📦 - This Song Is Such A Vibe 🎶

DTC 524 - Pre-Launch Strategies, Music In Video Ads, Purposeful Scrolling   Thursday, March 28, 2024 Huh, it’s all starting to make a little more sense now… 🤣 Good morning, ICYMI Google’s March spam update is done rolling out but that doesn't mean the search engine is finished with making tweaks to search. The tech giant is now testing out their AI-powered Search Generative Experience to a small group of U.S. users so there could still be some disruptions in SERPs for organic rankings. Although the official rollout date for SGE is still unknown, it’s expected to happen later this year. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: - How to keep your audience intrigued and engaged during the pre-launch phase.   - Does using music in ad creatives result in higher conversions? - And…how to turn mindless scrolling to purposeful scrolling You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Nutriventia, Cactus Club Cafe, and Best Bronze. 👋   AI SUPPORT 🧠Imagine Every Agent Was As Good As Your #1… If only you could clone your A-players to maximize your results… That’s exactly what well-known DTC brands like Snow and PetLabCo. have done with[Richpanel’s AI assistants](. 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Put your trust in AI and…👇 [Book A Demo]( *Sponsored   PRIMING YOUR AUDIENCE  👀 The ‘Keep ‘Em Guessing’ Pre-Launch Strategy We’re seeing more and more brands utilize this strategy on Instagram which we like to call the ‘keep ‘em guessing’ pre-launch strategy. While it’s tempting to tell customers immediately about your new product and all the details, sometimes withholding information can work in your favor especially when posting on social media. Here are examples from two brands that used this tactic in creative ways. 1️⃣ Pixelate Your New Product A popular trend is announcing a product drop but pixelating the visual and inviting followers to guess what it could be. This is a great way to get fans to comment and in [NAADAM’s]( case, they use this technique to promote a collaboration (our guess is Snoopy 👀) and urge their customers to turn on their notifications so they don’t miss out. [NAADAM teases new product drop by using pixelation effect] You can easily create this effect using the [Pixelate app]( within Canva. 2️⃣ The Marked-Up Email Screenshot [Cocokind teases new retailer partnership] For the skincare brand [Cocokind](, as part of their new retailer launch teaser, they shared this email on their Instagram page. The post is simply a screenshot of an email that makes it clear they are launching in a physical retailer but scribbles over the name in black which leaves customers to fill in the blanks and drives engagement through comments and shares. The takeaway? - Adds a sense of intrigue: Getting customers curious and invested in the launch is a great way to prime them before the official launch date. - Increase engagement: The ‘keep ‘em guessing’ pre-launch strategy can help generate high social engagement and get customers excited to buy. - Gather customer feedback: Brands can also use this as an opportunity to gather more feedback from customers on what they want to see for future drops by keeping a record of answers. Not only does this teaser strategy create mystery and is easy to put together, but it’s a great way to build hype. Try it and let us know how it goes!   ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION 💥 Exclusive Insights: Could Behavioral Data Be The Unlock You Need? Marketing and psychology go hand in hand. Why aren’t you using your behavioral data to effectively personalize the customer journey? 🤔 Let’s get you up to speed. On April 9 at 3PM ET/12PM PT, [join Acoustic’s webinar featuring Forrester VP Joe Stanhope](. Together, you’ll uncover key trends, common challenges, and actionable advice — Advice that will actually help you improve your customer engagement. You’ll gain: - Exclusive insights from a survey of 1,200+ global marketing professionals. ✅ - A breakdown of how behavioral data can impact customer engagement and retention. ✅ - Recommendations on how to leverage behavioral data throughout the customer journey. ✅ Push the boundaries of [what’s possible with data-driven personalization](. [Register Now]( *Sponsored   AD CREATIVE TIPS 🎵 Why Music Matters In Video Ads Did you know adding music to your creative can result in higher conversions and lower cost per purchase on average? The [Pilothouse Meta team]( shares that if you are debating about whether you should add music to your creative work, the answer is yes! For apparel brand Bearbottom Clothing, [they split tested creatives between these two variables](: video ads with no music, video ads with licensed music or Sound Collection music. The results? - Ad set using licensed music saw a 14% lower cost per purchase compared to video ad creative with no music - There was a 19% increase in conversion rate using licensed music compared to video ad creative with no music. - There was a 19% ROAS increase after using licensed music compared to video ad creative with non-music. Here’s how to pick the perfect tune for your ad: - Don’t overanalyze: The tone and words of the audio don’t necessarily have to fit the brand. The overall feeling it evokes is more important when choosing a song. - Split test different audios: This way you’ll have data you can analyze and sometimes the audio that performs the best is the one you least expect! - Reuse top performing audio: Recycle audio for future creative builds if it generates good results. We find that this allows new creatives to scale quicker and gives brand familiarity. These recommendations can work for static ads as well. It stops users from scrolling, increases engagement, and strengthens ad recall. Hyundai saw a [7.9% lift in ad recall]( with music static overlays. Music matters, so test this out in your next batch of ad creatives!   🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through your phone all the time, at least scroll with intention. Being chronically online also means you’re bound to see emerging trends on social so put on your market research hat while you’re at it so you’ll feel a tad more productive 😉 Can't view the image? [Click here](   ⚡ QUICK HITS    🤳 It’s hard to run influencer marketing on your own. Get a trusted sidekick that helps you reach out to influencers, ship products, track sales — all in one platform. [Try SARAL for free here](. * 🖼️ Your AI images still need that human touch. Snappr combines human and artificial intelligence to create pristine, marketplace-ready product images. [Request a FREE trial](. * 🖱️ JONES ROAD is sharing their secret to getting clicks. Their Retention Marketing Manager, Joanne, and other DTC marketing experts are sharing where they get their best campaign ideas. [Get FREE access here](. *   📰 NEWS - Reddit’s traffic to [its website and ad portal is growing faster than TikTok]( and other social media sites. - Design software Canva [acquires Affinity in a $380 million dollar deal]( to compete with Adobe. - Luxury parka maker Canada Goose [lays off 17% of their global workforce.]( - Sol de Janeiro [breaks into the sunscreen category and partners with Sofia Richie Grainge]( for the ‘Sunscreen Worthy of Your Skin’ campaign.   SPONSOR DTC 📥 Got a B2B Biz? Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 160k brand leaders and founders this year. [Talk to our team to learn more](.   Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🧔🏻 Anthony Mink on [Live Bearded’s EOS and Disrupting Legacy Capitalism]( - 🔑 [AKNF 389:]( Unlocking SEO Success in 2024 - 💰 Rick Cadotte on [Four Sigmatic’s TOFU strategy after Meta challenges]( - 🍪 [AKNF 387](: How to extend the life of your cookies - 🪑 Dayne Rusch on [Vyper Industrial’s Eight Figure Shop Chair Journey]( - 📹 [AKNF 385:]( Why 3-5 second ads are crushing it on Meta - 💪 Dan Crosby on [BioSteel and Revitalizing a Hydration Empire]( Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight]( and [Frances Du](. Edited by [Eric Dyck](. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content. [Direct To Consumer]( Pilothouse, 1011 Government St., Victoria, BC V8W 1X6, Canada [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( [Unsubscribe](