📦 - ‘Bag Can Fit A Loaf of Bread. Five Stars!’ 🥖

DTC 537 - Social Proof, New Amazon Seller Fees, and Scaling A Business [Hidden Link](   Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Seriously, what’s up with that?! Good morning, Social media was in an uproar after Momofuku sent cease-and-desist letters to DTC brands that have long used the term 'chili crunch' on their product labels. However, over the weekend, David Chang finally apologized and said he would no longer enforce the trademark after seeing the comments online. But was his response too late? While the food brand was trying to protect its IP from competitors, many consumers now view them as trademark bullies trying to take unfair ownership of a multi-million dollar industry. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: - Two creative ways to add social proof to PDPs. - The Pilothouse team updates us about new Amazon seller fees and how Amazon’s new AI Cosmos will improve search. - And… don’t make this mistake when scaling your business. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Cosmetify, Think Goodness, and Novel Point Coffee. 👋   CUSTOMER TRUST 🎨 Two Creative Ways To Add Social Proof Social proof is a great way to get customers to trust your product and motivate them to purchase. If customers see that others have purchased on your site, it makes them feel more comfortable and the shopping experience more enjoyable. 😌 Social proof stats: - 88% of Gen Z and Millennials use social media to research products they are interested in buying. - 92% of customers hesitant to purchase if there are no reviews available. (Source: [Exploding Topics]() Here are two examples we really love that make social proof immediately visible in a fun and creative way. 1️⃣ Baggu Highlights Customer Tweets Reusable bag brand [Baggu]( does an excellent job incorporating social proof into its email marketing, but this could also work great on your Collections page. In a recent email campaign, they highlight stand out social media mentions for each product. The hilarious tweets are on brand, fit with Baggu's relaxed vibe, and show that they value comments made by their close-knit community. [Example of how Baggu includes social proof into their email copy] 2️⃣ Nood Includes Press Mentions on PDPs Hair removal brand [Nood]( has social proof sprinkled all over their PDPs. The brand includes press mentions above the fold on this page, so they are immediately visible. In their product image, they've included another press mention. Their best-selling razor, [The Flasher 2.0]( was part of Elle's Magazine Editor's Choice picks in 2023. On the right-hand side, they've also included a quote from InStyle Magazine that emphasizes the product's quick results next to the list of product benefits. The review is placed in a yellow color block, creating contrast and making it easy to read. The brand also uses a review plugin, but it takes visitors quite a few scrolls to get to this section. Adding the press mentions at the top makes social proof more visible which can help with CRO. The takeaway? Add social proof to your site to build customer trust. 🤝 Experiment with different ways to add social proof to increase your conversion rate. Mine your social media channels for UGC content and memorable reviews. If you also have press mentions, mention those in your PDP pages, preferably at the top of the fold so it grabs visitors' attention!   WHERE-TO-BUY 👀 Brands Adopting Hybrid Sales Solutions Are Boosting Sales By 10-20% When you, as a DTC brand, learn that 71% of shoppers prefer to shop retail, what do you do? You [lean on the data]( to learn how to best pivot your strategy. ✍️ What does the data say? It says that [Where-to-Buy, hybrid sales solutions]( can help DTC brands better reach and sell to their audiences. Here’s a peek at the benefits: 👇 - Expanded Consumer Choice: Offer all sales channels to boost consumer options without losing track of your metrics. - Enhanced Shopping Experience: Give your customers the control they crave with a seamless shopping journey. - Retailer Flexibility: Let your shoppers enjoy the best of both worlds—fast delivery times from retailers and the unique perks of buying direct. Is your interest piqued? Think hybrid may be for you? [Read On]( *Sponsored   PODCAST 🎧 Understanding All The New Amazon Seller Fees In this episode of the pod, we discuss the evolving Amazon landscape with Rob and Clifford from the Pilothouse Amazon team. We'll discuss critical updates every Amazon seller needs to know: new fees, the power of placement modifiers in advertising, and the groundbreaking Amazon Cosmos. 🤩 Clifford from [Pilothouse]( says, "Amazon is passing costs onto sellers. If Amazon sellers don't have at least 28 days of inventory, you're charged a fee per unit fulfillment after that as well. That fee is waived in April to give brands time to figure out this new process, so while Amazon is charging, brands will get a credit back. The new charge will be a wake-up call for brands that don't fix their inventory levels." In this podcast, we cover: - Understanding Amazon's New Fees: Learn how strategic management can turn new fees into a competitive edge. - Leveraging Placement Modifiers: Discover how adjusting your ad placements can drastically improve your Amazon ad campaign's ROI. - Exploring Amazon Cosmos: Gain insights on Amazon's AI-driven initiative to enhance consumer search and purchase experiences. Equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate these changes successfully and keep your Amazon business thriving. 👉 You can listen to the full episode with Clifford and Rob [here.](   🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Important reminder for businesses that scaling requires system change. Think about what new processes need to be in place as you grow. Can't view the image? [Click here](   ⚡ QUICK HITS 📈 Looking to increase your Shopify CVR? [Visually.io]( can help you boost your CVR by at least 10% and A/B test your wildest CRO dreams—no code needed! [Get a 1 month FREE trial this April](. *   📰 NEWS - Meta advertisers [express frustrations with frequent bugs and ad overspending issues.]( - Meta [integrates AI into their Instagram search bar](. - TikTok [tests virtual influencers for video ads](. - Dove [pledges to never use AI in advertising in their newest emotional ‘The Code’ campaign](. - Tennis legend Serena Williams [launches vegan makeup line Wyn Beauty](.   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? - 🌱 Epic Gardening’s [Strategic Leap from Content to Commerce]( - 🔍 Neil Patel on [AI’s Impact on Marketing and Future Trends]( - 🎵 [AKNF 391](: Strategies for Brands and Creators to Maximize TikTok Engagement - 🧔🏻 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]( 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. 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