Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

What’s next for Meta ads? We just got back from Meta’s Performance Summit, and the future is clear: incrementality, AI tuning, creative velocity, and less button pushing, more strategy. 

In this episode of the Podcast, VP of Paid Media, Tony Chopp, shares an exclusive insider recap of what Meta’s top brass revealed about the evolving ad platform and what it means for performance marketers.

You’ll learn:

• Why Meta is obsessed with incrementality (and how it’s changing measurement forever)

• How creative diversity and fatigue are impacting ad performance

• What Meta’s new “Opportunity Score” and “Headroom Analysis” tools actually mean

• How AI is becoming customizable with profit and LTV signals

• What you should start doing today to future-proof your ad strategy

This isn’t just another update—it’s a roadmap for what’s coming next.

Show Notes:

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• Get your ticket to the UGC Workshop: https://offers.youradmission.co/ugc-production-machine

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.

• Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.

Meta just rolled out a brand new attribution setting called Incremental Attribution and we put it to the test.

In this episode of the Podcast, Richard is joined by Tony and McCay to break down the results of a real A/B test comparing Meta’s new setting vs. standard 7-day click attribution. The outcome? An 18% lift in conversion value—from the exact same ads and budget.

We’ll cover:

• What Incremental Attribution actually is

• Why it might replace geo holdouts

• How it works under the hood

• The exact test setup we used

• Real data and results

• What this means for the future of media buying

If you're serious about getting more out of your Meta ad spend, this is a must-watch.

Show Notes:

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.

• Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.

We’re attempting something BIG. Over the next two weeks, our VP of Ecommerce Strategy, Luke Austin, is taking on a real-time challenge to generate an additional $1,000,000 in revenue profitably for one of our clients.

Every day, we’ll document the actions, strategy shifts, wins, and losses required to hit this massive goal. No fluff. No filters. Just real execution and behind-the-scenes access to how we actually grow brands at scale.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to structure a revenue forecast and daily targets

• The role of marketing calendars in driving growth

• How to adapt when you're behind goal

• How to identify and act on real-time performance insights

• Creative strategy, promo timing, and media spend adjustments that drive results

• What it actually takes to scale revenue profitably in 2025

Subscribe and turn on notifications to follow the challenge day by day.

Show Notes:

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.

• Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.

How did our clients perform in May against their forecasted targets? In this episode, we analyze the latest client report card—detailing key insights from over 60 brands we manage.

We dive into:

• How we managed to underspend budget but still exceeded contribution margin forecasts.

• Real examples of price testing and rapid flash sale strategies.

• Actionable insights from our growth strategists on driving profit despite revenue misses.

Discover what worked, what didn't, and how transparent accountability continues to drive real, profitable results for our clients.

Show Notes:

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

Is your marketing stuck between creating meaningful stories and pumping out endless ad variations? This episode of Podcast breaks down the critical tension between creative storytelling and the high volume ads required for success on platforms like Meta.

Join Richard and Taylor as they discuss:

• How the best DTC brands successfully balance creative depth with ad volume.

• Why two distinct marketing rhythms are essential to growing your business.

• Practical strategies to empower your internal team while maximizing your external partners.

• How micromanagement undermines creativity and what you should do instead.

Discover how to navigate the creative conflict that's quietly sabotaging your marketing performance and learn exactly what steps you need to take to start driving sustainable growth today.

Show Notes:

• Go to https://bit.ly/4mFOWa1 to get 30% off your first 3 months of Omnisend with code CTC.

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

In this episode, Tara Austin, founder and CEO of Ruthie Grace, reveals the raw and honest story of how she nearly lost her seven figure ecommerce business—and exactly what she did to turn it around.

From facing a payroll crisis that nearly shut her doors, to completely transforming her team's culture and operating systems, Tara shares powerful lessons on leadership, communication, and resilience.

You'll discover:

• The pivotal moments that almost ended her business

• How transparent leadership radically changed her company culture

• The operating system she built to handle 450 new product launches per month

• Actionable tips to build a resilient business that thrives through adversity

If you're an entrepreneur navigating tough times or seeking insights to scale sustainably, this episode is a must watch.

Show Notes:

• Get our Global Accelerator Program: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/accelerator

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.

• Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.

In this episode of The Random Show, Taylor Holiday and Andrew Faris are back—new set, same chaos.

They dive into the uncomfortable truths of e-commerce: zero barriers to entry, infinite competition, and the creative treadmill that never stops. If you’ve ever felt like you’re sprinting just to stay in place, you’re not alone.

•  Why ecom profits get competed down to zero

•  How “just take a thousand shots” became the default creative strategy

•  What Andrew’s new brand launch reveals about market belief

You’ll also hear their usual blend of philosophical rabbit holes, family, AI, and finding purpose.

Show Notes:

• Go to https://bit.ly/4mFOWa1 to get 20% off your first 3 months with code CTC20.

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com
• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

Meta just dropped a game changing attribution feature, and it could completely upend how you measure ad performance.

In this episode of the Podcast, CTC’s VP of Paid Media Tony Chopp and Paid Social Manager McCay Rasmussen join Richard to break down Meta’s new incremental attribution setting—a behind-the-scenes update that uses continuous holdout testing to determine true incremental conversions in real time.

We cover:

• What incremental attribution actually is

• How it compares to 1-day click, 7-day click, and 7+1 attribution

• Early test results from real ad accounts

• How this changes your media buying strategy going forward

• Whether this could finally bring an end to attribution guesswork

If you're a performance marketer, media buyer, or brand owner, this is a must-watch.

Show Notes:

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.

• Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.

In this solo episode of the Podcast, Taylor shares a powerful lesson from Cozy Earth’s CMO, who broke free from the measurement rabbit hole to create a viral TikTok challenge that earned 10M+ impressions over Memorial Day weekend.

If you’re a CMO, marketing leader, or operator stuck in the endless loop of attribution models and incrementality debates, this episode is your permission slip to zoom out. Taylor introduces the concept of “Best Available Truth”—a mindset shift that allows you to act with confidence even in the face of imperfect data.

Learn how Cozy Earth leveraged their team, their product, and a simple idea to generate massive reach, build community, and create a moment that cut through the noise—without obsessing over the perfect CAC.

What you’ll learn:

• Why chasing attribution perfection is a trap

• How to build a system that enables bold marketing ideas

• The behind-the-scenes of a 10M-view viral campaign

• What great CMOs do that no one else in the org can

Ready to stop measuring and start creating? Hit play and get inspired.

Show Notes:

• Join the Growth Strategy Deep Dive: https://webinar.commonthreadco.com/strategic-growth-grade

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.

• Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.

Is your brand truly set up for growth? Or just treading water?

In this episode of the Podcast, Taylor and Richard introduce CTC’s brand new Strategic Growth Scorecard—a 7-metric framework designed to help you quickly assess the strength of your growth engine.

You’ll learn:

• Why we replaced ROAS with IMR (Incremental Marginal Return)

• The key metrics behind sustainable, efficient growth

• How to identify red flags in your customer acquisition strategy

• What separates brands that scale from those that stall

If you’re an 8-figure brand trying to grow in today’s volatile market, this tool is built for you. Get instant clarity on your brand’s biggest growth opportunities—and where you’re most at risk.

Show Notes:

• Download the scorecard: https://commonthreadco.com/blogs/coachs-corner/strategic-growth-grade-scorecard

• Common Thread listeners get $250 by depositing $5,000 or spending $5,000 using the Mercury IO credit card within your first 90 days (or do both for $500) at mercury.com/ctc.!

• Sign up for a 30 day trial and TaxCloud will give you free migration onboarding services when you decide to make the switch. Check it out at taxcloud.com/thread

• Explore the PROPHIT System: prophitsystem.com

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at [email protected] to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm

• Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC. 

• • The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard. Learn more about cashback.
  • Working capital loans provided by Mercury Lending, LLC NMLS ID: 2606284.