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- 🛍 DTC Daily - Friday, Feb 24
🛍 DTC Daily - Friday, Feb 24
Today's DTC news, tips, & tools you need to know
🚨 You can now see TikTok's top trending products
📰 TL;DR - Stop what you're doing and log in to the TikTok business center, there's something new and cool. The top of the page now has a "top products" tab where you can see which product categories are currently trending on the app. You can filter by country and also see how popularity has changed recently and the CTR, CVR, and CPA are, on average, for the category. The best part, though, is if you click "details" you can watch TikToks from brands in that category and see related hashtags.
When I looked, the top 3 categories in all regions were:
Perfume
Serums and essences
Shampoo and conditoner
💡 Insight - This has so many uses. For example, I noticed bath accessories with the subcategory "Pet Supplies/Dog & Cat Grooming/Bath Accessories" is trending. I was able to click through and see some examples, such as a pet water fountain and a towel made for drying pets. That's super valuable as a way to see what the competition is up to. My one nitpick is that you can't then click to see the TikTok on its own to view comments and likes. Another use case is to time your ad pushes for when your product category is trending.
🧶 Etsy sellers fight back
📰 TL;DR - Last week, Citron released a bombshell report accusing Etsy of knowingly harboring a ton of counterfeit goods. Now, the Indie Sellers Guild — a sort of union-like non-profit org for Etsy sellers — is speaking out, too. The issue isn't just sellers violating IP, but sellers who pass off mass-produced goods from places like Alibaba as handmade products. They say it hurts the trust of buyers who are on the site looking for handmade and vintage products, which is what you're supposed to be able to buy on Etsy.
💡 Insight - Frankly there's no way Etsy isn't aware of how many dropshippers and mass-market resellers are on the platform. And it's easy to see why people selling legitimately handmade goods aren't happy about that. The Indie Sellers Guild was formed to fight back against fee hikes and it's cool to see them taking on other issues. If you sell on Etsy, you should definitely be following what the Indie Sellers Guild is advocating for.
👽 Should you be advertising on Reddit?
📰 TL;DR - Of all the social platforms vying for your ad budget, Reddit probably isn't near the top of your list. It might not even be on your list. It's a tricky platform. With users being anonymous, there's much, much more room for controversy, of which there's been plenty over the years. But, it also has seemingly endless niche communities that could be a perfect audience for whatever your product is. Plus, the platform has made efforts in recent years to clean up its reputation and offer a more professional platform for ad buyers.
💡 Insight - This short guide makes a great point — with Meta and TikTok seen as the premiere ad platforms, advertising on Reddit is both cheaper and less competitive. The guide also talks a bit about organic posting. There are brands, like Gymshark, who are giving that a go. Either method seems worth experimenting with considering Reddit's gigantic userbase, but if you're new, you need to take the time to understand the unique culture and voice of the platform.
🥘 From Kickstarter to deals with Disney: meet Fly by Jing
📰 TL;DR - Fly By Jing is one of the buzziest DTC food brands I can think of. Its founder, Jing Geo, is featured on this episode of the Shopify Masters podcast. She started the business as a Kickstarter for her first product: Sichuan chili crisp. Now, she's expanded her range of products and has inked deals with Disney and Shake Shack. It's a true journey from a simple idea to a thriving business.
💡 Insight - Full disclosure — I've interviewed Jing before and she is a genuinely inspiring entrepreneur. What struck me most about her is how she wanted to build a brand that stayed true to her roots. She's also taken a lot of risks that have paid off, like cold-emailing editors and managing to get press coverage early on.
👙 Savage X Fenty embraces virtual fitting rooms
📰 TL;DR - Rihanna's very successful lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty, has launched a digital fitting experience at its store in Atlanta, Georgia. The technology creates a scan of a customer's body, allowing it to recommend products it thinks will suit that customer's particular shape. They partnered with Fit Xperience to make it happen and the brand says feedback has been positive.
💡 Insight - I know this is about a retail experience, but stick with me. I've been seeing a trend toward more precise and more customized fit for apparel. In fact, being able to touch and try on items is one of the reasons people are now returning to IRL shopping. The question is, how can you replicate that in e-commerce? Something I've seen is a push to include models of various sizes in product photography and listing their measurements and what size they're wearing. Is you sell apparel, you should always be asking how you can get as close to that IRL try-on as possible.
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