How do you discover something magical in the DTC space? For this week’s guest Ryan Babenzien, CEO of Jolie, he looked at everyday things: the shower. Wellness. Vanity. Your wallet. And then the filtered shower head took the world by storm. How do you create a successful product when there’s already a ton of stuff out there? Why is everyday customer behavior so important to a wellness brand? Ryan shares his framework, his history from other brands, and how gut and instinct play a role in your success.  Plus, Nik and Ryan talk about packaging—how does it differ between wellness brands and other CPG products? When you’re a DTC brand, a way to polish things is to make sure you have efficient packing. No packing peanuts, just simple and easy. Do creators care about packaging being environmentally friendly? (Hint: yes.) Then, it’s all about people influencing people. Word of mouth—from influencers, UGC, your friends and family—all play a role in the success of a product. How can you make sure these positive words are converting?  And don’t forget to check out Nik’s helpful hacks here: nik.co/tiktokads nik.co/everydaydose   Haus is an automated, self-serve platform that allows you to configure regional experiments to measure incrementality, optimally allocate marketing dollars, and maximize growth. Test all your marketing channels, both online and offline, measure the impact across all your sales channels (DTC, Amazon, and retail), and calibrate your platform reporting for incrementality with Haus. Add scientific rigor to your marketing and make the most impact with your spend. To learn more, go to haus.io/limitedsupply to get started.   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

It’s not about you, it’s your brand awareness.  In this solo episode, Nik breaks down brand awareness and how to do it right. There’s a difference between brand recognition, excitement, and affinity. But some of those go awry, it can really affect how people view your brand. How do you interact with creators on social media? How much content should everyone make about your brand? When people see your logo or brand, what comes to mind?  Plus, Nik gives an example of how he tackles product launch—he’s excited about it, but there’s a couple things that can be improved. There’s a lot that goes into a launch, like storefront (brick-and-mortar, eComm), email, SMS, organic social, paid social, the list is almost endless. How do you launch something that really pops?  Then, it’s all about keeping those customers. We’re talking drop strategy, VIP discount codes, and even inventory. Why should you send one email per day for the first three days? Are TikTok and Instagram really their own funnels? Nik shares his perspective.  And don’t forget to check out Nik’s helpful hacks here: nik.co/tiktokads nik.co/everydaydose   Haus is an automated, self-serve platform that allows you to configure regional experiments to measure incrementality, optimally allocate marketing dollars, and maximize growth. Test all your marketing channels, both online and offline, measure the impact across all your sales channels (DTC, Amazon, and retail), and calibrate your platform reporting for incrementality with Haus. Add scientific rigor to your marketing and make the most impact with your spend. To learn more, go to haus.io/limitedsupply   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Are hacks even real? According to Nik, they aren’t—so that’s why he’s sharing his Top 40 TIPS for conversion, social proof, audience, and copy to see more site conversions. Should you do your mobile site first, or is desktop king? How do you leverage social proof for your brand? How can you make a discount pop without being too obnoxious? Plus, Nik talks about how your site should be ADA compliant because accessibility is important to reaching more people. Partnering that with a simplified checkout experience and easy-to-understand copy are steps in the right direction. It’s not rocket science, even if it can feel overwhelming sometimes.  And don’t forget to check out more helpful tips from Nik here: nik.co/tiktokads nik.co/everydaydose   Haus is an automated, self-serve platform that allows you to configure regional experiments to measure incrementality, optimally allocate marketing dollars, and maximize growth. Test all your marketing channels, both online and offline, measure the impact across all your sales channels (DTC, Amazon, and retail), and calibrate your platform reporting for incrementality with Haus. Add scientific rigor to your marketing and make the most impact with your spend. To learn more, go to haus.io/limitedsupply    Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

What are Nik’s messages like?  If you answered, “Hey Nik, I’ve founded (insert company here). It should be doing this, but it’s not. What should I do?” you’d be correct. Starting a brand isn’t easy work—so that’s why Nik has a playbook ready. Should you do a pre launch test? What conversion events should matter to you? What even is a water report? There’s a ton of concerns that a lot of founders don’t ask about, but should.  Plus, in this solo episode, Nik reveals that your content should make sense to three people: your mom, buzzed people, and fifth graders. He explains how all three are related, even if they probably shouldn’t be in the same sentence.  Then, Nik speaks survey: what did they buy and did they like it? How can you, as a brand, take information and improve your ops? Customer experience is a goldmine—one that you could be missing out on. And don’t forget to check out Nik’s helpful hacks here: nik.co/tiktokads nik.co/everydaydose   Haus is an automated, self-serve platform that allows you to configure regional experiments to measure incrementality, optimally allocate marketing dollars, and maximize growth. Test all your marketing channels, both online and offline, measure the impact across all your sales channels (DTC, Amazon, and retail), and calibrate your platform reporting for incrementality with Haus. Add scientific rigor to your marketing and make the most impact with your spend. To learn more, go to haus.io/limitedsupply   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Ready for a rapid-fire round of questions about DTC as big as The Cheesecake Factory menu?  CMO of Jones Road Beauty and Nik’s X-Mutual-turned-IRL-friend Cody Plofker is back on the pod—and they’re talking about incrementality, building creative teams, and more. What should you look for in building a team? What’s attribution and why is it click-based? Is Cody frugal or cheap?  Then, Nik chats about how he uses TikTok and Reddit to understand new audiences. How can we reach new people? What do they care about compared to our current market? Plus, Cody reveals how Jones Road is gearing up for Black Friday, with new strategies, customization opportunities, and setting realistic (but BIG) sales goals.  And don’t forget to check out Nik’s helpful hacks here: nik.co/tiktokads nik.co/everydaydose   AfterSell empowers businesses to maximize their revenue potential with upsell, cross-sell, and post-purchase engagement solutions. Our data-driven tools and seamless integrations help you transform customer interactions and boost revenue effortlessly.   To learn more visit aftersell.com/limited.   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

What’s a season of Limited Supply without Nik to answer some of the Slack channel’s hottest DTC questions? Nik’s dipping his fingers into the mailbag and unleashing his biggest CRO tips and tricks yet. Find out the five questions your landing page must answer and learn the difference between adding a promise and a guarantee to your site. Should your checkout page have a slide-out cart, a separate cart page, or both? Nik settles the age-old question once and for all. Will this year mark the death of months-long holiday sales? Well… if you haven’t already heard the sounds of Home Depot Halloween animatronics screeching through the aisles yet, then just know that August is the month to *finally* get your hands on that 12-foot tall skeleton. Nik breaks down how to plan for the early holiday sales cycles and reveals his ultimate playbook for maximizing your holiday revenue through affiliate marketing. Plus, find out the ultimate holiday hooks for gifting ads, how the election will affect ad spend, and the best way to build a successful offer. And don’t forget to check out Nik’s helpful hacks here: nik.co/tiktokads nik.co/everydaydose   AfterSell empowers businesses to maximize their revenue potential with upsell, cross-sell, and post-purchase engagement solutions. Our data-driven tools and seamless integrations help you transform customer interactions and boost revenue effortlessly. To learn more visit aftersell.com/limited. 00:03:11 - Maximize Audience Building for Q4 00:09:15 - Favorite Hooks for Gifting Ads 00:14:38 - Utilizing Direct Mail for Q4 00:17:35 - Important Site Optimization Areas 00:26:32 - Enhancing Product Pages with Social Proof 00:29:06 - Incorporating FAQs on Product Pages 00:30:55 - Simplifying Site Navigation for Better Conversions 00:32:17 - Optimizing Cart and Checkout Pages 00:35:09 - Building a Successful Offer: Core Characteristics 00:38:21 - Plan Early for Holiday Sales 00:40:42 - Maximizing Email Offers for Audience 00:43:40 - Increasing Your Holiday Revenue with Affiliate Marketing 00:47:49 - Addressing Questions and Feedback for Future Episodes   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Ready for a masterclass in DTC tactics? Then step on up, cause Mr. Sharma’s got everything you need to reach the 100K mark. Nik’s breaking down his secret tactics to hit your revenue goals by taking a deep dive into four specific strategies that are sure to boost your biz. It’s all about the angles— and we’re not talking about that jawline in the mirror. Learn how you can position your website landing page to cook the competition. What are Nik’s top tips for building a landing page that’s sure to crush it? Plus, Nik also discusses the power of a good advertorial and creator partnerships. How can you make sure your advertorial money fuels impressive impression gains? And what are the secrets to a fruitful influencer relationship? Nik’s spilling all the dirty deets on his personal experiences working with influencers and dishing out the hard lessons he’s learned along the way. AfterSell empowers businesses to maximize their revenue potential with upsell, cross-sell, and post-purchase engagement solutions. Our data-driven tools and seamless integrations help you transform customer interactions and boost revenue effortlessly. To learn more visit aftersell.com/limited. 00:04:34 - Tactical Foreplay for New Customer Acquisition 00:06:10 - Finding Your Wedge in Acquisition 00:17:54 - Answering 5 Questions for Landing Pages 00:21:29 - Boost Your CPA with Advertorials 00:35:57 - Working with Creators for Lower CPC 00:47:12 - 15 Tactical Tips for Ad Creatives Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

Cookware doesn’t have to be boring. And this particular brand is making a huge splash. It’s the cookware company coveted by Michelin-starred chefs and Hollywood’s most elite, like Gordon Ramsay, Hailey Beiber, Halle Berry, Courtney Cox, Cameron Diaz… the list goes on and on. If you haven’t been on the brink of impulse buying a Hexclad pan at least once in your life, you haven’t really been living (or cooking). So sit back, inhale the Teflon fumes of your ratty little pan from Amazon, and listen up because Mr. Sharma’s chatting with the President of Hexclad Cookware, Jason Panzer, and CEO Daniel Winer to find out exactly how this luxury cookware company continues to innovate through their diehard community. Jason and Danny explain why straying away from transactional celebrity endorsements and sticking with authentic, genuine partnerships has elevated them into the ultimate lifestyle brand with an incredible product at their foundational core. How do they continue to push boundaries? And what’s working with Gordon Ramsey *really* like? We don’t wanna spoil the fun for you— tune in now to find out. AfterSell empowers businesses to maximize their revenue potential with upsell, cross-sell, and post-purchase engagement solutions. Our data-driven tools and seamless integrations help you transform customer interactions and boost revenue effortlessly. To learn more visit aftersell.com/limited. Follow Hexclad: Website: https://hexclad.com/   Follow Danny: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-winer-647bba90/   Follow Jason: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonpanzer/ Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma

You wanted to hear from the top DTC founders, so Nik wrangled up one of the top minds he could find in the biz for you— Dianna Cohen, the mastermind behind Crown Affair. Dianna breaks down what contributed to the massive success of her haircare company and chats with Nik about the importance of building a strong brand story. She explains how DTC success isn’t a big bang, but a slow burn. Have too many DTC founders traded in instant gratification for patience and slow growth? She also chats about *that* Met Gala Doja Cat moment, and explains the value of great partnerships and distribution. Which celebrity brands does Dianna think are enough to give Crown Affair a run for their money? And why are patience and time the two secret ingredients for growing a successful DTC? You won’t want to miss this jam-packed ep with one of the brightest minds in the industry.  AfterSell empowers businesses to maximize their revenue potential with upsell, cross-sell, and post-purchase engagement solutions. Our data-driven tools and seamless integrations help you transform customer interactions and boost revenue effortlessly. To learn more visit https://www.aftersell.com/limited   00:01:53 - Founder of Crown Affair Shares Journey 00:10:09 - Crown Affair's Growth and Revenue 00:12:11 - Hair Care: A Skincare Approach 00:16:20 - Building Exceptional Hair Care Products 00:20:45 - Brand Pillars: Visual Literacy and Storytelling 00:26:22 - Brand Success Requires Patience and Time 00:30:57 - Brand Building Essentials 00:40:20 - Exclusive Sephora Partnership Drives Growth 00:43:38 - Navigating Retail Partnerships for Success 00:47:41 - Optimizing Reviews for Better Marketing 00:49:11 - Building Communities in the Beauty Industry 00:51:17 - Celebrity Brands: Success vs. Failure 00:54:27 - Underpriced Attention in Brand Marketing 00:57:45 - Diana Cohen's Free Mentorship Program   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma  

You ask the questions. We answer them. It’s been a while, but Nik and Moiz are pulling out the Sorting Hat to pull out some of your juiciest, most pressing DTC questions. The guys reflect on some of the biggest mistakes DTC brands make (and they’ve seen plenty) and discuss why repeatable sales processes aren’t a nice thought— they’re an absolute necessity. What’s the one legal mistake that could be your DTC’s ultimate downfall? And later the guys discuss where you should allocate your ad spend, how to acquire your first customer, and how to encourage customers to leave reviews (without resorting to flat-out bribery). Which businesses will go bankrupt in 2024 (RIP Big Lots, and whatever it is you sold)? Nik and Moiz also reveal how another business’s bankruptcy might spell doom for fine breastaurant establishments everywhere.    00:00:00 - Answering 50 Listener Questions 00:00:39 - Biggest Mistakes of New DTC Founders 00:05:45 - Biggest Mistakes Brands Make at $10M+ 00:09:35 - Best Way to Acquire Customers in 2024 00:11:32 - Real Impacts of AI in Marketing 00:17:37 - Efficiency vs. Ad Spend Trade-off 00:20:27 - How to Get Customer Reviews 00:22:57 - Encouraging Social Media Reviews Effectively 00:29:12 - Predicting Retail Bankruptcies in 2024 00:31:56 - Switching from Amazon to DTC: Survival Tips 00:36:00 - Moiz’s Final Sign-Off   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Nik’s taken a breather for this ep, so you know what that means… Time for Moiz to hound his latest guest with the questions Nik is too afraid to ask. This week, he’s taking on Sharoon Thomas, CEO and founder of fulfil.io, to figure out WTF an ERP system is actually good for. More importantly, WTF is an ERP system? Sharoon shares his insights into the complexities of running a software business and unravels the many challenges of ERP implementation. Why is it critical to integrate your ERP with other sales channels? And why is marketing the straw that can break any SaaS company's back? Plus, find out why you should be considering Fulfil over big dogs like Netsuite (not that, uh... Sharoon’s biased or anything), and discover Sharoon’s plans for Fulfil’s future.   Fulfil is an ERP built for 8 and 9-figure brands focused on driving customer delight. With direct integrations and ops automation, we help you run a fast warehouse or streamline 3PL connections.   Visit fulfil.io to learn more.   00:01:48 - Building a Successful ERP System 00:04:59 - Why Businesses Use ERP Systems 00:13:51 - Building an Internal Feature Ecosystem 00:15:23 - Software for Managing Large Warehouses 00:15:58 - Building a Strong Engineering Team 00:26:08 - TikTok Shop Integration for Businesses 00:29:08 - Understanding Fulfillment in Business Operations 00:29:54 - Building an Efficient ERP System 00:37:35 - Understanding Churn Rates in Business 00:46:31 - Implementing Marketing Strategies for Success 00:57:00 - Stock Options: Long-Term Investment Strategy 00:58:31 - When to Raise Prices in Business 01:02:44 - Buying Shares Shows Business Discipline   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

In this episode of Limited Supply, Trenton and Lukas from OpenStore dive into how they're revolutionizing the Shopify ecosystem by inspiring entrepreneurs and shoppers to discover fresh brands.  Together, they unpack their acquisition strategy, highlighting their adept use of generative AI for creative content and their strong presence on TikTok Shop. With a mission to enrich the direct-to-consumer space, they've automated 60-70% of customer interactions while achieving impressive satisfaction scores.  They also stress the importance of having a diverse set of tools beyond traditional advertising, emphasizing skills in CRM and offer optimization to succeed in the community-driven e-commerce landscape. Join us to learn how OpenStore continues to test new technologies and provide exceptional value to both merchants and customers so they can all thrive in a dynamic, community-driven e-commerce environment. Fulfil is an ERP built for 8 and 9-figure brands focused on driving customer delight. With direct integrations and ops automation, we help you run a fast warehouse or streamline 3PL connections. Visit fulfil.io to learn more. 00:00:40 - Quick Background on Lucas and Trenton’s Roles at OpenStore 00:04:33 - How OpenStore’s Mission Has Changed Over the Years 00:05:54 - How Does OpenStore’s Business Model Work? 00:08:47 - The Different Verticals of OpenStore 00:13:06 - What Makes a Business Enticing to OpenStore? 00:20:53 - Discoverability Strategies for Siloed Brands 00:25:54 - The Structure of Managing 50 Brands and 2 Million Customers 00:30:14 - Bulk Discounts Available for Openstore 00:36:41 - Why is The Average Brand Struggling With Growth? 00:39:33 - Building Technology for Brand Growth 00:42:58 - OpenStore Brands on TikTok Shop Today 00:42:46 - Don't Forget Loyal Customers as You Scale 00:45:23 - Advice From Experiences Operating OpenStore Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Connect With Lukas Judodihardjo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukasjudodihardjo/  Connect With Trent Riggs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentonriggs/ Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Goodbye, Shopify. See ya later, Etsy. Hasta la vista… Amazon???\ Yeah, we said it. Temu has the power to compete with Amazon. Has the Chinese drop shipping company grown too powerful to defeat? Or can our old-school favorites find a way to slay the DTC giant? Nik and Moiz discuss the looming threat of Temu to several major e-commerce retailers. What strategies do they need to stay relevant? Plus, what would it take for Outdoor Voices to crawl out of the grave they dug themselves into? Hear us out— it’s definitely not impossible... The guys also discuss the latest acquisition of Asian noodle company, Omsom, by DDC. What, if anything, does it mean for other Asian DTCs like immi, FLY BY Jing, and Sanzo? And later in the episode, Nik declares arbitrage. When is it okay to use arbitrage in the DTC community, and are there any ethical concerns? Well, if we know anything… at the very least, we definitely know where Moiz stands on the issue.   Unravel the complexities of fulfillment with Red Stag - a 3PL that guarantees zero shrink, zero mispicks, and zero missed shipments. Backed by performance assurances, they ensure excellence in every order —Literally, RedStag offers coverage at no additional cost for any guarantee that is missed AND $50 reimbursement per instance for the inconvenience. Discover why Red Stag isn't just another fulfillment provider - visit redstag.com/limited today.   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Welcome back, ya 88s. Quit trying to make brick-and-mortar happen. It’s never going to happen. Or at least not like you think it will. Nik and Moiz break down the common pitfalls DTC businesses make when it comes to opening up retail stores. How many stores are too many? And are you thinking about staffing in a realistic manner? Speaking of brick-and-mortar stores, why aren’t places like Outdoor Voices or Alo focusing more on that post-purchase follow-up? If Moiz just threw down $500 on yoga pants, he wants to feel like the prettiest, pretty princess of them all. After all, isn’t focusing on retaining high-spending customers far less expensive than acquiring new ones? Nik and Moiz go over some possible solutions to increase post-purchase satisfaction. Then, the guys play devil’s advocate. Sure, they just told you to stop focusing so much on brick-and-mortar stores, but they sincerely hope that didn’t make you throw all your hopes into dot-com-only strategies. They explain the value of selling your product in-store and explain what kind of selling velocity you need to stay on Target’s shelves. Streamline your entire operations process, from accounting and order management to inventory and warehouse management, manufacturing production, and EDI integration. Providing a single source of truth for your business, Fulfil offers real-time insights, automates tedious tasks, and ensures you never miss a sale. Learn more at https://www.fulfil.io Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ  And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Welcome back! This week on Limited Supply, Nik and Moiz dive into the world of customer retention and win-back strategies. They discuss the success of Sephora's loyalty program and how it keeps customers engaged and coming back for more. The boys also explore the potential of corporate gifting as a powerful sales channel and highlight brands like Cadence that are excelling in this area. You won't want to miss out! Streamline your entire operations process, from accounting and order management to inventory and warehouse management, manufacturing production, and EDI integration. Providing a single source of truth for your business, Fulfil offers real-time insights, automates tedious tasks, and ensures you never miss a sale. Learn more at https://www.fulfil.io 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:43 - Sephora's Price Matching and Loyalty 00:08:40 - Direct-to-Consumer Brands Struggle with Marketing 00:11:41 - Brands Create Desired Attendee Experiences 00:13:38 - Clever Strategies for Retention and Win Back 00:16:51 - Using Text Sales to Boost Supplement Value 00:22:46 - Corporate Gifting: A Lucrative Sales Channel 00:27:49 - Creating Successful Program Tiers for Organizations 00:33:44 - Beware of New Demand Letter Scam 00:41:33 - Exploring Retail: Questions for You Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

We can’t escape TikTok Shop, and chances are good neither can you. But is it actually working for the brands that are using it? And what does their AoV look like?  Nik also breaks down TikTok Shop’s shift to QVC-like ads as the boys debate the latest trends and happenings in TikTok Shop. How much do affiliates get paid anyway? But let’s get down to brass tacks—because the guys are wondering whether or not the US government is trying to ban Shein for legitimate reasons or if they’re just plain racist against Chinese companies. Sure they might have a case for banning TikTok, but is there any merit to restricting the fast fashion empire from selling products in the US? Is Shein sourcing its raw materials from dubious sources or is it all just a bunch of smoke without fire? Then, Nik and Moiz make the case for why DTC businesses need to start looking outside the US market for sales. Why aren’t more brands considering selling in other countries? And how come most marketing agencies aren’t interested in bringing brands to other nations? Plus, Moiz unleashes the smartest business idea he’s ever had… or the dumbest idea he’s ever had. Take your pick.   Unravel the complexities of fulfillment with Red Stag - a 3PL that guarantees zero shrink, zero mispicks, and zero missed shipments. Backed by performance assurances, they ensure excellence in every order —Literally, RedStag offers coverage at no additional cost for any guarantee that is missed AND $50 reimbursement per instance for the inconvenience. Discover why Red Stag isn't just another fulfillment provider - visit redstag.com/limited today.   00:00:38 - Live Streams Focused on Products 00:06:46 - TikTok Embraces Live Streaming Trend 00:12:27 - How TikTok Customizes Comments Algorithm 00:14:48 - US Government Targets Chinese Businesses 00:20:57 - Expanding Internationally 00:22:13 - Europe Dominates Amazon US Traffic 00:25:02 - Opportunities for Brands in Amazon 00:28:31 - Creating a Business for GLP Medications Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Who can possibly resist the “add two more leggings to your cart—and get the third one free” offer? Nik and Moiz discuss the power of cart promos—what do the best offers look like, and what are the game-changing moves brands are taking to capitalize on cart deals? They dive into the curious case of Halara, and unravel how the influencer-based brand leveraged cart deals, TikTok, and influencers to compete with the likes of Shein and Fashion Nova.  Then the guys break down the rise of new DTC brands—what sets companies like Strawberry Milk Mob and Crown Affair apart from their predecessors like Warby Parker and Bonobos? How has the DTC landscape changed so drastically in such a short period of time? Is this the death of huge campaigns and the shift to slow audience validation?  And later, Nik wonders whether there’s room for companies to start utilizing private label brands more often. Is there a world where a franchising type of mindset can work for DTC? Or has Nik completely lost his mind?   Unravel the complexities of fulfillment with Red Stag - a 3PL that guarantees zero shrink, zero mispicks, and zero missed shipments. Backed by performance assurances, they ensure excellence in every order —Literally, RedStag offers coverage at no additional cost for any guarantee that is missed AND $50 reimbursement per instance for the inconvenience. Discover why Red Stag isn't just another fulfillment provider - visit redstag.com/limited today.   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Polish up your pog collection because Moiz is still trying to pawn off his slammer at an absurdly high price to anyone gullible enough to buy it. In this week’s ep, the guys debate the sustainability of fad businesses. What’s the lifespan of the average fad—and is it wise to hop on the bandwagon before it dies out? Nik and Moiz break down the ways to build a sustainable and discuss whether or not brands like Prime Energy and Stanley are poised to fade into oblivion soon.  The boys also explore the pain points of distribution in the beverage world and the potential pitfalls of private equity takeovers. Is there any way a brand won’t go to shit after a private equity takeover? Does flooding the market with knock-off fad products ever work? And later, the guys dive into the latest trends in social media marketing, including the difficulty of going viral through TikTok shops, building a timeline for CRO changes, and outwitting the competition by dominating the funnel on Google Maps.    00:01:04 - Protein Shake Brand Acquired for $280M 00:07:00 - Private Equity's Impact on Wellness Industry 00:13:39 - Prime Sales Decline 00:20:51 - Stanley Cup: Fad or Sustainable? 00:23:49 - Building Businesses on Fads: The Truth 00:31:30 - TikTok Shops Increase Revenue Cuts 00:43:11 - Cutthroat Lead Gen Strategy 00:47:24 - Innovative Furniture Company with Local Tryouts 00:49:42 - Business Timeline Creation: A Must-Have 00:55:03 - Private Label Brands and TikTok Marketing     Unravel the complexities of fulfillment with Red Stag - a 3PL that guarantees zero shrink, zero mispicks, and zero missed shipments. Backed by performance assurances, they ensure excellence in every order —Literally, RedStag offers coverage at no additional cost for any guarantee that is missed AND $50 reimbursement per instance for the inconvenience. Discover why Red Stag isn't just another fulfillment provider - visit redstag.com/limited today.   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Nik’s live from the Whalies and talking to one of DTC’s brightest minds—Nood’s VP of Marketing, Bryan Kano. In this jam-packed special episode, Bryan and Nik unravel marketing’s greatest mysteries. Are analytics marketing’s best attempt at science-ing the shit out of great creative? Are analytics mostly BS or are they the greatest tool in your DTC marketing belt? And if they are, what’s the #1 message you should be taking away from your analytics?  Bryan also uncorks the secrets of scaling Nood from $0 to $60 million in less than two years. How did doubling down on TikTok pay dividends for the nascent company? And what are the platforms Bryan swears by?  Plus, stay tuned as he and Nik field questions from the audience and unpack the virtues of being more methodical, balancing your ROAS and MER, and avoiding TikTok ad fatigue.    Unravel the complexities of fulfillment with Red Stag - a 3PL that guarantees zero shrink, zero mispicks, and zero missed shipments. Backed by performance assurances, they ensure excellence in every order —Literally, RedStag offers coverage at no additional cost for any guarantee that is missed AND $50 reimbursement per instance for the inconvenience. Discover why Red Stag isn't just another fulfillment provider - visit redstag.com/limited today.   00:01:07 - Nood’s Journey to $60 Million 00:02:29 - TikTok Spending Strategy for Success 00:04:26 - Using Different Attribution Models in Marketing 00:09:11 - Diversifying Channels: TikTok vs. Meta 00:12:25 - Understanding Media Consumption for Effective Advertising 00:14:46 - Avoid Wasting Money on Clicks 00:18:45 - Building a Resilient Brand with Press 00:20:27 - Optimizing In-Store Sales with Budget 00:25:21 - Optimizing Tech Stack for Brand Success 00:28:19 - Landing Page Testing Platform Recommendations 00:29:40 - Audience Q&A Session   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Bryan:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryancano/   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

How did category-leading brands like Caraway and Mejuri rise to rapid DTC success? Nik and Moiz break apart the brand playbook and dive into Facebook’s top suggestions for creating more effective ads. How can celebrity testimonials and advertorials take your brand to the next level?  Then, find out exactly how investors think about IPOs. Moiz analyzes the biggest conflicts of the founder-investor relationship when it comes to going public. What do you need to know to protect your own interests? And finally, Nik and Moiz break down the fastest-growing shopping categories in the Meta landscape, discussing the value of various brands in the e-commerce space and dissecting the different ways they can be acquired or go public.  Unravel the complexities of fulfillment with Red Stag - a 3PL that guarantees zero shrink, zero mispicks, and zero missed shipments. Backed by performance assurances, they ensure excellence in every order —Literally, RedStag offers coverage at no additional cost for any guarantee that is missed AND $50 reimbursement per instance for the inconvenience. Discover why Red Stag isn't just another fulfillment provider - visit redstag.com/limited today.   00:01:02 - Amazon's Use of Anonymous Tracking 00:05:46 - Heat Map: Revenue-Driven Analytics Tool 00:07:29 - Absurdly High Valuations for Software Companies 00:13:20 - CEO-Investor Incentive Disconnect at IPO 00:17:20 - Fastest Growing Meta Categories Revealed 00:21:23 - Predicting Mattress Conversion Rates and AOV 00:23:57 - Utilizing Celebrity Testimonials in Marketing 00:26:17 - Experiment with Colors and Models for Audience Reach 00:28:48 - Facebook's Approval: Analyzing CPM Trends 00:33:33 - Building Category Leading Brands in Marketing   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.

Moiz is amped. Ok… So Moiz is always amped, but this time he’s EXTRA amped and ready to ditch the gym to hop on the Ozempic bandwagon. So what if he doesn’t *actually* need it? The boys wonder what happens when millions of Americans stop chowing down on that extra box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch once the Ozempic kicks in— is this the beginning of the end for big snack brands like General Mills and Kellogg’s, or can they find a way to prepare for the impending snackopalypse? Can big box brands deal with the skinny-fication of America? And what the heck is happening with Outdoor Voices? Just when you thought there couldn’t be any more drama with the fledgling company, the troubled athleisure brand managed to finally hit rock bottom. How did the newly bankrupt company handle the firing of its entire staff? Not well. Let’s just say not well. Plus, Nik and Moiz discuss the volatility in Facebook ads affecting the entire market, what to consider when selecting an ad agency, and tell the tale of some rich, really old dude named Nelson Peltz and his erratically alpha share-buying habits. 00:01:28 - Facebook Volatility and Business Updates 00:06:42 - Gender Targeting Challenges in Marketing 00:14:35 - Mastering Content Creation for Facebook Ads 00:15:34 - Warming Up Creatives in Marketing 00:23:21 - TikTok Usage Declines as Shops Rise 00:26:37 - Vetting Agencies for Facebook Ad Management 00:32:29 - Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Facebook Ads Agency 00:34:27 - Outdoor Voices Rumored Bankruptcy Raises Ethical Concerns 00:45:47 - Tesla's Advertising Spending Skyrockets in 2023 00:46:39 - Ozempic Threatens Big Snack Industry 00:54:53 - The Curious Case of Nelson Peltz and Disney   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

As a CEO, failure is imminent. So just… Don’t make the same mistakes twice like Moiz, ok?  It’s another Q&A episode, and Nik and Moiz are tearing into some of your best questions from their Slack channel.  What are the five questions all landing pages must have? What’s the best way to manage your Facebook ads? And what the heck do CEOs actually do all day anyways?  Moiz gets personal and reveals the one mistake he made TWICE. Why is it the sexiest business ideas that are always the ones most doomed to failure?  And later, Nik and Moiz explain why talking to people who have had negative experiences with your 3PL is vital before selecting your supplier. Why is Moiz sharpening his knives at the thought of some of his old suppliers?  Yeah. He’s preparing for war this week. Tune in to find out why.   Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack. This is the better alternative to coupons.   Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more.   Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited   00:03:21 - Thrasio Faces Bankruptcy After Failed Deal 00:06:04 - Effective Landing Page Structure Tips 00:15:35 - Daily Life of a Busy Entrepreneur 00:23:14 - Managing Cash Flow Amid Facebook Ads Downturn 00:32:15 - Learning from Failure: The Key to Success 00:37:25 - Optimizing Profit vs. Product Fit 00:42:18 - Efficient Ways to Find Suppliers 00:47:23 - Exploring Resources for Product Sourcing 00:49:58 - Limited Supply Podcast Season Eight Coming Soon Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Limited Supply: 🚨FLASH NEWS 🚨 Postscript President is selling the secrets to his SMS success.  Listen in with us! Or text STOP to opt-out.    Get in loser, we’re going texting.  In this ep, Moiz is breaking down everything you need to know about leveraging SMS to drive your revenue and accelerate your DTC’s growth. Alex Beller, co-founder of Postscript, stops by for some one-on-one time with Moiz, to reveal how his little startup that could grew to compete with the likes of giants like Klaviyo and Attentive. What is Postscript doing to set the stage for longevity that Attentive and Klaviyo aren’t?  Alex and Moiz discuss the ins and outs of SMS marketing for e-commerce brands, tackling every nitty gritty detail you need to succeed. What’s the importance of conversational messaging? What are the challenges of pricing in the SMS space? How should you be thinking about segmentation? And later, they touch on the role of investors, unravel the power of community engagement, and make some intriguing predictions about the future of SMS marketing.    Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack. This is the better alternative to coupons. Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more. Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited   00:01:33 - How Postscript Started Making Thousands 00:06:45 - Deciding Pricing: Email vs. Texts 00:07:47 - Postscript Raises $375K in Funding 00:12:40 - Differentiating Between Postscript, Attentive, Klaviyo 00:16:13 - Increase Conversion Rate with Onsite Opt-In 00:21:40 - Differentiating SMS Products with Conversational Messaging 00:23:40 - Understanding the 160-Character Limit Mystery 00:24:56 - Differences in Text Messaging Platforms 00:37:30 - Text Message Campaigns vs. Flows: Volume Insights 00:38:04 - Brands Underutilizing Text Message Marketing 00:42:34 - Incentivizing Trained Salespeople for E-commerce 00:46:37 - Scalable Text Messaging for Sales 00:56:12 - Unique Strategies for Early Client Acquisition   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Alex:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-beller-70452852/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ringmybeller  Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Listen up kiddies, and let Nick and Moiz tell you the story of ages past.  Back in their day, before you had to worry about finding a MAX-9 brochure sitting in the plane seat in front of you, you used to look forward to busting open the germ-covered pages of the Skymall catalog on plane flights. Where else could you order a ton of crap you never knew you needed? But Skymall, and the catalog disappeared. Now, Facebook catalog ads are determined to fill the void of flipping pages upon pages of products. Nik and Moiz dive into the nitty gritty details of why your DTC can't afford not to harness the power of Facebook catalog ads before explaining how to implement them the right way. Is it a smart move for your DTC? And just how much can they boost your ROAS? Then, the guys discuss if Klaivyo is becoming obsolete. With diminishing stock prices since the company IPO’d, is it possible the service is finally ending its stronghold over the DTC community?   Plus, Nik shares the top subscription stoppers that hinder customers from signing up for subscription services and later, he and Moiz tackle the Thrasio bankruptcy.    Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack. This is the better alternative to coupons. Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more. Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited   00:01:14 - Effective Facebook Catalog Ads and Subscription Strategies 00:02:12 - Creating Effective Facebook Catalog Ads 00:16:32 - Klaviyo Doubles High-Paying Customers in 2023 00:27:24 - Overcoming Subscription Barriers in Marketing 00:32:29 - Why People Cancel Consumable Subscriptions 00:40:02 - Make Unsubscribing Easy for Customers 00:44:26 - E-commerce Aggregator Thrasio Declares Bankruptcy 00:52:21 - Klaviyo's Inventory Management Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Struggling to convert customers?  Then this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.  Nik and Moiz open up their game-winning playbook to reveal their top 20 secrets for optimizing your conversion rates.  Learn how to improve your website’s performance through their time-tested tactics that skyrocketed Native Deodorant and Sharma Brands to the top of the DTC game. Elevate and optimize your e-commerce site through the power of social proof, high-functioning UX design, a smooth checkout process, and the authority of great copy, as Mr. Sharma himself dispenses 20 of his elite entrepreneurial tricks. Plus Nik and Moiz discuss the the factors that can make or break a celebrity brand. Why do some influencer brands (*cough* Rare Beauty *cough*) have staying power while others fall? The devil, it seems, is in the distribution details…   Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack. This is the better alternative to coupons. Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more. Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited   00:00:01 - 20 CRO Tips for Success 00:01:47 - JVN Sells for $1.25 Million 00:02:47 - Celebrity Partnership Pros and Cons 00:11:48 - Optimize Paid Social Traffic for Mobile 00:14:37 - Analyze User Behavior with Heatmaps 00:21:21 - Incorporate Social Proof Throughout Your Website 00:24:54 - Highlight Risk Reversals on Checkout Pages 00:30:12 - Using Large, Bright Imagery Draws Attention 00:32:00 - Make Discounts Visible for Better Conversions 00:35:06 - Declutter Your Site for Success 00:42:34 - Using Comparison Charts for Effective Marketing 00:44:59 - Properly Test and Measure Everything 00:47:06 - Creating Unique Social Proof Strategies 00:50:39 - Testing Coupon Codes for Better Conversions 00:51:25 - Consistent Messaging: Key to Success   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Just when you thought we were done talking about Shopify… This week, the guys discuss the latest price hikes by the e-commerce platform and what the three-year contract means for your DTC. Is it fair—and are all retailers getting the same price increase? And what’s up with Shopify acting like the ultimate “pick me” girl when they’re the largest e-commerce platform around? Then, Nik and Moiz take on Faire, the wholesale channel selling boutique items at wholesale prices. Is it a good thing or bad thing that it threatens to reveal just how much your competitors are willing to pay at wholesale prices? And later, Nik dissects a viewer-submitted website, doling out his expert tips on how to optimize any DTC website. Trust us when we say, you won’t wanna miss this segment if you’re looking to increase conversion rates for your site!    Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack. This is the better alternative to coupons. Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more. Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

A lot’s changed in the past 5 years, and we’re not just talking about the resurgence of those terrible bucket hats.  America’s favorite EBITDADDY (and Nik) are back and talking about all the changes to things like Facebook creative targeting, affiliate marketing, and Shopify that you need to know about. Is it better to create one ad set with ten ads or one ad set with one ad? Will Shopify become obsolete thanks to TikTok shop? And is affiliate marketing dead? Nutrabolt and Bloom Nutrition are out there being savage AF, but we have to take a second to ask WTF Athletic Greens is doing. Could they even compete in brick-and-mortar if they wanted to, especially considering Bloom just raised $90 million? How long can they sustain on Amazon before realizing manifest destiny is the way to go?     Tune in for that—and more.      Give customers more choice—and save your margins—with Postscript CashBack. This is the better alternative to coupons.   Offer customers a CashBack option anywhere you use a coupon—popups, welcome series, or over SMS and email. When customers select a store gift card for their CashBack option, they return to purchase multiple times and spend more.   Postscript is the DTC darling of SMS for a reason—they’re in the biz of making brands more money–more efficiently. Learn more at postscript.io/limited     00:00:24 - Maximizing Facebook Ad Campaign Efficiency 00:07:08 - The Future of Shopify: Facebook vs. TikTok Shops 00:13:30 - The Future of Affiliate Marketing 00:19:51 - Nutribolt Invests $90 Million in Bloom Nutrition 00:25:18 - How Bloom Outshines the Competition 00:28:14 - Successful Fundraising Stories: Sanzo and nut pods 00:29:08 - Average Check Sizes in Fundraising 00:32:26 - Investing in Startups: Average Check Size at $5 Million Raised 00:33:52 - Website Audit on the Next Episode     Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

When should your DTC brand take the leap of faith into the world of mixed media? What does an effective growth plan look like in 2024? Nik & Moiz set out to answer the big questions. We're taking a deep dive into the role of TV, podcasts, and explore the key pieces you need to know to effectively utilize a mixed media strategy. From the challenges of learning how to measure TV ad success to harnessing the power of UGC to cut ad costs, to creating vanity landing pages and more, the guys get down to the brass tacks about how much you can expect to spend when making the transition into TV. And later, Nik and Moiz reminisce about the possibilities of AI when it comes to customer service, the stupidity (or genius) of Apple Vision Pro, and reveal exactly what Google’s new efforts to combat spam mean for your brand this month.    00:00:00 - Google's Email Changes: What's New? 00:01:17 - The Role of Podcasts and TV in a Mixed Media Strategy 00:06:55 - Podcasts vs. TV: Consumer Preferences 00:10:05 - The Flaws of Traditional TV Ratings 00:12:40 - Reverse Engineering Product Market Fit 00:14:47 - Google and OpenAI Revolutionize TV Ads 00:20:43 - Using UGC to Cut Video Ad Costs 00:26:02 - The Cost of TV Advertising 00:33:07 - Google Cracks Down on Email Spam 00:39:15 - Apple's Ad Platform: What's New? 00:40:00 - The Future of Barcodes: QR Codes 00:44:58 - Website Conversion Rate Optimization Audit   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali   Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile. See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

This week, Nik and Moiz are digging into the showdown between the Trump and Biden campaigns' websites, and how they're currently stacking up against each other. Dive into the differences between the Trump and Biden campaigns' websites, with and how their landing page design and copy are critical to resonate with audience. The boys will also begin digging into Tatari's DTC Industry Report and breaking down some of their key takeaways, north star metrics, and the effectiveness of TV advertising and the impact of content in the upcoming election. 00:00:00 - Nick's Experience at the EPR Event 00:00:41 - Analyzing Ad Funnels and CRO Tips 00:01:19 - Comparing Trump and Biden Campaigns 00:07:23 - Text-Heavy Website: Trump's Ad Strategy 00:10:53 - Powerful Upsells and Checkout Strategies on Trump's Website 00:17:26 - The Impact of TikTok on the Presidential Election 00:20:42 - Decreased Web Traffic for Biden and Trump 00:22:23 - Insights from Nick Cannon's Campaign Report 00:23:06 - Choosing the Right Metric for Marketing Success 00:24:13 - Understanding Profit vs. Revenue Metrics 00:24:34 - How to Decide Where to Spend Ad Dollars 00:29:35 - The Majority Invest in Paid Social Media 00:30:55 - The Impact of TV Advertising Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile. See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited

Nik and Moiz break down the latest findings in the “Business of Fashion” article detailing several brands looking to make their exit in 2024. How do the valuations of brands like Dagne Dover and True Classic line up? Are they overshot or in line with the powerful branding these companies have taken advantage of? Then the guys get into the nitty gritty details of Rare Beauty’s latest string of announcements, including a new product line launch and the release of their content-based relaxation videos, the Comfort Club. Is this a genius move or the bloated move of a company that’s feeling themselves a little bit *too* much? And later the guys dissect whether or not clothing rental companies are dead, chat about the latest surge in Facebook Ad prices, and explain the latest email changes happening with Gmail and Yahoo, including what one-click unsubscribe might mean for your business.    00:00:00 - Snowstorm Hits New York City 00:00:20 - How to Bypass Paywalls for Fashion Articles 00:01:33 - Dagney Dover: Slow and Sustainable Brand Building 00:04:10 - Questioning the Valuation of Dagney Dover 00:08:00 - Should True Classic Go Public? 00:11:30 - Rent the Runway and Stitch Fix: The Rise of Clothing Rental Companies 00:18:31 - Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty Thrives 00:29:33 - Email Changes Coming in 2024 00:37:07 - The Need for Real-Time Facebook Ads Data   Read the Business of Fashion Article here.   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali   Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile. See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

Nik and Moiz are joined by special guest Rob Schutz, who shares his fascinating career journey and insights into the early days of BarkBox. As the former VP of Growth, Rob discusses the challenges and successes of building the BarkBox brand, including how the company capitalized on early organic growth and leveraged the power of social media and influencers to rise to the top of the subscription box food chain. He also shares his experiences with other Barkbox ventures, such as BarkPost, BarkBuddy, and reveals exactly what happened to the failed BarkCare.  Later, Rob chats with the guys about the evolution of his new healthcare tech company, Ro, unveiling the unique set of challenges he’s faced in scaling a PCP platform and explaining how it differs from BarkBox, before talking about his current endeavors in growth marketing consulting and domain acquisition.   00:00:49 - From Healthcare Consulting to Daily Deals Entrepreneur 00:05:28 - The Power of an Engaged Email List 00:11:42 - From Startup to Facebook User Acquisition Manager 00:16:52 - Barkbox's $25 Million Success Story 00:23:14 - Launching a BarkBox’s Full Line of Products 00:27:01 - Building a Company for Dogs: Maximizing Dog Joy 00:28:42 - The Highs and Lows of Barkbox's Success 00:37:55 - From Barkbox to Ro 00:42:55 - Ro's Remarkable Growth 00:46:39 - The Evolution of a Health Company 00:55:50 - The Art of Buying Expensive Domains   Follow Rob:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robschutz/   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile. See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

Bankruptcies, failed roll-ups, and ad-spend-eating robots—sounds like the only proper way to kick off the New Year, yeah? Nik and Moiz are back, and they’re breaking down everything you might have missed during the holiday vacay, including the string of December bankruptcies that left several brands ringing in the new year with dashed dreams and bottles of champagne to kill the pain. Then, later they discuss the difference in thinking between first-time and second-time founders, the acquisition of several brands by Fraser’s Group and THG, and what happens when a corporation accidentally kills off its entire brand ethos (we’re looking at you, VF Corp). And it wouldn’t be the new year without two men behind a microphone dispatching their best predictions for 2024, now would it? The guys discuss why you might want to consider selling that Shopify stock you’ve been investing in (it’s been nice knowing you, buddy), why Amazon is threatening to go postal, and why Moiz simply can’t refuse sassing off about the price of SaaS.    00:00:27 - December: The Month of Bankruptcies and Engagements 00:01:34 - Which Ad Platform is Most Effective for Newsletter Ads? 00:05:13 - Maximizing Ad Spend on Twitter 00:07:15 - Building a Brand for Success 00:14:38 - The Impact of Sales Tax on E-commerce Businesses 00:25:47 - Recent Acquisitions: Distressed Brands Bought 00:26:49 - Building Multiple $50 Million Brands 00:30:41 - Balancing Corporate Functions and Brand Ethos 00:32:50 - Who's Failing at Brand Roll-Ups? 00:33:50 - Facebook and Instagram Threaten Shopify 00:39:25 - The Future of SaaS Pricing in E-commerce 00:40:36 - The Battle Against Bot Traffic   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali   Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile. See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

You’ve got questions. They’ve got answers.  Nik and Moiz are dipping into the Slack channel again to answer your biggest DTC questions. And they’re not holding anything back this go-round. Which SaaS platforms are, *pardon our French*, complete sh@#, and which ones are worth your time?  The guys break down exactly what you should be looking for when considering a software service and which red flags should leave you running like the plague. Nik and Moiz aren't afraid to name names, so yeah… Our lawyers are gonna love this one. Return a purchase once, shame on me. Return a purchase twice, ok, we’ll let it slide. Return a purchase thrice? You’re only getting away with this if you’re one of our best customers. The guys pontificate on how best to handle nightmare returns—what should be your limit, how should you be thinking about customer service, and what does any of this have to do with a thwarted terrorist attack on Margaret Thatcher? And stay tuned because later, the guys talk some more crap about SaaS (we’re gunning for you, ERPs) before explaining the difficulty of organic growth. How much should you invest in organic before leaping into paid? And why are apparel brands so risky? Can capitalizing on FOMO and image perception help these brands capture more top-of-funnel leads?   Tune in for that, and much, much more!   00:04:41 - Commonly Pitched SaaS Companies in E-commerce 00:14:10 - Overpriced Influencer Platforms: No Value 00:16:59 - Balancing Customer Service and Experience 00:25:09 - Overpriced Software: The Rip-Offs 00:29:12 - The Process of Creating a New Scent for Native Deodorant 00:38:03 - Organic Posting vs. Paid Ads for DTC Brands 00:44:35 - The Future of Websites in E-commerce 00:46:42 - TikTok Shop vs. Facebook's E-commerce 00:51:27 - Marketing Lifestyle and Apparel Brands 00:56:28 - How Collabs Make Your Brand Relevant   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali Outperform the competition and improve your contribution margin profile.  See exactly how much Tandym can impact your contribution margin by going to bytandym.com/limited.

What are the marketing ops like for one of DTC’s biggest beauty brands?  Cody Plofker, CMO of Jones Road Beauty, drops by the pod to chat with Nik and Moiz about how the brand doubled its Black Friday sales this year.  And *spoiler alert*, they used the EXACT same game plan they have for the past three years…. so what about this year’s sales made it so darn successful this time around?  Forget discounts and high-pressure Cyber Weekend sales tactics because Cody reveals exactly how Jones Road leveraged tactical exclusive offers, like their Miracle Balm Kit, to garner a whopping $25 million plus in sales over the four-day weekend. And later, Cody discusses the importance of creative diversity in ads, the challenges of competing in the clean makeup and beauty space, and how to drive customer engagement using online quizzes. Plus what’s been the impact of email marketing on Jones Roads revenue?    Tune in to find out Cody’s best estimate and his predictions for the future of Jones Road!    00:00:49 - The Journey of Jones Road Beauty's Chief Marketing Officer 00:04:11 - Cutting Through the Noise: Jones Road's Competitive Launch 00:10:33 - The Shift to In-House Advertising 00:15:10 - How Quizzes Drive Sales for Jones Road 00:19:46 - Effective Full Funnel Approach for Black Friday Sales 00:28:16 - Black Friday Deal: Four Mini Miracle Balms for $68 00:33:38 - The Impact of Email Marketing on Revenue 00:35:17 - Boost Your List Growth with SMS Number Collection 00:36:29 - The Success of Miracle Balm 00:40:53 - Lessons Learned from a Million-Dollar Black Friday 00:42:08 - How to Maximize Facebook Ad Spend 00:45:44 - Deciding on the Perfect Tech Stack 00:49:19 - Black Friday Revenue and Brand Building   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Check Out Jones Road:  Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-plofker-47a29b120/ Follow Cody:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-plofker-47a29b120/   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali   Take a year off from running your Shopify business and get paid monthly with OpenStore Drive. OpenStore’s experts handle everything, from marketing to logistics to customer service. Head to open.store/limited for details.

True Classic’s mastermind strategist is back, so get ready to take notes, because you simply can’t afford to miss a single word DTC’s biggest disrupter has to say.  Ben Yahalom, President of True Classic Tees, joins Nik and Moiz to dissect the brand’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday performance. What was True Classic’s ad spend like? What channels did they see their biggest wins on? And what were the biggest challenges to planning their inventory?  Ben gives an insider’s look into True Classic’s performance, explaining the importance of creating personalized customer journeys and highlighting the power of profitability forecasting in managing your ad spend.  Plus, we’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—if you aren’t creating bundles, you need to be. But don’t worry, because Ben’s here, revealing exactly how DTC’s top dog creates a game-winning bundle. For that and much, much, more, tune in now because this episode’s pure DTC gold! 00:00:52 - Meta's Record-Breaking Black Friday Sales 00:06:32 - The Cost of Meta Ads 00:08:27 - Exploring Effective Advertising Channels for E-commerce 00:10:20 - Analyzing Customer Behavior During Black Friday 00:12:21 - Using Post-Purchase Surveys to Maximize Marketing Potential 00:14:11 - Analyzing Membership Performance During Black Friday 00:15:25 - Optimizing Your Black Friday Strategy 00:29:46 - Building a Profitable Finance Stack for Direct-to-Consumer Brands 00:33:08 - Maximizing Sales During Black Friday 00:36:35 - Ben Shapiro's Relentless Mindset: Saying No to Any Job 00:36:59 - The Challenges of Inventory Planning and Ad Spend 00:40:30 - Dealing with ADA Lawsuits: A Guide 00:41:32 - Achieving Profitability: The Real Challenge Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali Take a year off from running your Shopify business and get paid monthly with OpenStore Drive. OpenStore’s experts handle everything, from marketing to logistics to customer service. Head to open.store/limited for details.

Is the post-turkey haze making the details of your cyber weekend feel a little blurry? Wondering what sales you missed and what deals you might have blacked out on?  Let the Black Friday/Cyber Monday hangover begin! But don’t worry because Nik and Moiz are here to break down all the dirty details about what went down this past weekend in case you can’t remember.  Find out why this Black Friday/Cyber Monday marks the comeback of consumerism and why it was a HUGE win for DTC. The guys share the biggest lessons from Stripe’s $14.4 billion win and explain how Shopify absolutely nailed it this past weekend.  Who were the big brand winners, and which companies should be ashamed of their lackluster performance? And that’s the one thing Moiz can’t believe brands aren’t doing on their websites? Tune in to find out!   00:00:25 - Black Friday Winners: Shopify and Klaviyo 00:02:07 - Stripe's Dashboard Tracks Black Friday Sales 00:03:55 - Stripe Processes $14.4 Billion Transactions 00:05:51 - Ingenious Black Friday Marketing Ideas 00:11:19 - High AOV Brands Thrive on Facebook 00:15:20 - Comparing Black Friday vs Regular Facebook Ads 00:17:45 - Black Friday Shopping: Overwhelmed vs. Organized 00:22:33 - Unsubscribing from Black Friday Emails 00:23:45 - TikTok's Success Soars on Saturday   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali   Take a year off from running your Shopify business and get paid monthly with OpenStore Drive. OpenStore’s experts handle everything, from marketing to logistics to customer service. Head to open.store/limited for details.

We can’t all have Emily Ratajkowski repping our DTC brand (trust us—we’ve tried). So how do we get that same EmRata leverage if we don’t all have the celebrity pull to build brand awareness?  Nik and Moiz break down various strategies for your DTC brand, including utilizing email swaps, considering third-party retailers, and refining your e-mail flows. Should you even bother with showrooms like Showfields or are they a legit scam?  And later, they guys tackle the latest news in Google's pricing transparency initiative. It may be great news for consumers, but what does it mean for your DTC business? Plus, Nik shares his best insights into how brands can incorporate charitable initiatives into their business models.  00:01:44 - Creating Products for Charitable Causes 00:05:28 - App Donates Money from Receipts 00:12:15 - The Power of Network Effects in Shopify Apps 00:15:42 - The Intersection of Retail and Media at Showfields 00:29:10 - Google's Pricing Transparency Initiative Impact 00:34:44 - The Impact of Black Friday on Shopping Habits 00:35:53 - Generating Brand Awareness for Small Brands 00:37:45 - Easy Ways to Boost Brand Visibility 00:44:38 - Utilizing Third-Party Retailers for Marketing Success 00:48:37 - The Importance of a Welcome Flow in E-commerce 00:53:20 - The Power of Organic Marketing 00:55:32 - Top Black Friday Deals and Earnings Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali Take a year off from running your Shopify business and get paid monthly with OpenStore Drive. OpenStore’s experts handle everything, from marketing to logistics to customer service. Head to open.store/limited for details.

Lululemon, Mirror, Dollar Shave Club, SmileDirectClub, WeWork... In this day and age, it’s insane that businesses can literally disappear overnight. Except for maybe that last one… because honestly, we all saw that one coming.   This week, Nik and Moiz are giving all the dirty details straight from the bankruptcy files of Dollar Shave Club and SmileDirectClub’s legal filings. They’re diving deep to break down the dismantling of these once-promising e-commerce brands, dissecting how SmileDirectClub went from a $9 billion evaluation into nearly $900 million worth of debt and detailing how the acquisition of Dollar Shave Club from Unilever fell apart.  And later, they guys touch on other topics, including Alo Yoga's rumored fundraising efforts and the challenges faced by e-commerce brands in 2023.  Take a year off from running your Shopify business and get paid monthly with OpenStore Drive. OpenStore’s experts handle everything, from marketing to logistics to customer service. Head to open.store/limited for details. Shopify businesses with more than $500k in yearly net sales qualify. 00:00:00 - New York's E-commerce and Marketing Updates 00:02:15 - Smile Direct Club vs. Dollar Shave Club 00:07:55 - Smile Direct's Bankruptcy and Debt Crisis 00:23:15 - The Challenges of Spending Billions on Facebook Ads 00:23:48 - Unilever's Regrettable Acquisition of Dollar Shave Club 00:33:05 - Roan Buys Out Investors for Growth 00:34:51 – Alo Yoga Seeks $10 Billion Valuation 00:39:34 - 2024 Outlook for E-commerce Brands 00:42:09 - Google Pricing Transparency and Charitable Business Ideas  Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Do you have the right formula for creating an elite-level e-commerce team?  Mr. Sharma certainly thinks he does—and he’s spilling his top secrets to building a winning DTC team in this special live episode from Marketingland 2023.  The guys also dive into the latest stats from October’s Amazon Prime Day, pontificating on when other brands will start to create e-commerce shopping days of their own. *Fingers crossed* we can expect Chewy’s “April Drool’s Day” or Walgreens’ “Drug Deal a Day” to drop any day now. Plus, what’s up with the recent string of Amazon aggregator failures? Are the growing struggles of rollup businesses in the e-commerce space a bad omen of things to come? And later, Nik and Moiz share their top tips for building an effective landing page before jumping into a live audience Q&A session.  00:00:00 - Polarizing Segment: Guess That Company 00:03:37 - The Key to Success: Winning Teams 00:07:14 - The Power of Creativity in Marketing 00:12:31 - October Prime Day Sees Huge Growth in Sales 00:16:03 - When Will Retail Giants Launch Their Own Shopping Day? 00:18:47 - The Rise and Fall of Amazon Amazon Aggregators 00:26:43 - The Three Purposes of Landing Pages 00:32:04 - The Importance of Fast Delivery in E-commerce 00:35:27 - Navigating Walmart as a Premium Brand 00:38:31 - Affirm Tests Buy with Prime on Amazon and D2C Sites 00:40:25 - Start with Website Innovation, Not Amazon 00:42:46 - Join the Second Best Podcast   Smart operators know that actively managing cash flow is a real unlock to increase profits.   Highbeam is a banking platform built to help brands do just this. Learn how Highbeam automatically saves brands thousands of dollars through its high-yield accounts, lines of credit, and cash-back cards with a personalized savings estimate at highbeam.co/limitedsupply   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Battle stations ready? Prepare to be locked and loaded because this ep the guys are breaking down everything you need to know to plan for the biggest shopping event of the year. Nik and Moiz share their top strategies and tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday—from email marketing to postcards and bundling, they’ve got you covered to help maximize your sales during the holiday rush. Plus, learn why engaging your existing customer base, activating influencers and affiliates, and leveraging social media platforms like TikTok can increase your sales and boost your ROI to new heights. You won’t wanna miss this jam-packed season finale!   00:00:15 - Strategies for Black Friday 00:12:13 - Maximizing Discounts on Black Friday 00:14:25 - The Importance of Auto-Applying Free Gifts 00:19:55 - Facebook Ad Spending Skyrockets Before Black Friday 00:24:00 - Maximizing Black Friday Ads on Facebook 00:26:53 - TikTok's Impact on E-commerce 00:32:50 - Personalize Your Black Friday Marketing 00:40:26 - How to Win Back Churned Customers in a Subscription Business 00:48:04 - Optimal Email Frequency for Black Friday Marketing 00:52:26 - Utilizing Affiliates for Black Friday   Smart operators know that actively managing cash flow is a real unlock to increase profits.   Highbeam is a banking platform built to help brands do just this. Learn how Highbeam automatically saves brands thousands of dollars through its high-yield accounts, lines of credit, and cash-back cards with a personalized savings estimate at highbeam.co/limitedsupply   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Hold on to your butts. Cause this ep’s unleashing all of the best tips and tricks any founder launching their e-commerce brand must know.  Nik and Moiz are sharing their insights about exactly what your tech stack should look like, why strong product messaging is the #1 thing your brand should focus on, and what the five essential components of launching any brand should include. And don’t think they’re skimping out shipping or teaching you how to choose the right 3PL company. If you’re doing it through a Google search or social media ads, STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW. And tune in now because the guys are gonna talk you through exactly what to do next.  Just remember to fill out the survey at the end of this podcast and leave us your shirt size.   00:01:53 - The Five Pillars of Brand Launch Success 00:03:36 - How to Build a High-Converting Website 00:05:01 - Building a Strong Organic Social Presence 00:10:42 - Avoid the Mistake of Custom Website Development 00:14:34 - Launching a Brand: Order Tracking 00:18:52 - Optimizing Your Site for Customer Acquisition 00:20:52 - Designing Products with Shipping Costs in Mind 00:26:36 - Negotiating Discounts and Payment Terms 00:28:34 - Enhancing Customer Experience: Unboxing vs. Marketing 00:35:46 - Optimizing Credit Cards and Finance 00:37:25 - How to Start a Business with Minimal Investment 00:38:47 - Choosing Between Wholesale and Direct-to-Consumer 00:41:59 - How to Reach $5K a Day with Unique Selling Propositions   Smart operators know that actively managing cash flow is a real unlock to increase profits.   Highbeam is a banking platform built to help brands do just this. Learn how Highbeam automatically saves brands thousands of dollars through its high-yield accounts, lines of credit, and cash-back cards with a personalized savings estimate at highbeam.co/limitedsupply   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Why fight the system when you can actively exploit it?  This week, Nik and Moiz are exploring the credit card rewards landscape and divulging their must-have cards and strategies for maximizing savings for your e-commerce brand. Should you go with cash back or points? Which card is the best for your biz? Then, the boys dissect the recent Klaviyo IPO and break down the company's valuation, revenue, and growth. Discover why Klaviyo's IPO is a big win for the e-commerce industry and learn about the key players and stakeholders in the company.  Plus, why does the founder card always trump a hired gun? Tune in to find out!    00:01:48 - Credit Card Rewards in E-commerce 00:08:05 - The Tax Implications of Credit Card Cash Back 00:14:30 - Maximizing Credit Card Rewards: Cash Back vs. Points 00:17:58 - Klaviyo and Instacart: IPO Twins 00:24:35 - Klaviyo's $213M Marketing Expenses in 2022 00:30:33 - Klaviyo's Unique Segmentation Revolutionizes E-commerce 00:38:53 - Analyzing Valuations of Shopify SaaS Businesses 00:45:06 - Klaviyo to Go Private After Founder's Departure   Smart operators know that actively managing cash flow is a real unlock to increase profits.   Highbeam is a banking platform built to help brands do just this. Learn how Highbeam automatically saves brands thousands of dollars through its high-yield accounts, lines of credit, and cash-back cards with a personalized savings estimate at highbeam.co/limitedsupply   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Why is it next to impossible to understand cannibalization? …And we are talking about the fun kind. Don't worry—you're not the only one. Nik and Moiz are hitting up the Slack chat to answer a few of your burning DTC questions. First, Moiz takes a dive into the multiverse, explaining what he would have done differently with Native Deodorant had he launched in 2023.  Then the guys explain how to manage paid media for higher ticket items—and what’s Leo Dicaprio got to do with it? Hint: All you have to do is sell me this pen.  Plus, the guys reveal their playbook for scaling a brand into the millions and explain the four main things you absolutely must do to improve the metrics of your landing page.  Smart operators know that actively managing cash flow is a real unlock to increase profits. Highbeam is a banking platform built to help brands do just this. Learn how Highbeam automatically saves brands thousands of dollars through its high-yield accounts, lines of credit, and cash-back cards with a personalized savings estimate at highbeam.co/limitedsupply Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips. Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali

Television isn’t dead. Find out exactly how and why your brand should be utilizing television ads to boost your marketing strategy. Nik and Moiz chat with Juhi Pikale (VP of Performance Marketing at Fabletics) and Austin Santino (Client Development for Tatari) about the ins and outs of TV advertising, including the differences between various platforms, the pros and cons of using various targeting strategies, and which creative approach is best for different stages of development. Should you go broad or targeted? What’s the difference between linear and streaming? Which format should you test creative on first? Stay tuned as Juhi and Austin debunk some common myths about TV advertising and share their insights like how much you should really be spending on your ads.   00:02:09 - When Does TV Testing Make Sense for Brands? 00:11:43 - Will AI Win or Lose in the AI Arms Race 00:13:08 - Fabletics: Broad or Targeted Marketing? 00:18:57 - The Shocking Cost of TV Ads 00:20:18 - Breaking the Myth of TV Advertising Costs 00:25:12 - The Impact of Celebrity Content 00:29:06 - Marketing Hill I Will Die On 00:34:35 - The Rise of DTC Brand Integrations 00:39:27 - The Cost of Streaming vs. Linear TV 00:46:54 - Maximizing TV Campaign Success: Key Elements to Consider 00:48:25 - Effective TV Advertising Strategies Revealed 00:53:44 - Teaching Story to Your Team 00:58:25 - Moonshots: Would You Eat Lab-Grown Meat?   Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.  Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/moizali Follow Juhi:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juhi-p-91b35449/ Follow Austin:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-santino-26b114112/   Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.  Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands

How did one of Amazon’s best-selling nutrition companies just get blacklisted from the site?   Nik and Moiz discuss the real reason Bloom Nutrition just got the boot—and turns out, it’s not *quite* as bad as you think… which honestly might make this story crazier. Then, meet the #1 bestselling brand on Amazon you’ve probably never heard of. Why’s this bedding giant making Moiz have an existential crisis? And how can business owners live with the fear that they're not doing enough?  Later, Nik and Moiz discuss what the buyout of Hostess to Smuckers means for the snacking industry.  Are we finally done with kale chips and other healthy snacks that taste like shit? If the guys have a say in it, yes, yes we are.    Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.   Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands Want more DTC advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

If you paid for it, you should be making the most of it. So are you getting your money’s worth from your paid advertising? Don’t worry— Nik and Moiz are here to dissect the ins and outs of exactly what you should (and should not) be getting out of your paid social strategy.  The guys break down the importance of setting up a proper Facebook funnel, explain why comment moderation is the crux hold of any paid social strategy, and unveil exactly how much you should be spending on creative.  So, tune in to find out their best advice for moderating internet trolls, the 5 aspects of paid that will absolutely make or break your DTC brand, and their unfiltered thoughts about the actual effectiveness of creative.    Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.   Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ Want more advice? Check out the Limited Supply YouTube page for more insider tips.   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

How can you harness the power of has-beens for your brand?   This week the guys are exploring the hidden world of infomercials—and explaining why they’re one of the most underutilized— and best— forms of validation for your brand.  Nik and Moiz also unveil their best tips for creating a killer landing page, including the top five things you absolutely must do to ensure it converts. If you aren’t incorporating things like buy now, pay later options, price per unit, or fail-safe options, then you cannot afford to miss this episode. Plus, what are the most valuable lessons the guys have learned from working with affiliates? And what percentage of your cut should you be promising them? Tune in to find out!   0:00 The Agenda 2:39 Affiliate Marketing 19:00 Infomercials 27:42 Landing Pages   Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.   Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

You have DTC questions, they have answers. Nik and Moiz are fielding all of your top listener questions from their Slack chat. Tune in to find out answers to all of your burning DTC questions.  Do you need to worry about AI’s impact yet? What should your first hire be? What percentage of revenue should you target from upsells and cross-sells? And why is Moiz all in on Pinterest ads? Because seriously…. he might be the only person left on Pinterest at this point.  Plus, what are the three tools you absolutely must have if you’re limited on time and resources bootstrapping your brand? And don’t forget to join their Slack group if you’ve got questions you want to see answered!   Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.   Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ   And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali

Does iOS 7’s new privacy and tracking protections spell disaster for SMS, affiliate link, and email tracking measures? Or is this not as big of a deal as it initially seems?  Moiz and Nik are dissecting the latest in D2C news, including how Amazon is pushing to reduce the number of boxes by creating their own packaging… because we all know that Amazon cares deeply about the environment, right? Then, what happened to Allbirds? And how do one-hit-wonder brands break free from the constraints of their staple products and successfully launch new offerings without going for broke? Plus, the boys tackle fashion's latest major acquisition of brands like Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, and Versace.   Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance.   Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands   Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts.   Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma   Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What kind of C-Suite morons divulge their entire Black Friday strategy to the world for free? Our two morons, that’s who. And that’s why we love them. Nik and Moiz are opening their entire Black Friday playbook, and it’s loaded with some of the most valuable advice they’ve ever dropped on the pod before. And honestly? We’re not sure how they’re gonna stay in business after this one. Don’t miss out on their top tip on bundling products like a pro, how to optimize your landing page for upsells, and how often you should be sending out those SMS texts and emails on the day of your big sales. All that, plus much, much more, for making a killing this November.  Tatari has turned TV advertising into a digital-like experience: measured, real-time, and the ability to manage campaigns based on performance. Through a combination of technology, data science, and deep relationships with publishers, Tatari has developed the industry's leading measurement and buying platform specifically built for TV advertising— giving marketers a competitive edge and a clear way forward. https://www.tatari.tv/brands Check out the Nik’s DTC newsletter: https://bit.ly/3mOUJMJ And if you’re looking for an instant stream of on-demand DTC gold, check out the Limited Supply Slack Channel for Nik and Moiz’s most unfiltered, uncensored thoughts. Follow Nik: Twitter: twitter.com/mrsharma Follow Moiz: Twitter: twitter.com/moizali Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices