📦 - Win the Inbox Battle 🥊

DTC 669 - Meta’s AI Tools, BFCM Email Tips, and Zero BFCM Offers Thursday, October 17, 2024 Good morning, Have you visited Frightgeist? No, it’s not a viral haunted house—rather Google’s new site for staying updated on all the latest Halloween trends. The mini-site features eerie music and live updates of all Halloween trends based on search activity. Take a peek at the spooky site in our Quick Hits section if you dare… Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: 🤖 We go over how Meta’s new image and video AI tools makes it easier to create striking ad creatives. 🧙 Win the Black Friday inbox battle with these crafty email tips! ❌ And…why running zero offers in Q4 is a bad idea. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: [Case IQ](, [Komet USA](, and [OWYN](. 👋 WE SHOULD CHAT The Right Team Can Make Or Break Your Brand This Q4… 💥 Q4 is going to be wild. Are you confident that you have the absolute best team around you and your brand? If you feel that: - Your current agency isn’t completely focused on what actually moves the needle - They aren’t truly aligned to your ROI goals - They’re leaving your money on the table - Or maybe you’re just looking for a second option We should chat… 👇 [Pilothouse]( (DTC’s sister company) has a few spots open and we’re looking for 3 brands we can sink our teeth into. We’re hungry problem solvers, ROAS generators, and partners in your growth, right down to your bottom line. 🤔 Sound interesting? [Chat with someone on our team now]( - no obligation. We make money when you do. PLATFORM UPDATE 🤖 Meta Introduces New Image and Video AI Tools Meta’s new generative AI tools make creating stunning visual assets that align with an advertiser’s needs easier than ever, just in time for holiday gifting Advantage+ campaigns. Meta claims 15 million ads were made with their AI tools last month and these ads have a 7.6% higher conversion rate. Here are all the cool new AI tools and updates you need to know about: 1️⃣ Video Expansion: Advertisers can now create immersive video ads for Facebook and Instagram users and expand the dimensions of the video according to their needs. You can now quickly create ads that fit different aspect ratios across various social media platforms instead of manually creating different sizes. 2️⃣ Image animation: Advertisers can now create more dynamic ads using a fixed image on Instagram Reels. Creating and uploading a video asset will no longer be necessary if you are in a pinch. Generative AI will create a video out of a still image. 3️⃣ Brand alignment changes: To ensure these AI changes align with your brand identity, advertisers can now upload brand logos to guide AI in creating on-brand visual assets and generating text. Meta is also making changes to help create generative AI creative that’s relevant to your brand voice and tone. 4️⃣ More integrated creator campaigns: Meta is working closely to connect advertisers with creators related to their niche. This partnership will allow advertisers to incorporate creator content into collection ads on Reels and other places. The advertiser and creator handle will appear together which can be managed within Advantage+ Catalog. If you don’t see these updates, don’t worry. Most advertisers will see the change by early next year. HEY B2B BRANDS! 🤝 Need More Eyes on Your B2B Biz? Let Us Give You A Hand… The DTC Newsletter lands in the inboxes of 150,000+ founders, executives, directors, and managers five times a week. 👀 Our readers’ goal? To learn how to navigate the constantly evolving world of ecommerce and grow their brands. [That’s where you come in](. They’re looking for tools, resources, data, and ways to make their brand run smoothly and stand out. Here’s what we think you should know about our audience: - 83% work in marketing roles - 78% are at or above the manager level - 59% work for ecom brands or retailers - 36% work for companies generating >$5M in annual revenue Think our readers would benefit from what your B2B biz has to offer? We think so too. [Get in touch with the DTC advertising team today](. PODCAST 🎧 BFCM Email Strategies: What Works and What Doesn’t In this episode of The World's Best Email and Retention Podcast we dive deep into email and SMS strategies for maximizing revenue during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Jordan from [Pilothouse]( emphasizes the importance of consistency in messaging, revealing that most customers will open only one email during the holiday season—and that email needs to deliver a clear, compelling offer. In this podcast, we cover: - Optimizing Email Messaging: Focus on a simple, direct message across all emails to catch the attention of lapsed customers. - Strategic SMS Use: SMS should complement email campaigns, providing early access announcements and final reminders to drive sales. - Effective Segmentation: Separate engaged buyers from prospects and adjust frequency to maximize engagement while minimizing spam complaints. 👉 You can listen to the full episode with Jordan [here](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Are you worried about how discounts might tarnish your brand image? Don’t. Even if you offer a more premium product, having some kind of promotion, whether it’s a GWP or upgrade, can give you a bigger sales lift during BFCM. Can't view the image? [Click here]( ⚡ QUICK HITS 👻 Track Halloween search trends all in one place. Google’s new mini-site Frightgeist shows all Halloween-related search activity in real-time. [Visit the site here](. 🚨 If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the latest episode of our brand new podcast! [Listen to episode two of The World’s Best Email and Retention Podcast here](! 📰 NEWS - Google Ads [tests expandable and collapsible search ads](. - Instagram [rolls out digital business cards for your profile](. - Crocs [releases new pet shoes for dogs in collaboration with BARK](. 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? - 🦁 Building [A Mathematical Model That Leads To Growth Goals]( - 💸 [AKNF 446:]( The Art of Not Leaving Money on The Table - 📧 Mastering Email Metrics - [How To Measure Program Success]( - 🔪 Montana Knife’s [8 Figure Product Launch Schedule]( - 💪 [AKNF 444:]( How to Maintain a Brand That Creates Tons of Content - 🏆 Four Sigmatic on [Small Wins That Stack Up To Big Results]( 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](