📦 - Making A TikTok Splash 💦

DTC 603 - Custom Emoji Creator, Kiaura Eyewear and Splashy TikToks Wednesday, July 17, 2024 Good morning, OpenAI has confirmed they're working on a new search product, which could disrupt the ecommerce landscape and Google’s dominance in search. This AI search tool can alter how customers discover online products and deals. What does this mean for businesses? If this new search tool takes off, they'll need to optimize their content for both traditional search engines and AI-powered searches. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: 🥳 Happy Emoji Day! Learn how you can use this free tool to create unique emojis for your next batch of social posts or ad creatives. 😎 Parker Godfrey shares how he turned TikTok virality into sales success with Kiaura Eyewear. 🤣 And…this hilarious trend is making a huge splash on TikTok and is a great way to improve your video’s watch time and engagement stats. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: [ECO Roof And Solar](, [Table Place Chairs](, and [Toyota](. 👋 INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS 🤔 So You Wanna Run Influencer Campaigns But You Don’t Have The Time to Manage… Just when you think you’ve found the perfect creator for your brand… poof, the dreaded DM ghost. 👻 1,700+ major DTC marketing teams, including Victoria Beckham Beauty, GoPure, and Solawave, are saving time (and the frustration of getting ghosted) with [Insense](. With [Insense’s]( fully managed service, save 40+ hours per month on influencer sourcing and campaign management. 🤝 Their dedicated platform manager handles: - Writing the creative briefs for your campaigns, on your behalf - Hand-picking the best creators for your campaign - Managing all communications with creators, from hiring to product shipment to getting final deliverables Get access to [20K+ vetted creators across 10+ countries and 30+ niches]( so you can start filling your funnel. [Book a call and get 5% off]( Insense’s managed service plan until July 31. *Sponsored TRENDING NOW 🤗 Celebrate Emoji Day With Your Own Custom Creations Happy World Emoji Day! 🎉🎉🎉 Where would we be if we couldn't express ourselves with a little 😄 or 🫠 at the end of every sentence? Emojis can quickly communicate a feeling or an idea while adding visual interest to your ad creatives or social media posts. 👉 Relatable or unique emojis can be a hit with your audience and generate lots of engagement. So, while everyone eagerly waits for [Apple to release their Genmojis]( this fall, here's another fun way to create unique or relatable emojis to engage with your online customers. [Emoji Kitchen]( is free to use (you don't have to sign up or create an account) and combines two existing emojis to create something unexpected and new. Test out some unlikely combinations using their randomizer or choose your own two emojis to create something wonderfully strange or laugh-out-loud funny to get a reaction out of your following. You can copy and paste your new emoji creation into your next campaign or create some fun social content to celebrate World Emoji Day. Here are some emoji creations the DTC team came up with to get those creative juices flowing! The Product Teaser Post: When you want your followers to be on the lookout for an exclusive product dropping soon. The Customer Appreciation Post: When you want to express how much you appreciate your customers' support for your business. The Testimonial Post: When you want to emphasize those awesome five-star reviews you've been getting. Reply back and show us your fun emoji creations! We'll be sharing the best ones on [our Instagram page]( this week. GROWTH 📈 Growth At All Costs. Sustainable Growth WITHOUT The Hidden Costs The agency pricing sliding scale can be a slippery slope. Just when you feel like you’re getting set up for success, another fee gets added and your next invoice skyrockets. You want to win, but at what cost? And realistically, for most brands, the answer can’t be “at all costs”. And it doesn’t have to be… Pilothouse’s new [Setup For Success program]( is designed to give you affordable pricing, clear expectations, and, most importantly, results. Starting with Meta full service (creative and buying), customize your plan with: - Email and retention - Studio shoots and creator content - Conversion rate optimization Choose any or all of what you need to reach your goals. No hidden fees. Why? Because growth CAN come at a sustainable cost. Sound like a fit for your brand? [Book a call to learn more](. *Sponsored PODCAST 🎧 How Kiaura Eyewear Achieved Viral Success Using TikTok Shops Today, Parker Godfrey, founder of [Kiaura Eyewear](, joins the podcast and shares his incredible journey. From selling t-shirts out of his car in high school to creating a successful eyewear brand, Parker's story is a testament to perseverance and innovative thinking. Learn the TikTok strategies he used for Kiaura Eyewear's rapid growth and how he used viral content to market effectively on social media without relying solely on paid ads. Parker shares: "We posted a video that got about 3 million views in two weeks and sold through all the inventory. There was so much demand that we had to open up pre-orders with three-month lead times, but people were fine with waiting because they loved the brand's concept and our authentic approach." In this podcast, we cover: - How to go viral by targeting a niche audience: Learn how targeting a specific niche on TikTok can lead to viral success and massive sales. - Founder-led content: Parker shares how he creates and posts all of the brand's TikTok content so it feels authentic and personal. - Quality comes first: A well-designed, high-quality product with accessible pricing is the key to building a loyal customer base. 👉 You can listen to the full episode with Parker [here](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Have you seen this TikTok trend? Businesses are promoting new products and promotions by creating these hilarious videos. All you need is a willing employee and a bucket of water. 🪣 The functional gadget brand [Multitasky]( leveraged this trend to show off their vegan leather waterproof laptop bag. The water splash at the beginning of the video hooks viewers and gets them to watch until the end to see the spokesperson struggle to finish their sales pitch. This is a great way to show off your brand personality and is easy to put together! Can't view the video? [Click here]( 🎉 CELEBRATE THIS! Here’s a look at all the fun holidays you can celebrate for the upcoming week! 👉 The NYC ice cream brand [Van Leeuwen is taking advantage of National Ice Cream Day by partnering with Sanrio to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary]( with a limited edition flavor. For one day only customers can purchase a pint of Yummy Berry White Chocolate Truffle in all of their shops. 😍 Talk about a sweet offering! 🌌 July 20: Space Exploration Day, Lollipop Day, World Jump Day 🍦 July 21: Ice Cream Day, Junk Food Day 🥭 July 22: Casual Pi Day, Hammock Day, Mango Day, Brain Day 🥜 July 23: Sprinkles Day, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Day 🥰 July 24: International Self Care Day, Tell An Old Joke Day 💁 July 25: Intern Day, Chili Dog Day, Hot Fudge Sundae Day 💬 July 26: All Or Nothing Day, Talk In An Elevator Day, Get Gnarly Day ⚡ QUICK HITS 🗣️ Meet your DTC C-Suite Mastermind speakers: Andrew Wilkinson, Rick Cadotte, Brock Mammoser, Drew Arciuolo, Sarah Carusona, Kevin Gould, and Nick Shackelford. September 18-19, Victoria BC. [Have you secured your ticket yet](? * 📰 NEWS - Amazon [launched a new ad type for businesses that are not selling on the platform](. - YouTube [has added more features to Shorts, including text-to-speech and remixing tools](. - Shoe brand Vans [launches virtual skatepark experience Vans World 2 on Roblox](. SPONSOR DTC 📥 Got a B2B Biz? Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 160k brand leaders and founders this year. [Talk to our team to learn more](. Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🕶️ Parker Godfrey on [How Kiaura Went Viral on TikTok Shops]( - 😆 [AKNF 421:]( Grow Top Of Funnel With Humor and Controversy - 🌽 FFUPS founder Sam Tichnor on [How He Scaled Snacking]( - 💰 [AKNF 419:]( Bidding on Branded Keywords on Google Ads - 🦙 Paka Founder Kris Cody on [His Peruvian Retail Journey]( - 🤖 [AKNF 417:]( Learn How To Build Your Own Brand GPT Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight]( and [Frances Du](. Edited by [Eric Dyck](. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content. [Direct To Consumer]( Pilothouse, 1011 Government St., Victoria, BC V8W 1X6, Canada [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( [Unsubscribe](