7-Figures & Beyond - An Ecommerce Marketing Podcast For 6 & 7-Figure Brands Greg Shuey

In this episode, Greg Shuey and his co-host Laurel Teuscher delve into the emerging issues related to Meta's Advantage Plus Creative Enhancements, a generative AI tool designed for optimizing ad creatives in Meta's Ads Manager. After a brief hiatus, Laurel returns to share her experiences and concerns with this tool, particularly how it’s impacting client campaigns by automatically altering images and videos. These AI-driven changes are intended to boost engagement but have sometimes resulted in unnatural modifications that undermine brand authenticity and alienate customers.
Throughout the discussion, Laurel illustrates the dual nature of AI enhancements in advertising, noting that while they can streamline ad production and experiment with creative formats, they often strip away the control brands have over their own messaging. This loss of control can lead to ads that fail to convey the intended message or aesthetic, detracting from the user experience and potentially harming the brand's reputation. She emphasizes the importance of vigilance and manual oversight, even in an automated system, to ensure that AI modifications enhance rather than compromise the advertisement's effectiveness.
The podcast wraps up with a broader reflection on the future of AI in advertising. Both hosts express cautious optimism that AI tools will evolve to offer more reliable and refined assistance in ad management. However, they also stress that marketers need to stay informed and actively involved in how their ads are generated and presented. This approach will help safeguard against the pitfalls of early-stage AI technologies, which, although promising, currently require human intuition and oversight to align with strategic marketing goals and preserve the integrity of brand communication.

Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/Laurel Tesucher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laureltoosure/Meta's Newest Generative AI Enhancements: https://www.facebook.com/business/news/Introducing-Enhanced-Gen-AI-Features-and-Other-Tools-to-Help-Build-Your-Business https://www.stryde.com/understanding-metas-advantage-creative-enhancements/

In this episode, host Greg welcomes Goni Goder, VP of Marketing for North America at Keter, a lifestyle products company. The episode focuses on content marketing strategies and how Goni's team creates impactful, brand-centric content across various digital platforms. Greg discusses the importance of content in driving growth through channels like SEO, email, and paid advertising, emphasizing the need for content that is both relevant and unique to the brand.
Goni shares her journey from a strategic consultant to a marketing leader, highlighting her dual interest in creativity and analytics. She outlines her role at Keter, describing how the company manages to maintain a low profile despite its widespread distribution across major retailers. Goni's approach mixes creative experimentation with a solid understanding of Keter’s market positioning, aimed at making Keter’s presence more recognizable to consumers.
The discussion then shifts to the challenges of scaling quality content and staying true to the brand. Goni explains the strategies employed by her team to keep content fresh and aligned with consumer trends without losing the brand's unique voice. She also talks about using consumer feedback to adapt content, ensuring it meets the needs and expectations of the audience. This episode offers valuable insights into effective content marketing and the intricacies of managing and evolving a brand’s digital presence.

Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/Goni Goder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goni-goder-cohen-1411734/Keter: https://www.keter.com/en-us/https://www.stryde.com/how-to-create-relevant-unique-true-to-brand-content-for-your-d2c-brand/

In this episode of the "7 Figures and Beyond" podcast, Greg speaks with Jean-Marx, a seasoned digital marketer and former senior director of marketing at Land's End. He is currently on the lookout for new opportunities, highlighting his extensive experience in the industry. The conversation begins with a discussion on the importance of first-party data, particularly focusing on effective strategies for email capture as a critical component of digital marketing in 2024. He emphasizes the need for ecommerce sites to prioritize their email capture pop-up windows to gather valuable customer data for segmentation and targeted marketing.
Jean-Marx shares his journey through the early days of the internet, where he started building web applications and eventually moved into ecommerce, working for prominent brands like Victoria's Secret and Burton Snowboards. His career also included stints during the dot-com boom and at JPMorgan Chase, where he contributed to innovative projects like mobile check deposits. Marks' diverse background illustrates a deep understanding of both the technical and marketing sides of ecommerce, offering listeners valuable insights into leveraging first-party data for business growth.
The conversation dives deeper into data-driven marketing strategies, discussing how businesses can enhance customer data collection and utilization. Marks stresses the importance of understanding customer behaviors through advanced segmentation and the use of comprehensive data analytics platforms like Klaviyo and HubSpot. He also touches on the potential impacts of upcoming privacy laws on marketing practices and the importance of adapting to these changes to maintain effective customer engagement. Throughout the podcast, Marks provides actionable advice for ecommerce marketers aiming to improve their data collection and segmentation efforts to boost customer lifetime value and drive sustained business growth.

Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/Jean-Marx Mantilla LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanmarx/Looker Studio: https://lookerstudio.google.com/https://www.stryde.com/how-to-better-capture-use-first-party-data-to-guide-your-d2c-strategy/

In this episode, Greg speaks with Garrett and Sarah, founders of Duncan and Stone, a company specializing in memory books and journals. They discuss their accidental journey into entrepreneurship, sparked by a need for non-cheesy memory-keeping solutions. They started with baby books designed during a playdate and expanded their product line to cater to different life stages and needs. Their business began with personal connections and expanded through strategic product development and clear targeting of customer needs.
During the podcast, they delve into strategies for increasing the Average Order Value (AOV), an essential metric for scaling direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. Sarah emphasizes her focus on not leaving money on the table by enhancing product offerings and strategically setting pricing and promotions to encourage customers to add more to their carts. They use customer journey analytics to tailor suggestions and upsells, increasing the value of each purchase. These tactics are underpinned by their deep understanding of their customer base, using detailed feedback to continuously refine their approach.
Garrett and Sarah also explore broader e-commerce strategies, including their use of various platforms like Amazon and Shopify, and the importance of adapting to customer preferences and market conditions. They stress the importance of aligning business strategies with brand identity and customer needs, rather than blindly following market trends. Their approach combines analytical rigor with a keen sense of market dynamics, aiming to build a resilient, customer-centric business. This holistic view allows them to innovate while staying true to their core values and brand proposition.


Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/Garrett Peters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettlpeters/Sarah Autry LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-autry-421894216/Duncan & Stone: https://www.duncanandstone.com/HiTide: https://gohitide.com/https://www.stryde.com/creative-useful-ways-to-increase-your-average-order-value/

In this episode of the Seven Figures and Beyond podcast, Greg welcomes Matthew Holman, an entrepreneur heavily involved in the e-commerce and subscription marketing sectors. Matthew is the founder of Subscription Prescription, helping direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands excel in subscription models, and Commerce Catalyst, a community for e-commerce professionals in Utah. Through various live and virtual events, Matthew aims to alleviate the isolation often felt by e-commerce founders by fostering a collaborative environment.
Matthew shares his personal journey, which is marked by considerable challenges including a lengthy incarceration during his youth. This experience shaped his aspirations and fueled his passion for entrepreneurship and marketing, particularly within the e-commerce space. Post-incarceration, Matthew initially pursued a degree in information systems but eventually found himself drawn back to marketing, leading him to spearhead marketing efforts at a SaaS company and later, deeply engaging with subscription-based business models.
The discussion delves into the mechanics of successful subscription businesses, highlighting the importance of customer experience and tailored marketing strategies. Matthew emphasizes the necessity of understanding customer needs and preferences to optimize product offerings and marketing approaches. He advocates for innovative practices such as integrating quizzes and surveys to gather actionable customer insights, which can significantly enhance retention and acquisition strategies in the competitive subscription market.
Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/Matthew Holman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holman-matthew/Subscription Prescription: https://www.thesubscriptiondoc.com/Commerce Catalyst: https://www.ccatalyst.co/https://www.stryde.com/unlocking-customer-retention-lifetime-value-ecommerce-subscriptions/

In episode 19 of the "7 Figures and Beyond" podcast, host Greg Shuey welcomes Jimmy Kim, the founder of Sendlane, an e-commerce tool designed to enhance email marketing capabilities. Jimmy discusses the origins of Sendlane, explaining that it began not as a business venture but as a practical solution for him and his co-founders. Despite initially having co-founders, Jimmy now identifies himself as the singular founder of the business, having bought out his partners in 2021.
Jimmy delves into the growth and evolution of Sendlane, highlighting its expansion into various communication tools beyond email, such as SMS, reviews, and forms. He shares that Sendlane's success stems from understanding and integrating community feedback into their development process, crafting a product suite that addresses market needs comprehensively. Jimmy also reveals the company's strategy to disrupt the market, positioning Sendlane as a formidable competitor to established names like Klaviyo by offering a unified platform that simplifies user experiences and leverages data effectively.
The conversation transitions into a broader discussion on the future of e-commerce and digital marketing. Jimmy talks about the role of AI and machine learning in refining customer engagement strategies and predicts shifting trends in the marketing landscape, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and strategic foresight. He expresses excitement about upcoming innovations in Sendlane, particularly around enhancing customer service and integrating various user engagement tools to provide a holistic view of customer interactions. The episode encapsulates Sendlane's journey and its ambitions to redefine e-commerce marketing through innovative technology and customer-centric approaches.

Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/Jimmy Kim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkimsendlane/Jimmy Kim Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/yojimmykimSendlane: https://www.sendlane.com/https://www.stryde.com/the-evolution-of-e-commerce-email-marketing-trends-tools-predictions-for-maximizing-your-brands-growth/