The Ecommerce Influence Podcast

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 the fun strategy Peepers is using to overcome it.
• 20:29 Why Peepers hasn't ventured into AI on their site yet.
• 22:36 Lessons learned about website speed and sacrifices that had to be made.
• 25:01 Coming up with the perfect product price and Peepers' price-testing process.
• 28:49 Peepers' approach to growing the wholesale component of the business and supporting their partners.
• 31:32 How John's role has evolved over the last five years and what he's focusing on now.
• 33:51 Employee retention at Peepers and what they do to keep people happy.
• 38:09 A quick win from John will help you improve your business.

Links And Resources

• Peepers.com
• Peepers Perfect Pair Finder
• Episode 204: How To Build A Baller Quiz Funnel On A Tiny Budget
• John on LinkedIn
• [email protected]
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 Business Manager correctly.
• 14:34 Where people often get stuck with creative and the components of great content.
• 16:51 The three phases of the sales funnel and how to start building audiences for each phase right out of the gate.
• 20:13 How to approach the first three months of advertising: crafting your brand message, how much to spend, and what success looks like.
• 23:23 What is your Cost Per Acquisition goal, and how do you determine it?
• 26:38 How to understand your initial Facebook advertising metrics.
• 28:16 Where to go next after you're getting comfortable with your advertising.
• 29:35 How to decide which objective to pick for different parts of the funnel.
• 31:31 Two objectives you shouldn't be using.
• 34:07 The key component you have to understand when you get started with Facebook advertising and what success often looks like for the first several months.

Links And Resources

• Facebook Business Manager
• Facebook Blueprint
• Facebook Pixel Helper Chrome Extension
• Book: Breakthrough Advertising
• Episode 214: How To Crank Up Your Advertising Creative (Aka What's Working Now)
• Episode: 198: How To Create Winning Content On Facebook And Instagram
• Episode 173: The Five Step Process To Optimize Your Facebook Ad Account (RCAB-P)
• The Coalition
• [email protected]
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 women's line and brother company.
• 20:39 The benefits of using Klaviyo for email marketing.
• 22:34 How to plan your email campaigns, and how segmentation can help drive more sales.
• 29:20 Things Rebecca's done over the last year that have had a big impact on her business.
• 32:05 Why Princess Awesome outsources their fulfillment.
• 35:41 The company makeup of Princess Awesome and the critical support roles they've outsourced.
• 37:33 Growing a business that serves your lifestyle and how this has been a core part of Rebecca's business from day one.

Links And Resources

• Princess Awesome
• [email protected]
• Klaviyo
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 enough information about why people are building their businesses a certain way and the lifestyles they're hoping to achieve.
• 21:19 Why context is so important, and why there's no simple success blueprint for every business to follow.
• 23:17 An example of how to think about the bigger thematic approach when you're trying to decide if a certain tactic is going to work for you.

Links And Resources

• Book: The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (and Why They Don't)
• The Coalition
• The Facebook and Instagram Pro Ad Buyers Group
• 227: How Supply Went from Startup to Shark Tank
• 135: [Case Study] How Messenger Ads Are Driving Real Revenue W/ Mark Arruda
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 little outside funding as possible, and the metrics he looks at to track his success.
• 18:59 What Patrick plans to focus on in 2020 as he further diversifies his marketing channels.
• 22:26 As Supply is starting to expand internationally, here are some of the considerations and challenges Patrick is facing.
• 25:48 Why Supply is so appealing in the international market, and how Patrick uses customer service to clarify his value proposition and support customers.
• 29:57 The post-purchase survey questions that help with Supply's customer retention and satisfaction.
• 34:39 Things Patrick's done in the last year that have had the biggest impact on his personal and professional life.
• 38:48 The truth about entrepreneurial life that Patrick wants everyone to know.

Links And Resources

• Supply
• Supply on Shark Tank
• [email protected]
• Patrick on Twitter: @SoundsLikeCanoe
• Profit Summit
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 agency.
• 15:49 The importance of making the distinction between warm and cold traffic.
• 19:27 A further look at how to calculate the ROAS you need for your business.

Links And Resources

• The Coalition
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 behind Shelly Cove's product development and release.
• 20:34 When Matt realized he wanted to put all his energy into the business.
• 23:31 How Shelly Cove built a strong brand from day one and the delivery tactic they use to set themselves apart.
• 25:54 Connecting customers with the company's charity to build deeper brand loyalty.
• 28:18 Some things Matt tried that ultimately flopped.
• 31:36 The turning point from t-shirt company to lifestyle brand.
• 33:26 Surprising sources Matt uses for his shipping supplies.
• 34:44 Advice from Matt: don't run sales too often.
• 35:20 Looking to make a little extra cash with your business? Check out these sites.
• 37:38 What's on Matt's mind right now as Shelly Cove continues to grow.
• 39:26 The roles Matt hired for that allowed him to free up his time significantly.
• 43:53 Matt's advice for aspiring business owners.

Links And Resources

• Shelly Cove
• Uprinting
• Faire
• Tundra
• Matt on Instagram
• Matt on Twitter - @SchroedsBiz
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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
• 208: The Power Of Paid Social: How Buffy.Co Blew Up
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes

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 is Mike Jackness and how did he get started in ecommerce?
• 9:30 From ice wraps to adult coloring books: the variety of businesses Mike's been involved with over the years.
• 11:49 Big opportunities in ecommerce right now that will help your brand stand out.
• 14:27 The criteria Mike's looking for as he's thinking about buying another business.
• 18:53 Strategies for increasing average order value and customer lifetime value.
• 23:24 If you're going to launch a new product, make sure it has synergy with the rest of your brand.
• 26:05 The truth about entrepreneurial burnout and the importance of having connections and support.
• 30:05 Things to watch out for to help prevent yourself from burning out and the ongoing struggle of running a business.
• 34:35 How do you create an environment where you don't have to compete?
• 36:25 The importance of identifying the time when you're actually being productive.
• 39:12 Technical challenges of living on the road.

Links And Resources

• EcomCrew
• EcomCrew Podcast
• EcomCrew Roadshow
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• EcomCrew on Twitter
• Ice Wraps
• ColorIt
• One Click Upsell
• Klaviyo
• @a_brawn on Twitter
• @andrewfoxwell on Twitter
• Brand Growth Experts
• Foxwell Digital
• Review or subscribe on iTunes