📦 - Meta’s Q1 Performance Breakdown

DTC 547 - Mala’s Earth Day Campaign, Meta Shops, and Underrated Productivity Hack Tuesday, April 30, 2024 Add: Is Meta down? Are CPMs going up? What’s the best time to post on social media? How to go viral on TikTok? Good morning, Google delays third party cookies for the third time. Google says CMA, the antitrust regulator keeping close tabs on the Chrome Privacy Sandbox, needs “sufficient time to review all evidence including results from industry tests.” Now the phase out will most likely happen in 2025. Fun fact: Google has been trying to phase out cookies since 2020 so we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more delays down the road. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: - A look at Mala Candles’ creative and impactful Earth Day campaign. - Losing subscribers & revenue by overcomplicating? Simplify your approach to boost opt-in rates. - We chat with the Pilothouse team about Meta’s Q1 performance and the rise of Meta Shops. - And…try this underrated productivity hack if you are having trouble getting things done. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Anxiety Institute, ThyVita, and Downward Dog. 👋 CAMPAIGN BREAKDOWN 🌱 Mala’s Earth Day Campaign Surprises and Delights Customers Purchase a candle, plant a tree. 🌳 We love this Earth Day marketing campaign from [Mala Candles](. The Vancouver-based brand offers customers a chance to purchase a mystery candle and support their tree planting initiative. The headline of the [landing page]( reads, ‘Plant a tree with us, it’s Earth Day,’ and below the banner are three product listings with badges that make it clear how their purchasing decision will go towards an environmental cause. [Mala Candles offers three options for their ‘Choose Your Impact’ Earth Day Campaign] Customers can choose from three different options: plant one, two, or five trees, depending on their spending preference. The soy candle brand also gives consumers a sweet discount, acknowledging that “self-care should be a bit more affordable.” Why this works: Clear and consistent messaging: Mala’s Earth Day marketing campaign makes it clear that customers are getting a valuable deal. A discount and a tree planted when adding to cart. It makes customers feel good about spending. Shoppers feel motivated to help the brand achieve its goal of planting 100K trees by the end of the year. 💡 And… since this offer is for mystery candles, it’s also a smart way for the brand to clear slow-moving stock while delighting customers with the element of surprise. The result? Mala included an animation block on their Shopify homepage that tracks in real time how many trees will be planted thanks to their customers. So far, [they are 76% of the way]( to reaching their goal! The takeaway? When creating an Earth Day campaign, give your customers a clear reason why they should support you. 💗 Be transparent about the goal you want to achieve and emphasize cost savings and the positive impact of their generous purchase. SUBSCRIPTION 💔 Are You Losing Out On Subscribers (and Revenue) Because You’re Overcomplicating Things? When you sign up to receive DTC, we ask you one question: What’s your biggest business problem right now? Sometimes we get nuanced responses. Niche requests. But most of the time it boils down to this: more subscribers, more leads, more attention. If this is your goal (who’s goal ISN’T this?!), we’ll let you in on a little secret: So many brands are making it way too hard for your customers or potential customers to join your inner circle. Your multi-step, double opt-in flows are great, sure. But what’s their drop off rate? And how much could your drop off reduce if you made things easier? We’re guessing the answer to both is: a lot. Postscript KNOWS the answer is a lot, and they’re helping brands grow their opt-in rates with [Onsite Opt-In](. Now, before you continue reading, we’ll tell you why we think you should: 👇 1️⃣ In the first [two months of simplifying their opt-in, Jones Road Beauty saw](: - +82% increase in conversion for mobile sign ups. - 3x revenue growth beyond initial forecasts. - +47% more SMS sign ups on desktop over double opt-in. 2️⃣ Within one week of using Onsite Opt-in, [True Classic saw a +40% growth in their automation revenue](. No further convincing needed, your honor. Read on. 🧑 ⚖️ Removing the hurdles and barriers for your future subscribers is key. Jones Road and True Classic utilized [Onsite Opt-In]( to make this possible. Here’s how their new SMS sign up with Onsite Opt-In works: - Site visitors can put their phone number into the subscription box, most devices make this easy by leveraging autofill. - Instead of having to go to their text messages, a code pops up on the screen that can be auto-filled into the confirmation box. - Subscribers get added without ever leaving your site. Let’s touch on the last point there: added to your list without ever leaving your site. Raise your hand if you start tasks, get lost somewhere in the middle, and never come back to finish them. 🙋 Your customers do this too. You may be thinking, “Yeah maybe 1/1000 does this, it doesn’t really impact me that much…” But brands that are simplifying their subscription process are seeing up to [3x their current opt-in rates](. If you know your current opt-in rate and monthly site impressions (or have a pretty good guess), check out [this calculator](. It speaks for itself. Simplified opt-in for the win. 🏆 Making subscription as easy as possible—same screen, less clicks—keeps customers engaged through the sign up process and keeps them on your site. Will they do some shopping? Read your blog posts? Get more info on your brand? The likelihood increases. The customer acquisition cost tension right now is HIGH. Pricing is volatile. Competition is steep. Things are getting harder. The more barriers you remove for your audience to be able to connect with you, the better. You’re paying for your customers to land on your site, taking the [extra step to make sure they make it on your list]( is worth it. *This editorial piece was created in collaboration with Postscript. PODCAST 🎧 Meta Ads Q1 Performance Update In this episode of the pod, we catch up with Taylor and Jacob from [Pilothouse's Meta Ads team]( to talk Q1 performance, the pros and cons of Meta Shops’ popularity, and how we're mitigating platform and algorithm insecurity. Jacob explains: "A lot of the traffic on Meta Ads is starting to shift to Meta Shop. Some brands are seeing 60% of their traffic now happening on Meta Shop versus 5% last year. The pro is you can still get a customer email once they purchase, but the con is that less website traffic is hitting a brand's website now.” In this podcast, we cover: - Meta’s Q1 performance update and the impact of AI. - The shift to Meta Shops plus the pros and cons of using the tool. - How to tackle ad prices surges thanks to Temu, the U.S. Election, and the Summer Olympics. 📈 - And discussing the countdown for the TikTok ban...what's next? 🕝 👉 You can listen to the full episode with Taylor and Jacob [here](. YOU’RE INVITED 🎟️ Legend-Status Marketers Are Taking The Stage. Will You Be Tuning In? Four legends of ecommerce, Mirella Crespi, Savannah Sanchez, Dara Denney, and Jess Bachman are taking the virtual stage together to give you [the ultimate masterclass on creating ads that convert](. Starting May 23rd, your hosts, in collaboration with Motion, will guide you through a five-week— live, virtual, and FREE— series designed to help you [create (and make more money) with Meta and TikTok ads that actually convert](. You’ll get the nitty-gritty on: 👇 1️⃣ Setting the foundation 2️⃣ Ramping up ad production 3️⃣ Mastering creative hooks 4️⃣ Tracking performance 5️⃣ Spitting Creative Fire PLUS: You’ll receive the Make Ads That Convert Workbook to put your learnings into action. [Get Your Ticket Now]( *Can’t make all the sessions? [Register anyways](. The assets will be ready for you in your inbox. 🤝 *Sponsored 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](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Want to be more productive? Preparation is key to time management. And we love how this hack also comes with a reward! 🍩 Can't view the image? [Click here]( ⚡ QUICK HITS 😱 49% of loyal shoppers stated they’d stray from DTC brands for a better price. Learn how to limit competitor distractions and lead your audience back to your brand.[Read about it here](. * 🍬 Here's a little treat for you. Get a copy of PRZM's Gen Zalpha Handbook and learn how newstalgia, aesthetics, and dupe culture are driving buying decisions. [Download now and stay ahead](. * 📰 NEWS - YouTube is testing [showing ads when users hit pause](. - Google Search revenue [increases 14% to $46 billion YoY in Q1](. - AI search engine Perplexity [launches Enterprise Pro for businesses](. - Chamberlain Coffee [collaborates with 818 Tequila on a limited edition Espresso Martini Kit](. Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🌎 Pela Case’s CEO Matt Bertulli [on Sustainable Consumer Goods]( - 🧑 [AKNF 397](: Using Data to Understand Your Authentic Audience - 👟 How Kizik [Revolutionized The Footwear Industry]( - 💸 [AKNF 395](: Navigating The New Amazon Fee-Scape - 🌱 Epic Gardening’s [Strategic Leap from Content to Commerce]( - 📧 [AKNF 393](: Staying Inbox Relevant With Gmail Authentication Update Tactics 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](