📦 - Shopify makes changes to their DMCA review process

2023 Scale, News, Shopify DMCA, Social Proof, CRO Tips, Shock Surplus, Amazon Gifting Wednesday, December 13, 2023 Good morning, here are all the headlines you’ve missed while you were busy getting into the holiday spirit: Consume today’s DTC and learn: - Shopify makes changes to its DMCA review process to protect its merchants from being unfairly hit with bad faith claims - WarpDrive’s Director of Product Brett Turner is back with more CRO tips - In the latest episode of the pod, we speak with Sean Reyes from Shock Surplus on how he turned his car parts company into a $20+ million company on Shopify. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Merkury Innovations, Hairburst, and Little Green Growers 👋 This newsletter is brought to you… IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PILOTHOUSE 👋 Don’t Want to Scale Your Brand? Skip This Section… If your brand… - Feels like it’s plateaued and needs expert help to get to the next level - Has had success in the past but can’t seem to get back to those previous highs - Is starting to gain traction but is missing one last piece of the “scale-puzzle” …Pilot Program is for you. Pilothouse (DTC’s sister company) created Pilot Program — an exclusive brand accelerator designed to help brands kick-start their growth and unlock their full potential. [Click Here To Get In Touch]( 📰 NEWS - [Google releases their ‘Year in Search’]( which compiles all the top search trends for 2023. - [A new survey reveals]( that teens' platform of choice is YouTube. - Instagram launches its podcast [‘Close Friends Only’](. - Take advantage of [National Free Shipping Day]( tomorrow for last-minute holiday shopping. PLATFORM UPDATE 📦 Shopify’s response to an uptick in false DMCA requests We were [inspired by this tweet](by Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke to talk about this latest Shopify update in response to fraudulent DMCA requests. The scammer story 😲 In the past, Shopify’s DMCA notice was a way to report any websites that infringed upon another brand's trademark or copyright as a way to protect merchants. But it wasn’t a thorough vetting process and many innocent merchants woke up surprised to see their stores suspended. Filing counter-notices and reaching out to Shopify’s legal team took ages and a response was never guaranteed. This means not only were innocent merchants down their store, they were also down the loss in sales for an unknown amount of time. Now with the increased amount of spammy DMCA takedown requests, Shopify has made significant changes to its DMCA process for those who are abusing the system. Here’s what Shopify is doing differently to resolve DMCA requests: - Added a new feature in Shopify admin that streamlines the management of DMCA cases so the process is faster instead of going through form emails. - Stricter verification system for filed claims. It takes into account the claimant’s previous cases and past documentation. - Shopify will file lawsuits against claimants in courts if they repeatedly submit bad faith claims. Shopify’s tough stance against fraudulent DMCA claims shows that they are doubling down on their platform to focus on the merchant experience and protect users. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MINISOCIAL 🌊 We’ve Got The Inside Scoop on How Your Favorite DTC Brands Make Waves With Social Proof Brands like Topicals, Wild One, Native, and Ceremonia are crushing on social media, and they all have something in common… 🤔 They’re using [minisocial's network of micro-influencers for fresh content](! 🦷 Spotlight Oral Care used minisocial to expand their TikTok campaign to hundreds of creators and racked up over 6 million views! 🚰 Corkcicle highlighted real customer stories using their Commuter Cup on Reels, leading to a 92% rise in views compared to their regular content. minisocial doesn’t lock you into long-term commitments and brands love how simple it is! As a DTC reader, you can enjoy a 15% minisocial discount. [Boost your brand with minisocial]( CONVERSION HACKS ⭐ CRO tips every marketer should know Advice from the [WarpDrive x Pilothouse]( Director of Product, Brett Turner: Mobile Image Size: Mobile images should be no longer than 1:1 aspect ratio so you don’t take up valuable page real-estate. Optimize your above-the-fold on your product pages. Key elements to consider: - Product Price and SKU selection plus any applicable discounts (in contrasting colors) - At least one key future or USP - Customer Reviews - CTA PODCAST 🎧 How Shock Surplus became a $20+ million company on Shopify In this episode of the pod, we sit down with Sean Reyes, founder of [Shock Surplus]( about how he was able to innovate in the archaic automatic industry and how he hopes to turn his parts company into a thriving media company. In this pod, Sean talks about: - The importance of educational content and why he doesn’t gatekeep - How Shock Surplus skyrocketed into a $20+ million company last year with Meta Ads and a clever pricing strategy - How Brand vs. Brand content can manufacture virality 👉 Listen to the full episode with Sean Reyes [here](. SPONSOR DTC 📥 Promote your product to 160,000 digital marketing professionals DTC Newsletter + Podcast reaches a highly qualified audience of Shopify merchants, eCommerce founders, and digital marketers. [Talk to our team to learn more](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Note to Amazon sellers: BFCM sales were high this year, but last-minute spenders will be looking for gifts this week so make sure you have some giftable items and bundles in stock for one final push. 🧰 THE TOOLKIT ⚒️ What are your top martech stack challenges? Digiday and Klaviyo’s new report found that a lack of unified customer views and fragmented reporting top the list. [Click to read more](. * 🤔 Subscriptions falling flat in Q4? Join a free session with the “Subscription Doctor” Matthew Holman of the Subscription Prescription Podcast & Magic Dash AI Retention Strategist. [Register here](. * 🚨 Do you want 2% of your Amazon revenue back in your pocket? [TrueOps]( gets your money back from Amazon at a 10% commission. DTC subscribers get your first $10,000 back for free [here](. * 👀 BANTER Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🤯 [Shocking the Gatekeepers]( – Auto Aftermarket goes DTC with Sean Reyes from Shock Surplus. - 🤫 [AKNF 360](: The Power of the Double Tap + The Secret Tool For Instant Email Scale (And How to Use it Safely) - 👏 [Breaking Barriers in Menstrual Health]( with Nadia Ladak CEO of Marlow - 💰 [AKNF 358:]( BFCM Results Breakdown with Pilothouse - 🌊 [Santevia Revolutionizes Water and Conquers Amazon]( with Matthew Gohl Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) Got an awesome DTC brand story to tell? Calling all brand-side founders and team leaders! Fancy joining us on the DTC Podcast as a guest? [Tap the link to toss in your application](. DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight](, [Frances Du](, and [Michael Venditti](. Edited by [Eric Dyck](. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. NEED MORE DTC? 🚀 [Advertise]( in DTC Newsletter. 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]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](