Kristen Wiley

Stop hitting up brands who are your "dream partner" 💭 And start hitting up brands using... ✨ Intent ✨ Intent determines two extremely important buying signals: 🛍 Need ⏰ Timing Everyone wants more brand deals, but blasting your roster to extremely popular brands rarely converts. So what's the best process for figuring out the "right" brand partners? Target brands who've recently... 💰 raised capital 🚀 launched a new product 🤝 partnered with similar creators 📢 expanded into new markets or regions ↗ increased spend on a specific platform 👩‍💻 hired additional influencer marketing roles Cold outreach shouldn't be wishful thinking — it's about observing buying signals to target the "right" brands 🚨

75

15 Comments

Snag grew their DTC from $0 - Over $30m+ in 3 years. Here’s how they did it: ➤ Problem-Focused Conception While out shopping, Brie realized her tights were slipping down. Growing frustrated, she asked some friends of hers if they experienced something similar. Turns out every single one of her friends had the same issue. This was natural fuel for her to look into things further. ➤ Data = Unfair Advantage Brie didn't have a background in marketing. Instead, her data-oriented mind gave her an advantage by looking at things a little differently. She ran a Google Survey of 3000 women to find out who else struggled to find a pair of tights that fit. The answer? 90% of 3000 people. Bingo. Opportunity validated. The data also showed how: → The market was commoditized → Men made most of the product purchases (Crazy right?) → Most women accepted poor fitting tights as the norm This inspired her to really look into solving this problem, and her search for suppliers began. ➤ Knew the numbers Before launch, Brie’s focus to really get a grip on her numbers really paid off. Since the sales were through DTC, she knew she needed: → 25% of revenue back into marketing → First-order profit → Small seed round to fund initial stock order Armed with the validation from the survey and some strong number-crunching, Snag launched. They cleared £300k/mo in under a year. The emphasis of being profitable from the first order was key to allow her to scale forward and further invest in marketing. ➤ Applied Zero-Party Data & Customer Service This is where Brie’s data-oriented approach really shone a light on how Snag scaled rapidly. The pandemic caused havoc for many brands, including Snag. Over 60% of the business disappeared overnight, and they went into negative. They had Facebook debt that had to be paid. Fast. Or Snag would die. That’s when Brie turned to her customers for answers. Her customers suggested a brilliant offer: 2 tights for the price of one, but the second pair gets sent in 6 months. The offer worked - Snag survived. And eventually thrived. This was a genius idea to help relate to her customers. ➤  Applied the ‘3-Piece’ DTC Law Finally, Brie understood the fundamental law of DTC. → Commitment to customer service → Great product experience → Solve a big problem Since all 3 were checked, the rest was down to semantics, unit economics, and following marketing fundamentals. ➤  Final Thoughts As a data analyst, Brie’s final words of advice were super impactful and really hit home. Yes, data is important, but it’s even more important that each data point is an actual human being, not just a number on a spreadsheet. Combining the importance of data with the understanding that each data point is a human is a brilliant formula for growth. What else would you add?

10

12 Comments

You can’t market your way out of a bad product. This past week, I watched an influencer-built DTC brand launch its first products—and within days, the whole thing imploded as customers took to social media to voice their frustrations. The hype? Massive. The customer reactions? Brutal. Social media turned into a full-blown roast session, and honestly, it's been painful to watch. (My fellow TikTok ladies know who I'm talking about 🫠) And let’s be real—it’s so easy to start a business these days, especially when you’ve got a massive following. But that’s exactly the problem. Too many people treat it like a shortcut, skipping the hard work of making a product that actually delivers. Honestly? It’s a slap in the face to the companies who pour their blood, sweat, and tears into their products. The ones who live for the details, test until it’s flawless, and grind to make sure their product delivers every single time. They set the standard. No level of fame, no influencer, no campaign, no amount of reach will save you if you can’t deliver on your promise.

35

6 Comments

We meet with 20 DTC and enterprise brands a month that are working with other agencies to build an influencer-affiliate channel. Here's how 90% of the convo's go: "Our agency is reaching out to 150 influencers a week..." OUCH "They're sending one email through an influencer platform using their primary domain... AND NO FOLLOW UPS!" 😅 "They aren't recruiting influencers on instagram DM's." 😑 "They are only focused on nano and micro creators because the brand doesn't have budget for paid relationships." "They only send one product to influencers and expect them to continue creating content that converts." 😲 "Their is no community management strategy." 😒 "No automations or trigger based email flows to nurture influencers." 😤 "No monthly challenges or campaigns running." 🤐 "They're not putting whitelisting/ spark ad spend behind top performing content." 😶 These are what we call the cardinal sins of building a successful influencer-affiliate channel and will 100% guarantee that your program will never generate results Influencer-affiliate can be a profitable growth channel driving direct revenue, millions of free impressions, and create a library of high converting ad creative But you have to get the fundamentals right Start with a richer offer Use your CPA on Meta and start their... paying $50? Cool why not be willing to pay that for a creator to drive sales for you. 20x your outreach volume! YES 20x Get a new influencer software that supports email at scale, we use SARAL - The Influencer OS Set up a secondary domain and 10-20 new inboxes Now you can send 35 emails a day per inbox or 10,500-21,000 emails a month to recruit influencers Stand up 4 brand owned instagram accounts Start sending 100 dm's a day to recruit influencers Have a dedicated person that builds relationships with influencers in the community and finds ways to get them creating more content These programs are often the biggest marketing opportunity for brands But their agency doesn't have the right strategy or isn't willing to do the work required to make it work If you're working with an agency, at a minimum push them to scale TOF outreach and you'll start to see better results. What other constraints have you experienced building your influencer-affiliate channel?

33

15 Comments

Thanks to Joseph Nyahay for having me on your podcast! Loved hearing about your marketing niche as well - great to focus on conversions! Being an "active listener" and asking smart questions was not just what made me a good reporter, it's what is making me a good marketer today as well. Here's to traveling more in 2024 and beyond! #marketing #fCMO #podcasts

8

1 Comment

#SocialListening for product iteration, innovation, and development?! 👀 Yep. Happens all the time. Well, around B Squared Media, LLC. 😎 If you're in #ProductDevelopment or product marketing, take a gander at my quick three-step tip for using social listening tools to help your products fly off the shelves. 🛍 I promise, it's easier than you think! 😉 --- 👋 I'm Brooke. 💚 The Social Care lady.  💬 I chat about digital #CX. ➕ Click follow on my profile to see more posts like this.  🫶 Want to work together? Let's chat!

10

2 Comments

Does UGC content matter to customers? It does, here’s a stat to prove it: ~60% of consumers think UGC is the most authentic way brands can market themselves. Still, many brands struggle to harness the full potential of UGC in their marketing strategies. Too often, UGC gets lost in the vast sea of social media content. But fear not – your brand's UGC can stand out and deliver maximum ROI. How? 🤔 Here’s my 'secret sauce': 1) 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐔𝐆𝐂 🤐 As a brand, your goal must be to stay authentic always. So, hiring an actor to shoot UGC is a big NO. Be real, Be authentic 2) 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 🗣 When shooting a UGC, you shouldn’t bind your customer to a particular script (just little direction is OKI). Instead, give them the freedom to speak from their heart. When they do: — They bring real emotions  — They bring authentic views — Content feels raw and real Also, META Algo loves real UGC content and rewards them with improved KPIs (Higher CTR, Higher ER)    3) 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 📽 Stop making the UGC content like a movie. Let there be a simple setup. Because when you make it too professional, people somehow feel disconnected from it 4) 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 🍭 If you’re asking for a customer to make a UGC, then they should be awarded and recognized on social media I believe UGC is a powerful tool for brands. They can leverage it and get maximum ROI. Any doubts ? Just leave a comment, I’d be happy to help. #marketing #UGC #branding

19

1 Comment

🤠 RESOURCE ROUNDUP TIME! 🤠 Here's what we've been cookin' up with our community on nearbound.com: 📕 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: ➜ The Nearbound Marketing Blueprint from Jessica Fewless, Isaac Morehouse, and yours truly! (FREE & UNGATED) ✍ 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬: ➜ How CallRail Increased Integration Adoption by 167% Through Strategic Partnership with HubSpot and Reveal with Jennifer Keepes and Mike Stocker ➜ Leveraging Partnership Data To Its Fullest Extent Requires Integration with Shauntle Barley at Arrows ➜ How to Help Your Sales Team with Intros (with FREE email templates) by Andrea V. ➜ The GTM Partners x Reveal Partnership announcement by Sangram Vajre ➜ Target the Right Leads at the Right Time: A Recap of the Happy Customers Festival with highlights from the session with Jared Fuller, Taylor Corrado, Hannah Goldberg, and Shauntle Barley. ➜ Partnership Value Modeling by 🌏 Linkon Axon ➜ Breaking Down Silos and Getting a Seat at the Table by Sam Yarborough ➜ The GTM Bowtie: How To Overlay Partners Across the Complete Customer's Journey Part One by 🤝Will Taylor and Ela Richmond ➜ How GTM Leaders are Tracking Nearbound Metrics with Daniel O'Leary, Alex Hernandez, Nigel Liaw, and more! 🎧 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬: ➜ Howdy Partners #74: Reactive Partner Marketers Are Salary Wasted - Jessica Fewless ➜ Nearbound Podcast #164: Why Your SaaS Partnerships Aren't Delivering - Scott Wueschinski's Solution ➜ Nearbound Podcast #165: From Zero to $400M in Revenue - Finding Success in a Crowded SaaS Market with Jeff Cheal Find everything (& more) at nearbound[dot]com Or you can just comment for specific links and I'll share them directly. Happy learning! ♥

16

4 Comments

📌 Pinterest is having a webinar next week to dive deep on their Performance+ suite of products. You'll be able to hear directly from two Lead Product Marketing Managers as well as a Senior Industry Lead (s/o Jared my old colleague!) What you can expect: • Discover how the suite of Performance+ products can help automate campaigns. • Learn how to create a campaign using Performance+ to drive lower funnel performance. • Follow step-by-step demonstrations on how to analyze and optimize campaign performance. • Receive our free “How to Get Started with Performance+ Guide.” Link to register in the comments 📌 #pinterest #marketing #dtc #ecommerce #performancemarketing

18

2 Comments

Hot take: The engine that fuels your B2B marketing growth isn’t AI. 🤖 It’s positioning. If you don't position your product correctly, you’ll struggle to be remembered – even when buyers have a need for your offering. Here's what CMOs today should know 👉 https://hubs.ly/Q02KcFFn0

3

Behind-the-scenes content: The secret weapon for DTC brands? We're doubling down on creating BTS footage for a few clients. Here's why you should consider showcasing your production process if you can: 1. Builds trust and transparency 2. Highlights craftsmanship and quality 3. Creates emotional connection with customers 4. Provides fresh content for ads and social media Storytelling can be your competitive edge. BTS footage allows you to tell new stories.

2

1 Comment

Tired of outdated agency models that overpromise and underdeliver? 💡 In this all-new Snarketing Podcast, Eric Segal and Brett Banker, co-founders of X&O, share how their hybrid consultancy-agency model is shaking things up. 🔹 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞: Agencies and creatives need to stop giving away their expertise for nothing. 🔹 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬: Pseudonyms and streamlined client proposals that seal the deal. 🔹 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥: How agencies can thrive amid constant change. 🔹 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐌𝐎'𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧: How X&O is helping CMOs tackle everything from brand strategy to product development with sharp, adaptable talent. Along with co-host Valerie Vespa -- and presented by Leadfeeder --this episode dives into how X&O is delivering faster, smarter, and more impactful results for brands. 🎧𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍: Is this the future agency/client work? https://lnkd.in/e43uWzav -- ▶️ 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊: Every episode, every teaser, all the snark -- all on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eZWzNTqk -- 🤝 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍: Do business better, faster, smarter with @Leadfeeder. And get an extended free trial to the platform just for being a Snarketing lover: https://lnkd.in/ef4fQyWX

41

12 Comments

💫 Great product marketing makes it easier for buyers to buy. ➡️ messaging and positioning that resonates ➡️ packaging that aligns to expected buying motion ➡️ simple pricing (admittedly this can be harder as you move into enterprise 🙈 )

15

Hey California small businesses! We know you hustle hard, and your digital marketing campaigns are key to finding new customers and growing revenue. But guess what? The California legislature is messing with your money. They're trying to pass a new law – SB 1327 – that'll jack up the cost of digital advertising by 7%! That's right, 7% more expensive! This tax is supposed to target the big tech guys like Facebook, Google, and TikTok, but guess who really ends up paying? You guessed it – small businesses like yours! You're already facing enough competition from those big brands with their massive budgets. You don't need lawmakers making it even harder. Tell your legislators to oppose SB 1327 and stop this tax madness before it hits your bottom line. Click below to sign the letter and protect your marketing budget! Your voice matters – let's show them we won't take this lying down. #nonewtax #digitalmarketing https://lnkd.in/gZBGUeKC

3

Who should own product launches? Derek Osgood thinks it should be one product marketer per product line. Launches are one of those distributed tasks that sit at the intersection of a bunch of roles. It feels like everyone and no one is responsible for them. On this week's #GrowandTell, Derek shared his experience launching *billions* of dollars in games at PlayStation, where 90% of a game's sales happen in the first 90 days. Derek says the best launches come from one product marketer owning each product line or customer segment. They act as air traffic control for their product, coordinating customer discovery, market research, demand gen, messaging, internal training, collateral creation, and executing the launch itself. They're backed by a platform product marketing team that acts as shared services across your product lines. Big fan of that approach. -- Loved going deep on Derek's time leading launches at PlayStation and Rippling. We also talked about founding Ignition, his go-to-market platform for better product launches. You can watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gh73Q_JY

29

3 Comments

When I started out in marketing I was really sensitive. Really thin-skinned. I was wounded by feedback (especially late feedback) that was anything less than a pat on the head for being great. I was incapable of hearing criticism of any work I had done as anything but a damning of my character. I realize I don't come out very well in this story. That's ok. This isn't really about feedback. It's about learning to collaborate. Because somewhere - I honestly don't know where or when - I learned to listen (a bit). I don't think I'm perfect at it (who is?) but I stopped bristling at an alternative approach and started to rule it in. Is that idea valid? Is it better than my original idea? I've heard some things about how some really successful companies operate on a 'best idea wins' approach. In other words, it's not hierarchical, anyone with a good suggestion can put it forward. Sometimes the people that cause the most friction are the ones that get the most done because they spark us all into action. If you want to dive into better collaboration without the huge emotional journey I highly rate Neil Stoneman's post tagged below. Also tagging Hilton Barbour as someone who (dare I say relentlessly?) challenged me back in the day and made me stand on my own feet to better defend my views but also accept an outside view. #b2bmarketing #b2bstrategy

8

4 Comments

Wow, breaking news from the world of DTC / e-commerce. The FTC is implementing a new rule to ban fake reviews and deceptive testimonials in an effort to crack down on misleading advertising practices. They're going to hold companies accountable for fabricating or manipulating reviews to influence consumer behavior. It's called the "Final Rule" and it could lead to hefty fines for businesses that engage in such practices. This step is part of a broader initiative to ensure transparency and honesty in online reviews, which are increasingly influential in consumer decision-making. If the fact that consumers have become extremely well versed at sniffing out fake reviews wasn't motivation enough for brands to take product reviews seriously, this should be. Platforms like Moast will lead the charge at helping brands collect and display honest and authentic testimonials from real customers.

39

9 Comments