#18 DTC 101: Your KPIs Might Be Hindering Long-Term Growth

If you're looking for a masterclass in direct-to-consumer marketing, start here. Ecommerce coach Austin Brawner has helped over 200 ecommerce brands — like Ancient Nutrition, Kettle & Fire, and MVMT Watches — grow to eight-figure businesses.  In this episode, we discuss: Special offers: Why gift cards to your own store are better than discount codes KPIs: How to use KPIs to foster your long-term marketing strategy Effective social media ads: Creative that fits in natively with the platform but also stands out Black Friday Cyber Monday: How it's poised to be a logistics nightmare and how you can set yourself up for success Show Notes: 0:36 - Austin talks about his work as an Ecommerce Business Coach, and why that title best suits the services he provides to clients. 4:55 - Challenges clients often face while managing their budget in relation to their growth. 6:48 - Allocation of marketing spend: when should you start diversifying across different channels? 9:44 - Demand generation vs. demand capture. Importance of knowing the fundamentals of the platform you are advertising on.  15:42 - Coupon codes and special offers have become not only common but expected in ecommerce today; ways to track performance and cost effectiveness of your offer. 20:29 - How price points can increase the consumer's desire for a product. 24:48 - Pricing dynamic in subscription-based businesses.  30:17 - Customer acquisition cost in organic vs. paid traffic.  32:43 - Key performance indicators in email marketing. Long-term thinking.  38:14 - What the upcoming holiday season may bring for ecommerce stores and brands.  43:08 - Be sure to check out Austin's website Brand Growth Experts and podcast, Ecommerce Influence. Links: Austin's community (join here) (16:30) Honest Company (26:15) Winc (26: 22) Four Sigmatic Coffee (27:04) ARPU (28:20) Electric SMS (28:22) Recharge (28:25) Austin's coaching business: Brand Growth Experts Austin's podcast: Ecommerce Influence Find us on Twitter: Austin: @a_brawn Amanda: @amandanat Growth Machine: @growthmachine__