The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

Liz Saunders and I talk about Amazon's Influencer Program; how it can be beneficial for sellers, how sellers can reach out to more sellers, and why you should apply for Amazon Inspire if you've got the audience for it.  Want to start a new side hustle? Check out Fluencer Fruit now!  As an Amazon seller, getting traffic to your listing is always a high-value priority.  One way to do this is through influencer marketing, where you pay influencers to promote and direct their audience to your storefront.  Is this what the Amazon Influencer program helps with? What's the difference between this and the Amazon Associates program? We tackle all that today with our guest, Liz Saunders.  Liz Saunders is a first-time guest on the podcast, and an Amazon Seller since 2016. She spoke this year at Steve Chou's Seller Summit for the first time, and her topic on the program amazed me so much that I had to invite her on today's podcast to discuss more about it.   Audio Timestamps:  0:00 - Introduction  2:11 - Liz Saunders' background  3:38 - What is the Amazon Influencer Program?  10:58 - Case Study on the Impact of Influencer Content  13:27 - Statistics on Copy vs Video, UGC vs brand content 14:12 - How to get more influencers to work with you  19:52 - Early Results on the Case Study  21:48 - "Do you own the content that Influencers make?"  22:17 - Amazon Inspire 28:15 - Helping Influencers Make Money  34:12 - Reach out to Liz Saunders 34:52 - The requirements to join the Amazon Influencer Program  I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode. If you’re interested in Fluencer Fruit, get the Chrome Extension with code ECOMCREW and get 50% off for life.   Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can.  Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!         

Joining me today is the ever-insightful Bernie Thompson. Since his last appearance on the podcast in 2018, Bernie and I have met again recently at a few conferences which were put on pause because of COVID.    I first met Bernie at The Global Sources Summit in Asia quite a number of years ago as a fellow guest speaker, and he’s been a good friend ever since. He’s one of the co-founders of PPC Ninja, and is also selling on Amazon.   In today’s episode, Bernie and I talk about how Amazon’s changed in terms organic vs. sponsored products, how Amazon has become an advertising wall of products, and why we feel like black hat tactics don’t get punished enough.    Audio Timestamps:   0:00 - Introduction 1:33 - What do you see as The Big Picture these days in Ecommerce / Amazon?  6:38 - Why it’s impossible to source from the US  9:50 - How Amazon Advertising has changed  16:16 - Black hat tactics don’t get punished enough  22:00 - PPC Ninja   I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode. If you’re interested in PPC Ninja, use code ECOMCREW and get an extended trial for free.    Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can.    Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!

Mike and Dave talk about the crazy sale that Mike's been working on for the past few months, the details of each sale, and what's next for him.    Back in July, I announced on the podcast recently where my headspace has been at and the events that lead to the possible reasons why.    The future however, had other plans. Things have progressed faster than I've come to expect, and that's what Dave and I discuss on today's episode.    Dave and I recount what's been happening in the past few weeks, which include multiple business sales, the value of content websites with AI looming over the horizon, and the ever delicate balance of expanding vs. streamlining my portfolio.    Audio Timestamps:  00:00 - Introduction  02:03 - Mike’s Garage Sale Madness  03:34 - The Unexpected Sale of Another Business 05:23 - Expanding vs. Streamlining  14:09 - The Future of Content Sites with AI  19:15 - Letting Go of the Third Business   29:05 - Retirement and Future Plans  32:55 - Reinventing Himself 37:30 - The Importance of Not Moving Goalposts   So stay tuned, as we continue to update on my plans for the future and what I've been doing in the weeds of ecommerce!   I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to support@ecomcrew.com.   Happy selling and I’ll see you on the next one!

Lianna Patch from Punchline Copy is back on the podcast to talk about how AI has affected her copywriting company, how she uses AI in her business, and why copywriters should embrace AI.    Today, we're joined by Lianna Patch of Punchline Copy. I first met Lianna as one of the speakers during ECF Live 3-4 years ago, and I absolutely loved her presentation. Since then, I’ve had her on the show back in Episode 307 to talk about improving conversions through copy and now she makes her appearance again!    Lianna Patch is back on the podcast to delve into AI's influence on copywriting and what it means for the industry. As AI technology continues to advance, the knee jerk reaction always seems to revolve around how AI will be replacing people and their skills, so I knew I had to get Lianna’s opinion as an expert copywriter.   Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - Lianna’s Background 02:20 - How does Lianna See the World Changing with AI?  07:33 - Why Copywriters Will Become More Valuable    09:21 - Why Copywriters Should Embrace AI  11:29 - How Liana Uses AI in Her Business Today 17:11 - The Future of AI  22:03 - AI & The Writer’s Strike  23:59 - How to Use AI to Be A Better Copywriter 25:51 - Embracing / Rejecting AI  32:00 - Contact Lianna    Lianna, thank you for joining me on today’s episode. If you’d like to contact Lianna for any business inquiries, reach out to her on twitter or on her website, PunchlineCopy.   If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes.    Happy selling and we’ll see you in the next one!

The numbers are out! In this episode, Mike and Dave unpack the recently concluded 2023 version of our Amazon Consumer Behaviour survey, and compare the results against last year.   Dave and I are thrilled to present our second annual consumer research report. We explore intriguing insights into consumer preferences, buying behavior, and the growing significance of product authenticity.    We discussed Prime Day's influence on consumer behavior, identified the most "evil" tech company, and analyzed shopping trends during Black Friday. The reported increase in sales on walmart.com surprised us and sparked speculations about its impact on Amazon's market share.    Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:18 - Prime Day Insights  08:58 - Revealing the Most "Evil" Tech Company  11:36 - Analyzing Consumer Behavior on Black Friday and Prime Day  15:18 - The Dark Side of Big Tech 19:07 - Minimum Wage and Social Impact 19:42 - Counterfeit Products on Amazon 30:28: The Value of Buying Directly from Vendors vs. Marketplace Sellers 32:43: The Frustration of Product Returns on Amazon and Its Impact on Parents 40:21: The Growing Dominance of Amazon as a Product Search Engine   We hope you enjoyed our engaging exploration of the dynamic landscape of online shopping. Until next time, happy selling!

With the recent sale in the rear view mirror, Mike talks about the plans he has for the future and what business he's thinking of getting into next to focus 100% of his attention on.   Today, Dave and I are diving into some events this year that have led to me ultimately choosing to let go of all my brands. We discussed a little bit on the last podcast episode, but Dave and I also discuss the rest of my plans for the future and moving towards embodying The One Thing.    Here’s a few specific questions that Dave tossed out:  Were your other businesses being negatively impacted while you were a CEO for this previous project? What’s the maximum amount of businesses should a person have while giving a reasonable amount of attention to?  What’s the next business for Mike?    Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:35 - Reflecting on the recent sale of our business 03:09 - Lessons learned and evaluating decisions 09:21 - Balancing multiple projects and finding focus 20:54 - The Benefits and Challenges of Multiple E-commerce Brands 22:19 - Focusing on a Single E-commerce Brand 25:44 - The Decision to Sell Off Brands and Find the One Thing to Focus On 27:24 - Vision for the Future and Buying a Business 33:04 - Reflecting on the Frustration of Selling the Previous Business 36:44 - Changing Business Landscape 39:11 - Excitement for a New Business Venture   So stay tuned, as we continue to explore this ever-evolving industry together!   I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode that you can use to sort out your business goals for this year. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.  Happy selling and I’ll see you on the next one!  

Mike Jackness talks to Chris Duty of Quiet Light Brokerage to dive into the challenges that they faced when trying to sell one of Mike’s most recent business acquisitions, and the string of bad luck that Mike faced along the way.   After 3 years, I’m glad to announce that I’ve sold one of my businesses.    Joining me today is the broker that helped me with the transition, Chris Duty from Quiet Light Brokerage. Chris and I explore the process of selling a business that I, alongside investors from ECF Capital, acquired in late 2020, and what transpired along the way (which includes some unfortunate events).    One of the key takeaways from this episode is that the process isn’t over until it’s over.    Some roadblocks might pop up along the way, but it’s always important to move onto the next step until the whole process is complete. If you’re considering on selling your business, or if you want to hear the fun (or unlucky) details of my journey in trying to sell this business, today’s episode is definitely one to save.    Here’s today’s main points 00:00 - Introduction 01:50 - Ground rules of today’s discussion 03:04 - The backstory of our sale  08:39 - Today’s main takeaway: It’s not done until it’s done.  14:41 - How Chris approaches a business sale   16:28 - Building trust and credibility with buyers 24:18 - Tax returns and SBA pre-qualification 31:05 -The impact of having your priorities in order 33:43 - Finding the right buyer who recognizes the long-term value of the business 42:38 - The importance of early preparation for selling your business   We hope today’s episode was useful to you. If you want to get in touch with Chris you can find him at Linkedin or you can check out the company at QuietLight.com. If you want to check out how Mike planned to grow this ecommerce business back in 2021, you can check it out here.    If you have any questions or anything you’d like us to discuss on the podcast, you can now email us directly at support@ecomcrew.com! Also, we would really appreciate it if you would leave us a review on iTunes.    Thanks for listening!

Welcome to today's episode where we delve into the transformative power of AI in the realms of e-commerce and search engine optimization (SEO).    With the ever-increasing integration of AI technologies, businesses and content creators must understand the implications and opportunities that lie ahead.    Join Jeff and I as we unravel the impact of AI on the customer journey, the future of search queries and content creation, and the role of large language models like Chat GPT. The world of e-commerce is evolving, and it's time to explore the possibilities that AI brings to the table.   Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 02:13 - The Changing Customer Journey and the Rise of AI 05:15 - The Future of Search and Content Creation 08:42 - Middle and Bottom of the Funnel Keywords 17:29 - The Challenge of Shaky Search Results 18:50 - The Role of AI in Content Generation 21:00 - The Future of Video Content 30:14 - The Mind-Blowing Capabilities of AI 30:45 - The Adoption Curve of AI 31:06 - Seizing the Opportunities with AI   As we wrap up today's discussion on the influence of AI on e-commerce and SEO, we find ourselves at the precipice of an exciting yet uncertain future. The rapid progress of AI technologies presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses and content creators. Adapting to this changing landscape requires a proactive approach and a willingness to embrace new AI tools and strategies.   While the future may bring uncertainties, we believe in the enduring value of SEO and the importance of staying informed and open-minded. By harnessing the power of AI as our ally, businesses can thrive in the evolving digital world.    We encourage our listeners to remain curious, keep exploring, and seize the potential that AI offers in reshaping e-commerce and SEO. Thank you for joining us, and until next time, stay curious and embrace the power of AI.

Prime Day is fast approaching and Jake Zaristian from JungleScout is back on the podcast to talk about it. Together, we'll be talking about the strategies that you should be doing before, during and after the biggest shopping holiday of the year. With the biggest Amazon shopping holiday quickly approaching, Jake is back on the podcast to talk about some tips and strategies that you can incorporate and start assimilating into your business.  Timestamps:  Defining your goals - Being profit-driven or growth-driven? - 2:39 How Mike would personally approach Prime Day - 4:04 Why it's important to know your profitability for Prime Day - 5:41 Strategy #1: Start your strategies now! - 7:40  Strategy #2: Comparing last year's sales data - 8:55 Strategy #3: Acquiring new customers during Prime Day - 11:27  The results from these pre-planning strategies - 12:47  Hack #1: Running Lightning Deals AFTER Prime Day - 17:29  Why Increasing Ad Budgets on your best keywords WORK - 20:38  What JungleScout expects to see this year - 23:37 Amazon Live and Influencers - 26:12  I want to say thank you again to Jake Zaristian from JungleScout for coming on the podcast.  If you're interested in subscribing to JungleScout and want to use our affiliate link, click here.   I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of the podcast. As always, feel free to leave a comment below. If you think this episode has been useful to you, please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes. Happy Selling!   

Our guest, Alex Oxford from TaxValet, shares his expertise in Sales Tax, exploring its complexities and implications for entrepreneurs, offering valuable insights and strategies to help you go through the challenging world of sales tax compliance.    While it may not be the most thrilling subject, understanding your obligations and options is crucial for your business's success.    Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 03:09 - The Complexities of Sales Tax Compliance 06:46 - The Louisiana Sales Tax System 09:19 - The Case of Colorado and Home Rule Jurisdictions 13:31 - Setting up sales tax obligations for clients 14:33 - Determining the next state to register for sales tax 17:34 - Amazon's role and its impact on sales tax risk 25:04 - Sales Tax Nexus 27:54 - State Enforcement and Audits 28:50 - States to Watch Out For   The podcast emphasizes the need for fair and accountable sales tax regulations, particularly in the context of Amazon and its marketplace practices. Government intervention and realistic thresholds are necessary to level the playing field and protect e-commerce sellers.    It is crucial for businesses to understand their sales tax obligations, make informed decisions, and seek professional assistance, such as that provided by Tax Valet. By engaging with lawmakers, sharing experiences, and advocating for change, we can work towards a more manageable and equitable sales tax system.    Join us next time for more valuable insights on growing your profitable e-commerce brand!