📦 - The Whole Kitchen Sink

DTC 308 - Mid-Day Squares, 2023 video trends, collage ad creatives [DTC]( Banter Wednesday, March 15, 2023 The wave just happens automatically at this point. There’s no stopping it. 👋😃 If you’re new to DTC, welcome! You’re in good company with fellow newcomers from Sassy Woof, Tasty Bite, Mac Cosmetics, Drink Woah, and Wink Well. In this newsletter, you’ll find: 👇 📦 Mid-Day Squares’ Jake Karls and Nick Saltarelli on rainmaking, fundraising, and "one word: f&%^ng crazy" 📦 Smash through your CPA goals by whitelisting authentic 3rd-party content on paid socials 📦 2023 video marketing trends 📦 Networking with some of the biggest names and brands in the DTC space 📦 Ad creative with the whole kitchen sink Read till the end to access exclusive DTC swag. 😎 👉 If a pal forwarded this to you, [subscribe,]( so you never miss out. Podcast 🎧 On today’s episode of the DTC pod, we’re excited to reconnect with the dynamic duo and co-founders of Mid-Day Squares, Jake Karls and Nick Saltarelli. These guys are like live wires and the chemistry between them is always electric. In this C-Suite Mentor preview, we dive into the nitty-gritty of Mid-Day's meteoric rise to 8-figure success. From scaling the manufacturing of complex products to Nick's expert tips for raising funds and Jake's unique role as a rainmaker, we cover it all. Tune in and get ready for some serious insights and inspiration 💡 ‍The takeaways 👇 ☔ Don’t wait for the rain Do you feel like your business is at the mercy of cyclical fundraising climates? Worry no more. According to Nick and Jake, the key to taking control of the success of your business is to focus on building relationships years in advance. Forget about titles, agendas, and predetermined needs. Go out, hang out with people, make friends, and see where the relationship takes you. Assign a "rainmaker" whose sole responsibility is building strong relationships without ulterior motives and then funnel those relationships back to HQ for further development. Remember, fundraising is all about terms, deal structure, and control. So, if you want to win, make sure you're in the driving seat. Don't wait for the rain; have a rainmaker. 🧠Training the brain Fearlessness is crucial for entrepreneurs who want to succeed in business. By cultivating a mindset of gratitude and recognizing the value of the present moment, Nick and Jake talk about how we can train our brains to be more fearless. But how do you cultivate this mindset? 🤔Here's a powerful exercise Nick discusses on the pod… 🧠Imagine someone offers you $10 million, but you have to give up the ability to get out of bed every day. Most people would reject this offer because they value being able to live their lives more than $10 million. By recognizing the value of the present moment and the blessings we already have, we can train our brains to be fearless. “There is hope, there is movement as long as you keep pushing and you stay focused with your mind and body.” 👉 Listen to the full episode with Jake Karls and Nick Saltarelli [here!]( [This is just a preview of what’s to come at the next C-Suite Mastermind in Las Vegas, March 23-24!]( 🚨 There are a handful of tickets still available, but they won't last long! Go to [directtoconsumer.co/events]( to lock in your spot. Sponsor Whitelisting authentic 3rd-party content on paid social can cut your CPA by over 20% Top brands like Prose, Care/of, Farmer's Dog, and Harry's are smashing through their CPA goals by whitelisting authentic 3rd-party content on paid socials. Doing so has cut their paid socials CPA by over 20% 🤯 By leveraging [GrapevineAI's Platform]( you can also: - Use a secondary presence on paid social, allowing your brand to lead with significantly more social proof and non-biased storytelling. - Leading to lower CPAs. - Have over five content campaigns through diverse publishers and creators that all message to unique customer segments in their markets. (A trick the top brands are using) - Remove friction associated with coordinating 3rd-party creators such as managing contracts and producing content. GrapevineAI's content and creator-matching platform and top-tier performance marketing team make the end-to-end campaign production process frictionless & effective. Join over 125+ DTC brands and crush your CPA goals by whitelisting through GrapevineAI. 🚀 👉 [Set up a call and learn how!]( Creative Lights, Camera, Action! 🔦 The spotlight is on video Many of us are pretty awkward in front of the camera, but that hasn’t stopped video from becoming an important tool for marketers. According to Wyzowl, an animation company, their [annual marketing trends report]( shows that video as a marketing tool has reached an all-time high. After surveying 528 businesses and industry professionals last November, we have a full picture of how video impacted their bottom line and why 2023 looks like the year to be on camera. These data points aren’t anything to scoff at! 91% of respondents used video to promote their products and services. In reviewing the data, you’ll notice that this majority hasn’t always been around... 91% is a significant jump from previous years, indicating that marketers have continued to identify more and more unique values that video brings to their marketing strategy. So, what could those be? 👇 📱 #trending When it comes to the type of video content that works, the explainer video has often been a hit. On page five, Wyzowl’s report highlights the consumer perspective and says, “96% of consumers have watched an explainer video to obtain more information about a product or service.” This highlights the continued importance of clear messaging in video marketing campaigns regardless of length or subject matter. 📈 The bottom line Video is a lead generation and sales powerhouse. 92% of video marketers said that video has directly contributed to their bottom line reporting a positive ROI, another all-time high. Let’s be real. That positive ROI can vary wildly depending on the type of business and advertising budget; however, positive is positive in our eyes. The key to pushing that ROI upwards would be to test. Don’t blow your entire budget on one potential Oscar nomination! Save time and money to produce shorter and longer versions of the same ad with different music and color grading techniques. One iteration will engage your audience more directly and effectively than another. Ultimately, you’ll have a jam-packed video that entertains, informs, and converts way more efficiently than any still image could. 🚀 Measuring success Wyzowl indicates that the success of video marketing campaigns is measured by the number of video views. One thing to be aware of here is that views are only the springboard for what really matters: - Engagement - Leads - Click-throughs - Brand awareness - Customer retention - Conversions While views are important, marketers should be focused on quantifiable metrics that tie back to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Measure how your video ads impact these metrics and determine what format drives the results your brand needs. 🤔 What’s next for video? The outlook for video marketing is bright. 70% of respondents who don't currently use video as a marketing tool plan to start in 2023. While YouTube remains the most popular platform for video marketing, we encourage experimenting with TikTok and Instagram to reach broader audiences. [An internal scoop from TikTok]( shows that the ideal video length is growing. Currently, the goldilocks zone is about 21-34 seconds. This grew from the 2020 sweet spot of 11-17 seconds but don’t expect it to grow much further. [Wired]( reports that any video over a minute long stresses people out. 🎬 Okay, cut! In short, grab your camera, hold your auditions, and buy a director’s chair. Video’s unique ability to engage, inform, and drive results with strong ROI results points to more businesses using video to promote their products and services in 2023. Need some icebreaker ideas for your first video? - Do people ask a lot of questions about your product? - Are consumers posting videos of your product? - Are you dropping something new with a lot of hype around it? Answering yes to any of these might be the call to action you need to start filming some winning material right now! C-Suite An Opportunity You Can’t Afford to Miss… Don't miss your chance to [save $1000 on your ticket to DTC's C-Suite Las Vegas happening next week on March 23rd-24th!]( This is your opportunity to network with 100 DTC brand owners and operators from a variety of industries, and learn from some of the biggest names in the game: - Sean McGinnis from Kuru Footwear - Issac Medeiros and Karly McFarland from Mini Katana - Jason Kutasi from Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream - Ashvin Melwani and Ronak Shah from Obvi - Lezlie Karls, Nick Saltarelli, and Jake Karls from Mid-Day Squares Still not convinced? 👀 You'll be rubbing shoulders with brands like True Classic, FEASTABLES, Tabs Chocolate, Tapcart, Outway, Bushblam, Plufl, and ClearStem Skincare. Don't roll the dice on your business success in 2023 - get the tools you need to win big at C-Suite Las Vegas. Join DTC on March 23rd-24th for non-stop action, excitement, and business growth. 📈 👉 This is an opportunity you don't want to miss. [Get your ticket to C-Suite Las Vegas TODAY and use code TRAVEL at checkout to save $1000!]( Creative Let That Sink In Some people say that less is more, but is less always more? If you have a bunch of SKUs for your brand and are testing each as an individual creative, it’s time to mix it. [The Pilothouse Meta team]( tested a mashup of a bunch of products mixed with some serious urgency for a client. This creative test resulted in an approximate 28% lower cost-per-click! Don’t be afraid to throw the whole kitchen sink at scrollers to test if it works for your brand! Quick Hits 🐶 [Chewy exited at $3B.]( Their main marketing tactic: Handwritten notes/flowers. A personal touch is so important. Hard to scale? Use [Maverick](: record once, and send AI-generated personalized videos to all customers.* 💰 Get $5000 in ad credit & start seeing success on TikTok: Get the insights you need to [grow with KnoCommerce](.* ♾️ [Meta]( is developing a decentralized competitor to Twitter. The current project is codenamed P92 and is looking to support text-based updates from contributors. 🎵 [TikTok]( has partnered with Dentsu, a global marketing agency. The integration of Dentsu’s cookie-less measurements and TikTok’s API prepares the platform for the absence of third-party cookies. 🪟 [Microsoft]( has developed VisualChatGPT. The new development allows ChatGPT to analyze and produce data during interactions. *Sponsored SHARE DTC NEWSLETTER Want to level up the marketing skills of your teammates and employees? Just grab your referral link below and you’ll earn points toward cool gear for every new subscriber you bring to the DTC fam. Here’s your unique referral link: [( [Share via facebook]( [Share via twitter]( [Share via whatsapp]( [Share via email](mailto:?subject=Check%20this%20out&body=%F0%9F%94%A5%20Signed%20up%20to%20this%20newsletter%20a%20couple%20of%20weeks%20ago%20and%20it's%20amazing%20for%20DTC%20marketers%20like%20you!+https%3A%2F%2Fsparklp.co%2F47c676d0%2F%3Futm_source%3Demail) [See how many referrals you have!]( Referal program is subject to [DTC Terms & Conditions.]( 🔊 Have you heard our latest podcasts? 🧖‍♀️ [Bushbalm's]( David Gaylord goes B2B, Enters US retail, and rides the Vajacial wave on DTC. 👀 Ronak Shah - [Obvi Collagen]( - Obvi's biggest blunders (and how you can avoid them) - C-Suite Mentor Preview. 🚀 [BattlBox]( John Roman - The Subscription with the ~$1000 LTV and the Netflix Rocket Ship. 👟 [Kuru Footwear’s]( Turnaround Playbook: Sean McGinnis On The CRO Tactics That Doubled Revenue (C-Suite Mentor Preview). 🧑‍🦲 [iRestore]( Hair Growth System: Kevin Chen - The True Impact of Costco. 💡 Listen to the [Biggest Marketing News]( Stories Today. Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight](, [Kate Gullett](, and [Michael Venditti](. Edited by [Claire Beveridge]( and Eric Dyck. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. NEED MORE DTC? 🚀 [Advertise]( in DTC Newsletter. 💰Check out our course on [Facebook and Instagram]( ads! Rate us [Fueled by Pilothouse] [Share]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [LinkedIn]( [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( At Direct to Consumer, we are strongly committed to protecting your privacy and providing a safe & high-quality online experience for all visitors. We understand that you care about how the information you provide to us is used and shared. We have developed a Privacy Policy to inform you of our policies regarding collecting, using, and disclosing information we receive from our Website users. Federal Filing operates the Website. Our Privacy Policy, along with our Terms & Conditions, governs your use of this site. 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