eCommerce Evolution

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! 

Josh Durham has achieved some amazing success online. He’s also a survivor of an eCommerce crash and burn story that’s truly spectacular. He built an amazing brand from $0 to $10 million in just 3 short years and then lost it all in a matter of months.  After the dusting off the debris Josh joined my buddy Peter Goodwin as the head of growth for Groove Life and helped add $10million in top line sales (with good margin) in about a year and a half. In this episode we dive into valuable lessons from rapid growth and rapid failure. Here’s a look at what we cover. Law of Quarters - and how it should help you think about margins, product pricing, and operations. How failing to introduce successful 2nd, 3rd, and 4th products can spell death to a brand. How to structure a successful Ambassador program that will become a new content engine for you. Tips for building a real community around your brand. Knowing your numbers and your MER (Media Efficiency Ratio). How to generate an unending supply of amazing User Generated Content.  Plus more!