Ecommerce Marketing School

Follow Sean McGinnis on TwitterFollow Jon MacDonald on TwitterFollow Kelly Vaughn on TwitterFollow Kurt Elster on TwitterFollow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Becoming the face and personality behind your brand can have a huge impact on your bottom line. Because at the end of the day, people want to buy from other people. They want to spend their hard-earned dollars with someone they like. That's exactly what Vivian has done with KinkyCurlyYaki. She shares:The power of building an audience and building a community.How to write a high performing post-purchase email.Why you can (and should) do SEO on your own.Why you should never hand over the vision for your brand to someone else.Show Notes & Links[10:09] If you don’t use ads to get to $1M in sales, what does that look like?[13:23] Where was your audience?[15:45] What her most engaging email copy really looks like.[20:24] How do you get started with SEO?[25:12] How the KinkyCurlyYaki site has changed over time.[27:27] Vivian’s $10k photoshoot mistake.[34:29] The campaign that brought in $44k in 1 hour.KinkyCurlyYakiVivian Kaye on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing HandbookFayettechill

Privy EmailFollow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Before starting Bearbrand, Eric used to be a financial advisor at a mega bank. As you can probably imagine, beards weren't exactly encouraged. But he eventually figured out how to build a community around what he calls "urban beardsmen." And it definitely paid off. He shares:What helped their YouTube channel take off.The difference between discounts and promotions.How they solved their attribution problem.The #1 metric to track your marketing success.Shoes Notes & Links[6:11] What did the Beardbrand team look like at the beginning?[13:04] Knowing when to delegate.[15:20] Their process for hiring the right people.[19:25] How to hire a copywriter.[22:30] Their Twitter presence.[30:30] Their YouTube strategy at the beginning.[33:53] Their biggest marketing mistakes.[37:27] What does the Beardbrand ad strategy look like?[40:11] How they think about discounting.BeardbrandBeardbrand’s YouTube ChannelEric Bandholz on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing HandbookDeath Wish CoffeeZutano

Even though CROSSNET is a multi-million dollar brand now, they’re still figuring out how to improve. They’re still working on things like their website and education and email flows. And there’s a ton they’ve learned along the way that you can apply to your business. Chris shares:Why you should lead with your story.Sending ad traffic to your homepage vs. a product page.How to get a ton of reviews.The ad that made them millions (and only cost $60 to make).Show Notes & Links[1:04] The Today Show story.[2:14] How they prepped for their appearance on the show.[4:54] Changes they’re making on their new site.[10:01] Their ad strategy.[11:20] What he’s religious about tracking.[16:38] CROSSNET’s best campaign ever.CROSSNETOkendoBazaarvoiceThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing HandbookIthaca Hummus

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

How can you make small tweaks on your website to increase your average order value? That’s exactly what 200+ brands wanted Kunle to answer. And I’m guessing you’d like to do the same for your brand. On this episode, he shares:The basics of increasing AOV on your store.The power of shipping thresholds and bundling.How to up-sell and cross-sell at checkout.How to effectively use discounts and still increase AOV.Show Notes & Links:[2:41] Teardown #1.[15:22] Why you should be bundling.[18:11] The importance of price anchoring.[23:24] The best ways to cross-sell.[24:10] Teardown #2.[34:05] Teardown #3.[38:56] Teardown #4.[47:23] Teardown #5.Kunle Campbell on Twitter2xecommerceDan Murphy on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

Follow Ben on TwitterJoin The Ecommerce Marketing CommunityCheck out our book, The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook

After 40+ episodes, we finally found our sweet spot. Now before you start thinking, "40 episodes?! You've got to be kidding!" hear me out. Between January and today, our team has talked with more ecommerce entrepreneurs than we can count. And like you, they're working toward that first million in sales. And you know what? They all want how-to, tactical advice they can walk away with and test out ASAP. So that's exactly what we're bringing you. Founders and marketers who've been there and can share exactly what they've done along the way. And we've got a daily podcast coming. 👀

Orion worked in brand before she launched her own business. But it was just brand at any old company. She worked her way up at Kraft (yes, that Kraft) and started her own brand as a side hustle to solve her own problem. On this episode, she shares:Building a consistent and compelling story.Why you should start with automated emails first.Why you need role models.Orion’s secret for consumer insights.Show Notes & Links[10:04] Launching Black Travel Box.[14:30] A/B testing the tagline.[22:37] How to nail your product pages.[27:31] Driving sales and knowing where your customers hang out.[33:42] How to get around paying for photoshoots and models.[35:55] Orion’s biggest aha moment with email.[42:41] Best campaign ever.[48:38] Getting featured on Beyonce’s blog and turning that into other PR.Orion Brown on TwitterBlack Travel BoxDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Before you obsess over A/B testing and optimization, make sure you have a solid foundation. On this episode, Jon shares:The best way to get feedback on your site.Why you need to get ads running from day 1.The first thing you need to do with Google Analytics.The concept of rage clicking.Show Notes & Links:[5:34] Targets for add to cart and conversion rates.[8:04] Why John isn’t a fan of discounting.[11:28] Alternatives to offering welcome discounts.[18:29] What to do if your paid ads aren’t converting.[23:49] Landing that first sale.[40:08] Where to start with Google Analytics.[42:58] How often should you be updating your homepage?[50:07] Why you should remove the carousels on your site.[52:14] The right time to start A/B testing.Jon MacDonald on TwitterThe GoodHotjarDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

We had over 100 brands submit their stores to be reviewed. And even though we couldn’t get to all 100 in an hour, you can still apply all her feedback to your own store. On this episode, Kelly shares:The goal of your website.Why you need to treat your product pages as their own landing page.Why you should be spending more time on content.The most important pages on your site.Her favorite Shopify themes.Show Notes & Links:[2:45] The benefits of using Shopify.[4:21] Teardown #1.[6:42] Why you should lean into being a small business.[7:28] Why you shouldn’t add text directly on images.[12:07] Teardown #2.[12:53] The information that actually belongs in your navigation.[16:56] Why you need to think about your homepage as landing page.[20:01] Teardown #3.[21:17] Why the product description needs to be below the add to cart button.[23:14] Why you need an app for product reviews even if you don’t have a single review yet.[24:16] The benefit of including shipping information on your product pages.[26:15] Kelly’s favorite apps for social proof.[29:08] Where should testimonials live?[30:40] Teardown #4. [31:56] Why you should offer a subscription if it makes sense for your brand.[35:54] The most effective ways to get more reviews.[40:19] Q&A[42:14] Should you increase prices to be able to offer free shipping?[43:45] How to measure improvement when you make changes to your site. [45:51] Kelly’s favorite Shopify themes.[48:32] How to get traffic without paying tons of money.Kelly Vaughn on TwitterThe Taproom AgencyUpper Notch ClubSweet Grass DairyStatement HomeEpic Water FiltersJudge.meOkendoJunipReChargeBold SubscriptionsDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

If I've learned one thing from this podcast, it's that most successful ecommerce founders just figure things out on their own. That's exactly what SpyGuy's Allen Walton has done since the very beginning. On this episode, he shares:The best books for learning Google Ads.Why you should learn the basics before hiring someone else to do a job for you.His $63k agency mistake.Groups other ecommerce founders should know about.Show Notes & Links:[0:47] Allen’s experience going on The Tim Ferris Show.[3:16] Why Facebook hasn’t worked well for SpyGuy.[5:14] How Allen taught himself Google Ads.[15:38] Why it took him so long to get started with email marketing.[17:41] His disastrous agency experience.[32:04] Parlaying press into new opportunities.[34:38] How he thinks about SEO.[40:27] Where other ecommerce founders should be spending their time.Allen Walton on TwitterSpyGuyAllen’s episode of The Tim Ferris ShowPPC HeroThe Paid Search PodcastThe Ultimate Guide to Google AdwordsPay Per Click Search Engine Marketing For DummiesUltimate Guide to Pay-Per-Click AdvertisingHARODropInBlogeCommerceFuelThe Dynamite CircleDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

And get your tissues. Because this is the last episode of Ecomm Noms. Kristen is off to do big things at Shopify. Why Everlane and Reformation are under fire.Ty Haney is back at Outdoor Voices.What’s next for Kristen.Show Notes & Links:[1:11] Some of the brands being criticized for exclusionary cultures.[4:57] Why brands need values.[8:34] Outdoor Voices’ BOD overhaul.[11:00] Brands who truly live out their values.[14:23] Where you can catch Kristen next.Kristen LaFrance on TwitterHow DTC startups fall flat in marketing their valuesTyler Haney Returns to Outdoor Voices With a New Vision—One That Starts With a Female-Led TeamEverlane’s Convenient Transparency

Since Rachel and Sade launched Sade Baron back in 2016, they've made a lot of progress with their marketing efforts. Most of it, Rachel learned on her own. On a budget. By scouring the internet. She probably sounds a lot like you. On this episode, she shares:Why you need pop ups on your site.How to get responses to your welcome series.Why you should ‘uglify’ your ads.Why you need role models to build your site.Show Notes & Links:[2:10] Starting a brand at 50.[7:42] How they tell their brand story in their marketing.[9:26] How they knew they were ready to launch.[17:47] Getting the website off the ground.[19:27] Do people really want pop ups?[20:40] Segmenting welcome offers based on location.[23:02] The email flows they have set up.[29:01] Wtf does uglifying your ads mean?[32:00] How to turn a TikTok into ad creative.[38:27] Marketing advice for other brands.Rachel Lambo on TwitterSade BaronDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Content helped Fred grow subscribers, unlock the power of SEO, and build a repeatable sales process. On this episode, he shares:The book that inspired their business.How their content strategy drives traffic and purchases.How you can use products that aren’t selling as part of a welcome offer.Why you need to focus on 1-2 channels.Show Notes & Links:[2:27] Lessons from The 4-Hour Workweek.[9:31] What moved the needle for more repeatable sales.[11:23] Why they publish who their ideal customer is.[15:15] How their marketing team has changed over time.[17:03] Driving repeat purchases for a product that’s built to last.[24:41] What their content and email strategy looks like.[26:44] How to plug your product in content.[29:58] Advice for scaling to your first million in sales.Fred Perrotta on TwitterTortuga BackpacksDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Show Notes & Links:[3:42] The two big challenges that perpetuate the problem.[8:53] The power of mentorship and internships. [18:49] Steps for moving forward and making a difference.[36:41] Why everyone has something to offer when it comes to mentoring.Kunle Campbell on Twitter2X Ecommerce2X Ecommerce podcastKristen LaFrance on Twitter

Chelsea has had a really clear vision for BOXFOX's branding since day 1. She knows how much aspects of the business like product photos and the unboxing experience matter, so she's laser-focused on making every single experience align with their vibe. She shares:What their outreach looked like ahead of launch. How they manage email with so many different personas.The biggest game-changer for increasing AOV.Show Notes & Links:[0:56] How did BOXFOX start?[8:03] What does marketing at BOXFOX look like?[9:55] What their email strategy looks like.[13:45] Marketing channels they want to dig into further.[16:52] How COVID has affected their business.[23:41] How they take their product photos.[27:17] When they started really focusing on AOV and retention.Chelsea Moore on TwitterContact ChelseaBOXFOXDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Show Notes & Links:[1:51] How brands are using Animal Crossing to engage with their followers.[6:11] Brands getting involved.[10:10] Allbirds and Adidas are joining forces to create a high performance sneaker with the lowest possible carbon emissions.[13:32] What the DTC community has to say about the partnership.[15:07] Why the coming months are so critical to DTC.[16:35] The unexpected verticals that have seen growth during lockdown.[17:57] How Andie has shifted their strategy to thrive in a time when travel isn’t realistic for so many people.[19:44] What “Taboo” brands can teach us about building on the DTC momentum.Kristen LaFrance on TwitterKristen's newsletterAnimal Crossing is emerging as a media channel for brands in lockdownGlossier’s Hoodie in Original Pink is back on Animal CrossingAdidas and Allbirds Are Joining Forces—And Rewriting the Rules of CompetitionThe coming months will make or break the DTC boomWhy “Taboo” Brands are Thriving in DTC (and what we can learn from it)

Show Notes & Links[1:07] What the Shopify x Facebook partnership actually means for consumers.[3:09] The only way to pronounce GIF.[7:29] Highlights from Shopify Reunite.[9:51] Recess’ newest drop(s).[12:22] The DTC brands coming to a TV near you.[16:24] What the buyer journey actually looks like.Kristen LaFrance on TwitterKristen's newsletterFacebook and Instagram roll out Shops, turning business profiles into storefrontsShopify unveils Balance debit card, opens AI-powered fulfillment network to merchantsFrom CBD Soda To Street Style, Recess Releases ‘Realitywear’ With Three Fresh Flavors‘The efficiency was there’: Falling TV ad prices lure in DTC brands to shift spending away from digitalAs big advertisers go off air, Lively leads the DTC brands testing TV at cut-price rates

Get ready. Because you're about to get a serious lesson in email copywriting. Ryan shares:Why you should never start an email with “Hi everybody.”How to write like you talk.Why Ryan will never outsource copywriting.Why consistency matters when it comes to sending emails.How Ryan boosted revenue overnight by changing one small aspect of his email strategy.The most effective way to sell to someone who just made a purchase.Show Notes & Links:[3:01] Why you need to focus on the benefits, not the features.[6:08] The power of including real photos and screenshots.[7:33] How they turned negative feedback into something funny.[13:19] How they use social proof and why you can never have too much of it.[17:22] How to drain your prospects’ objections.[20:29] Why Ryan writes every word of copy for Rewind.[24:20] Mistakes ecommerce brands are making with email.[26:27] Whay Ryan’s writing process looks like.[36:22] Lessons from selling on ShopifyRyan Lee’s siteRewindLoox Photo ReviewsDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Chaitra is an engineer turned business owner. But she started a blog back in 2014 and slowly started to figure out how important photos were. Then she built an entire business around it. On this episode, she shares:What Airbnb taught her about photography.How she went from 4,000 to 50,000 pageviews in 6 months.How to take better photos with your iPhone.The 7 types of photos you need to master.Show Notes & Links:[1:43] How photography turned Airbnb around.[3:34] Why better-looking sites bring in more traffic.[5:21] Why you should start with product photos.[7:24] Step by step instructions for taking photos on your iPhone.[11:06] How to take photos that evoke emotion.[13:40] The rule of thirds.[14:32] Free apps for editing your photos.[15:47] Why you shouldn’t use the zoom feature on your phone.[18:17] The 7 types of photos.[22:27] Tips to create engaging photos for social media.Chaitra Radhakrishna on TwitterChaitra’s site, PinkPotChaitra’s free product photography email courseSnapseed – Google’s free editing appLightroom – Adobe’s free editing appDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Show Notes & Links:[1:24] What is Italic Black?[2:51] What Italic’s Founder & CEO has to say about the membership.[5:58] What changed Kristen’s mind about Italic Black.[8:34] What the DTC community has to say about it.[16:33] Snacks and Pantry Shop.[20:24] What the experience is like on the sites.Kristen LaFrance on TwitterKristen's newsletterItalic BlackIntroducing Italic BlackWhat the DTC Twitter community has to say about the membershipThis VC-funded anti-brand already has a 100K-person wait listPantryShop.comSnacks.comPepsiCo’s Move Into DTCPepsi and Frito-Lay want you to buy all these snacks online with their new DTC websitesPepsiCo’s Move Into DTC Is Both Sales Tactic and Consumer Research

Your welcome emails are your chance to introduce your business and products to people who want to hear from you. And investing in an email that connects with new customers could be your secret to turning first time buyers into repeat customers who spend more and stay longer. Val shares:What the sender name of your emails *has* to include.The right way to use bold text.The power of having a person connected to your brand.Why you should use welcome emails to tell your founding story.Show Notes & Links:[2:54] What a good welcome email looks like.[5:20] Brands getting email right.[9:25] Email #1 feedback.[28:07] Why we need to stop including social links in emails.[29:28] Email #2 feedback.[34:18] the problem with having your emails all one image.[38:45] Email #3 feedback.[46:02] Email #4 feedback.[50:04] The most powerful way to word your CTAs.[51:05] Email #5 feedback.Val Geisler on TwitterVal’s siteDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

You might be surprised to learn that Kate used to be an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. Then she dove into the startup world and eventually found herself at Bombas. She's a performance marketing expert and shares a ton of valuable insights, like:The best channels for learning with a really small budget.The biggest mistake you can make with ad testing.The simplest way to think about ROAS (return on ad spend).What their best-performing Facebook ads look like.Show Notes & Links:[0:51] What their team has changed since COVID-19.[3:49] What their marketing team looks like. [7:57] The transition from Goldman Sachs to ecommerce.[11:42] The early advertising bets they took that paid off.[15:17] What is ROAS?[20:08] How they breathe life into the brand with creative.[25:00] The biggest changes she’s seen in the ecommerce space since 2014.[28:57] The importance of having a mission.Kate Huyett on TwitterBombasDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Show Notes & Links:[1:40] Peloton’s average net monthly churn hit its lowest rate in four years. 😱[4:18] Peloton had to pause advertising spend because the demand was so high.[7:15] Why Peloton is well-positioned for the future even when physical gym locations do reopen. [9:38] Hydrant’s latest round of funding and what they’re planning to use it for.[11:57] Why you should be using a subscription model if it makes sense for your business.[15:39] Shoppable pins from Pinterest and Shopify. [19:52] The 4 new features on Pinterest.[23:10] New drops in SaaS.[26:15] Shopify’s new POS.[28:29] Liquid Death launched a...metal album?Kristen LaFrance on TwitterKristen's newsletterPeloton reports 66% increase in sales as coronavirus keeps consumers working out at homeHydrant Attracts $5.7M Series A To Quench America’s ThirstPinterest teams with Shopify to offer merchants new ways to sellLiquid Death’s Greatest HatesThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Ryan's most-recent company is superbar brand, Rewind. He built it to solve his own health problems, so he has a real connection with the product. Which is part of the reason his emails feel so authentic. But everyone has a story to share. Most brands just don't usually tap into them outside of their 'About' page. So he shares:The shift you have to make to get better at copywriting.The power of getting personal with your messagingWhy you need to think of yourself as a superhero when you’re writing emails.How to double your email revenue.Show Notes & Links:[3:59] What makes a good email?[6:05] Email #1 feedback.[8:01] Why you need to be careful about the number of CTAs in your emails.[11:07] Why you shouldn’t be using generic photos. [15:24] Email #2 feedback.[18:57] How to send emails that make sense to both your superfans and newer folks.[28:55] Email #3 feedback.[29:40] The benefits of using short, choppy copy.[34:41] Email #4 feedback.[37:23] Email #5 feedback.[40:35] Email #6 feedback.[43:34] How to pique people’s interest with a subject line.[45:16] How to sell a nonessential item in the middle of a pandemic.[47:03] How to write an email for your new subscribers.[48:49] How often Ryan sends emails to his customers.Ryan LeeRewindRewind Facebook GroupDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

The brands Babak has worked with have seen some pretty incredible results. He decreased CPA for NOBULL by 20%. Helped Butcher Box make an additional $1M+ in revenue each month. And netted Athletic Greens $300K in 12 months. Not bad, huh? He shares: Why marketing should be a part of your product development.Why you need 2 offers and 2 channels to scale.How they turned an iPhone video into ad creative in a week and a half.Why being on Amazon is a no-brainer.Show Notes & Links:[4:22] How he went from the analytics side of the business to marketing.[6:41] How the Beachbody team thinks about creative.[7:51] How they’re keeping product and marketing aligned at GoodRx[9:23] Why you need to lean in hard on the channels where you’re seeing success.[11:43] Should you focus on channels one at a time? [13:28] Why you should be calling your customers more frequently.[16:34] Direct response marketing lessons.[22:24] How he thinks about hiring.[27:40] When you should start measuring brand awareness.[33:57] How to take an iphone video to TV and streaming.[38:30] The reason brands should be on Amazon.Babak Azad on TwitterBabak’s siteGoodRxDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

We got a lot of questions about how to manage your supply chain and keep your business running through and beyond the current crisis. And Casey was the perfect person to shed some light on the subject. He shares: How to keep people buying even if you have delays.What the Amazon shift means for smaller ecommerce brands.Why you should be sourcing locally as much as possible.The importance of entertainment in your marketing strategy.Show Notes & Links:[2:05] What to do if you’ve seen an increase in shipping inquiries.[4:05] How to be transparent without impacting conversion rates.[6:18] Impact of COVID-19 on nonessential products.[8:47] If we’re seeing BFCM levels right now, will we continue to see that into the fall?[11:54] What to do if you’re seeing delays due to lockdowns in other countries.[14:44] What happens if USPS goes bankrupt?[15:16] How to turn a spike in traffic into a longer term relationship.[21:09] How to avoid coming off as opportunistic right now.[23:22] How does ShipBob handle returns?[24:04] What has your approach to marketing been right now?Shipbob TrendsCasey Armstrong on TwitterCasey’s MasterclassCasey’s Full Episode of The Ecommerce Marketing ShowDave Gerhardt on TwitterPrivy Masterclass HomeThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

In terms of a debut episode, we probably couldn't haven't have timed it any better. Shopify launched Shop last week, Allbirds has a running shoe and it's seriously the most perfect time to start texting your customers. So Kristen shares:What the DTC community has to say about the launch of Shopify’s Shop.Why now is the perfect time to start texting your customers.The brands that are getting text right.Who Allbirds is targeting with their new running shoes.Show Notes & Links:[1:55] The Shop launch/Arrive rebrand.[2:22] So what does Shop actually do?[5:30] What the community is saying about Shop.[14:00] Why texting your customers is such a huge opportunity – especially right now.[14:55] The brands that are nailing SMS.[15:29] The new Allbirds running shoes.Kristen LaFrance on TwitterKristen’s Twitter thread about ShopWhat Elliot’s Marco Marandiz has to say about ShopWhat Elliot’s Sergio Villaseñor has to say about ShopAnn-Marie Alcántara's WSJ Article ‘Texting Customers Is No Longer Taboo When Everyone Is Stuck at Home’Playing for Keeps Episode with Beardbrand’s Eric BandholzAllbirds running shoesSign up for her newsletterFuture Commerce PodcastThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Nik's team recently launched a new brand, JUDY, with the endorsement of none other than Kim Kardashian. Let’s face it. The man knows how to make a splash with a launch. He shares:How he tests brand ideas.How he went from working on social media strategies for celebrities to building a brand for himself around DTC as a 23-year-old.The 4 channels every brand needs to focus on.His favorite brands for everything from website design to social media.Show Notes & Links:[2:29] What’s changed with the brands he’s been working with since Coronavirus hit.[4:43] What it takes to get legacy retail brands set up to sell online.[6:35] The importance of amazing creative.[12:45] How to test a new brand idea with $300.[18:47] How Nik thinks about attribution.[20:13] Biggest mistake with attribution.[21:14] How he got started in DTC.[28:53] How he works with his clients.[32:32] The 4 channels you need to master.[33:49] Who to copy for SMS.[35:06] Who to copy for email.[35:59] Who crushes organic social.[36:59] Best in the YouTube game.[37:49] Best partnerships.[41:43] Best websites.[43:03] Who does a good job with influencers.Nik’s cell: 917-905-2340Sharma BrandsNik Sharma on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show HomeJudyEmpathy WinesHydrantNot PotMagic SpoonResident HomeGrubhubPostmates x InfatuationLouis Vuitton x SupremeVirgil Abloh x Cha Cha MatchaSeatGeek x David DobrikChahcha MatchaTwice ToothpasteHello Fresh

Kurt has been helping brands grow their Shopify stores with close to 300 episodes of his podcast. So why better to shed light on what store owners need to do to build a thriving business (even during a pandemic)? Kurt shares:What to do if people aren’t buying your product right now.How to get your content strategy off the ground and build an audience.Why you need to get people to a collection or a product page ASAP.The offers he’s seen work best in the last 6 weeks.Show Notes & Links:[3:08] What to do if people aren’t buying your product right now. [9:00] How to keep sales coming after COVID-19 if you’ve seen a spike in sales.[12:30] How to get user generated content/social proof.[13:53] Biggest mistake brands are making right now.[15:49] What to do if you’ve seen an increase in traffic but people aren’t converting.[17:34] The trends Kurt has been seeing.[19:04] Will this pandemic change our buying behavior for the long term?[22:19] Advice for selling on Shopify for the first time.[24:46] The best offer to run right now.[32:44] Kurt’s favorite Shopify sites.[43:15] How to promote an offer that benefits healthcare workers without coming across in a negative light.Watch Kurt’s MasterclassKurt’s PodcastKurt’s siteKurt Elster on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show HomeMasterclass Home

Melanie's background is in email marketing and advertising. She's worked with skincare brands to food brands to clothing brands. On this episode she shares:Her playbook for working with influencers.Why you should be shooting for 40% open rates with your emails.How to use email and text messaging together.How to calculate what you should be spending on ads.Show Notes & Links:[2:04] The biggest mistakes she sees ecommerce marketers making.[7:45] Tips for getting amazing content for social.[10:03] How to find influencers.[12:40] How to pitch influencers.[13:55] Why a 40% open rate is Melanie’s target for every email she sends.[19:40] The best way to use text messages.[26:27] How to start with segmentation.[28:06] Knowing what to spend on ads.[31:56] Why your creative is the most important aspect of your ads.[34:18] How to test creative before putting any budget behind it.Melanie Balke’s siteMelanie Balke on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

On top of they're navigating a global pandemic, Chris shares:The factors that have contributed to their insane growth.His playbook for starting a new ecommerce business.Why they’ve never spent more than $1k on an ad.Tips for capturing 1,000 new emails every day. Show Notes & Links:[3:43] How their strategy has shifted over time.[5:10] What they’ve been seeing in terms of ad costs.[5:50] How their messaging has changed because of COVID-19.[8:06] How they’ve been handling discounts right now.[10:54] How to think about selling on Amazon.[11:41] The tools new ecommerce stores should set up.[13:41] Creating your first offer.[16:00] How to get user generated content (UGC).[18:50] What their email flows look like.[26:36] How they handle outreach to influencers.[33:41] How they manage shipping & fulfillment.[46:40] How they drive repeat business.[41:43] What he’s seen work best in terms of capturing emails from site visitors.[47:26] The tasks you should delegate to virtual assistants.CROSSNETCROSSNET Q&AWhat Chris uses to find freelancersChris’ recommendation for an affordable shipping platformWhat they use for a referral programChris Meade on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

While we're living in tough times right now, the future has never looked brighter for ecommerce brands. Casey shares:The most surprising industry they’ve seen a surge in recently.Why they’re still shipping non-essentials. The right time to think about outsourcing your fulfillment.How Organic Olivia and Supply have shifted their approach in creative ways.Show Notes & Links:[1:07] How they rallied cross-functionally to get their trends page live in one day.[8:52] When to bring on ShipBob.[15:06] What does the future of ecommerce look like?[17:58] Why their team has put their KPIs on the back burner.[24:45] Brands that have done a good job pivoting.[26:55] What the ShipBob marketing team looks like.Shipbob TrendsCasey Armstrong on TwitterGet in touch with CaseyJoin Casey’s MasterclassDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

With Snapchat (or any ads, for that matter), the name of the game is testing creative. In 2019, the fastest growing advertisers tested 11x more creative than their less successful peers, which contributed to 3x more revenue growth. So Savannah shares:Her process for finding winning creatives.A step by-step-guide to launch your first Snapchat campaign.Why now is the perfect time to get started with Snapchat.How to think about ad spend across different channels.Show Notes & Links:[2:48] What Savannah has seen using Snapchat with her clients for the last year.[6:50] The kinds of Snapchat ads.[10:31] Why creative testing is the most important variable.[18:03] How to get started.[33:20] Audiences on Snapchat.[36:55] Should you still be advertising right now?[44:55] How to handle messaging around shipping delays.[47:02] How to know what to spend on advertising if you’re just getting started.[48:46] Savannah’s rule of thumb for what to spend on every ad variation.[53:45] Savannah’s framework for spend across different channels.$1000 Snapchat Ad Credit 👻The Social SavannahSavannah Sanchez on TwitterDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Jeremy specializes in helping growing ecommerce brands connect with their customers and drive sales using owned channels like text and email. On this episode, he shares:Why owned channels are so important right now.How to build hype ahead of a product launch.How to use lead magnets right now if people aren’t buying.His playbook for text message marketing.Show Notes & Links:[3:01] What are the owned channels ecommerce brands should be leveraging?[8:59] What happens when Kim Kardashian shares your products on Snapchat?[12:05] A playbook for product launches.[18:02] A great example of how ClassPass has pivoted right now.[23:46] His SMS playbook including building your list and the right way to do SMS.[25:41] 98% of texts are read in the first 3 minutes of being received.[30:24] Why the most effective way to build your list is not a discount.[33:13] How to use a launch as an opportunity to build your SMS list.The Ecommerce Marketing Show HomeMessenger Mastermind (Jeremy’s Podcast)The 5 Game-Changing Marketing Lessons Scaling 8 Figure BrandsGet in touch with Jeremy!Dave Gerhardt on Twitter