📦 - Why Is This Product Popping Off??

Scale Plan, TikTok Shop and Shadow Work Journal, Influencer Programs, Creatine Gummies, Campaign Post-Mortems Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Good morning. While your phone blows up with last minute requests from customers begging you to deliver one last parcel, take a moment to get all caught up in the world of ecom. ☕ Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: - Move over Oprah, there’s a new top book seller this holiday season. Have you heard of the Shadow Work Journal? We’ll discuss the affiliate tactic this self-help book used to make it big on TikTok Shop. 🔥 - In the latest pod, we talk with Dan McCormick on how he turned his creatine gummy brand into a $4 million dollar company in its first year - And…while you prepare your last holiday email sends, don’t forget to hold a post-mortem afterwards for your seasonal campaigns. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Bold Botanica, JE Innovations, and Planner’s Lounge. 👋 This newsletter is brought to you… IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PILOTHOUSE 🚀 Scaling Not Your Priority? You Can Skip This Part. 2024 is fast approaching, and we’re pretty confident that scaling your DTC brand is near the top of your ‘to-do’ list. The idea of scaling can be daunting, but you don’t have to go at it alone! That’s why 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](. 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. [Reach Out to Your Scale Partner Today]( AFFILIATE MARKETING 🌒 How TikTok Shop skyrocketed this self-help journal You might have come across Keila Shaheen’s [Shadow Work Journal]( on your TikTok For You page in the past months. Seemingly overnight, this self-help book, full of reflective prompts and exercises, has made #shadowwork one of the most buzzworthy topics of the year. Although it was published in 2021, it’s only recently become a surprise hit on social media, racking up numerous mentions. 📈 Here are the mind-boggling numbers: - The journal has sold [over 340,000 copies]( on TikTok Shop - #Shadowworkjournal has more than 1 billion views on TikTok - Shaheen is making millions from book sales… with no ad spend So why is it going viral two years later? Through the magic of TikTok Shop. As TikTok continues to push for in-app commerce, they are looking for the next big item to highlight on their platform and this journal resonates well with their audience. TikTok Shop [unites businesses with affiliates]( to help them accelerate word of mouth about their products and services. Why this tactic works so well: [Affiliate creator promoting [the viral Shadow Work Journal](] - Affiliates can easily monetize: Affiliates who create videos on the platform about the Shadow Work Journal get paid for creating content. By receiving a percentage of sales, they feel incentivized to create more content around your product which helps build online buzz. Other brands like Tabs Chocolate are also [leveraging affiliates on TikTok]( to talk about the benefits of their product. - Product resonates with niche audience: A 2022 Oglivy study reported that [70% of Gen Z]( say their mental health needs help or improvement. Although Shadow Work Journal has been criticized by [some therapists for missing some key elements](, judging by the five-star reviews online, it’s still a hit with buyers. To go viral in 2023, you should consider creating an affiliate strategy on a platform like TikTok Shop. This is a great way to find affiliates who are killer at making short-form video content and do the heavy lifting for you. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SARAL 🙊 You Should Hear What They're Saying About SARAL… * The results brands are getting with SARAL influencer campaigns are unreal. Not only is it easy to get started, SARAL's intelligent search helps you find untapped influencers that aren't listed on overpriced UGC marketplaces. [SARAL is one tool that does it all](. You can: - Turn your customers into ambassadors - Build a seeding program - Track sales - Send commission payments If you've been thinking about building an influencer program but haven’t yet made it a priority, take this chance to start today with SARAL. [👉 Claim Your No-Risk Free Access (lock in price before 2024 hike)]( 📰 NEWS - Starting February 2024, you must [use a consent management platform]( if you want to run Google ads in the UK or European Economic Area. - Ecommerce giant Coupang acquires [struggling luxury marketplace Farfetch]( in a $500 million deal. - Meta introduces A/B [caption testing]( in Facebook Reels. PODCAST 🎧 How this creatine gummy business became a $4 million dollar company In this episode of the pod, we sit down with Dan McCormick, founder of [TryCreate.co]( about how he created a modern creatine gummy brand and turned it into a 4 million dollar company in his first year of operation. In this pod, Dan talks about: - Why he decided to go into the supplement space - How this gummy form factor adds value and is more ‘convenient’ for the customer over a powder - How he scaled his ecommerce business with repeat purchases and subscriptions 👉 Listen to the full episode with Dan McCormick [here](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Don’t forget to hold a post-mortem for your Q4 holiday email campaigns once you wrap up your promotions. Take time to analyze which messages and discounts resonated with your audience and which ones missed the mark. You can apply these learnings to your next campaign. Can't view the image? [Click here]( 🧰 THE TOOLKIT 🤑 Ka-ching! See how BlendJet added an extra $238K in sales through[customer referrals using Loox](. * 👀 Looking to scale advertising with streaming TV? The tvRoom Community makes Connected TV advertising accessible for any brand and app size. [Get started with your stream ads today](! * 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](. 👀 BANTER Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 😆 [AKNF 362:]( Is CPC for Clowns? Meta Ads BFCM Recap - 🤯 [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](