The Ecommerce Influence Podcast: Advanced Acquisition And Retention Strategies For Fast-growing Online Brands

Advertising plays a big role in any ecommerce strategy. So what do you do if your brand is banned from advertising on Facebook, Google, and Amazon? That’s the challenge faced by Chad Lio, Director of Marketing for Veritas Farms, a company that sells CBD. While not technically regulated by the FDA, there are still many limitations when it comes to advertising CBD. Today Chad joins us to talk about Veritas Farms’ multifaceted marketing approach, and how they successfully drive sales, despite being banned from some of the top ad platforms. He’ll share what’s working for them with influencer marketing, media buying, SEO, and more, and the critical role research plays across their entire strategy. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:48 Chad’s experience in digital marketing and ecommerce. 6:12 Multifaceted marketing: what it means to be the Director of Marketing for a company that sells both online and in retail brick and mortar. 8:02 Navigating the wild, wild west of selling CBD. 12:10 The detailed process Chad and his

When I’m working with my private coaching clients our conversations inevitably end up focusing on how to become a more effective executive. In today's episode, Andrew and I share four rules to follow that will help you make better decisions as an executive and run your business, team, or agency more effectively. These rules include tracking and understanding your time, focusing on doing more of the right things, setting and reviewing your goals often, and asking yourself what the business needs from you. We'll also share how we've implemented these rules in our own businesses and how they've made us more effective. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 3:49 Rule #1: Respect and understand your time. 5:04 How to efficiently track your time and what to do when once you understand where you’re spending it. 6:56 How finding his “Zone of Genius” helped Andrew focus his time and better delegate tasks. 9:02 Rule #2: Do more of less. 11:12 The importance of setting aside uninterrupted time for high leverage projects. 12:29 Rul

JT Marino wanted to build a company that would disrupt an industry. With Tuft & Needle he did just that, bootstrapping his way from nothing to the largest online mattress retailer in the world. JT, co-founder of Tuft & Needle and now the Chief Strategy Officer for SSB Phoenix, joins us today to share his incredible story. We talk about why customer-centricity was one of Tuft & Needle’s core principles from the beginning, and the role it played in their eventual merger with Serta Simmons. JT shares his thoughts on the importance, as a founder, of having an intimate understanding of how every aspect of your business works, and why they decided not to take any outside investments when they first started out. This is one of my favorite founder interviews we’ve done and I hope you enjoy it! Episode Highlights: 3:52 Introducing JT Marino 5:41 How the friendship and partnership started between the founders of Turf & Needle, JT and Daehee 10:07 How the Tuft & Needle co-founders maintain a strong

Most of the time when our clients get big wins they can be traced back to the quality of their content. Big wins come from winning content, and today Andrew and I are going to discuss how to create that winning content for Facebook and Instagram ads. We’ll share the specific features your content must have if you want to stand out, and our top tips for creating winning imagery, video, and copy. These principles apply not only to Facebook and Instagram, but can be integrated across your entire marketing funnel to help you in all aspects of your business. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 2:40 A tactic that helped one of Andrew’s clients see an 8X return during their spring launches 5:14 What’s working now with Facebook and Instagram advertising and the winning features your contents must have 6:30 The three fundamental things you must get across in your content: trust, previous customer experience, and quality 10:04 How to turn a Facebook ad into its own landing page with all the fundamentals included 12:02 When you

Establishing trust among your customers can be challenging, especially in certain markets. Kevin Chen is Vice President and co-founder of iRestore, a company that sells laser hair growth systems. Despite selling a product with a particularly skeptical audience, iRestore has grown to eight-figures over the last few years. Kevin joins us today to share his story of success. He talks about how he establishes trust and builds social proof with his customers, how he became an expert in Facebook advertising and iRestore’s secret behind their success with video on Facebook. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:51 How Kevin got started in the ecommerce space. 7:24 “Does it really work?” How iRestore gained the trust of a skeptical audience. 9:41 How iRestore keeps their customers engaged during their hair growth journey in order to cultivate social proof once they get results. 11:19 iRestore’s journey from Amazon to Shopify, to Facebook, and when Kevin realized he had a business that worked. 13:14 How hiring an agency helpe

We know how frustrating it is when your business isn’t growing at the rate you think it should. Andrew and I have gone under the hood of dozens of different companies over the years and now when a company approaches us, it’s easy to spot the ones that will be able to scale up, and the ones that will struggle. Today, we share seven reasons your business might not be scaling and what you can do to fix it. We’ll talk about market size, margins, LTV, and product diversification, and how all of these things impact your ability to scale. This episode will help you identify potential issues and give you solutions for the most common reasons why your business may not be scaling. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:32 Reason #1 that your business might not be scaling: Your market is too small or too cheap. 6:25 What to do if your market is too cheap. 7:50 One solution for scaling up if your market is too small. 8:43 Reason #2 that your business isn’t scaling: Your contribution margin isn’t large enough. 10:29 How to solve y

Running one company can be a challenge. But what about running 12? Our guest today is doing just that. Ecommerce investor Shakil Prasla of Pro Click Ventures joins us to talk about how he built his portfolio of ecommerce businesses. He shares what he looks for when acquiring new companies, how to hire CEOs, and what’s possible on the acquisition side of ecommerce. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:38 Shakil Prasla's background and how he got started in the ecommerce space. 7:54 From website builder to ecommerce investor. 9:57 How Shakil structured his 12 businesses and how they operate together. 12:47 SEO and content: the importance of these when considering acquisition and future growth. 16:39 Income and age of company: Why these two criteria are essential in evaluating a company to see if it’s worth buying. 18:22 How Shakil is able to productively manage 12 businesses at once and the apps that help him to be more efficient. 22:42 Shakil’s experience with buying companies with a bank loan and how to go about fin

If you’ve been having issues with Facebook recently, you’re not alone. My Twitter feed has been blowing up with people talking about the problems they're having and screenshots of breakdowns and errors. So in today’s bonus episode, Andrew and I provide some background on how these Facebook issues started, what changes are here to stay, and what you can do to manage your clients' (or your own) expectations. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 2:42 When the Facebook issues started and the problems we’re seeing. 6:07 Andrew’s theories on why this massive disruption is happening on Facebook. 8:50 The 4 things you can do to help your client or team when confronting these Facebook issues. 9:18 #1: Show them the data to prove you’re taking action to stabilize the account. 10:18 #2: Send your client this podcast. 11:01 #3: Let them know it’s not permanent. 12:02 The macro trend that’s going to continue on Facebook even after the current issues are addressed. 12:52 #4: Communicate the importance of quality creative and great

If you’re not yet familiar with Campaign Budget Optimization, now is the time. Facebook recently rolled out this new ad feature and has plans for it to become a requirement for all advertisers later this year. Today, Andrew goes in-depth with everything you need to know about Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO). We discuss what CBO is all about: the framework for setting it up, how to approach your bids, and other killer tips that will make sure you’re set up for success when you start testing it out. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 3:57 The new feature for your Facebook Ad campaigns: Campaign Budget Optimization. 5:15 What is CBO and how it's different from the traditional model. 8:27 How to set up the ideal CBO campaign. 10:57 Determining your audiences within the CBO. 13:38 Strategies that are staying the same with CBO. 14:36 Recommended bidding for CBO. 15:37 How CBO works within prospecting and remarketing. 17:35 Reasons why CBO scales well. 19:39 What are minimum and maximum spends within CBO and how to mana

How often have you added a new element to your website because you thought it “looked cool”? The reality is that a jumble of “cool” widgets and features can slow down your site and actually worsen your customer experience. In today's episode, we bring back Kurt Elster who is a specialist in conversion rate optimization and runs an ecommerce website design and development agency, Ethercycle. Kurt shares his insights on the key components of a successful ecommerce website design. Learn the how-tos and what-nots of what makes a great website, including product page design, the importance of great copywriting, and why design actually shouldn’t be your #1 focus. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:02 “Ruthless Empathy”: the mindset Kurt says you need to have when analyzing your website. 6:44 The core elements of successful ecommerce website design. 8:46 The questions to ask yourself to determine whether you really need all those widgets on your site. 10:41 How to balance simplicity with complexity in your website. 13:22

Your customers are worth more than what they purchase from your store today. If you can retain them as a customer over time, you can gain more profits for your business. This week, Andrew and I have a meaty, and sometimes conflicting, conversation on customer lifetime value (LTV). We start by breaking it down with the basic definition and then share higher level strategies for how you can increase customer LTV, as well as some tactics you can implement today. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:02 How to measure customer LTV (and why it’s difficult to do). 5:52 The first question Andrew has his client’s answer when they ask about LTV. 7:39 Calculating retention rate: why you can only do it if you have a subscription business, and what to look for if you don't. 8:37 The 3 metrics to increase in order to improve LTV. 10:17 What Native Deodorant is doing during their checkout process that’s driving increased customer LTV. 13:08 The benefit of a subscription business and why you should consider it, even if you don’t th

Success in the ecommerce world doesn’t happen overnight. Our guests today are not only big contributors to the ecommerce community, but are also co-founders of a business they built from nothing to one that now has a cult following. I met Matt and Meredith, owners of Boredwalk T-Shirts, at an Intensive I led a couple of years ago. Today they join us to share the story of how they built their “cult” of customers, including customer service best practices and how they overhauled their hiring process to rebuild a team that is excited about the core values of the company. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 6:29 How it all started for Matt and Meredith in the ecommerce space. 8:06 The cheeky birth of  Boredwalk T-Shirts. 11:11 The big team and operational changes Matt and Meredith made in 2018 that allowed them to grow their business. 13:45 How Matt and Meredith's revamped their hiring process to find the best people for their business. 18:41 Things Matt and Meredith tried last year on Facebook and Pinterest that didn't

A topic that’s come up a lot in my recent conversations is how to hire a high-level marketing person. Finding the right candidate can be tough, and when you’re a business owner doing a million other things, it can be even tougher. In this episode, Andrew and I talk through the hiring process, from deciding when to hire, to where to look for the best candidates, and the questions to ask before hiring to make sure you’re getting the best person for the job. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 3:41 How to know when it’s time to hire a CMO or Director of Marketing and one of the key signs to look for. 6:28 Two main things to understand when you start the hiring process for a high-level marketing candidate. 7:35 The most effective way to find the ideal candidate. 9:23 Tips for working with a recruiter to find your next CMO. 11:14 The two different types of candidates you’ll find when hiring a Director of Marketing. 13:24 What to ask a potential new hire before you bring them in for an interview and the type of answers to

The customer purchase journey is no longer a linear path. SEM and YouTube advertising have changed not only the way consumers find products, but also how businesses track where purchases come from. Today we’re joined by returning guest and CEO of OMG Commerce, Brett Curry. Brett shares his expert advice on where to get started with search-driven advertising, the resources to better understand attribution from each channel, and how you can use SEM, Google Shopping and YouTube to increase customer lifetime value. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 6:04 Brett’s background in SEO, Google Shopping and direct response marketing. 8:12 Search, Google Shopping, or YouTube: which is best for ecommerce and where you should start. 12:42 The importance of understanding why people are on YouTube in order to successfully reach your audience. 15:02 Why Brett thinks Facebook is ahead when it comes to conversion tracking and the importance of understanding attribution across different channels. 17:44 Recommended resources to help bus

Making the decision to outsource your paid social to an agency can be tough. It’s a big decision to hand over the reigns of your social advertising to someone outside of your business, and one of the questions Andrew and I get a lot is, “when is the right time to hire an agency?” Today we address that question, as well as the specific questions to ask when you’re vetting your agency (and the answers to look for), and what you can do as a client to ensure you have a great relationship with your new partner. Episode Highlights: 4:41 The first thing you need to do before you hire an agency. 7:00 Andrew's calculation for determining whether or not it makes sense to hire an agency to manage your ads. 12:24 If you don’t want to do the math, why you should at least be tracking your time. 16:11 The first question to ask when vetting an agency: Do you manage my ads in my own ad account or in your business manager? 18:29 Question #2: Who is in charge of creating the creative? 21:48 Question #3: What are your best perf

Magical things can happen in your business with a strong brand and a loyal customer base. Bryan Anthonys’ founders Amber Reynolds and Ed Glassman built a seven-figure business, in part by creating a brand and products that their customers feel deeply connected with. Today the husband and wife team share the story of how they built their business, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and the secret to their customer loyalty. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:07 From hustling on Ebay to building their own ecommerce store: the story of how Ed and Amber started Bryan Anthonys. 8:52 What’s working for Ed and Amber’s business right now. 9:35 Tough lessons learned when it comes to expanding your product portfolio. 10:55 The strength of Bryan Anthonys’ brand and how they design products that really connect with people. 14:44 How Ed and Amber's build customer loyalty. 16:44 Why Bryan Anthonys made the bold decision to have all aspects of their business (manufacturing, shipping, distribution) based in the US and the

Too many established ecommerce stores run out of money before they can scale. Over the last several years, I’ve helped 126 ecommerce brands build more profitable businesses. 78 of them scaled into 7-figure businesses. 2 them had $100 million dollar exits. Through this experience, I’ve learned that if you observe certain principles as you scale, you’ll increase your chance of doing it profitably. Today I share my 3-step formula for profitably scaling your ecommerce business. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 4:10 The two conversations Austin had with clients that inspired this episode. 5:55 Strategy #1 for profitably scaling: Mindset. 6:20 Understanding your business’ DNA to get into the right mindset for growth. 9:40 The tough choices you have to make when you commit to growing profitably. 11:15 Strategy #2 for profitably scaling: Money. 11:32 How to calculate and set a profitability goal for your business. 14:17 Most business owners are paying themselves to little. Here’s how to calculate a fair wage for yourself.

Earlier this week, Andrew shared the first 10 of 20 questions he asks when auditing clients’ Facebook accounts to see whether they’re managing them to their fullest potential. Today he shares the rest of his tactical questions to help you optimize your Facebook ad account, including questions about audience overlap, value bidding, and your add to cart to purchase ratio. Part two of this episode will give you the full list of questions so you can complete a professional level Facebook audit on your own. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 3:42 Question #11: Do you have too high of an audience overlap? 4:37 How to know if audience overlap is an issue for your account. 6:31 Question #12: Have you tried or requested value bidding? 9:41 Question #13: If things are feeling stale on your account, have you tried a bid override? 14:16 Question #14: Are you advertising to previous customers? 16:48 Question #15: Have you tried product bundling to bring up the AOV? 21:19 Question #16: Are you remarketing to engaged users? 22:41

A few weeks ago Andrew shared his five-step process for optimizing your Facebook ad account. In part one of this two-part episode, Andrew takes a more tactical approach and shares 10 questions he asks when auditing clients’ Facebook accounts to see whether they’re running things in the best way possible. After auditing more than 200 Facebook accounts last year, Andrew has seen accounts that are killing it and those that have a lot of room for improvement. Whether you’re on one end of the spectrum or the other, these questions will help you identify changes you can make to improve what you’re doing on Facebook. Stay tuned later this week for part two of this episode, where Andrew will share the additional 10 questions to ask when auditing your Facebook account. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 8:06 Question #1: Is user-generated content integrated somewhere in the creative? 9:16 Question #2: Are you utilizing reviews in your copy? 10:53 Question #3: Are you utilizing square video link posts? 12:39  Question #4: Is

Something most of my clients tell me they struggle with is time management and always being busy. There’s so much to do and it feels like there’s never enough time to do it. Often most of their time is spent in their business, leaving little time to spend on the things they enjoy in their personal life. Time is something both Andrew and I are focusing on this year: how we can spend more time doing the things we want to do while continuing to grow our businesses. Today we’ll share some of the strategies and tools we use for effective time management, and the impact they’ve had on our lifestyles. Enjoy! Episode Highlights: 7:34 Buffer days versus focus days: Austin’s approach. 9:36 Andrew’s take on buffer days and buffer zones. 13:36 Creating an ideal schedule that works for you. 16:23 The importance of protecting your schedule once you’ve planned it out. 17:19 Building milestones or keystones into your week to keep yourself on track. 19:23 Andrew's approach to setting goals, including a 100-year vision and th