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The uncertainty in the current eCommerce environment along with the pullback from VCs has led to tougher sledding for brands looking to raise capital rounds. But it’s not all doom and gloom.Over the past month, a group of community-driven DTC brands has turned to crowdfunding as a means to fuel growth. Obvi, CROSSNET, and Wunderkeks publicly launched investment rounds targeting different audiences—from customers, friends, and family to DTC founders and angels.

In a lot of ways market research is a legacy tactic, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored by brands big and small. 

In fact, market research as come a long way from the focus groups of the past.

While formal studies and surveys are still on the table, the host of potential market research channels now open to marketers has grown exponentially.

Just as the expansion of the internet necessitated search engines for content discovery, the early expansion of the American book trade necessitated book publishers for the acquisition, development, and positioning of books in different genres. As the market for potential readers within a literate middle class grew, book publishers who were traditionally resistant to the free market started to apply their artistic creativity to the promotion of their books.

No one has mastered the art of emoting the feeling of all three like Leo González—a comedian and content creator from Hanford, Ca. He has already caught the attention of public figures like George Lopez and Will Smith with his POV-style comedy videos and has amassed more than 2.5 million followers on TikTok and over half a million on Instagram. There is no doubt that Leo is on the fast track to becoming a star on social media platforms and beyond.

If you want to stay competitive in the world of eCommerce, you need to understand how social media algorithms work, how they’re changing, and how this will affect the way you market your business on social media.

According to a 2021 survey by Statista, more than nine out of 10 businesses in North America reported moving more of their eCommerce efforts to social media. At the time of the survey, 73% of those businesses were already selling through social media.

In today’s digital age, the term “creator” has been taken hostage by those with a critical mass of followers and who make money exclusively from growing an audience.

But the reality is that being a creator doesn’t mean you have to have hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers, and being an influencer doesn’t mean you’re qualified to ‘create.’

This week on BANKNOTES News:

Wayfair announces layoffs

Yeezy Gap merchandising: Insensitive or innovative?

Creators without influence can still benefit your brand

Social media manager may be one of the most thankless jobs in marketing.

In addition to being a marketer, customer service rep, and eCommerce generalist, you also have to stay on top of the changes to the platforms: Which seem to come every day!

In fact, the world of social media is always changing. The trick to staying on top of social media is to watch for the changes that look less like tweaks and more like big friggin’ deals.

Here’s just some of what’s come down the pike over the past couple of weeks.

Armed with a community of more than 1.5 million followers, a newly-released cookbook (more on that later), and a ring light and iPhone, Candice and Mari are carving their own path as creators and putting their sisterhood at the forefront. I recently interviewed the duo to learn more about their relationship, how they went viral, and their path to becoming creators.

It’s no wonder Alisha Ether, also known as LeeshCapeesh across social media, is rapidly gaining a loyal fandom.

While her gaming skills are on point and it’s a riot to watch her play, her fun personality is what makes me continue to avidly consume her content. She’s conversational, warm, and absolutely hilarious.

So, when I heard LeeshCapeesh was going to be at the Creator Economy Expo in AZ, I immediately reached out to her for an interview.