Friday, December 22

🗣 Want to get in front 14,000 DTC Brands? Start here…

🚨 In today’s newsletter 🚨

• Step-by-step guide to buying ecommerce brands

• Behavioral science tips for better marketing results

• Why Shopify’s 2023 AI releases could change SMB ecommerce

Let’s get into it👇

#1 - 🛍️ Step-by-step guide to buying & consolidating ecommerce brands

📰 TL;DR - We're all hyped up about the rapid growth of e-commerce, but are you thinking about how to leverage that for acquisition opportunities? This article looks at the four steps for successfully acquiring and consolidating e-commerce brands using a build-and-buy model.

For example, did you know that the global e-commerce market is expected to reach $8.1 trillion by 2026? As well, online sales are projected to make up 41% of total retail sales by 2027. And acquiring brands allows you to rapidly scale by pooling resources and competencies while still maintaining unique brand identities.

💡 Insight - I believe acquiring and consolidating ecommerce brands can rapidly accelerate your growth - if done right. Establish strict criteria and only acquire quality, complementary brands. Centralize services to reduce costs. Minimize administrative tasks for internal teams. And above all, nurture what makes each brand special - lean into their unique stories and positioning. Rome wasn't built in a day, so focus on quality over quantity and plan for the long haul. Do this, and your ecommerce empire will keep growing.

➡️ You can read the article here...

 #2 - 🎁 Give yourself the gift of painless 2024 planning (for free)

It’s prime time for annual budgeting and planning. As DTC brand operators, you deserve tools that are purpose-built for the job. Less data wrangling and manual analysis, more strategic planning and execution.

➡️ Get a free custom 2024 budget in 24 hours with Drivepoint

It’s possible thanks to 1-click data connections with Shopify, Amazon, QuickBooks Online, and NetSuite – and a full FP&A insights platform that DTC founders and finance teams love.

Smart brands like Graza, Oats Overnight, Curology, and Dose use Drivepoint for everything from budgeting and forecasting to scenario analysis and real-time financial reporting.

Book a personalized demo to learn more, or create your free account and get started right away.

#3 - 🧠 Behavioral science tips for better marketing results

📰 TL;DR - Creating compelling messaging? This article explores three behavior science tips for multiplied marketing results: Go for authority, offer options, and simplify complexity.

For instance, citing respected authorities instantly shortcuts your trust-building. Giving choice quadruples buying likelihood. And straightforward language boosts comprehension threefold. So consider overlaying science-backed reflex shortcuts onto traditional marketing. Their combined force can shadow entice and deliver.

💡 Insight - The simplest way to boost marketing results in the new year is to apply behavioral science. As 2023 showed, human decision-making often hinges on mental shortcuts. People gravitate to messages from authority figures and industry partners. Simplified text and easy-to-process designs feel more truthful. Options create the illusion of control.

In 2024, carefully incorporate these core principles into your marketing. Use expert endorsements and concrete imagery to increase clarity and comprehension. Give choices around payment plans or product variations. Experiment with framing to make the magnetic middle more appealing. Tiny tweaks rooted in the quirks of human psychology can yield dramatic lifts in engagement and sales. Let behavioral science enhance your existing strategy for the best chance of marketing success this year.

➡️ You can read the article here...

📣 Want to get in front of 14,000 DTC Brands? Start here… 

#4 - 🛠️ Things worth checking out

😎 AI - Top five AI use cases + trends for 2024 you need to check out

🛠️ TOOLS - 29 best ecommerce tools to scale your business the coming year

🎨 CONTENT - Seven customer experience strategies for branding in 2024

💵 PAYMENT- 72% of consumers choose SMBs for their Holiday shopping

📈 STOCKS - Here’s why investors continue to invest in Shopify

#5 - 🤖 Why Shopify’s 2023 AI releases could change the SMB ecommerce game

📰 TL;DR - Shopify has always worked to empower SMBs to build thriving ecommerce businesses. Their latest 2023 AI releases take things to the next level. Magic promises to accelerate content creation and site optimization. Bundles helps merchants effortlessly sync real-time inventory with product sets to prevent stock issues. And added Customizer flexibility puts more design control directly in the hands of business owners.

With these innovations, Shopify continues leading the way in providing SMBs the tools they need to efficiently create conversion-focused online stores. Competitors have some catching up to do, but for now, merchants should monitor Shopify's AI rollouts and consider testing them once available. If the tools perform as promised, they could truly be game-changers for SMB ecommerce.

💡 Insight - AI is opening up new possibilities for SMB ecommerce companies using Shopify. The latest releases like generative product copy and intelligent merchandising bundles demonstrate Shopify's commitment to putting more power in the hands of small business owners. While AI functionality may still have bugs or availability issues, forward-thinking SMBs should explore these offerings and consider how AI tools can enhance their processes.

Monitoring third party testing reports can help determine if migrating from other platforms makes sense. And existing Shopify users should get on the waiting list to integrate these capabilities ASAP. Just remember, AI is designed to accelerate, not replace human oversight. So even as you hand certain tasks off to Shopify's AI, the final products will still benefit from the custom refinement only you can provide based on intimate knowledge of your brand and customers.

➡️ You can read the article here...