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

If you want to run your business successfully, you need to have a deep understanding of how everything works. Today we’re talking with Helen Guo, co-founder of The Cereal School about how she took her business from zero to well over 7 figures in just eight months. One of the key components of the business’ success is that Helen and her co-founder, Dylan, started by learning and running every aspect of the business themselves, before hiring agencies to take things over. They also put a lot of initial time into building the brand organically, which made it easier to amplify with paid efforts as they’re scaling up. Helen shares her amazing journey with us, as well as her tips for finding the right agency, and how to build a partnership that will last. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 6:06 Helen’s entrance into the world of entrepreneurship. 9:06 The Cereal School’s insanely rapid growth. 10:06 Pre-launch efforts to build an audience before the product was ready to officially launch.  13:25 How Helen built a 20,000+ pe

On today's special BONUS episode we're talking about CBO. That's Campaign Budget Optimization. Andrew sat down with expert digital advertisers Molly Pittman and Depesh Mandalia to talk about what's happening with CBO, how it's working, why it's working the way that it is, and some tips to improve your campaigns. They discuss: Why you can't treat CBO campaigns the same way as you were treating ABO campaigns CBO misconceptions When CBO works best How to think about your budget when setting up CBO CBO and Dynamic Creative CBO best practices Enjoy! Links And Resources Foxwell Digital Course - CBO: All You Need to Know andrew@foxwelldigital.com @a_brawn on Twitter @andrewfoxwell on Twitter Brand Growth Experts Foxwell Digital Review or subscribe on iTunes

Andrew and I have worked with hundreds of different companies at various stages of growth, from pre-launch to multi-million dollar acquisition. Today we’re kicking off our scaling series, where we’ll talk about each stage of growth and the challenges you're going to face as you scale up your business from zero to 8-figures. We’re starting off with a “zero to launch” episode where we’ll address some of the questions you’ll face when you’re determining how to launch and going from an idea for a product to actually getting sales. We’ll be sharing core lessons through each of these episodes that will give you value whether you're at the beginning, already making 7-figures, or somewhere in the middle. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 4:30 Why we decided to do a scaling series. 9:07 The most important thing when you’re just starting out? Feedback. 10:24 Knowing what your community looks like is critical for scaling. 13:40 Once you know your community, identify their buying power and your market potential. 15:38 A zero to

One of the keys to successful growth is hiring a team that keeps the business running, whether the founder is there or not. Over the last 14 years, Cory Bower, founder of Aviator Gear, has built a multi-million dollar business with a team of 48 full-time employees. When Cory was in the Air Force, he saw a need, launched a company, and to this day uses some of his military systems and structure to keep things running smoothly. It’s always a pleasure to chat with Cory, and I hope you enjoy our conversation about growth, hiring, and critical tools for success. Episode Highlights 5:55 Introducing Cory Bower and the birth of Aviator Gear. 8:12 The unique custom nature of Cory’s products. 10:20 Cory’s journey to becoming a fighter pilot. 13:53 Transitioning from fighter jets to ecommerce. 16:05 How Cory applies lessons learned in the military to his business. 18:42 The team structure Cory’s built that lets his business run even when he’s not around. 23:55 Engines for Aviator Gear’s growth over the last year and ho

We’re getting tactical today and bringing you 6 quick wins you can execute today to grow your business. From Facebook, to email, to website optimization, these quick wins will help you generate sales and get results. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 4:25 Quick Win #1: 4-6% Lookalikes based off pixel value. 5:47 Quick Win #2: Identify previous customers who are likely to spend again, but who are no longer on your email list, and hit them with remarketing. 7:23 Quick Win #3: Integrate your Klaviyo audiences with Facebook. 8:34 Quick Win #4: Turn great text reviews into video reviews. 11:14 Quick Win #5: Use bid caps to ensure your Facebook ads are being shown. 13:05 Quick Win #6: Get a fresh perspective on your website. Links And Resources Klaviyo UserTesting Profit Summit The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter @andrewfoxwell on Twitter Brand Growth Experts Foxwell Digital Review or subscribe on iTunes

When someone asks about eCommerce best practices, we always hear, “well, what’s Pura Vida doing?” Today we’re talking with Pura Vida CEO, Griffin Thall, to get an inside look at their current strategies, how the company’s grown over the last several years, the way his role has evolved, and what it's actually like to prepare your company for a multi-million dollar sale. Andrew and I both worked with Pura Vida at the very beginning, and we’re so excited to reconnect and bring this episode to you today. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 6:25 What got Griffin and Pura Vida to where they are today. 7:28 How Griffin’s role has changed as the company’s grown. 9:02 Pura Vida’s unique influencer strategy and how it started. 12:45 Relentless innovation and how Pura Vida continues to increase customer lifetime value. 15:18 The moment Griffin realized the brand was going to be a success. 16:30 How Pura Vida’s growth strategy has changed over time. 17:57 The challenges Griffin’s faced over the years as CEO. 20:12 Where Griffin’s

Every year I grow more personally and professionally, and these weekly episodes are a big part of that. We’ve had discussions about Facebook and email marketing, business processes, how to avoid burnout, and more. Today Andrew and I are sharing the top things we’ve learned in 2019. What were your big learnings over the last year? Episode Highlights 5:15 No one cares where you are as long as the work gets done. 8:33 Be clear about what you want (because you’re going to get it). 11:50 Listen, Help, Learn. 14:21 Focus on generating profits so you can hire good people. 17:52 Dive deeper into discomfort. 21:50 Everything takes longer than you expect. 24:02 Having a business partner with different perspectives than your own is a huge asset. 28: 19 It’s still a great time to build an ecommerce brand. 30:46 Play is important. 31:48 You don’t need to learn everything yourself. 32:40 Track your time. Links And Resources Episode 212: How To Travel 132 Days A Year And Stay Productive Profit Summit The Coalition @a_br

Digital agencies get a bad rap these days. From providing inflated results to wasting time on dead-end tactics, many businesses have fired their agencies and moved things in-house. However, agencies aren’t the enemy. You just have to understand how to build the right relationship with them, and truly integrate them with your team. Our guest today is Susan Wenograd the CMO of digital agency Aimclear. We talk with Susan about the shift she’s seeing in where brands are directing their paid ad spend, and the issues of attribution that are coming along with it. She talks about how to build a deeper relationship with your agency so they can bring you greater success, and her thoughts around navigating the digital landscape as things continue to change and evolve. This episode is a must-listen whether you're a digital agency or doing digital marketing in-house for a brand. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 8:01 What the role of CMO looks like at a digital agency. 10:06 The changes in where brands are spending their paid me

Today we’re bringing you part two of our “How to Get Started” series, and in this episode, we’re talking about email marketing. If you’ve recently launched a business and want to get started with email marketing, this episode is for you. Or, if you’ve had an agency managing your email for some time, and want to make sure everything is running as it should be, there are some helpful tips in here that will deepen your understanding. We talk about best practices for list creation, how to capture leads, which emails to create first, how to determine the number of emails you should be sending, and more. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 4:15 Choosing an email service provider (ESP), and why Klaviyo is a great option for many businesses. 5:49 Getting your ESP set up correctly: some key things to keep in mind. 8:35 Best practices for list creation and management. 9:35 Checklist for making sure your ESP is set up correctly. 10:15 How to start capturing leads and growing your list. 12:03 The more unique your offer, the bette

Not many ecommerce brands can say they’ve been around for almost 30 years, but Peepers is one of them. Founded in 1993, with a website that went live in 1996, Peepers has been going strong ever since. In the last 10 years alone, they’ve grown by 900%. John Hart joined the team five years ago and is now the Ecommerce and Operations Director. Today he joins us to talk about how Peepers has continued to evolve, the marketing strategies they're using, including why they find major value in Amazon, and how they’ve successfully approached wholesale. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:08 Introducing John and how he ended up at Peepers. 8:27 What Peepers is doing differently that allowed it to grow 900% over the last 10 years. 10:10 Peepers’ approach to growth and the channels they’re currently investing in. 12:36 Prospecting techniques for both online and offline. 13:57 John’s feelings about selling on Amazon and how they make it work in their overall marketing strategy. 17:22 The challenge of selling glasses online, and

One of the questions we’ve received from several listeners recently is, “Can you guys talk about how to get started with Facebook advertising?” We’ve done quite a few episodes where we talk about scaling up your Facebook ads, but we've never started at the very beginning. Today we’re doing just that. If you’ve never advertised on Facebook before, or you’re just starting out, this episode is for you. We’ll talk through how to set up Facebook Business Manager, how to start building audiences for different parts of the sales funnel, how to approach your initial budget, and what success looks like in your first few months of advertising. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 6:35 If you’re just getting started with Facebook advertising, here are the first steps. 8:01 Dynamic Product ads: what are they and why you need them. 8:50 Creating customer avatars to inform your interest-based targeting. 10:51 The main hurdles you may come across when setting up Facebook Business Manager. 13:00 How to check whether you’ve set up Busi

Who says girls can’t wear dinosaur dresses? Rebecca Melsky was frustrated when the only patterns she could find for her daughter were pink and flowery. Where were the rocket ships and trucks for girls? In 2013 she teamed up with her friend Eva to start Princess Awesome, a stereotype-busting business that creates clothes of all colors, and with all kinds of patterns, for both girls and boys. Today we sit down with Rebecca to talk about their massive crowdfunding success, how they’ve managed the growth of their business while prioritizing their families, and the key Klaviyo strategies helping them drive major revenue from email. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:51 The story of how Princess Awesome was born. 7:39 Princess Awesome’s explosive experience with crowdfunding. 12:25 The major impact Kickstarter had for Rebecca’s business, from more than just a financial perspective. 13:58 Taking the next step in business growth after Kickstarter success. 17:40 Product innovation and the creation of Princess Awesome’s wome

We've got a special Black Friday/Cyber Monday BONUS episode for you today. Andrew saw down with Alex Afterman of 11:11 Digital, Deirdre Kelly and Terry Whalen of Sum Digital, Kurt Bullock of Product Department and Paul Fairbrother of Hootsuite/AdEspresso to do a post-BFCM 2019 recap. They discuss: Trends they saw over the weekend Bidding strategies that worked Audiences that were successful Creatives we saw working well Reporting and assessing numbers Enjoy! Links And Resources @a_brawn on Twitter @andrewfoxwell on Twitter Brand Growth Experts Foxwell Digital Review or subscribe on iTunes

Today we’re taking a break from our normal programming to go on a short rant about things we hate in the ecommerce industry. We want to shed light on some of the frustrating things we’ve come across over the years to help you keep your sanity as you’re growing your business. We believe in the importance of truth and transparency, and that every single business is different, and hope our little rant today will help you avoid frustration and see through the B.S. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:32 Thing we hate #1: When people take advantage of business owners by making things seem more complicated than they really are. 9:18 Just because it’s a big, well-recognized company, doesn’t mean it’s actually doing well, so don’t compare yourself. 11:11 Warning signs to watch out for with bogus business information. 11:47 Thing we hate #2: When entrepreneurs are told they have to be running ads on every single possible channel. 15:07 Thing we hate #3: Example sharing without context. 18:11 Thing we hate #4: Not having enoug

While it may only take a great idea to start a business, it takes a heck of a lot of hard work to build a successful one. Five years ago Patrick Coddou was unhappily working at his corporate job when he had an idea, spurred by personal passion and necessity. That idea eventually got off the ground with two successful Kickstarters, and recently landed Patrick and his wife and co-founder, Jessica, on Shark Tank, where they got backing from Robert Herjavec. This idea, which has now grown into a multi-million dollar company, is Supply, a men's shaving and grooming company. Today Patrick joins us to give an inside look at what makes Supply successful today, and the challenges he faces as he continues to grow his business. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:39 Introducing Patrick and how he started Supply. 7:21 The pivotal role of Kickstarter in Supply’s launch and success. 9:19 Where the idea for Supply came from and the challenge of creating good products. 13:53 Why Patrick wants to grow as quickly as possible with as

Two common questions I get from clients are: How much should I spend on advertising and what is a good return on ad spend? Andrew and I are tackling these questions today by breaking down the calculations you need to do to determine what a good ROAS is for your business. We also discuss how to have an open conversation with your advertising agency and the first question you really need to ask yourself before you can realistically estimate the ROAS you need to be successful. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:15 The inspiration for this episode: one of the most common questions Austin gets in the Coalition. 6:55 What is a good return on ad spend (ROAS)? 9:08 The first question you need to ask yourself to help determine what ROAS is realistic. 11:05 Why you have to know your math before you start telling your advertising partner what ROAS you “need.” 12:15 The first question you should really be asking to figure out a good ROAS for your business. 13:04 Breaking down ROAS calculation and how to discuss it with your ag

As he sat down at his desk on the first day at his first post-college job he thought, “The cubicle life just isn’t for me.” If you’re an entrepreneur, I would venture to bet you’ve had a similar thought at some point along the way. Today we’re joined by Matt Schroeder, the co-founder of Shelly Cove, who started the business in college with his family, and has been off to the races ever since. Matt tells the story of how he taught himself marketing and his journey to eventually leaving his secure job to go all-in on Shelly Cove. He shares the unique ways the brand surprises and delights its customers to keep them coming back for more, and why, as the business has grown, he’s more open to just saying “Yes.” Enjoy! Episode Highlights 6:21 How Matt got started in ecommerce and the birth of Shelly Cove. 10:39 The roles in Matt’s family-run business. 13:57 Lessons learned from going to school full-time while also growing a business. 16:55 How Matt became an expert in marketing and business. 18:27 The strategy behi

Due to Facebook’s influence, your website is less and less often the first place potential customers learn about your brand. We don’t see this changing anytime soon. In fact, Facebook’s already moving to on-site checkout, removing the need to visit your website altogether. Today we’re talking about the future of Facebook advertising and how we see it evolving. We discuss what Facebook’s plans are for the platform, as well as for Instagram, and how you can be prepared for what’s to come.  Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:13 Why we’re talking about Facebook’s future and what you’ll learn today. 6:53 What Facebook has planned for future interactive elements. 9:04 How to use Instagram polls to increase engagement. 11:17 The future of augmented reality on Facebook and how it could impact your CPM. 14:22 Interactive games as ads: worth the hype or overrated? 16:05 Andrew’s biggest takeaways about the future of Facebook advertising. Links And Resources 217: How Josh Meyer Built The Fastest Growing Company In Maine 20

You look up at the clock and realize you’ve been working for 14 hours. You’ve still got a dozen more emails to respond to before you can go home, maybe spend a little time with your family, then get 4 hours of sleep and start the cycle again the next day. Sound familiar? This, my friends, is the recipe for burnout. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get addicted to your work and feel like if you’re not spending 16 hours a day trying to grow your business, the person who is will beat you to the top. Burnout isn’t talked about enough in the ecommerce world. But today we’re changing that in our conversation with Mike Jackness, Co-Founder of EcomCrew and someone who has built and sold multiple businesses. Mike shares the story of how he got started in ecommerce, his criteria for buying a business, and what it means to deal with entrepreneurial burnout. This conversation really hit home for us, and we hope you get a lot out of it. Episode Highlights 6:28 Mike’s life on the road for the last several months. 7:52 Who

We’re in the midst of the busiest time of year for eCommerce. Will Q4 craziness get the best of you, or will you come out on the other side with your sanity intact? Today we’re sharing five tips that will help you keep you from losing your mind this holiday season. Enjoy! Episode Highlights 5:36 Tip #1: Communicate holiday availability expectations early for both your team and your family. 8:55 Tip #2: Plan, plan, and plan again. 10:11 Important components of your marketing plan. 14:13 Tip #3: Evaluate your success based on execution, not outcome. 17:29 Tip #4: Be nice to your service providers. 19:11 Tip #5: Lean into the season. Links And Resources @a_brawn on Twitter @andrewfoxwell on Twitter Brand Growth Experts Foxwell Digital Review or subscribe on iTunes