Issue 084: Elevating Your Hero w/ Custom Code & Metafields

PLUS: Setting the RIGHT marketing priorities in 2024.

Oh man we are busting into the latter part of this week like we’re trying to make out with way more Stanley tumblers than is our right to have.

Anybody see the shoulder charge on that guy? Heavy. But… denied, sir. Denied. 👎️ 

May your product demand be as lofty as that of the not-so-humble pink Stanley tumbler. 😤 

| YOU’RE HIRED

Brands

Got a job you want us to list? Let us know.

| TWEET OF THE WEEK

You already have dozens of growth ideas for 2024. Here’s how to pick the ideas that will actually move the needle for your brand.

Earlier this month I explained how to build a customer-based forecast to go along with your revenue forecast, and why that is so important. In part 2 we’re going to put that forecast into action and build a tactical plan for achieving your growth goals.

Objective -> Strategy -> Tactics

One of my first bosses in digital marketing shared this framework with me: objective -> strategy -> tactics. It continues to be one of the most valuable things I’ve learned.

Most annual marketing planning skips from objective to tactics. Why does this happen? Because the objective is not defined well enough to yield a strategy. How can you build a strategy off of “make sales go up 20% YoY”?

| YOUTUBE UNIVERSITY

2024 Media Buying Masterclass

| TOGETHER WITH PARKER

There’s a lot at steak.

🥩 5 USDA-graded filet mignons.
🥗 10 sweet green salads.
🍔 187 McChickens.

That’s what you can buy with a $200 Uber Eats card when you book a call with Martin (our BD guy) for 30 minutes about what we bring to the table. (Besides steak, salad, or McChickens.)

The Problem:

At the end of every month when you pay your business credit card bill, your cash balance plummets. We saw this because we also ran eCommerce stores in the past and it was miserable seeing our accounts get wiped out.

The Solution:

To keep it short, this is what we offer:

  • 90 day repayment terms (unheard of because we have a kickass risk team)

  • No interest or hidden fees

  • Best credit limits

When you’re chilling on your balcony, eating your Parker-sponsored steaks 🥩 you can think about how rad it would be to work with a finance company that gets ecom.

Book a call with Martin, here. (We put him on a salary 🤌 so no commission. You’re welcome.)

(Sorry, Martin.)

| QUICK SHOTS

  • Tayler Lagace: “Influencer seeding doesn’t work for us” is a myth. It drives me crazy. It works… but you probably haven’t done it the right way. Here’s why…

  • Jesse Pujji: What am I missing here? [IMAGE]

  • Ruben Runneboom: I noticed that my daily Google Ads routine has mainly shifted from the GA interface to the Google Merchant Center. My Google Merchant Center routine ↓

  • Chase Mohseni: This was brilliant from Notion

  • Jasmin Alić: Client: We're selling a house for $1 mil. Need an ad. Me: House for Sale. $1,000,000. Call XX-XXX-XX. House: SOLD. 💰 It's ok to keep it simple. Simple works 99% of the time.

| HERE FOR THE MEMES

| AND IN OTHER NEWS…

Sociable: Google reveals next step toward removal of tracking cookies

Starting today, Google will begin limiting cross-site tracking for some users by restricting website access to third-party cookies by default.

Design Exec: Understanding Human Nature is ‘Terra Firma’ in a Fast-Changing Retail Industry - Retail TouchPoints

In an exclusive interview, Executive Design Director of KTGY Phil Otto shares how cultural anthropology can drive innovation in store design.

Covid Slashed Consumer Choices. This Is Why They Aren’t Coming Back.

Retailers and suppliers say it didn’t pay to offer products for everyone and consumers didn’t care that much when they stopped.

Consumer spending rises in December to end solid holiday season, CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor shows

Retailers chalked up solid gains in the final month to wrap up the holiday season, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor for December.

8 DTC trends to follow in 2024

The past year was riddled with bankruptcies, layoffs and a handful of public debuts. What does this next year have in store for the industry?

| FUTURES

2024 Outlook for Ecommerce Brands

| GET LINKED

I have spent 17 years in ecommerce and there is an important piece of human information that has helped me make hundreds of millions of dollars in incremental revenue.

Humans exist in emotional seasons.

Respecting this and meeting their needs is a huge unlock to profit.

In November/December they are stressed and tired and focused on tight goals. This is a time where they need brands to get out of the way.

This looks like:

  1. Reducing friction everywhere; no popups, no brand videos, no quizzes.

  2. Get them where they are going, with a minimum of fuss.

In January the season shifts a bit, there is still stress and exhaustion, but it is in the form of completing tasks that are tiring. Rather than shopping they are returning. Paying their credit card bills. Cleaning their house.

What they need from a brand in this season is ease.

This looks like:

  1. Make returns seamless and easy.

  2. Email should be very light and focused on helpful content.

This is not the season to get blood from a stone. This is the season to be a comfort to your customers. No pressure. Low stakes. Free samples.

You are priming them for their next season which is boredom and escape.

Late winter is the time of cold, no holidays to look forward to and a stretch of grey.

In this season people want to treat themselves. Travel. Buy luxury and beauty. Get a dopamine hit.

That hit will be best from brands who were comforting them when they were down, rather than blasting them with 8 emails a week on your clearance sale after refusing to take their returns.

| THE OUTRO

That’s a wrap!

Be well. Enjoy your weekend. We’ll see you next time. 🫡 

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