Wednesday, Jan 15

 🚨 In today’s newsletter 🚨

• Klaviyo’s New Pricing? Time to Trim the Fat

• Turn Customers Into Advocates in 15 Minutes

• Mila Dumplings - What's Good & What could be Better?

• Boost Ad Performance with Storytelling

• Be the Voice of Your Industry

• Latest News: Meta to cut roughly 5% of its workforce based on performance & more…

  Let's Dive Into It! 👇

#1

Klaviyo’s New Pricing? Time to Trim the Fat

Klaviyo's new pricing is a wake-up call for merchants—automatic upgrades based on active profiles can blow up your costs if you're not careful.

A quick reminder: suppress profiles inactive for 150+ days (unless they're VIPs, high-value purchasers, or subscription customers). At the bare minimum, suppress those inactive for 150+ days AND not a customer.

Every suppressed profile is one less unnecessary cost. Manage your lists wisely!

A couple of additional tips:

• Have a sunset flow in place. What does it do? Well, according the conditions set by us, this flow will keep auto-suppressing users that are no longer active (again, depends on the criteria we set)

• Keep looking for bots, and remove them all!

Need help with setting up a sunset flow?

#2

Turn Customers Into Advocates in 15 Minutes

Double Your Referral Revenue in One Chat

Hey there! I’m a referral marketing nerd obsessed with building programs that unlock real value.

• I’ve studied all the best cases (like Harry’s) + worked with 300+ Shopify plus brands

• Helped companies build “referral armies” driving 10% of revenue (most only get 2%)

• This year alone, I’ve generated over $5M in referral transactions.

Give me 15 minutes, and I’ll show you how to tap into your customers’ networks. Plus, I’ll buy you lunch ($20 UberEats voucher)!

👉 Book a no-pressure chat with me!

#3

Mila Dumplings - What's Good & What could be Better?

Let’s break down a dumpling ad that’s almost as good as the product itself.

It’s packed with strong messaging, a relatable vibe, and a clear call to action—but there’s always room for improvement.

What This Ad Got Right:

A Hook That Grabs Attention

“Here’s a quick and affordable meal that you can have ready in 11 minutes flat.” Boom. Right off the bat, it speaks to what busy, budget-conscious people want: speed and affordability.

Relatability That Connects

“If you know anyone who can’t handle anything other than boiling water…” A little humor goes a long way. It makes the ad feel casual and approachable—perfect for reaching a broader audience.

Clear Value Proposition

• Affordable: “79 cents per dumpling or less than $6.50 per meal.”

• Convenient: “Ready in 11 minutes.”

• Restaurant quality: “Taste as good as some soup dumplings I get at restaurants.”

• The value is clear: this is a no-brainer for someone looking for quick, affordable, and quality food.

Addressing Pain Points

Gym-goers, take note: “7 grams of protein per 3 dumplings.”

It also offers variety: “Tired of eating chicken brats? Here’s something different.”

Subtle But Effective CTA

The closing line, “That was delicious,” leaves a satisfied impression that encourages viewers to try it for themselves.

How It Could Be Even Better:

Punchier Hook:

Break the opening into two shorter statements for more impact:

“Quick. Affordable. Ready in 11 minutes flat. Even if all you can do is boil water!”

Reinforce Value with Visuals:

Use on-screen text or animations to visually break down the price (79 cents per dumpling = less than $6.50 per meal).

Strengthen the Protein Pitch:

Compare the protein content to something familiar:

“7 grams of protein per 3 dumplings—that’s more than an egg!”

A Stronger CTA:

Instead of ending abruptly with “That was delicious,” why not:

“Grab your bag of dumplings today. Your freezer (and your stomach) will thank you.”

Verdict

This ad is a banger for clarity, relatability, and strong value proposition.

However, Tweaks like a punchier hook, visuals, and a strong CTA drag the effectiveness of this ad.

I'd rate this 7/10

#4

Boost Ad Performance with Storytelling

In a world flooded with ads, facts and figures alone won’t cut it.

To truly stand out, you need to connect with your audience on an emotional level.

That’s where storytelling comes in—a strategy that has been proven time and time again to boost engagement and conversions.

Here’s how you can harness the power of storytelling to supercharge your campaigns:

1. Understand Your Audience’s Pain Points and Aspirations

Every great story starts with the hero facing a challenge.

In this case, your customer is the hero, and their pain point is the obstacle.

Your product or service? That’s the solution that helps them overcome it.

For example:

Pain Point: Struggling to stay healthy after the holidays.

Aspirations: Feeling confident and energized again.

Your ad can show how your product solves this problem while aligning with their post-holiday goals.

2. Show, Don’t Tell

Instead of listing features, illustrate the benefits through a relatable scenario.

Instead of saying, “Our meal kits are quick and easy,” show a busy professional preparing a delicious dinner in 10 minutes while balancing work and family.

Engage your audience visually and emotionally, making them imagine themselves using your product.

3. Incorporate Relatable Characters

People connect with people, not products. Use characters or customers in your ads to make your story relatable.

Share testimonials, user-generated content, or even brand ambassadors’ journeys with your product.

Highlight diverse stories to ensure your ads resonate with broader audiences.

4. Craft a Narrative Arc

A compelling story has a beginning, middle, and end. Apply this structure to your ads:

Hook: Grab attention with a relatable situation or question.

Solution: Introduce your product as the answer to the problem.

Outcome: Show the transformation—how your product improves their life.

5. End with a Call to Action

Your story is only as good as the action it inspires. Encourage your audience to take the next step, whether it’s buying, signing up, or exploring your website. Use phrases like:

“Start your transformation today.”

“Join thousands who’ve already made the switch.”

Why Storytelling Works

Audiences crave authenticity and connection.

By leveraging storytelling, you not only engage but also build trust—essential for retaining post-holiday shoppers and winning new customers.

Make your ads do more than selling. 🚀

#5

Be the Voice of Your Industry

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The best way to advertise isn't Meta or Google – it's appearing on podcasts your customers love.

PodPitch.com automates thousands of weekly emails for you, pitching your team as ideal guests.

Big brands like Feastables use PodPitch.com instead of expensive PR agencies.

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📰IN THE NEWS

👉Meta to cut roughly 5% of its workforce based on performance

Meta plans to cut 5% of its workforce based on performance evaluations, signaling its commitment to streamlining operations and improving efficiency. This move is part of broader efforts to optimize resources amidst economic uncertainties and evolving priorities.

👉WhatsApp is adding a way to turn selfies into stickers

WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that transforms selfies into personalized stickers, offering users a fun and expressive way to enhance their chats. This tool uses AI to create custom designs from photos, making messaging more interactive and personal. 

👉Apple joins consortium to help develop next-gen AI data center tech

Apple has joined a consortium to advance AI-driven data center technologies, focusing on sustainability, performance, and energy efficiency. The initiative aims to innovate and standardize infrastructure for next-gen AI systems.

Have any questions that you need help with?

Ask here - look out for Friday’s issue where Ibrahim will answer them.