I've been looking forward to this interview for months.  I met Bryant Garvin at Ezra Firestone's Blue Ribbon Mastermind in Nashville back in January.  Hearing the details of how Bryant and team leveraged YouTube (as well as other channels) to achieve massive scale at incredible speed blew me away.  I knew immediately I wanted to have him on the podcast.     Purple Mattress has grown from obscurity to being one of the most popular mattress-in-a-box offerings in just a few short years.  In 2017 they posted annual revenues in excess of $187 million.   Purple Mattress was largely made famous because of a brilliant video made in partnership with the Harmon Brothers staring Goldilocks and featuring the "broken egg test."  It's an amazing example of demonstrating the uniqueness of a product in a fresh, creative way.     Here's a quick look at what we cover on this episode…   - How to hook someone properly in the first 5 seconds of a YouTube video ad - Surprising test results - even really smart people are wrong half the time or more.   - How to approach YouTube for prospecting…YT isn't search ads, so stop treating them the same. - Elements of a great video - learn Bryant's formula for high performing video ads, plus the story behind the broken egg test.   - How to diversify and launch ads on new platforms.   - Plus a lot more!

Today I’m excited to welcome back my business partner and the co-founder of OMG Commerce - Chris Brewer.  Chris Brewer is a seasoned entrepreneur who’s successfully started and sold multiple businesses in the advertising and marketing space.  In 2010 he and I started OMG Commerce. Since then we’ve consulted with, partnered with and provided agency services for HUNDREDS of eCommerce stores.  We’ve seen nearly everything - the good, the bad, and the ugly of eCommerce.  In this episode, we break down the biggest X Factors of success from our perspective as we’ve observed a lot of winners and a lot of, um….not so much winners.  Hopefully, you have as much fun listening as we did recording this...  Here’s a quick look at what we cover:  The importance of Lifetime Value of a Customer (LTV) and how to    measure it and cultivate it. Why businesses that are too “romantic” about their own ideas are destined to struggle. How the best eCommerce stores think about and leverage Amazon Pop Quiz - Chris lays out his top eCommerce metrics and give you the ability to rate yourself on how well you know your core numbers. A big mistake eCommerce store owners make when looking for an agency How to start on a new traffic source Plus much more!   As always, we’d love your feedback on iTunes.

Amazon truly is a jungle.  Legitimate competitors are chomping at your heels vying for your rankings and clicks.  Unscrupulous and even fraudulent competitors are wreaking havoc and forcing a “race to the bottom” with product prices.     In this episode I interview John Bullard Sr.  John has a unique perspective on Amazon.  First off, he’s a successful seller with a $3 million per year private label Amazon business.  He also has 30 years of experience as a retail wholesaler.  On top of that, he owns and operates a fulfillment center.  Finally, he’s the host of Pro Seller Talk a paid community bringing insights and training to Amazon sellers.     Here’s a quick look at what we cover as John and I get “in the trenches”... Top Amazon Trends for 2018  - including the end of retail arbitrage Brand registry and brand gating - what you need to know How to diversify using Walmart marketplace - plus a couple of little known functionality on Walmart you have to know about to be successful.   The need for multiple streams of traffic. Fulfillment tips and trends - how to keep up with consumers growing demands on fulfillment.     As always we’d love your feedback, comments, or questions on our Facebook page (link).  

Logan Christopher doesn’t do anything halfway.  He’s one entrepreneur you likely wouldn’t want to challenge in a test of strength.  Logan is thin but deceptively strong.  He’s deadlifted 505 lbs, rack pulled 1,000 lbs.  In his spare time, he juggles flaming kettlebells and pulls fire trucks with his hair.  Not making this up.  Check out the details at legendarystrength.com or visit his YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LegendaryStrength).     While this is impressive and interesting, this is not why I had Logan on the show.  He’s also a  successful eCommerce store owner.  Like most successful store owners, Logan is doing a lot of things right. I think you’ll find this talk inspirational and educational.     Here’s a quick look at what we cover:   - How info marketing style content can drive traffic and sales - How daily emailing can still work in 2018 - Conversion improvements by lining up with charity - Affiliate marketing for rapid growth - How long form sales pages can work for eCommerce - Benefits of long-form product pages - Logan’s favorite traffic sources - recent conversion improvements - Plus more   I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Today we take a deep dive into Amazon from two unique perspectives - from that of a very successful seller and that of an Amazon Ad Specialist.     As we close out 2017 we do so with two record sales days under our belts.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday both set online sales records.  Amazon was a big driver of that online growth.  All signs point to continued growth into 2018.  In this episode, we'll outline how you can get the most from Amazon in the coming months.     First a little about our guests…   Brandon Andrews is a successful Amazon seller and now the co-founder of Freedom Shark, providing training to up-and-coming Amazon sellers.  Chris Tyler is an SEO Specialist turned Amazon Ad expert.  Currently, he manages successful Amazon Ad campaigns for large and smaller sellers alike and is part of our team here at OMG Commerce     Here are a few things we cover in this episode: - Takeaways from Black Friday and Cyber Monday and how to prepare for next year's holiday sales - The 1-2 things likely holding your Amazon advertising back - The top 3-4 mistakes sellers make as they launch and grow products - New opportunities  - Walmart vs. Amazon and how brands should capitalize on both - The best Amazon Ad Advice for 2018 - Plus more!

Few people know Facebook advertising like Ralph Burns and his team at Dominate Web Media.  In this interview we take a look at the latest features, strategies and tactics working for eCommerce merchants on Facebook.   This episode is rich in content and contains some real Facebook gold.  Here’s a look at what we cover:   - Top misconceptions regarding Facebook ads that are holding you back - Top targeting methods you should be using - Ralph’s 3-Step video marketing formula - Understanding the Facebook algorithm and how it impacts your ad performance - Competitive Remarketing - now you can target people on Facebook who have purchased similar product to what you sell. - Changes likely on the horizon for Facebook ads

In 2009 Chegg was one of the leaders in the online college textbook market.  They offered college students the ability to rent textbooks online for a fraction of what they could pay at the campus bookstore.  Word of mouth from delighted students and strong online marketing efforts fueled rapid growth…Then they had an unwelcome competitor enter the ring - AMAZON.     Most companies would shrink in terror, get angry, cry about the world being unfair and potentially leave the space altogether.  Chegg had been anticipating this move by Amazon and had been working feverishly for months to try and prepare.  In this podcast, I interview John Fillmore, Chief Business Officer for Chegg.com.  We dive deep into how they responded initially to Amazon and how they continue to innovate and stay relevant.     Chegg’s best move (and they’ve had a LOT of great moves) was understanding that their best asset was not an offer on cheap textbooks.  It wasn’t their website.  It wasn’t even their SEO value (that was immense at that time).  They’re greatest asset was the trust and relationship they had with college students around the country.  With that they were able to pivot and go beyond textbooks to helping college students perform better in school.  Their growth using content marketing, SEO, email marketing, and some wicked smart display marketing has been fun to watch.     Here’s what we dive into: - What it was like in the months leading up to Amazon entering the textbook market and then after they entered the market.  See how John and team “war roomed” regularly and came out with some powerful innovations. - How Chegg innovates and stays relevant continually in the face of pressure from Amazon -  How they view the textbook side of the business now that Amazon continues the “race to the bottom” with lower prices. - Chegg’s wicked smart, campus-specific display marketing strategy….I’m still geeking out about this use of data. - How Chegg knows their customers and markets accordingly - What services they offer to “get students in the door” so to speak and then get them to stick around as customers. - Brilliant content marketing plays - Plus much more!

  Few people have mastered social media marketing like Michael Stelzner.  Michael is the founder of Social Media Examiner, one of the most visited social media marketing websites on the planet.  He’s also the host of the Social Media Marketing podcast.  He started the podcast in 2012 and has since racked up over 12 million downloads.     Michael and team also run the Social Media Marketing World - featuring some of the top social media marketers sharing their best stuff.  I’m super excited about the 2018 event - mainly because I’ll be sharing a stage with Michael - talking YouTube Remarking.  Want to join me?  Learn More.     In this episode, I wanted to pick Michael’s brain on how he and his team approach content.  I want you to be able to capitalize and learn from Michael’s success.     Here's a glimpse of what we cover:   - Keys to success with Facebook Live & Video marketing in general - How his new behind-the-scenes shows called the “Journey” are racking up 10’s of thousands of views on Facebook and YouTube.   - How eCommerce merchants should use video to fuel growth - Advantages of going live vs. recorded (think algorithm) - Social media predictions that could change the way we market - Social Media Marketing World and why it’s one of the top Social Media Events in the world.    

This is part of the "how I did it" series where we interview successful eCommerce entrepreneurs and dig into the tactics and strategies that propelled them ahead of the pack.  This interview with Jared Mitchell, Co-Founder of Skincare by Alana, is a great example of building a community, testing everything, and diversifying traffic.     Jared and Alana's story is pretty awesome. Jared went from a bass player with a record deal that fell through to self-employed deck builder to helping his wife launch an online skincare company.  Jared took some SEO knowledge and combined it with Alana’s passion and as an esthetician to build a budding eCommerce skincare store.   We dig into some really interesting stuff in this episode including:   - Jared’s top 4 Conversion hacks over the last 12 months - A shipping offer test with surprising results - Using Quizzes & Surveys for better conversions (this was an eye-opener for me) - How to grow a new brand piggybacking on existing brands - Jared’s top traffic sources - Using Amazon to boost Google SEO traffic - What separates successful eCommerce companies from the rest of the pack

This is Jeff Bezos’ world…we’re just living in it.  Or at least, that’s how it feels for an eCommerce merchant.  It’s hard to overstate the continued growth, innovation, and reach of Amazon.  With 214 distribution centers and growing.  Sales growing at 20-30% per year.  Forays into apparel, electronics (Kindle and the Echo family of products), batteries, and several other categories.  It’s hard not to look at Amazon with awe and wonder.  So, what's a merchant to do in light of Amazon's dominance?  Is Amazon friend or foe, or somewhere in between?   Andrew Youderian knows the world of independent eCommerce store owners better than arguably anyone on the planet.  He started the eCommerce Fuel podcast in 2014 and the eCommerce Fuel private forum shortly thereafter.  He’s bought, grown and sold several eCommerce businesses and he interacts regularly with top independent merchants on a monthly basis.  When it comes to eCommerce Andrew has done and seen it all.   In this episode, we look at how you as a merchant can stay relevant and thrive in the shadow of Amazon…and how to benefit from Amazon without “making a deal with the devil” so to speak.   He dives into detail on: - What factors to consider when forming your Amazon strategy - What merchants are most at risk to face irrelevance and extinction as Amazon continues to grow and innovate - Andrews 4 Musts for thriving in an Amazon World - When to “blitz” Amazon vs. when to back off - Top takeaways from some of the best independent merchants on the planet…tips and ideas for you to steal and deploy