annually in online advertising, we've witnessed firsthand the critical role landing pages play in conversion rates and return on ad spend. They hold the power to either make or break your ad performance, while also impacting your word-of-mouth and organic growth.Here's a look at what we cover: How landing page improvements turned a skincare brand's ad campaign from a dud to a success.What good landing pages and amazing in-store experiences have in common.The 4 C's of a good lander.5 tips for dedicated landing pages.Where to start - homepage, landing, or dedicated lander.How landing pages and ads work together to create winning (or disappointing) results.Our favorite landing page examples and a FREE swipe file of our favorites!

Khierstyn Ross has made a name for herself by successfully launching products and brands on Kickstarter. However, the crowdfunding landscape has significantly changed in recent years, particularly on Kickstarter. It is NOT the same world it was in 2019.While the barrier to entry for launching a successful project has become higher, it's still a good fit for many clients. In addition to helping brands on Kickstarter, Khierstyn is also a pro at helping companies grow on Amazon. She's mastered the art of launching new products and pre-sells on Amazon. Here's a look at what we cover: What products do well on Kickstarter, and what products usually flop? What kind of $ do you need to invest for a successful Kickstarter launch?When to launch a new product on Shopify vs. Kickstarter.How to build a brand on Amazon.What kind of results should you expect when launching on Kickstarter?

Liz Germain is a YouTube PRO and a repeat guest on the show! We first met when I was speaking at an eCommerce event held at the YouTube LA Offices. Liz is responsible for well over 200 million organic views on YouTube and has worked and consulted with some of the top influencers online today. Here’s a look at what we cover:The three types of content you should create on YouTube and how to approach each.How search-driven views only account for less than 10% of total watch time on the platform.The 4 phases of creating a massive following on YouTube.The metrics YouTube cares about and you should obsess over.How YouTube ads and YouTube organic do NOT mix, but how you can still leverage both for growth.

Steve is a legend in the eComm space. He is not only the store owner of Bumblebee Linens, but also the host of the highly successful marketing podcast, "My Wife Quit Her Job,” which ranks among the top 25 in its category. He has been successfully running an eComm event for 7 years, and it is one of my favorite events to attend and speak at.He’s also the author of a brand new book - The Family First Entrepreneur.His impressive combination of experiences gives him a unique perspective on eCommerce and entrepreneurship. Here is a look at what we cover: How to grow using lifecycle marketing when only 12% of your customers buy more than once.How Steve thinks about customer buckets to grow cross-sells, upsells, and repeat orders.How Steve and his team use Chat GPT4 to 10x their organic traffic.What’s the future of AI and white-collar jobs?How Steve thinks about pricing and why they no longer offer deep discounts.

Aaron Sheehan and I go way back. We first met when Aaron used to work for an agency that OMG supported.Now, Aaron is the Director of Competitive Strategy at BigCommerce. He brings a fresh perspective on the eCommerce industry, and a unique point of view on eComm platforms and the future of eComm technology.Coincidentally, his office is only a quarter of a mile from mine. In hindsight, we probably should have recorded this show in person.Here’s a look at what we cover:What is Headless, and how does it compare to Composable? Are these just buzzwords or trends that are here to stay?Aaron’s and my take on the state of eCommerce and why we see a prevailing “cautious optimism.” The eCommerce trends Aaron is most excited about and what omnichannel means today (vs. what it meant 10 years ago).When should you consider upgrading your tech stack, and where does the BigCommerce offering fit in the marketplace?

What got you here won’t get you there. What will it take to reach your next big breakthrough?Whether or not we want to admit it, we all have limiting thought patterns that create a sort of blindness, preventing us from seeing breakthroughs. I first met Will when he was the Head of Growth for Organifi. He helped grow the brand from an $18 million per year run rate to a $100 million per year run rate in short order. In today’s episode, Will Hughes wants to help you think differently. And not just a philosophical kind of thinking, but big, business-altering, breakthrough kind of thinking. Here’s a look at what we cover:The remarkable story of the Hollywood Blacklist and how we can find treasure in what others are rejecting.Using creative thinking as a competitive advantage.How to avoid being a copycat (while still paying attention to competitors).What Google vs. Yahoo can teach us as entrepreneurs. The power of reticular activators.

Online marketers can learn a LOT from direct response TV (DRTV) ads. The power of an irresistible offer.The art and science of a problem-solution ad.The appeal of a “magic product demonstration.”To name a few!This episode features Jordan Pine, a seasoned DRTV veteran who has also had success in the online marketing space. I wanted to pick his brain on how to be successful with DRTV. I’m convinced that some of the lessons he knows and that other DRTV pros know can be leveraged by online marketers. Recording this episode was an absolute BLAST! We went a full hour, and I could have easily continued for another couple. It was fun and insightful! Here’s a look at what we cover:The “Divine 7” for choosing the right product to advertise.The 10 TNT (Tried-and-True) elements of DRTV.Why the Ginsu Knife commercial belongs in the DRTV Hall of Fame.The “problem scale” and how to use it to analyze a product and the strength of a problem/solution opening.Gluing people to ceilings, running over flashlights with tanks, and other “torture test” product demos.Lessons from the Godfathers of marketing like Claud Hopkins, Rosser Reeves, Joe Sugarman, and more.

Chris Brewer is an agency veteran, marketing expert, and former golf pro. Not to mention my business partner and OMG Commerce’s co-founder. Each year, Chris has the privilege of talking with hundreds of DTC brands, both big and small. He hears about their goals, struggles, plans, and more. As a strategist, I also consult with large-scaling eComm brands. Through our perspectives, we’d like to highlight ways in which great brands get in their own way and offer some candid advice when it comes to working with agencies. We love the brands we talk to and the clients we serve. But, like anyone else, brands can sometimes overlook how they inadvertently hinder their own growth. Here are a few topics we cover that we hope you’ll find helpful: Having goals that aren’t battle-tested. Still thinking like it’s 2020 in some areas of your business. Prioritizing automation and tools over strategy. Shooting for perfect data and ignoring actionable data. Stopping short of getting results. When you shouldn’t hire an agency. How to get the most from an agency relationship. Plus more!

Jeremy Horowitz is one of my favorite follows on LinkedIn. He recently dropped some brilliant (and terrifying) posts about the economy, the impending debt crisis, and what DTC brands should focus on now. Jeremy and I go way back. In fact, this is our 4th podcast together over the years (he used to host a show too). Jeremy has been in the DTC SaaS space for years, having previously managed marketing for a large DTC brand. Jeremy is now the Sr. Partner Manager at Gorgias, and he and his team run the DTCX events, which have become some of my favorites to speak at and attend. Here's a look at what we cover. Some of it's heavy, but it also speaks to the amount of opportunity on the horizon: What keeps Jeremy up at night? A potential consumer debt crisis? More at this link. 64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Those making over $100k per year are in the same boat. What you can learn from Liquid Death. Understanding how and where your customers want to buy. Avoiding the discount doom loop. Getting your inventory as close to "just-in-time" as possible. A different way to look at your marketing budget and performance.

At one time, Charles Tichenor was a top 100 advertiser on Facebook. On the platform, he frequently manages 7 figure budgets per DAY! In the early days, he managed FB ads for Apple, New Balance, major automotive brands, and more. Facebook gave him test budgets ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 per day to test new features and Betas. In this episode, Charles and I dig into what’s working now, what mistakes he’s seeing, and a bit of his framework for success. Here’s a look at what we cover: How Facebook Advantage Plus ads give you an unfair advantage - and what you should do about it right now. If you want to win more customers, you have to BE your customer. How chasing “what’s working now” with Facebook creatives is likely to make you a second-rate advertiser - and what to do instead. The AI Charles was using before Chat GPT and how you should use it. Creative ways to use Chat GPT to speed up your marketing process. How TikTok is different from all the other platforms. How to win with TikTok organic and paid ads. How to land on the right creatives for your brand. Plus MORE!

This episode of the eCommerce Evolution podcast is truly unique. It's not uncommon for us to talk about branding, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. But in this episode, we also discuss faith, family tragedy, chasing your dreams, and nerd out a bit on basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Steph Curry. Ashton Owens is living many kids’ dreams…but more importantly, he’s living his own. He works directly with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and other pro athletes. He runs Triple Threat - a creative agency specializing in branding and storytelling for pro athletes. Ashton and I have a lot in common. We go to church together (how we met), share an affinity for professional basketball, lost a parent when we were teens, and experienced some fun and wild entrepreneurial journeys. Here’s what we cover: How growing up in an entrepreneurial family and losing his father as a teenager shaped Ashton’s faith and professional accomplishments. How inviting Michael Jordan to his birthday party as a child influenced Ashton’s belief that the world is full of possibilities. The crazy story of Ashton’s first meeting with Steph Curry and Under Armor. The meaning behind the Steph Curry logo and how it relates to storytelling. Ashton's belief that most people count themselves out before they start and how to shift their thinking. Plus more!

According to Chad Rubin, there's a lot of reckless advice from "gurus" when it comes to pricing on Amazon. Just raising your price because of inflation, might not be your optimal move. In some cases lowering your price, improving sell through, improving BSR can raise your total profits. But lowering your price could have devastating impact to your profits. So should you raise or lower your price? The short answer is - it depends. The key is to test, watch the data, and optimize. Chad Rubin recently exited Skubana, Prosper Show and his own agency. He’s now the founder of Profasee a dynamic AI repricing tool for Amazon sellers to help you maximize profits without hurting your ranking on Amazon. Here’s a look at what we cover: Prepping your business to sell and how Chad successfully exited Skubana. The fallacy of managing your Amazon ad spend to an ACoS goal. The art & science of Amazon pricing. How to price on other marketplaces so you maximize sales on amazon and preserve margin. Product assortment strategies on and off Amazon and where Chad would launch a new eComm brand if he started today.

In this episode, you’ll hear Rick Watson’s unfiltered hot takes on the latest changes coming from the “Big 2” in eCommerce: Shopify and Amazon. Rick Watson is an eCommerce influencer, former software CEO, and the host of The Watson Weekly podcast. Frequently speaking at large retail events like ShopTalk, NRF, and IRCE, he knows his stuff! Here’s a look at what we cover: How Rick grew from 0 to 45,000 followers on LinkedIn in a few years (fun side notes for anyone wanting to grow their social following). The recent Shopify rate increases - people are complaining, but no one is leaving. Headless Commerce and Shopify Components - it’s new(ish), it’s sexy, and everyone is talking about it. Is it right for you? Amazon FBA changes related to IPI - this shows that Amazon is smarter than the rest of us. Buy with Prime - what is it, when does it make sense vs. when does it not? Walmart, Target+, and the other marketplaces - should you care?

Bear Handlon is a former Yale football player, Naval Officer, and the Co-Founder and CEO of Born Primitive, one of the hottest brands in the fitness, athleisure, and outdoor apparel space. Bear’s story is truly unique and full of valuable insights. Bear had a simple idea, $4,000 in the bank, and was about to ship off to officer candidate school, but he decided to launch a company anyway. He parlayed the success of his initial product, custom-made compression shorts, to build a large and diverse brand with a wide array of products. Here’s a look at what we cover: When to focus vs. when to expand your product offering. Born Primitive’s 3 keys to building a growth flywheel. How to turn mistakes into extreme customer loyalty. How getting the product right fuels everything else. Why being face-to-face with customers is the key to product innovation and marketing. While products can be replicated, a strong and unique “brand identity” cannot.

Rabah Rahil has done it all when it comes to marketing. Rabah is the CMO for one of the hottest and fastest growing SaaS companies in the DTC world - Triple Whale. Prior to that, he worked on the digital marketing team at Whole Foods, was a part of an agency that managed traffic for Oprah, and owned and operated his own agency. Triple Whale is a leader (and one of my favorites) in the world of 3rd-Party Attribution tools. Triple Whale helps you make sense of what channels, campaigns, and ads are moving the needle. It also brings all of your important data from Shopify, Amazon, and your ad channel into a single dashboard. In this episode, we talk about attribution from a high level and what platforms are getting the most ad spend right now. Here’s a look at what we cover: Why trying to get perfect attribution data is impossible (and why it’s not the point). A "party" analogy that could shift the way you view your ad channels. With data from 6,000 Shopify stores, where are most advertisers spending their ad budgets? Is TikTok where you should focus your time and budget in 2023 (the answer may surprise you)? Is Facebook slipping? Where should I prioritize Snapchat?

Brendan Bannister, the CEO of Naturalabs.io, is one smart marketer. We first met in 2018 when he was the CMO and Creative Director at William Painter. After taking my YouTube/Google course, he scaled ad spend on YouTube from $2k per day to $100k per day! We decided to start meeting and swapping ideas, war stories, and things we were testing. We soon realized the value of sharing this knowledge with others and decided to record a session and bring it to the world! In this episode, we dive into CRO, creatives, data-driven marketing, R&D for marketing departments, and the golden years for YouTube and Facebook Ads and how they achieved 13x growth for William Painter. Here are some highlights: How the famous da Vinci quote, “Simplicity is Ultimate Sophistication” should be a guiding principle for marketers. Is media buying dead? If so, what is taking its place? How good brands are sort of like algorithms. “Design is hack” and what that means for your marketing efforts. The role “brand” plays in your ability to scale. Why Brendan is now living and working full-time in Dubai. Plus more!

Retention marketing is crucial for any business. When the economy is thriving, you need retention marketing to cut through the clutter and help you stand out. When times are tough, as they may be in the near future, retention marketing is essential. During a recession, it’s critical to get the most out of your marketing efforts. The most effective way to accomplish this is to maximize your Lifetime Value (LTV) through retention and loyalty marketing. That’s why, at OMG, we launched email and SMS marketing as a service last year. (email [email protected] to find out more). In this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting Daniel Budai, a retention marketing expert and the founder of Budai Media. Here’s a look at what we cover: The mindset shift needed to impact how you approach retention marketing and loyalty. Why you are likely not emailing your list enough and how emailing LESS has the opposite effect. How to maximize your results by combining SMS and email marketing. How to create a user-friendly loyalty program that incentivizes desired actions, such as referrals. How to use postcards as part of your retention and loyalty efforts.

Chris Mercer - aka “Mercer,” is the man when it comes to measurement and analytics. He’s the guy the pros like Justin Brooke, Mike Rhodes, and OMG turn to when we need help. If you haven’t heard (and I’d be shocked if you haven’t), Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is coming, and Universal Analytics (the current version) will go away in July of 2023. GA4 isn’t just an upgrade. It’s an entirely different animal. It has to be! Given how technology, user preferences, and policies around privacy have changed over recent years - Google is forced to abandon UA and build something completely new. In this episode, we talk about what’s new, what’s different, what we’re excited about, and what you can do to prepare.Here’s a glimpse of what we cover: A simple way to understand events and how Google measures them in GA4. Data storage and how to hold onto your data - If nothing is done, your data will be gone in 2-14 months. What’s going away vs. what’s here to stay? How to use GA4 to make better decisions.

The most difficult aspect of eCommerce is attracting new customers. With CPMs and CPAs on the rise, great brands must learn to increase the average order values (AOV) and customer lifetime value (LTV) of their customers. That’s where building a brand marketplace comes into play. Yes, you need to be developing new products and expanding your line. However, partnering with other complementary brands can provide immediate value to customers while also increasing AOV and LTV. But if done poorly, it can actually hurt your brand. Here’s what we dive into in this episode: How Brooklinen thinks about brand marketplace and gives customers the option to "shop the room.” How Realtree expands its product line beyond camo to include high-quality rain gear and more products through their brand marketplace. How to structure a marketplace to strengthen your brand, not erode it. How a kayak brand used drop shipping competitors products to increase sales, trust, and customer loyalty for their own goods. How Flxpoint makes it easy!

Cyber 5 2022 is in the books! In this episode, I’m joined by two OMG Commerce veterans to unpack the juicy tidbits and key takeaways from BFCM. Bill Cover is a senior Google Strategist with 6 years of experience at OMG and over a decade of experience in eComm. Amber Norell is the Amazon Director at OMG. For 8 years, she has helped large brands with scaling on Amazon in the most competitive niches! This year’s data was both fascinating and surprising. Some speculated that high inflation and economic concerns could squash the holiday sales rush and turn Cyber 5 into a downer. However, the data tells a VERY different story. Here’s some of what we covered: How did Cyber 5 2022 compare to last year? How did BF compare to CM? When we looked at Amazon sales versus DTC sales, the answer was different. Did Prime Early Access - Amazon’s sale in October - impact Cyber 5 or holiday sales in general? What was the level of discounting this year vs. last year? How did ad costs change during Cyber 5?

Allie Bloyd is a podcast host, consultant, Facebook Ad pro, and marketing juggernaut! In this episode, Allie and I talk about several elements many eCommerce brands overlook or simply under-leverage. To use a golf analogy, many eComm brands are focused on impressive drives when they also need to consider their short game. You know the saying, "Drive for show, putt for dough." That’s where offers, audience building, and list nurturing come into play. Here’s just a few nuggets you'll learn: How to completely change the math on your cold traffic by creating irresistible offers that don't cheapen your brand. How to utilize tripwires and micro offers as an eComm brand. Audience building and how it can lower ad costs (especially during peak seasons like a holiday). The best book written on remarketing and loyalty (hint: you’ve probably read it to your kids before).

What you don’t know about YouTube is hurting you. Justin Sardi is the founder of Tube Sift and Video Ad Vault. He is a true YouTube OG. He’s been running ads and geeking out on YouTube organic growth since 2012. He’s built two of the leading YouTube research and spying tools on the web - Tube Sift and Ad Vault. The team here at OMG actually uses both regularly. Justin is a sharp dude with a wealth of YouTube knowledge. Here’s what we dive into in this episode: Misconceptions about YouTube holding you back from growth. How to capture top-performing YouTube ads to learn from - for FREE! What’s changing on YouTube, including some of our favorite targeting options? Why Google’s first-party data and AI is second to none. Some YouTube SEO tips you probably haven’t thought of. Do you need a 2nd YouTube channel? Video Discovery ads - what are they and how to make them work for you? Plus more!

Kurt is a legend in the eComm space and hosts one of the most popular podcasts in our industry. His show, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, just crossed the 2 million downloads milestone. Kurt and his company are all about one thing - helping Shopify store owners make more money. And the best way to do that is by split-testing everything. An important first step of split testing is questioning your assumptions. (We all know what happens when we assume.) Here are a few recent tests Kurt and company have run. We discuss the results on the show...yes, that's a teaser. Listen to find out what test won! Does free shipping always result in better performance (and is it even worth testing)? Should I put a slider on my home page? What about hero images and banners on my category pages? Do add-to-cart buttons on your collections pages help or hurt conversions? What about stuffy old early 2000s breadcrumbs - are they helpful or not? Plus, favorite tools, tips, and tricks that Kurt uses often.

John Parkes and I go way back. In the early days of OMG, we partnered with Russell Brunson on a project called DotComSecrets Local. John helped oversee the project. It was pre-ClickFunnels in 2010 and an excellent time to work as an online entrepreneur. Having an upfront seat watching Russell and his team was inspiring and educational. Fast forward to today, and John is the Chief Traffic Architect for ClickFunnels. Or CTA for short, which is a nerdy and satisfying job title for a media buyer. John is a great media buyer, strategist, and marketer. He’s wicked smart and fun to talk to! In this episode, we dive into rethinking Facebook Ads. Plus, we talk about the grandfather of direct response marketing - Dan Kennedy. Interestingly, many people (myself included) thought Dan was dead. He’s not, and now he’s part of the ClickFunnels team. Here’s a look at what we dive into: The experience of buying Dan Kennedy’s company and brand. Opening up new markets and introducing the current market to The Godfather of direct response marketing. D.W.E.L.L. - audience strategy for focusing. How to build “set it and forget it” remarketing ads. How Google and Facebook Ads work together - this can really unlock growth when you understand it. Is TikTok really a game changer from a marketing and business growth perspective? A sneak peek at ClickFunnels 2.0.

Preparation is the backbone for success during the holiday season. Today I am talking to a few of our OMG experts on preparing to win the 2022 holidays. Joining us is Amber Norell, OMG’s Amazon Director, Bill Cover, one of OMG’s amazing Google Strategist, and Savannah Knight, one of OMG’s rockstar Google Specialists. This holiday season should be quite interesting. Inflation, rising ad costs, privacy issues, and new campaign types have this year shaping up to be anything but ordinary. In this episode we cover how to: Drive MORE traffic profitably Go omnichannel Turn every interaction (even support) into sales opportunities

Preparation is the backbone for success during the holiday season. Recently we just recorded a holiday webinar featuring Kristina Muntean and Jenna Galardi. Kristina works for Gorgias, an online customer support service who has worked with big brands such as Steve Madden and OLIPOP. Jenna Galardi has over a decade of experience helping businesses grow online. In current role as Senior Omnichannel Growth Manager at BigCommerce, she focuses on helping merchants strengthen their online presence and adopt social commerce, marketplaces, and product feed optimization solutions to scale their growth. This holiday season should be quite interesting. Inflation, rising ad costs, privacy issues, and new campaign types have this year shaping up to be anything but ordinary. In this episode we cover how to: Drive MORE traffic profitably Go omnichannel Turn every interaction (even support) into sales opportunities

I love Arrae as a brand and as a group of products. I also think Nish Samantray is one of the brightest up-and-coming eCommerce founders in the game right now. Arrae is unique because it’s a supplement brand that combines natural ingredients with amazing packaging and design. Their supplements are designed to work in under an hour. So their bloat pill allows you to eat pizza and not feel terrible afterward. And the jars are a work of art. So are the labels. It’s truly a product you would love to see in your medicine cabinet or sitting on the counter. Nish and the team are doing a LOT right in creating Arrae’s meteoric growth. Here are a few things we discuss in today’s episode: Why asking what customers want next is a terrible question and what to ask instead. How to think about in-store growth. When everything gets more challenging, how you get better. Influencer marketing with events and thinking more like a mom who loves to host neighbor kids. Nish’s favorite books and resources for growth Plus more!

Content is King. Regardless of the platform. Want to scale on TikTok? You’re only as good as your content. Want to step up your IG game? Content, baby. Want to finally scale on YouTube? Hire OMG (ha!) and create great content! Today I’m interviewing Danil Saliukov, CEO and Co-Founder of Insense. I met Danil when we both spoke at Geek Out in San Diego a few months ago. Insense is a marketplace that connects creators with brands and facilitates the creation of great content. Creating great content comes down to 3 things: Find the right creator for your brand Build authentic content that highlights why your product is great Create content specifically geared toward the platforms you want to run on Here’s a look at what we breakdown on the show: Where brands go wrong when creating content for marketing - Not every creator is an influencer, and not every influencer is a creator. What separates brands that do really well from the rest? The key to finding creators that best fit a brand. How brands can help creators create great content. How brands should approach TikTok. Actors vs. content creators vs. real customers for UGC.

Dr. Travis Zigler knows a thing or two about the entrepreneur’s journey. Sometimes the path you end up taking as an entrepreneur is NOT the path you had in mind when you set out. Travis and his wife, Jenna, are both optometrists by trade, but they had an itch to build an eCommerce business. They started with sunglasses, then landed with a dry eye product, but what began as a product-focused company shifted to a customer-focused business. Here’s a look at what we cover: How to cultivate raving fans. How Travis and Jenna shifted from selling plastic to serving a person. How and why they built a YouTube channel. How they almost sold the business for nothing but then turned things around. His most important lessons from success and failure.

My guest today is a longtime friend and colleague, Jon MacDonald. Jon is the CEO and founder of, The Good. He and his team help brands like Nike, Xerox, and The Economist turn more visitors into customers. He’s one of the best conversion rate optimization specialists I know. In this interview, we wanted to go beyond the typical hacks and quick tips and look at principle-based optimization or optimization as a way of doing business. This approach will yield far greater results over the long haul than just trying the CRO-hack “flavor of the day.” Here’s a look at what we cover: Why best practices are for beginners and how you should think about CRO in general. What most eComm brand owners forget about the scientific method and why chasing “silver bullets” is killing your results. New visitors are at your site for two reasons, and it’s not just to hang out or learn all about you. How Jon’s simple yet effective “Trust Trifecta” will help you earn more conversions. What Kim Kardashian’s assistant can teach you about "surprise and delight" user experiences. How discounting isn’t optimization; it’s margin drain. And what you can do instead of discounting. Plus more!

Long-time fans of the show might remember me saying that SEO was the first online marketing skill I learned and was also the first service OMG offered. We got out of the SEO game years ago, but I still love it. And I believe it's a massive area of opportunity that most eComm brands are missing. I first heard my guests speak at Geek Out in San Diego. Their talk was so good I asked them to come on the podcast. Kevin is the CEO of GR0, and Jon is the Chief Growth Officer. Both are wicked smart. In this episode, we bust SEO myths and misunderstandings and talk about how they've helped eComm brands 10x their organic traffic through consistent SEO practices. Here's a look at what we cover: The most common SEO mistakes or misunderstandings from eComm brands. Where in the funnel does SEO fit? How SEO is just storytelling in a lot of different ways. Content must haves when creating content for organic growth. Favorite SEO tools. How someone could get started with SEO.

Email marketing is the ultimate money maker for eCommerce companies. When you have email marketing dialed in, EVERYTHING else gets better. Your product launches improve, you can spend more on top-of-funnel marketing efforts, convert more abandoned carts, and give your customers a better experience. The list goes on and on. Nick Flint is the lead Email Strategist here at OMG Commerce. He took his knowledge from building his own eCommerce brand while in college and scaled that into successfully running email marketing for brands for the past 6+ years. Here’s the deal. Even if you think you’re doing pretty well with email marketing, there are at least a few things you can improve on. Grab your pencil if you know you have holes in your email game. You’re about to unlock some serious growth for your brand. Here’s a look at what I cover with Nick in this episode. Three simple ways to make any subject line better. What to do with your winning email tests. The paradox of sending more emails. How to properly combine email and SMS marketing for better results (without bugging your customers). Two super-fast email hacks that you can digest and implement tomorrow. A simple, no-brainer way to improve your flows. Plus more!

My guest today is Krik Angacian, the co-founder of Candy Can. Krik’s background is first as an investment banker and then as a founder of a protein popcorn business that he sold a few years ago. Candy Can is a phenomenal product (full disclosure - I am an investor) and somewhat addictive. If you’re like me, you’ve been known to snack on children’s gummy vitamins (it’s actually a pretty common vice, it turns out). The trouble is, that’s not so healthy. Enter Candy Can, the keto-friendly gummy snacks packed with vitamins (but not too many) and free of junk like gelatin and nasty fillers. Candy Can is on a tear of growth right now, but it’s not from the traditional channels like Google and Facebook. It’s from affiliate marketing. Here’s a look at what we covered in the interview: Where to get started and where to learn affiliate marketing. Should you hire an affiliate agency or go it alone (most charge $10k per month or more)? Why landing page is everything and what Krik has learned through testing. How fraud is a real issue and what to do about it. Why starting with low-quality traffic and then upgrading could be a good strategy for you (or even a must). Top affiliate marketing tools. Understanding the metrics behind affiliate marketing.

What’s the secret behind the runaway success of Dr. Squach, Manscapped, William Painter, Ruggable, Lume, and more? Product design that people love is part of it.They also leveraged FANTASTIC creatives. They didn’t just create ads that converted; they had ads that viewers loved. This allowed for scaling. They entered the rare space of being able to scale profitably to 10 million, 20 million, several hundred million views - profitably. Dr. Squatch rode the wave of incredible creatives from a $3 million annual run rate to hundreds of millions in yearly sales. How did they do it? They tapped into Raindrop’s creative genius and its CEO Jacques Spitzer. Raindrop is one of my favorite creative shops and the creators of the videos for brands listed above, plus Native (also an OMG Client), Worx, Happy Egg, and more. Here’s a look at what we cover in the episode: Why you shouldn’t start a video project by deciding what YOU want to say. Follow Jacques advice instead. How you’re likely assuming way more attention than your prospects are giving. How ads that scale can completely change the game. What people are really buying when they buy your product. Do shoppers actually care about your why? What branded performance creative is and why it makes scale and brand lift so much easier.

What if you could cut your lead costs in half? What if you could shorten your sales cycle from several weeks to just a few hours? What if you could leverage organic and paid traffic for better connections, delightful customer interactions, and more sales? That is what Chatbots can create for you. I heard Natasha Willis speak at Blue Ribbon Miami a few months ago, and I loved her presentation so much that I invited her to be on the show! In this episode, we unpack her $30 million Instagram DM funnel. Here’s a look at what we cover: How to use IG DMs to run quiz funnels. How to combine bots and human creativity for outstanding results. How Natasha helped cut lead costs in half for companies like Foundr. Top mistakes people make with Chat marketing. Misconceptions about Chat marketing.

Should you build a brand from scratch? Or buy an existing brand and apply your genius to scale or improve it? Mike Jackness is one of my favorite eCommerce pros to talk to. He’s a podcast host. He’s built, bought, and sold multiple brands. And he has a heart to teach.He’s currently running a successful eComm brand that I’m an investor in, and it’s in the process of selling. We wanted to hop on the podcast and talk about the process plus the pros and cons of buying vs. selling. Here’s a look at what we cover: What you’re actually buying when you buy an existing business. How Mike looks at brands, he wants to buy or invest in. How to approach due diligence as a buyer or a seller. Surprises to look for in the due diligence process as a buyer or a seller. How getting your business ready to sell now will make your business better regardless of if you sell it or not. The good, the bad, and the ugly of M&A. Plus more!

I’ve always believed that writing good copy is one of the most profitable skills you can have as a marketer. And even if you don’t want to write copy yourself, understanding the process that your team should go through to create great copy is super important. Recently I spoke at Nick Shackelford’s Geek out in San Diego and I met Brandon Ham there. Brandon used to work for Agora Publishing, the multi-billion direct marketing behemoth that was built on great copy. Whether you want to write better email subject lines, create more engaging video ads, craft display ads that drive conversions, or improve your landing page conversion rates, this approach can really help. Here’s what we cover: Brandon’s 3-step research process for powerful copy. How to spy on competitors and see what’s working and what’s not. The biggest mistakes to avoid when watching competitors. How to “tell your story better”. You sell with your ears, not with your mouth and what that means for copy. How to speak your customer’s language. Plus more!

Prime Day is now one of the most anticipated shopping events of the year for both shoppers and sellers. It started in 2015 as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Amazon. Mostly it was designed to help boost sales during one of the slowest times of the year (July). It has since grown dramatically and rivaled some of the largest shopping days of the year. In this episode, we break down what we saw this year including some surprises, key learnings, and take aways for upcoming big sales events like other Prime events and Black Friday/Cyber Monday. OMG is large enough now that aggregate data from our clients is informative and meaningful. In this episode we unpack global Amazon trends and data and data from our growing list of OMG clients. Amber, OMG’s Amazon Director, and Trenton, our Amazon PPC lead, join the podcast to break down what we saw from OMG clients and what we saw globally. Here’s a look at what we cover. 300 million items were purchased on Prime Day 2022. 60,000 items purchased per minute (wowza). Most shopping was done from 8p-9p PT on Wednesday 7/13. What happened to CPCs and conversion rates during Prime Day. What offers and deals did well, vs. what didn’t do so hot. What categories really shined and outperformed others (some pretty surprising results here). Key learnings to apply for Prime Day Early Access and Cyber 5.

The Google ads ecosystem offers opportunities to grow your brand that you really can’t find anywhere else. Google is the world’s most popular search engine and the number 1 most visited site on the planet. YouTube is the world's 2nd most popular search engine (even though it’s really a video site) and the world’s 2nd most visited site. You can leverage both channels for both targeted growth and scale. But how? We’ll show you in this episode. Matt Slaymaker is a Lead Google & YouTube Ads Specialist at OMG Commerce. Dubbed “Slaymaker the Playmaker” - Matt joins me to talk about top strategies and tactics to achieve Full Funnel Growth on Google Ads in 2022 and beyond. Here’s a look at what we cover: Where to start with Search and why this is still super important even though it’s the true Google OG. What has changed with Google Shopping. What channels we recommend for remarketing and how to structure your audiences. What the best audiences are for YouTube Ads. And more!

Misconceptions about GDN are rampant in the eComm world. It’s too hard. It’s too expensive. The targeting isn’t as good as Facebook. It doesn’t work. Justin Brooke knows better. Justin is an ad veteran who knows just about every ad platform out there. He’s partnered with and trained media buyers for Russell Brunson, Frank Kern, Dan Kennedy and more. He also worked for Agora Publishing. He KNOWS his stuff. And he believes GDN ads are better than Facebook? Why? You can still get $.40 and $.80 clicks. GDN offers targeting that you can’t match on Facebook. GDN creates the impression that your brand is “everywhere”. Here are some tips we cover: His unique approach to GDN for eCommerce. His landing page must-have elements. How quality is in the quantity when it comes to GDN headlines and copy. Testing 3 angles for every idea - toward pleasure, away from pain, and something controversial. Utilizing the overnight celebrity strategy with testimonial GDN ads. How deadlines and testimonials work together. How to work hand-in-hand with the algorithm for amazing results.

Andrew Eckblad is one of the sharpest video minds I know. He started in TV and film and even won a few Emmys. He was Frank Kerns’ “video guy” for over 10 years. Now he runs convertsmart and works with DTC brands making videos that convert on all platforms: Facebook, IG, YouTube, and TikTok. In this episode, we focus on the 8 biggest mistakes he sees DTC brands making when it comes to video marketing. Here’s a quick look at what we cover: How the pattern interrupt really needs to do more than interrupt - it also needs to frame the video. What the real goal of the first 5-10 seconds should be. How you need to lean into authenticity and what that looks like. What the ideal length of a video is after millions of dollars of testing. A simple yet HUGE recommendation for your CTAs (I’ve been guilty of making this mistake). How you might be overthinking your video strategy. Plus more!

As you know, I’m no stranger to YouTube ads. It’s been an obsession of mine since 2016. But, I love talking shop and swapping ideas with other YouTube ad experts. My guest today is Brian Moncada. He and his team run YouTube ads for other marketing legends like Frank Kern, John Asaraf, and others. Brian knows his stuff! Brian has worked mostly with info marketers and influencers. We work almost exclusively with DTC brands. So our combined perspective on YouTube ads is pretty powerful. Here’s a look at what we cover: Brian’s ad framework. How to harness intent-based targeting. How to create urgency and scarcity. Why most YouTube ads fail.

No one knows more about eCommerce growth than my friend, Ezra Firestone. Arguably, no one is a more interesting interview than Ezra either. This episode does NOT disappoint. Ezra bootstrapped growth for Boom from $0 to $40mill + per year. He also recently bought another high-profile eComm brand (more on that in the show). This episode is straight fire. Here’s a look at what we dive into: How Ezra is approaching email marketing and email list growth in 2022. I’m guessing you’re missing his email strategy - even if you consider yourself an email marketing pro. How BOOM is approaching front-end offers. Why you should consider inventing a holiday and how BOOM did just that. How to grow your SMS list. Plus MUCH, much more!

I’ve never met anyone quite like Miki Agrawal. She’s incredibly creative. No really. She once hosted a “funeral for a tree” at an old cathedral in NYC hosted by comedians and actors. It drew a crowd of thousands, generated millions in free press, and helped shed light on the toilet paper waste that her company TUSHY can help solve. She understands trends in marketing. She knows how to grab attention. So much so that she was banned by the NY transit authority from running subway ads. Which led to a PR fight that she won…and in the end, got more press and attention than if they hadn’t been banned. She’s also warm and kind and FUN. She’s created multiple 9-Figure businesses and has garnered some pretty incredible recognition. She was named "Fast Company's Most Creative People", “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum and INC's “Most Impressive Women Entrepreneurs”. She’s also the author of #1 best selling books Do Cool SH*T and Disrupt-HER. In this episode we unpack Miki’s wacky, impossible-to-forget and wildly successful marketing strategies and tactics. Here’s a look at what we cover: How Miki was banned from advertising on the NYC subway and turned that into a huge PR win for her brand THINX. How to use Accessible + Relatable language. How to create ads that are both effective and “fridge worthy”. How iteration is perfection. How to start with play to create great ideas.

Today we’re going Old School. We’re not talking email. We’re not talking TikTok, Facebook or even YouTube. We’re talking Snail. Mail. The gold old USPS. Physical mailboxes. Why? Because this is an untapped opportunity for DTC brands. My guests today are two legends in the eCommerce space - Drew Sanocki and Michael Epstein. Drew and Michael most recently ran and successfully exited Auto Anything a multi nine figure eCommerce brand. Now they are helping DTC brands grow through direct mail marketing. And while that might not sound sexy, it’s incredibly effective. Why postcard and direct mail marketing? 20-50% of your customers don't have a good email address on file. And email open rates are only 20-30% at best. So you’re missing a lot of your current and past buyers if you’re just relying on email and SMS. Here’s a look at what we cover in this episode: How should brands use direct mail? How to build a great postcard What postcard campaigns to start with How Ezra Firestone turned $1,400 into $4,000 using a simple postcard How to make direct mail part of your email and SMS flows

Josh Chin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Chronos Agency, an email marketing agency with a team of 100 strong. Josh has been a featured speaker at top industry events including Geek Out, Affiliate World, Ecommerce World, and others. In this episode we discuss top email and SMS mistakes Ecommerce store owners make, what strategies are working now, and what the future holds for these channels. Here’s a look at what we cover: The top 3 automations you need to build right now. How relying on templates could be dragging down performance. What to do now that open rate isn’t a thing anymore. Utilizing push notifications and tap cart - what you need to know. Top email strategies - what’s changing and what isn’t. Real World email examples. Plus more!