The Merchant Mastery Podcast

When Flax Sleep first launched as a business, they had to figure out how to acquire customers with very limited capital. The majority of their capital went towards inventory and a website, so there wasn’t much room left in the budget for things like marketing and customer acquisition. Vivian and the other co-founders of Flax Sleep shifted their attention towards building community. That was either by way of social media or via the strong community of supporters they had in the Vancouver area, where the business is based. They supplemented their eCommerce business with launch parties and popups that would bring people into the physical store. This generated the momentum they needed to keep the ball rolling.

In this episode, Dan Jordan, who is currently running dozens of Black Friday campaigns, gives merchants a detailed breakdown of what it takes to pull off a successful BFCM campaign, including proven strategies that yield sales. 

Next, we pass the mic over to YOU to hear about your BFCM experience so far. We discuss how to create compelling offers, sending out value-based emails, what to do when you run out of inventory, whether or not it can be effective to extend your BFCM sale, and how you can create demand for your products. 

We also let you in on a top secret project: our Merchant Mastery merch!

Simon Trafford and Dan Jordan from Social Lite, an eCommerce sales and marketing agency, break down the massive impact that Facebook and Instagram advertising and product pages have on maximizing BFCM sales. They explore specific strategies and case studies to further build on these key BFCM tips, leaving merchants with a tangible action plan for the holiday season.

This week we’re joined by Ryan Boonstra from Sezzle, a financing solution platform that focuses on improving the financial livelihood of its shoppers and financially empowers the next generation.

Ryan answers questions about payment plans for eCommerce shopping. He explains how interest-free and risk-free payment plans can increase sales and lead to a larger cart value; what sets Sezzle apart from its competitors; and he gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of  what exactly happens when a payment is processed through Sezzle.

Cade Proulx from Carro, a brand partnerships platform, navigates us through the fascinating world of influencer marketing and how it can benefit merchants and eCommerce store owners, especially during the holiday season. Cade leaves nothing out and breaks down how Carro works, and how you can get started with influencer and affiliate marketing

Laura Woolner is the Brand Manager at Fancii & Co., an Edmonton-based eCommerce business that specializes in beauty tools.

Laura shares why they’ve decided to change things up this BFCM and start their Black Friday deals early. She also dives deep into their creative marketing ideas and the concept behind their most recent advert.

We look at how they get their brand out there, how they go viral, and the importance lead generation forms and emails play in their BFCM strategy.

 In this episode Shopify’s Sigute Zitikyte breaks down all the exciting updates announced at this year’s Shopify Reunite. This episode is FULL of crucial takeaways from Reunite.

In this episode we talk to Vessi Footwear and 100 Ways Vintage and Modern Jewelry about their plans for BFCM. Hear what they did last year, what they learned, and what they plan on doing this year.

Rachel Tyers from Okendo, a customer review platform, shares the science behind getting more customer reviews, and gives you tips for how to get to those crucial first 10 reviews.

Customer and product attributions, FAQs, loyalty options, integrations with Klaviyo and Foursixty, segmenting your customers, and more -- Rachel shares it all in this episode.

Gabriel Scaglia Dias, Head of Digital and Growth at Vessi Footwear, has been with the brand  from day one, and has led the tremendous growth of Vessi across Canada and North America since  their very first BFCM. 

In this episode, Gabriel shares the strategies Vessi is implementing for this year’s BFCM based on what they have learned over the past 3+ years. 

Gabriel dives deep into the importance of understanding and developing the “why” of the brand, and striking the perfect balance between product ideation and marketing.