Issue 100: 6 Changes to Bump CVR by 20% 📈

+ VP Marketing at Kizik, CTC's State of the Industry & More

Yoooo! We hit our 100th issue, y’all! 🎉 đŸ’Ż đŸŽ‰ 

Time flies when you’re having fun, right? But, hey… if you think we’re about to start laurel-resting you’ve got another thing coming. We’re going to continue bringing this spicy tuna until our ESP literally kicks us out.

Let’s go! 🌶️🐟️ 

| COMMUNITY EVENTS

Join us in NYC for a founders-only Happy Hour on April 4th, in collaboration with Chew on This and OpenStore to celebrate entrepreneurship and connect with the top founders building on Shopify. RSVP and secure your spot:

| TWEET O’ THE WEEK

Find out how simple changes like improving your hero-image has the potential to improve conversions by up to 20%, making it a high-impact strategy for your brand.

In this issue we’ll be focusing on the important 'above the fold' elements. It's this part of the website that packs the first punch – it's what your customers see first and what can influence their decision to stay and engage or bounce right off.

Hairtamin 💊 Hero-Image Breakdown

Carousels may seem attractive for their dynamic nature, but they fall short in user engagement, with most interaction stopping after the first slide. A static image ensures that a brands message and product take the stage uninterrupted, giving every visitor the full story without the need to click through.

How much of a difference can this make? Clear, static images are more than just eye candy; they function as silent salespeople. A survey found that 83% of shoppers view the product image as the most influential factor in their purchasing decision​​. Moreover, lifestyle images, which place the product in a realistic context, can push this even further. They're not just images; they're stories that invite the customer in.

| YOUTUBE UNIVERSITY

Is Meta Broken, Super Bowl Impact, and Valentine's Day Trends | State of the Industry Report

| TOGETHER WITH SARAL

What if you could buy every billboard in your city?

In the 1950’s, if you could buy every billboard in your city, it would mean your sales go through the roof 🚀

Why? Because you’ll be everywhere. It’ll create a halo effect that makes your brand seem larger than life.

As a brand in 2024, you almost have to “be everywhere” to be relevant. Otherwise, you get lost in the noise.

This is what brands on SARAL are doing with their high-volume ambassador programs. When you’re a niche brand, all you need is a couple dozen influencers to post about you to make customers say “They’re everywhere, I don’t want to miss their products!”

With automated discovery and bulk-personalized outreach, SARAL helps you eliminate the boring work and allows you to scale an ambassador program with little time invested.

The best part? They don’t charge until you see success.

Want us to dazzle you with a demo before kicking off? Let's chat!

| QUICK SHOTS

  • @DaveRekuc: I ran a poll that was a theoretical question about two campaigns. 1 - $500/day highest volume, 1DC, purchase objective. 2 - $500/day cost cap, 1DC, purchase objective, $10k bid for the cost per result goal. Would the bid Meta places on any given impression for each campaign be different? The reason I asked this question is two-fold…

  • Sean Riley: We’ve reached what I call “CPG Category Hysteria” in electrolyte mix 💦 Much like we did in the hard seltzer craze. This happens when a few category kings create something new that everyone loves ❤️❤️

  • @natelagos: A good CRO strategy can cure your Facebook ad woes. Here’s how we beat last year’s February revenue & contribution margin by over 70%

  • @BlakeImperl: Retention is not the new acquisition. Thank you for listening to my ted talk.

  • Deividas Tokaris: Brutally honest opinion on how Facebook plans to destroy media buyers.

| HERE FOR THE MEMES

| AND IN OTHER NEWS…

US salaries are falling. Employers say compensation is just 'resetting'

Salaries for new roles are stagnating – and in some cases, falling. Some employers may be looking to cut costs, but the lack of wage growth may be a matter of post-pandemic correction.

Meta previews ‘fediverse sharing’ for Threads

Meta has offered a brief preview of how fediverse sharing works and what it might look like once more people have access to it.

What should marketers do when the consumer doesn’t do the ‘right thing’?

Can brands really encourage people to make ‘good choices’? The Drum’s editor-in-chief Gordon Young, is of the belief that consumers have more power than we credit them.

Amazon Looks to Bring Deal Days Boost to Q1 With Spring Sale

With the wild success of its summer and fall Prime Day events, Amazon is looking to bring in a similar boost in the spring.

Google Adds Social Media Posts to Business Listings

A new display option for your business’ social posts.

'Buy now, pay later' goes from niche to normal as young people use it for daily essentials

What began for many as a way to pay for concert tickets and vacations is becoming an ordinary tool that Gen Z and millennial shoppers use for food, contact lenses and trash bags.

| GET LINKED

“Our goal is to become a billion-dollar brand. We know we can’t rely just on performance marketing.”

That’s Brett Swensen → VP of Marketing Kizik.

A 9-figure brand that grew almost entirely off its direct-response chops.

But now, the team is focused on how to balance performance efforts with a strong and identifiable brand.

The challenge

“Instead of showing people a mirror into their current lives, how do we become a brand that shows people a window into their aspirations?”

The actions

  • Consumer deep dives

  • One-on-one interviews

  • Quant + qualitative studies

The metrics

  • Branded search

  • Post-purchase surveys

  • Creative ad recall

  • Share of voice

  • Uncovering brand arc

Then … marrying all that with a focus on product design, an aesthetic language & higher-order benefits.

The goal:

People who say: “I would defend the brand no matter what.

“If you can get those people on your side, game over. They are the most loyal. They will shout from the rooftops. They will follow you to the ends of the earth. Those are the people that we want to bring into our tribe and our community.

“On the performance side, we’re not stopping what we’re doing.

“But we’re going to be tighter with our messaging and more deliberate with how we speak to our consumers.”

| YOU’RE HIRED

Brand

SaaS

  • 🆕 Marketing Manager (Zipify)

  • Product Marketing Manager (Platter)

Agency

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

| THE OUTRO

All in all, I’d say that 100th issue went pretty well, right? Not overwhelming. Not underwhelming. Just consistent and plain ol’ “whelming”.

You feeling “whelmed” fam? Thought so.

Adios! ✌️

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