Wednesday, October 18

#1 - 🎨 What to look for in a designer

📰 TL;DR - At some point in your e-commerce journey, you’re very likely to find yourself looking for a designer. But what should you look for? This thread from Mustafa Khundmiri dives into just that. First, you’re not just looking for something that’s pretty, but something that entices people to learn more. Next, you need someone who actually understands and empathizes with your brand and its needs — they must be invested. As well, you want someone who’s open to feedback and willing to work with you on changes, even the small stuff. More tips in the thread.

💡 Insight - The truth is that if you’re looking for a designer who can do e-commerce, you’ll be pretty spoiled for choice. That’s why you shouldn’t go with the first thing that pops up on Google. Take the time to evaluate your options and really get to know the ethos of who you work with. You want someone that will make the process easier, not harder. This thread is a great reference sheet for when you’re talking to someone new.

➡️ You can read the thread here...

#2 - 📦 A lot of BFCM apparel purchases will be returned

📰 TL;DR - A new study from the UK found that a whopping 1 in 6 garments bought on Black Friday are going to be sent right back. The biggest returners are Gen Z and millennials, with Gen Z expected to return 1 in 4 (27%) of apparel purchases. The biggest returners are also the biggest spenders. The average Gen Zer was planning to spend £389 on clothes, shoes, and accessories, well above the £239 for the average UK shopper.

💡 Insight - It’s no surprise that this survey was conducted by True Fit, an AI sizing tool. We know that providing accurate, in-depth sizing information is one way to prevent returns, whether that’s with this company or one of its many competitors. This also suggests that Gen Z over purchases with the explicit intent of returning what doesn’t fit, or what they don’t like. You can head that off not only with sizing info, but with showing items on a variety of body types and having a very clear return policy. You may even want to join the trend of charging fees for returns.

➡️ You can read the article here...

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#3 - 🎅🏻 3 holiday season mistakes to avoid

📰 TL;DR - This piece has three mistakes that e-commerce brands tend to make around the holiday season. The first one is a big one — undervaluing your offerings. BFCM and other holiday sales really drive up the urge to get your prices low and discounts high, but don’t go so hard that you sell yourself short. Next is not focusing enough on re-engagement and putting all your energy into chasing new customers. Existing customers can be your most valuable, so nurture those relationships. Lastly, this touches on understanding the difference between SEO and paid marketing.

💡 Insight - I think the section about pricing is so important. Yes, low prices is definitely a tactic that can work, but not everyone can have the lowest price. There’s also no point in moving a ton of product if you’re not actually turning a worthwhile profit. If being low-cost isn’t part of your brand identity, focus instead on what value you can offer to your customer’s lives. That should be your main branding message.

➡️ You can read the article here...

#4 - 🛠️ Things worth checking out

🎄 HOLIDAYS - These are the product categories expected to drive holiday sales.

🇿🇦 AMAZON - Amazon is expanding to South Africa and inviting third-party sellers to join. Read here.

💃🏽 TIKTOK - TikTok has launched a new ad program that brings ads on the app off phones and into the real world. Read here.

🧵 THREADS - It’s happening! Threads appears to be testing a branded content tag. Read here.

🍕 FOOD TRENDS - For those of you in the food and bev space, here’s Whole Foods’ forecast for 2024’s food trends.

#5 - 🧺 TikTok will curate an audience for you

📰 TL;DR - Digiday got its hands on materials TikTok is sending out to prospective advertisers and its certainly an interesting look behind the curtain. TikTok is curating what it called “Hashtag Audiences',” basically bundles of viewers it thinks are likely to buy a brand’s product. It’s based on past user history, including prior brand interactions, or interactions with similar brands. The deadline to join this campaign is Oct. 25 and advertisers must spend at least $1,000 per day in incremental spend for at least a week leading up to BFCM. They’re recommending spending at least $250,000 across BFCM on all placements, which is a lot!

💡 Insight - This campaign is clearly aimed at big spenders and may not be up your alley, but it shows the sort of targeting TikTok is capable of. One expert noted this seems aimed at brands that are doing at least $30 to $50 million in revenue. What I’m curious to see is if TikTok will ever expand this sort of targeting in a smaller way to brands doing less volume. It also makes me curious just what improvements we could see for TikTok Shop in the future.

➡️ You can read the article here...