DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

“We spent all of our time with other people's ideas, scaling those, and figured out that's what we're really good at.” @andrewjfaris  #DTCPOD“If you multiply your conversion rate by your average order value, the number that it spits out is your revenue per click.” @andrewjfaris #DTCPOD“Most times if your product market fit isn't working, you often have a more core problem than you think.” @andrewjfaris #DTCPOD“If you can turn products into dollars fast instead of having to outlay huge portions of inventory with cash, it makes your whole business better.” @andrewjfaris #DTCPOD“Clear wins most times over clever, particularly for driving traffic.” @andrewjfaris #DTCPODWe Speak About:[03:13] Andrew introduces himself and 4X400  [05:53] Brand management approach and portfolio building [11:33] Analyzing product market fit [15:50] Breaking down conversion rates for brands[21:22] How it's not always about the marketing [23:50] Similarities and contrast between management for different brands  [29:49] Tips for scaling a brand [35:23] Where to find 4x400 and Andrew Faris onlineHow 4X400 measures product market fit Andrew Faris, CEO of 4X400, joins the POD to give some insight on operating and growing DTC eCommerce brands.4X400 is an eCommerce holding company that currently owns, manages, and grows five digitally native brands.Andrew discusses that when it comes to building their brand portfolio, they look for brands with an established product market fit and analyze the core fundamentals of the business to see if there is an opportunity to scale. A unique approach 4X400 takes in analyzing product market fit is through measuring revenue per click by multiply a brands conversion rate by their average order value.Andrew recognizes that if a brand's product market fit isn’t working, there is more likely a solution found in the inner workings of a product rather than altering marketing strategies. Sometimes in DTC, you have to play around 4X400 A modern day holding company that acquires, operates, and grows DTC ecommerce brands.The business currently has 5 brands that they operate, all in different markets.Andrew takes an experimental approach with brand scaling by testing different product selling strategies that will create different outcomes for different kinds of customers.The business first strategizes to discover the baseline level that can validate the quality of traffic for a brand, and then begins testing creative.Andrew recommends giving time and energy into developing a good customer acquisition strategy, and experimenting around to see what works.  Stay tuned as Andrew discusses important strategies for scaling a brand and finding product market fit.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:4X400 website: https://4x400.com/Andrew Faris’s twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewjfariseCommerce playbook podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecommerce-playbook

“Sometimes someone will sign up for that 15 percent discount or 20 percent discount and they'll get that email and maybe they won't end up purchasing at that moment. So last chance email’s are a really good email to have in your sequence to remind them.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Last chance emails are a great way to push people to potentially make that purchase and get them over that hump” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[02:46] Last chance emails[04:52] Driving urgency to buyThe last chance email you need to steal for your DTC store.Email marketing is an underestimated technique that can potentially earn you more buyers.One email strategy in particular is last-chance emails. Last-chance emails are a way to remind potential buyers of a discount or deal that will persuade them to make a purchase.This strategy drives urgency and creates another platform for brands to communicate with their customers. Stay tuned as we discuss a specific brand and break-down their successful last chance email strategy. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Good Pair Days’ last chance email: https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/dont-miss-out

“In the beginning it was really important for me that our business be a business that could stand on its own two feet, and that our company not be a money pit” @jurhyu #DTCPOD“It’s important to know what's trending so that you can insert yourself into the conversation at a moment's notice and really be part of that community.” @jurhyu #DTCPOD“Read every day, just absorb information because you need to know what's going on in your category, in your industry, in the world, because those things really can impact your business.” @jurhyu  #DTCPOD“If you have the QR code on the package and someone scans it, it gives more surface area for you as a brand to do more education or maybe introduce them to some other kind of experience.” @jurhyu  #DTCPOD“A retailer's private label is probably the scariest competitor or potential competitor there could be because they have all your data. They know exactly what products are selling the best.” @jurhyu #DTCPODWe Speak About:[03:12] Ju introduces herself and Hero Cosmetics [04:49] The brands philosophy behind bootstrapping [07:24] The power of TikTok marketing [10:39] How the social media budget is allocated to create the most brand growth [11:59] Content strategy for social media[14:27] How the brand stays in the loop [15:59] The brand’s research strategy  [17:48] Creative marketing CGP brands  [20:13] The brand’s experimental plays [27:13] The awareness and acquisition strategy for QR codes[30:24] Why private labels can be your biggest competitor[32:56] What’s next for Hero Cosmetics and where to find the brand, and Ju Rhyu onlineHow Hero Cosmetics experienced continuous growthJu Rhyu, Co-founder and CEO of Hero Cosmetics, joins the POD to give some insight on the brand's financial plan and unique marketing strategy . Hero Cosmetic is a skincare brand that is solution oriented with mindful ingredients for sensitive skinThe brand began on Amazon, and as it grew, additional products were introduced into the market and since then the brand continues to experience growth. An approach was taken of handling finances through bootstrapping, so that the brand's primary focus would not be on raising funds but rather building the brand, and as the brand grew the financial plan transitioned to form partnerships. Ju recognized that when it comes to building a successful brand, it is important to stay up to date with current trends in any way you can. Growth through TikTok and QR codesHero Cosmetics not only stands out for their skincare products, but also their unique and experimental marketing strategiesThe brand has experienced continuous sustained growth by allocating their marketing budget primarily through social mediaThe brand has created awareness for their products by utilizing TikTok as their central social outlet, which has accounted for their growthJu takes a unique approach to achieving additional growth by implementing QR codes in their packaging, and promotional events.  The brand has fostered further growth opportunities through partnerships and a unique paid advertising strategy. Ju recommends being creative with your marketing and being a part of the community your brand is in.Stay tuned as Ju discusses how Hero Cosmetics advanced their product line and what specific marketing strategies have led to the brand’s success If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Hero Cosmetics website: https://www.herocosmetics.us/Ju Rhyu twitter: https://twitter.com/jurhyu

“By interviewing what a person is interested in, they might share it with their audience and people that are in their audience are probably going to want to purchase some similar items” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you have frequently answered questions, think about how you could potentially turn those into a blog post” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Don't make every post about your products, it's important to use this as a space to educate, that's where you're really going to build up that brand trust.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“When you're thinking about content, think about how you can position your content and how you can create content for not only people that might be first time buyers, but also people that have decided to rebuy.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:55] Nomad’s unique blog characteristics [04:20] The benefit of interviews  [04:45] Additional blog post to build organic traffic [07:13] Kettle and Fire’s successful blog strategies [08:51] Key takeaways from successful blog brands [09:48] Important tips for creating a blogBuilding organic traffic through blogs for eCommerce brands When it comes to attracting potential customers to your website and persuading a buying decision, blogs can be of great assistance.A few posts can help drive traffic to your brand’s website and convert those viewers into customers. For some brands, blogs are the first strategy implemented to build their brand.     Blogs aren’t just for posting products, many times they are used to give viewers additional insight into the brand, which can optimize the customer journey. By using the resource to create content centered around your brand and using the space to educate your customers, brand trust and customer retention may be optimized. Stay tuned as we discuss three brands' successful blog strategies and tips on how to optimize your blog. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Three Ships Beauty blog: https://www.threeshipsbeauty.com/blogs/newsNomad blog: https://nomadgoods.com/pages/blogKettle & Fire blog: https://blog.kettleandfire.com/More information on creating eCommerce blogs: https://www.shopify.com/blog/blog-examples

“In the first couple of months we focused on getting everything up and running, and as we've grown a little bit, it's more so figuring out which one of these verticals is worth us investing more time and resources to. @Lillie__Sun #DTCPOD“All small brands can really benefit from investing in customer experience”    @Lillie__Sun #DTCPOD“The customer journey is all about awareness, acquisition and retention.” @Lillie__Sun #DTCPODFor us, it's all about aligning the campaign on the core product and the core benefit, and making sure that comes across in all elements of the campaign.” @Lillie__Sun #DTCPOD“Having a community ambassador program is a great way to get that one on one communication with your customers in a timely fashion. They feel  they're involved and you don't have to do so much guessing because you're getting that feedback from them.” @Lillie__Sun #DTCPODWe Speak About:[02:16] Lillie introduces herself and Three Ships Beauty  [03:54] Setting a business foundation and seeing what works[06:02] Testing different marketing channels through trial and error[08:14] Elements outside of digital marketing that led to brand growth [12:59] Testing and tweaking the SMS marketing strategy[16:56] How Three Ships Beauty segments the market[19:38] Steps to optimize the customer experience    [24:06] How to enhance product promotion[19:09] The company’s successful approach for achieving customer retention[26:46] A unique strategy for product launching [30:53] Benefits of an ambassador program [35:01] The process for implementing technology and resources for brand growth [37:31] What’s next for Three Ships Beauty and where to find Lillie Sun onlineThree Ships Beauty steps to startup successLillie Sun, leader of growth for Three Ships Beauty, joins the POD to give some insight on the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, product launches, and the customer journey.Three Ships Beauty is a Skincare brand that creates effective, natural, and affordable products.Lily recognized that when it comes to startups, implementing an ambassador program will help the brand to effectively engage with their customers and organically drive awareness, leading to growth. A unique approach was taken for product launches by limiting a creative marketing that would not exemplify what the product is about, and instead focus on orienting the campaign on the core product and benefit.Lillie recognizes that in the first stages of growth, it’s okay for your brand to test out everything to see what works and then dial down and what processes are delivering the most benefits.In DTC, it pays to be personable Three Ships Beauty stands out as an eCommerce skincare company that develops 100% natural plant derived products at an affordable price. The brand has experienced growth by experimenting with numerous marketing channels to see what works and curating a personable customer experience.Lillie takes a unique approach to achieving growth by not only personalizing the customer experience but also the product through a skincare quiz on their website.The brand takes additional steps to personalize their brand by segmenting their SMS channel into categories, based on what their consumers would like to hear. Lillie recommends having a good foundation in business experience before jumping into growth roles. Stay tuned as Lillie discusses non-digital marketing factors that led to growth why you don’t always need to be too creative with your marketing strategy.  If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Three Ships Beauty website: https://www.threeshipsbeauty.com/Lillie Sun’s twitter: https://twitter.com/Lillie__Sun

“Providing sample products can provide an up-sell opportunity later if someone enjoys the product and buys the regular sized version.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“These checkout strategies are a great way to  build up excitement and build brand affinity.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“A mystery product is something that you can up-sell down the line as well, and so you actually have information on that product already and you could potentially even test out feedback.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:18] How to implement cross-selling in a checkout strategy [02:36] A pre-purchase strategy for driving urgency [04:28] A unique checkout strategy for supply[06:18] The types of customers to target Simple checkout strategies to increase online salesHow many times do you go on a website and buy more than you planned? How often are you persuaded by the pop up ads promising a discount, a sample, or a surprise product with your purchase? The answer is probably often but this isn’t just happening to you, in fact, all those examples are marketing strategies implemented to increase sales.    Checkout strategies are a great way to introduce your customers to new products they normally wouldn't buy and potentially gather feedback.  There are numerous touchpoints during the buying process that these strategies can be placed, and it invites room for creativity for your brand. Stay tuned as we discuss three brands and their different approaches for implementing a checkout strategy.  If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Corey Haines’ full thread on DTC: https://twitter.com/coreyhainesco/status/1414585378569297928

“We’re a digital marketing agency but we've succeeded because we're thinking about the business from a partnership perspective rather than just buying media” @_Liso_  #DTCPODWe try to work with brands that we have long term partnerships with and really grow them.” @yo #DTCPOD“The importance of customer service is to actually develop those relationships with the consumer of your product.” @yo #DTCPOD“It's OK to fail, but it's not OK to fail and not learn from it.” @yo #DTCPOD“It's not just about getting the traffic and getting folks on the website. It’s about what those folks are seeing, what they’re thinking and what's getting them excited about the product or offer.  @_Liso_  #DTCPODWe Speak About:[02:21] Troy and Mike introduce themselves and discuss previous business experience [06:56] The business plan behind JUICE  [08:41] How the agency differentiates itself from the competition[09:57] Elements of strategic advising [12:58] A unique competitive edge through the customer experience  [14:39] Elements curating brand revenue growth [16:30] Redefining what customer service means for the brand[21:22] Putting money in where you get money out [24:36] Advice on positioning your brand to get invested  [27:29] Tips to entrepreneurs when making mistakes  [29:19] What’s next for JUICE and where to find the brand, Troy Osinoff, and Mike Lisovetsky online How JUICE differentiates itself as a digital marketing agency. Troy Osinoff and Mike Lisovetsky, co-founders of JUICE, join the POD to give some insight on the business’s growth and customer experience strategies.  JUICE is a digital marketing agency that takes a modern approach to helping other brands grow. Both co-founders recognized that their brand needed to step out of the traditional agency methods and work thoroughly with each brand to create actionable plans and a relentless approach.An approach is taken in generating brand revenue growth through relationship building in channels primarily recognized as promotional tools.Mike recognizes that it is important to create a community for your customers to provide feedback and have a personalized customer experience. There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all marketing strategyJUICE is a digital marketing agency that takes a modern day approach to helping other brands scale their businessTroy and Mike curated this entrepreneurial opportunity through a well experienced past in business endeavours.Both co-founders view their agency as a partnership with other businesses, and take a unique strategy of limiting their clientele to brands they believe they can grow. Their brand takes a strategy to foster growth by implementing activities catered towards customer retention, with the idea in mind that activities meant to help a customer will result in positive feedback.  Troy recommends learning from your mistakes as an entrepreneur and using the experience to your benefit. Stay tuned as both co-founders discuss their fund for JUICE and additional ways to scale a business.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:JUICE website: https://www.thinkjuice.com/Troy Osinoff’s twitter: https://twitter.com/yoMichael Lisovetsky’s twitter:https://twitter.com/_Liso_

“Know a couple or at least one brand that you want to check out and then look at some other brands related to it for competitive research.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Tiktok can be a great discovery source for finding what products are working really well on their platform and popular hashtags.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you go into Twitter and type in the name of a product, you can search for other similar products as well.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:01] How to use Facebook for competitive research [02:05] Navigating instagram for landing pages and product research [02:51] A resource to identify new brands on the rise and brand research[03:24] Using TikTok as a discovery source[04:26] How to use Twitter for product comparison [05:16] Up and coming marketplaces How to get an undercover look at your DTC competitorsCreating a product that differentiates itself in the market is a key strategy that leads to brand growth, but this element is not as simple as it sounds.First you have to look at your competition to know what you're dealing with, but how do you go about this?  This can be done through competitor research, knowing what similar brands are doing and their strategies for growth and retention will help you learn about the market.There are numerous sources beneficial for finding competitors, and these sources can provide insight into what’s working for a brand, whether it's ads, their websites, trending products, or more. Stay tuned as we discuss media platforms useful for researching brands and how to navigate them. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Facebook ads library: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/Nextbrand trending brands: https://www.nexttbrand.com/

“Being a good person, treating people like humans, and delivering experiences with empathy every day is number one for our brand.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“Knowing you'll be taken care of makes you want to come back. It's not rocket science, so long as the product is great.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“When it comes to building a team, it really matters to hire the really good people that deeply care. You can teach anyone how to use tools, but you can't teach people to give a shit.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“Giving your team the allowance to create these experiences, empowering them to create these experiences for the customers, is important.” @eliweisss #DTCPOD“Do not take what you learned last year and use it this year, constantly learn and listen and engage with customers. @eliweisss #DTCPODWe Speak About:[02:28] Eli introduces himself and Olipop [03:45] What customer experience means to the brand[05:34] How to curate an intentional SMS [09:01] Implementing personalization into a marketing channel  [12:13] Elements of a subscription to create retention [15:01] Where to brand discovers inspiration for their subscription model [15:53] Factors that have led to brand growth  [20:31] important steps during customer acquisition  [22:13] How to scale the customer experience[24:16] The importance of empowerment [25:48] Allocating finances to the customer experience  [27:17] How to drive brand loyalty [29:43] Thinking like a customer [31:58] What’s next for Olipop and where to find Eli Weiss and the brand onlineHow OLIPOP scales customer experienceEli Weiss, director of customer experience at Olipop, joins the POD to give some insight on the  business’s growth, customer experience strategy, and retention.  Olipop is a beverage company, formulating a gut healthy soda with plant fiber, prebiotics, and botanicals.Eli recognized that when it comes to creating a good brand, having a good product is only half the formula to keep consumers happy and returning. Providing consumers with a positive, personalized, and interactive customer experience is an essential factor leading to brand loyalty. Eli points out that anyone can be taught the skills to perform in a work setting, but you can’t teach someone to care about your brand so it is important to hire the right people.In DTC, you have to think like the customer to winOlipop stands out as an eCommerce beverage company, not only for its modernized product, but also for the brand's exceptional customer service.The brand has experienced growth and customer retention by prioritizing the customer experience and developing a thoughtful subscription model. Eli takes a unique approach to achieving successful retention by developing an SMS channel that caters to the customers needs rather than a brand incentive to increase sales. Additional steps to improve the customer experience are taken by listening to the customer and responding to their needs. Eli recommends discovering ways to make your subscriptions exclusive without intruding on consumers' feed. Stay tuned as Eli discusses key components to heighten the customer experience and how empowering your team leads to success. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Olipop’s website: https://drinkolipop.com/Eli Weiss’s twitter: https://twitter.com/eliweisss

Marketing expert, Jade Sai, discusses converting non-buyers into buyers through a strategic email sequence. Topics include setting goals for subscriber engagement, crafting emails to promote customer conversion, and using frequency to influence purchase behavior.