Thursday, August 10

#1 - 👀 How this brand is using AI for reviews

📰 TL;DR - Newegg has unveiled a clever use of AI for customer reviews. The site now shows an AI-generated summary of reviews, both positive and negative. The result is kind of like a word cloud. They call it Review Bytes. When you click on one of the generated terms, you can read the reviews using that term. There’s also a summary section — an AI amalgamation of all the reviews to date. The effect is that it makes skimming reviews easier.

💡 Insight - I quite like this! Reviews on product pages are a good thing — they improve customer confidence, which is great for conversions. The problem is when you have a ton of reviews, how do you sort through them? Yes, there are usually sorting options on hand but this approach from Newegg does a lot of heavy lifting. Including a “cons” section also builds trust that the summaries are accurate and fair.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#2 - 💰 The secret behind 5.2x+ ROAS with influencers!

Most brands make the mistake of paying influencers upfront. But if you study the likes of Lululemon, Sephora, Gymshark — they all started with commission-only ambassador programs.

This used to cost a talented marketing manager's full-time salary to do. But with tools such as SARAL, the process is now faster and easier than ever before (even if you're not an expert at the influencer game).

Streamline your influencer efforts with SARAL's automated discovery, outreach, tracking, and relationship management. They offer in-app guides so you can build your program without any prior experience.

Insight💡 : Untapped influencers + Commission-only collabs + SARAL's automation = Unbeatable ROAS! 📈 

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📣 If you want to reach our audience of 10,000+ DTC store owners, tap here 

#3 - 🏭 DTC is reviving American manufacturing

📰 TL;DR - This is a wonderful piece about how some DTC brands are choosing to open or purchase their own factories, breathing new life into a troubled sector. The fact is that most DTC brands, especially when starting out, do what everyone else does — find manufacturing overseas. This piece has some examples of (largely apparel brands) that have taken manufacturing domestic with their own facilities. A very well-written piece — definitely worth a read!

💡 Insight - Owning your own manufacturing facility is a dream that’s out of reach for a lot of brands. Although, it does come with a lot of benefits. During the pandemic, for example, brands with a more local footprint had an easier time navigating supply chain issues. And, if you’re into ethical practices, creating goods within the US can help achieve that. Look, I’m not saying overseas manufacturing is evil every single time — far from it, it’s just a part of our modern world. But these brands are definitely reaping the rewards of their choices.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#4 - 🛠️ Things worth checking out

🖼️ INSTAGRAM - Instagram is testing out a new collaborative posting option — I can definitely see this being great for collecting reviews and UGC. Read here.

📈 IT’S ALL UP FROM HERE - This report projects a very healthy future for e-commerce sales in the US. Read here.

🤑 DEALS, PLEASE! - 54% of customers are looking for coupons and sales. That and a few more stats here.

🎤 SWIFTIES - The Taylor Swift bracelet phenomenon has boosted sales at Michael’s. Read here.

💎 LUXURY - This piece reflects on how luxury brands pull off their prestige and scarcity strategy.

#5 - 💸 Stop wasting your influencer budget

📰 TL;DR - This piece has some tips on how to make the most of your influencer budget. Really, about how not to waste those precious dollars on bad decisions. First, the three Rs: Relevance, Reach, and Resonance — and that really comes down to picking the right people to work with. As well, this recommends engaging influencers right from the beginning, like when you’re still finalizing your product. Another tip is creative freedom. It’s possible to give influencers too much direction.

💡 Insight - This advice might seem a bit basic if you’re an influencer marketing veteran, but it’s a good read if you’re just getting into the game. The part I would emphasize is experimenting and analyzing. There’s such debate about whether macro or micro influencers are the way to go and arguably a good strategy uses both. But, the story might be different for different brands. So try both and meticulously track performance to find your own sweet spot.

➡️ You can read the article here...