Happy Sunday! I hope if you're reading this, you're sitting back on a couch, feet are up, a beverage in your right hand (maybe a Hint Coconut)!

This past week, another episode of Limited Supply went live on Spotify (click here to listen!). Moiz and I talked about a SaaS company, Prime Day, GROW NY Conference, and more. Thank you to everyone who listened to episode 1!! We came out the gate with strong numbers on week 1! You can also subscribe on YouTube to watch the full videos.

Product and promotional launch calendars are starting to become more crowded as we move into Q3 and then Q4 of 2022. This is how I like to plan and execute on DTC for product and big promotional launches:

Product/Promotion One Sheeter

This document becomes what each stakeholder (creative, developers, etc) can refer back to with all the information about what is going on. This doc also contains links to the relevant graphics, fonts, etc. so no one gets held up because of missing assets.

This will include:

  • What is the promotion or product
  • Who is the target customer
  • What channels will be activated (paid, earned, website, etc)
  • Launch date & end date (if applicable)
  • The goal of promotion (email sign-ups, purchases, subscriptions, etc)
  • Who's in charge of what
  • Important dates

Site Experiences

  • Make sure there is tailored copy and content blocks for the site to message the product or promotion clearly.
  • For promotions, make sure that coupon codes all auto apply at checkout, even if someone forgets the code.
  • Make sure the collections or product page being featured has been developed with site speed in mind.
  • Is there enough content to teach someone how to use their products as soon as they receive them? Did we answer the common customer service questions on the promotion or product page?
  • Do we need to set up a lander? If so, are we testing 3 different offers or promotions?
  • Is the homepage updated with copy and creativity that reflect a new product launch or new sale? (I was surprised to see Coconut Hint nowhere on their homepage)
  • Has the email collection been updated, if needed?

Email & SMS

  • Is the copy punchy enough but also explains WTF this event is?
  • Make sure the coupon code auto applying to the URLs being sent out for email and text
  • Have a clear launch email and text, 1-2 follow-ups (focused on product education), depending on the period, and a last chance email + text.
  • Update banner within automated flows to flag the new product or promotion, if needed.

Social Media

  • Create vanity URLs so they're easy to remember and look cleaner. On Shopify, you can set up URL Redirects so you have clean links in your social media bio & IG stories.
  • Any influencers who are promoting on launch day should also have their own vanity URLs so you can track their numbers individually. 
  • Have a clear post and caption announcing what the new product or promotion is, and where they can go to learn more. So many people use TikTok and Instagram as search engines today.
  • Add a highlight or post with a Q&A for the promotion or product launch.
  • Be ready to monitor comments if there's paid social spend behind the promotion or product launch.

Paid Media

  • If you're launching with landing pages (check out HOOX if you need, cause you should), make sure you have those ready to go. Ideally, you have one for existing customers, and at least one for new customers.
  • Develop a video and static assets to run on your paid channels.
  • Update branded search copy to reflect the new product launch or site promotion
  • Export and update CRM audiences across relevant platforms
  • Write some punchy ad copy

Earned Media

  • Affiliates, ambassadors, influencers, and editors should all be made aware of an upcoming product launch.
  • For site promotions, you can tap the affiliate channels of sites like Business Insider, BuzzFeed, etc. to be included in their deal round-ups.
  • For any UGC/unboxings, make sure each recipient has a card with the main benefits of the product.
  • Use vanity URLs!

Apps & Software

  • Make sure any relevant info is uploaded into Gorgias for customer service inquiries.
  • Make sure the product is able to collect reviews and that email is being triggered.
  • Double-check any Shopify scrips to make sure they're all working as they should for promotions/discounts/etc.
  • Place multiple test orders in different states to ensure everything is working as it should be from Shopify to the arrival of the new product.

In-Store Promotions (the inverse)

  • If you have a promotion activating at retail stores, you should support these promotions with light ads online. 
  • Build a landing page where you go deep on the education of the product or sale, what's included, and what store they could find it at. Optimize a conversion campaign for the store locator button.

Packaging

  • If it's possible with existing orders going out to customers, drop a postcard announcing the new product or promotion. There's no better touch point than an excited customer who's unboxing your product.

Hopefully, the hardest part is staying in stock. What else is missing here?

Vendor of the Week:

Okendo — The best reviews platform, used by SKIMS, Feastables, Magic Spoon, and others. Oh, and you won't rip your hair out!

Okendo has to be one of my favorite Shopify apps that exist in our ecosystem. The team is so helpful, and the product is so intuitive to use and set up. I haven't come across a single CFO, developer, or marketer who hates the product.

Okendo is a market-leading reviews app for Shopify stores. They're on over 5,000 Shopify stores, including Skims, Feastables, Jolie, Long Wknd, Ridge Wallet, Brumate, and so many more. I personally love it because the interface is phenomenal, from a UX and UI perspective. Okendo is also reasonably priced and delivers a lot of value for what they charge. 

Okendo integrates seamlessly with all the apps you likely have in your tech stack, too — Postscript, Gorgias, Klaviyo, etc.

2 quick stats on Okendo vs its competitor:

Merchants using Okendo generate an average of 3.4x more reviews.

Merchants using Okendo generate an average of 32% more UGC.

Ok, I'm done with the sales pitch. I love Okendo. Our whole team loves it, and everyone loves the prices (compared to the big guy).

Click here to get Okendo for free!

Jobs of the Week:

Chamberlain Coffee — Chief of Staff

Sharma Brands/HOOX — UX Designer 

Batch — Growth Marketing Lead

And, if you're just looking for a marketer on demand, use this MarketerHire link!

Question of the Week:

What is your smoothie order?

I ask because I think I have the world’s greatest smoothie recipe that my mom created. I’ll share it next week if there’s nothing better.

Brand of the Week:

Surely — Alcohol-free wine that tastes exactly like wine

Justin Mares, who previously started Kettle & Fire, launched a new wine company and he's been crushing it. The product is extremely high quality, and the site is optimized so well to drive a high site conversion rate.

Check out Surely's brands and site by clicking here.

That's all for this week

Today I'm up in Canada for my friend Gareth's wedding. You actually might even recognize him as the guy in the viral Lomi video. 

I hope you have an exciting upcoming week and get those 9 hours of sleep tonight! I'll see you next week. Don't forget — a new episode of Limited Supply comes out on Wednesday as well. 

Have a great week!