📦 200 Issues... The Good Kind

DTC 200 – Does (TikTok) Length Matter? [DTC]( Banter Wednesday, July 6, 2022 200 newsletters sent, 105,000 readers… we’re taking the time to reflect and be grateful for each and every one of you. From the DTC team, thank you! ❤️ If you’re new to DTC, welcome! You’re in good company with fellow newcomers from My Lubie, The INKEY List, VIVA Scandinavia Tea & Teaware, Rise & Fall, and Hydrow. 🌊 In this newsletter, you’ll find: 👇 📦 Does your TikTok length and scenery matter? 📦 Loop’s 2022 Ecommerce Returns Benchmark is back! How do you stack up? 📦 Ridge Wallet CEO Sean Frank's hot takes after $100M+ in sales 📦 Your perfectly assembled app dream team with AdRoll 📦 How to get sh*t done – leveling up your productivity 📦 How much money are you leaving on the table right now? A FREE 60 page Meta advertising blueprint Read till the end to access exclusive DTC swag. 😎 👉 If a pal forwarded this to you, [subscribe]( , so you never miss out. TikTok Are You Showing The Right Scenes In Your Creatives? TikTok is a beast like no other. It seems like the most random videos can take off and hit the For You Page of viewers. [The most successful TikTok team we know]( just dropped a few quick tips about length and scenes of your TikTok creatives. Steal these guidelines for your own brand: 👀 Length matters The length of your TikTok videos can hugely impact the success of your video. The suggested length for top of funnel is 21-34 seconds! If you’re retargeting users, longer videos could be your key to success. Try videos up to 1 minute in length! 🖼 Change up the scenery Watching a video of someone just talking to their screen is boring, and the data proves it! Advertisers found that 99% of creative winners on the app had multiple scenes. Not only do individual accounts see success with this, but TikTok themselves also has reported a 38% lift in conversion using multiple scenes. Having multiple scenes within your creative means upping your chances of landing a viral video. Sponsor The 2022 Ecommerce Returns Benchmark is here! How do you stack up? They say comparison is the thief of joy, but when it comes to your brand, you need to know if your return process is making or breaking your customer relationships. Get the inside scoop on 1,500+ brands and nearly 10 million returns - analyzed and wrapped up into one easy-to-read report. The [2022 Ecommerce Returns Benchmark Report.]( You'll get all the juicy data on: - 📈 The macro-level trends of e-commerce returns. - 🔂 The factors contributing to a superior return process. - 👏 What you can do to optimize returns for your brand. - ✅ Industry benchmarks for apparel, footwear, accessories, and more! 👉 [Click here to see how your return process stacks up against the competition.]( Podcast 🎧 This episode of the DTC pod was straight money-talk with Sean Frank, the “Einstein of eComm” and CEO of [Ridge Wallet.]( Ridge helps its customers carry less and live more with minimalist wallets and other everyday essentials. Two Kickstarters, nine years, and over two million wallets later, Ridge surpassed the $50M mark in 2020 and shows no signs of slowing down. If you’re fascinated by financials, this is an episode you don’t want to miss… Get Sean’s scalding-hot takes on the current recession, his advice for brands and agencies to survive the eCom crash, why SPACs are scams, and much more. ‍The Takeaways 👇 📉 How to weather the eCom crash: You heard it here first: eCom is officially in a decline. For the last 20 years, eCommerce has grown at least 1% YOY (during Covid, the industry experienced unprecedented 30% growth). But not this year… This is probably no surprise to you if you’ve been following the markets, or even watched your own Q1 numbers roll in with disappointment. 😟 So what can brands and eCom services do to weather the storm? A few tips from Sean: - Be maniacal about protecting your bottom line. Do what you can to cut costs now before you’re forced into it. - Trim the fat where you can. Renegotiate SaaS contracts, call your credit card companies to lower fees, and ask providers for better deals. Every penny adds up. - Agencies: get incredibly good, incredibly fast. Align yourselves with the most premium brands possible, because as investor money dries up, only the best will survive. ✍️ The most undervalued skill for CEOs: “No one tells you this at CEO school or whatever… but 90% of your job is just going to be writing s#*! down.” Sean is a firm believer that CEOs (especially at remote companies) need to cultivate the skill of written communication. “Being able to quickly and concisely get your point across in a way that everyone buys into is 100% a superpower — especially as the world gets more and more digital.” And he walks the talk! Just check out [Sean’s Twitter]( for some solid word-spo. 💰 What Sean would do with an extra $100K: A very large influencer deal. “These deals are very risky from a cash-flow perspective — it’s really hard to get a direct ROI on them..so if I had “free money” that’s what I would do, I’d be sponsoring very large influencers on a one-off basis.” 👉 Listen to the full pod with Sean [here!]( Sponsor Make the most of the Shopify apps you already have So you've already done the tough part of wading through over 7,000 (!!) apps in the Shopify app store to build your eCommerce tech stack. 😮‍💨 We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's still work to be done before you get to reap the rewards of your perfectly assembled app dream team. The good news? [Five best-in-class Shopify Plus Certified App Partners]( are coming together to help you uncover the deeper capabilities of your Shopify apps and create a massive opportunity to deliver more engaging customer experiences, tap into new revenue sources, and build a memorable brand. [Join AdRoll, Yotpo, Refersion, Gladly, and Privy]( on Wednesday, August 3 at 11am PST (2pm ET) as they share customer stories of brands that have unlocked the full potential of their Shopify integrations. 👉 [RSVP now.]( Productivity How To Get Sh*t Done: Productivity Tips From DTC Insiders Let’s face it, while remote work has its perks, it can also be super distracting. Pets, kids, laundry, and a fridge full of snackies can make staying focused an impossible feat. Even if you’re no longer part of #teamWFH, office culture has its downsides, too. Trying to squeeze in a bit of productive work in between watercooler talk, seemingly endless meetings, and your chatty co-worker? Forget about it. So, how does one actually get sh*t done these days? 🤔 TBH, we’ve been wondering the same thing, so we reached out to some DTC insiders (including team members from our very own DTC Newsletter) to get their top productivity tips for crushing the workday! (You’re gonna wanna bookmark this one.) 1️⃣ Know what time of day you’re most productive, and don’t waste it This is the key difference between time management and [energy]( [management.]( For most people, their “highest energy” time is first thing in the morning – which is why many productivity experts suggest doing the hardest on your list thing first. ☕ 💬 “I like to do the task that's causing the most amount of stress first. Getting it out of the way first thing in the morning not only has you starting the day feeling accomplished but also makes the rest of the day seem less daunting.” – [Rebecca Knight]( , Content Team Manager @ DTC Newsletter However, according to the science of [chronobiology,]( we actually don’t all operate on the same circadian rhythm. This means that some people actually have higher energy later in the day, or even into the late hours of the night! (You crazy night owls, you.) So, understand when you’re most productive, and try to do your most difficult work then. 2️⃣ Identify what’s most important to get done Another key to productivity is determining what items are the highest priority to get done so that you don’t waste your day on small, meaningless tasks. While there are tons of fancy prioritization and task management tools out there, many of our DTC friends prefer a good ol’ fashion to-do list. 📝 💬 “A list. Pen and paper. Give yourself the satisfaction of being able to cross/check things off. Setting out a few tasks that are MUST DO help to ensure that my time is being used wisely but also that there's no end of day struggle to play catch-up on the tasks that slipped my mind.” – [Rebecca Knight]( , Content Team Manager @ DTC Newsletter Need help with prioritizing when everything seems important? [Jeremy Horowitz](, Head of Growth at Daasity, is a fan of The Eisenhower Decision Matrix: 3️⃣ Be a scheduling fanatic 💬 “Your calendar reflects your priorities, and if you don’t fill your calendar with your priorities, someone else will fill it with theirs.” – [Jeremy Horowitz]( , Head of Growth @ Daasity Seems obvious, but taking time to plan out your workday is absolutely ~crucial~ to your productivity. If you don’t have a schedule to follow, you’re more likely to get sucked into unimportant tasks, extra meetings, or binge-watching the best trick shots on YouTube. This can be as simple as blocking time for specific tasks on your calendar. The more detailed you can get, the better (even down to 15-minute increments). And don’t forget the concept of energy management: when are you most productive? Try to schedule your hardest/most mentally-taxing tasks for that time. 💬 “I think of my to-do list items in terms of ‘how much energy would this task require?’ and schedule my day accordingly.” – [Rochi Zalani]( , Freelance Writer 4️⃣ Chunk your time If you find yourself becoming easily distracted and unable to complete big tasks, disciplined “time chunking,” can be incredibly effective. 💬 “‘Chunking’ my time into blocks of deep work (à la [Cal Newport]() makes me so much more productive. I’ll set aside 3-4 hours to focus on ONE thing, and that’s all I do. No phone, no Slack, no email. It’s amazing how much I can get done.” – [Kelsey Hess]( , Contributing Writer @ DTC Newsletter Another popular timing hack is the [Pomodoro Technique](. ⏰ This involves working straight for a set amount of time with no interruptions; taking a break to go for a walk, do pushups, or meditate; and repeating – usually in 25/5 or 45/15 minute increments. 5️⃣ Use anti-distraction tech Can’t stay off Twitter during the day? Slack notifications got your brain playing ping-pong? 🤯 Try installing technology on your computer that removes distractions and notifications. 💬 “I use the [minimal theme for Twitter](, and it's quite useful. I also use [HEY email]( which has notifications off by default, so that helps minimize distractions.” – David, Founder/Designer @ [Rainier Watch]( Other distracting-fighting tools and tech: - Snooze all notifications. Just do it. - [Strict Workflow]( for Pomodoro technique. - [StayFocusd]( to limit time on certain websites. - [TimeWarp]( sets up browser wormholes to remind you to be productive. - Asana, Trello, Monday, or Todoist for task management - Listen to [Brain.fm]( binaural beats / focus music 6️⃣ Automate when you can One often-overlooked element of productivity is identifying what work you don’t actually have to do manually and finding a way to automate it. 💡 💬 “I set up a bunch of automations in Asana that have simplified and shortened our email brief process. [I] created a form where I input the brief info, it then automatically assigns it to our copywriter, then passes to the designer once the copy is ready. I used to do all of that manually.” – [Troy Petrunoff]( , Retention Marketing Manager @ Every Man Jack Automations can literally save you hours of work each week! 7️⃣ Block out strict “you time” every day Workaholics, listen up: don’t underestimate the power of feeling happy and healthy on your productivity. Set boundaries with work, and block out time to engage in activities that recharge your battery each day, whether that’s exercise, cooking, hanging out with family and friends, or bingeing Netflix (no judgment). 💬 “My alarm goes off at 6:30 and I take my dog for a jog [or walk] every morning. I come back, tidy up the house, listen to an audiobook, play fetch outside, do a workout, or watch a show. I find I am happier and much more productive during the day if I take some time in the morning to myself.” – [Raven Dixon]( , Head of Education & Growth @ DTC Newsletter 8️⃣ When all else fails…channel your inner Beyoncé Don’t knock it before you try it. 💃🏽 💬 “Sometimes I have a SLOG of emails to get through and I could list a million things I’d rather be doing. Then I pretend that I’m somebody who’s a boss b*tch, let’s say Beyoncé, and I’m like, ‘how would Beyoncé answer these emails? She’d do this like a BOSS. Beyonce would sit her a$$ down for the next hour and write these email responses because TIME IS MONEY.’ And then I blast music and write the emails.” – [Louisa White]( , Sales Director @ DTC Newsletter Now that’s how you get 👏 sh*t 👏 done. 👏 👉 What did you think of this list? Any other productivity tips we missed? Want more content like this? Hit reply and let us know! Quick Hits 🚨 How Much Money Are You Leaving on the Table Right Now? Give your team our [FREE 60 Page Meta Advertising Blueprint]( from the Performance Marketers behind $50,000,000+ profitable ad spend over the last 2 years. 😰 [Meta]( warns employees of ‘serious times’ in internal memo listing key product bets. 👀 [TikTok]( tells U.S. lawmakers it’s working to stop user data from being accessible to Chinese employees. 🛍 [TikTok]( tests dedicated shopping feed with users in Indonesia. SHARE DTC NEWSLETTER 🔥 NEW REFERRAL PROGRAM HAS OFFICIALLY DROPPED 🔥 👊 Want to level up the marketing skills of your teammates and employees? Just grab your referral link below and you'll earn points toward cool gear for every new subscriber you bring to the DTC fam. Here's your unique referral link: [( [Share via facebook]( [Share via twitter]( [Share via whatsapp]( [Share via email](mailto:?subject=Check%20this%20out&body=%F0%9F%94%A5%20Signed%20up%20to%20this%20newsletter%20a%20couple%20of%20weeks%20ago%20and%20it's%20amazing%20for%20DTC%20marketers%20like%20you!+https%3A%2F%2Fsparklp.co%2F47c676d0%2F%3Futm_source%3Demail) [See how many referrals you have!]( 🔊 Have you heard our latest podcasts? 💸 [Ridge Wallet]( CEO Sean Frank's Hot Takes After $100 Million+ In Sales. ☕️ [Death Wish Coffee's]( Will Critcher Spills The Beans. 🕯 Making Memories of NYC into Candles (and Killing it on TikTok) with Erica Werber from [Literie Candle](. 🍪 [AdRoll]( Bakes Up A Solution to the 3rd Party Cookie-pocalypse. 🧴 Growing 20-30% Month Over Month with Stem Cell Skincare Brand [CLEARSTEM](. Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight](, [Jordan Gillis](, and [Kelsey Hess](. 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