Threading The Needle

Not all customers are alike. In this episode, Andrew talks about the importance of meeting customers at different points in their customer journey. “It’s really what your whole business comes down to, in terms of your marketing, customer acquisition, and reacquistion.” Show Notes: - Get net 60 terms on every transaction. Visit getparker.com to learn more about the credit card built exclusively for ecommerce.

It’s a foundational question for any business: What exactly are you selling, and how is your marketing approach optimized for it? In this episode, Andrew cautions against using one-size-fits-all business advice, particularly for how you market your product. “How your product is sold may be fundamentally different than the way other products are sold.”

Is your business set up to withstand hardship? In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Common Thread Collective CEO Taylor Holiday about how businesses can remain resilient amid uncertainty. “Who are the businesses that will thrive even if the current situation does become a net negative?” Show Notes: - Visit getparker.com to learn more about the credit card built exclusively for ecommerce.

There's a lot of information on the internet about how to grow an ecommerce business, but none exists at this caliber of high-level strategy and detailed execution. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Common Thread Collective VP of Marketing Aaron Orendorff where he unveils the most significant piece of public-facing content CTC has ever produced: The Enterprise Scaling Guide. “It's without hyperbole the most I've bled, sweat, poured, shook-my-fists-at-the-heavens-in-certain-moments-thing that I've ever had the great privilege of putting together.” Show Notes: - Visit getparker.com to learn more about the credit card built exclusively for ecommerce. - Get the Enterprise Scaling Guide: https://bit.ly/3zNTALh

Email is an 80/20 game: 80% of the value comes from 20% of what you put into it. In this episode, Andrew shares his thoughts on the current state of email marketing. “The number one thing that generates more value out of email is to send more email. It’s almost annoying how simple that advice is, but it’s true.” Show Notes: - Subscribe to the Data Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3btYXqM - Get a free email marketing audit: https://bit.ly/3zttqxe

Funding growth is incredibly hard, especially for brands that are just starting to scale. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Stephen Duke, head of marketing and growth at Wayflyer. “The thing that determines the health of so many ecommerce businesses is their financial engine: how well they are using the right finance tools and thinking about finance.” Show Notes: Get started with Wayflyer: www.wayflyer.com

What’s the secret behind massive wins on Facebook? In this episode, Andrew goes back to Facebook ad basics: what works, and what doesn’t. “There are times when the thing that really moves the needle is the product. Or, put more simply, the offer.”

First it was supply chain disruptions, and now it’s … warehouse disruptions? In this episode, Andrew talks about brands currently experiencing an abundance of inventory, the problems this is causing, and how businesses should respond. “Our warehouses are now so backfilled that there’s all these containers and nowhere to put the stuff. Even Target has said publicly they’re going to cut prices in order to move product.” Show notes: Fund your ecommerce business with Wayflyer: https://bit.ly/3arbACq

How do you determine the percentage of revenue that goes toward your ad spend? In this episode, Andrew answers this question he received recently on Twitter. “This is a crucial question for any business. For ecommerce in particular, advertising is the key way you’re driving traffic to your site.” Show Notes: - Get started with Wayflyer ecommerce financing: https://bit.ly/3arbACq - Use the Unit Economics calculator: https://bit.ly/3P2DPWI

Retention is king right now, so what’s your strategy? In this episode, Andrew is joined by Yotpo Product Marketing Manager Judith Zhu where they discuss how to generate revenue with subscriptions for any type of business. “One of the most powerful levers you can pull is having subscriptions as a meaningful part of your business.” Show Notes: - Connect with Judith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithkayzhu/ - Try Yotpo subscriptions: https://apps.shopify.com/yotpo-subscription https://www.yotpo.com/platform/subscriptions/

What’s your greatest challenge right now? In this episode, Andrew talks through a problem he’s having trouble solving, and what he’s doing about it. (Spoiler: the key is breaking the problem down into smaller problems). “Despite the current macroeconomic moment, I still have to figure out how to help this client grow.”

The market decline is real — but is there hope? In this episode, Andrew casts a positive outlook for the future, and suggests this is the time to invest in growth. “There is a moment right now to capitalize amid all the doom and gloom in the ecommerce space.” Show notes: - Get started with YotPo subscriptions: https://bit.ly/YotpoSubscriptionsEcommPlaybook - Statlas: https://bit.ly/3MV23AP - Andrew’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewjfaris - Mehtab From Karta: https://twitter.com/MehtabKarta - Fan Bi: https://twitter.com/lifeofbi

At the center of what you’re selling, what’s the most important? In this episode, Andrew talks about getting as clear as possible on the marketing messaging for your product. “You have to know what you are selling with total clarity, and in order to sell it well, you have to communicate that one thing more and better than everything else.” Show Notes: - Bambu Earth’s success: https://bit.ly/3xHG8ch - Get started with YotPo subscriptions: https://bit.ly/YotpoSubscriptionsEcommPlaybook

What’s on your mind as an ecommerce owner or operator? This episode, Andrew and special guest Common Thread Collective CEO Taylor Holiday cover 10 trending and top-of-mind ecommerce topics. “We’ll go big, we’ll go broad, we’ll go bitter and angry Twitter wars.” Show Notes: Subscribe to the Data Newsletter: https://content.commonthreadco.com/ecommerce-data-newsletter Mehtab's Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/MehtabKarta

It is a fact that brands are pulling back on Facebook spend. They shouldn’t be. In this episode, Andrew explains why the return on Facebook ads is better than you think, where your money is going, and how your growth is happening. “When you start buying traffic of any kind, it affects all your channels. A steady decline in Facebook spend produces a steady decline in organic and paid. And, ultimately, creates significant revenue decline.” Show Notes: - https://bit.ly/3LHNobF - Statlas, CTC's data tool Andrew referenced on the show. - https://bit.ly/38eHjWr - CTC Weekly Data Newsletter from ~220 stores comprising $5B in GMV. - https://bit.ly/3lDBtB6 - Explore CTC's "Expert Strategy" program for your brand. - https://bit.ly/39QCh2K - View the graphs and charts Andrew mentions.

“Get really good” might seem like unhelpful advice, but there’s a principle behind it. In this episode, Andrew emphasizes the need to be great at some aspects of your business, and why doing so will set your brand apart from the rest. “The brands that are winning have some feature or element of their business that make them uniquely good. They’re great at something.” Looking to scale your business in this unique climate? Get personalized ecommerce training from a team of experts, free for a limited time. Visit http://www.youradmission.co/

If you aren't happy with your business, it’s probably time to make some changes. In this episode, Andrew draws from his experience as a consultant coming in with a fresh perspective on a brand and its problems. “When I look at businesses, my only goal is to win for them. So I ask, ‘Why not do the thing that’s going to make you more money?’”

Quantity alone isn’t always better than quality. In this episode, Andrew does a deep dive into Facebook ad creative strategy. “It’s not just about the volume of ads, but the quality of ads. I believe you need both to be successful.”

Ever made it to the end of your promotion and realize you forgot something? In this episode, Andrew zooms into the mechanics of effective product launch and promotion strategies. “I’m going to give you five elements of executing a great promotional moment from start to finish.” Show notes: - Overview of the Four-Peaks Theory: https://commonthreadco.com/blogs/coachs-corner/ecommerce-marketing-calendar - SMS capture page example: https://bambuearth.com/pages/text-offers - Landing page example: https://bit.ly/3khoynC

If you’re a naturally productive person, skip this episode. For the rest of us, Andrew shares how he’s managing context switching and productivity. “I know I’m not alone in the challenge of working between multiple things at once.”