Good morning,
The Oxford University Press names ‘brain rot’ as the word of the year. 🧠
Meaning? “When someone’s mental or intellectual state deteriorates as a result of unchallenging content overconsumption.” They cite the usage of the phrase skyrocketed 230% in 2024.
So stop mindlessly scrolling on TikTok before bed and give this newsletter (free brain food!) a read instead. We promise you’ll walk away learning something new every time. 😉
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
❄️ How to easily create a winter wonderland user experience for online customers. Keep them enthralled with your site!
💡 Learn how to maximize the momentum from BFCM with these tactical tips.
📝 We recap Black Friday results on Amazon and how ad strategies are evolving on the platform.
🚀 And…learn how to scale a single message into a hundred ads.
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Greenhaus, Torque Training, and Dragonsteel Books. 👋
📺 2025 Prediction: 20,000 New Marketers Venturing Into CTV Advertising. What Are You Waiting For? Don’t Miss Out on The Future.
In the past, brands needed deep pockets and extensive partnerships to advertise on TV. TV advertising as a small to medium-size business? Not a chance. But… that’s the past. 👀
Now, the game is changing. Streaming TV campaigns are here for businesses of any size, and Roku’s 2025 predictions are suggesting 20,000 new marketers are expected to venture into CTV campaigns for the first time. 🤯
The good news? It's not too late to build streaming into your 2025 marketing strategy with Roku Ads Manager. This self-serve CTV ad platform is leveling the playing field, allowing businesses of all sizes, with any budget to harness the power of CTV advertising.
So… ready to be a part of the future of advertising? 😎
* sponsored
❄️ Get Your Site into The Holiday Spirit!
While you’re decorating the tree, don’t forget to give your site the same festive treatment.
Switching up your site’s look for the holiday season is a great way to keep customers engaged and have a more enjoyable shopping experience.
Here’s three Shopify apps that can help visitors get into the holiday spirit.
1️⃣ Christmas Snowfall Effect: Add falling snowflakes to your site, change up the frequency, plus choose from 10 different holiday songs to get visitors in a jolly mood.
The best part? It’s free to use.
2️⃣ HolidaySpark: Add some festive decorations to your site! Choose from hundreds of different icons or add your own.
You can customize the size, speed, and quantity of the animation and for which pages.
3️⃣ MX MP3 Background Audio Player: Set the mood to shop by adding music to your storefront.
Choose from a list of holiday royalty-free songs or add your own tune from YouTube or Spotify in just one click.
The takeaway?
Adding newness to your website design doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
These Shopify apps add music and animations that can captivate shoppers and get them to spend more time on your site and hopefully lead to more sales.
Easy lift and an easy win!
🚀 Maximize Your BFCM Momentum and Keep Scaling!
The weeks after BFCM present a golden opportunity to build on your success, but do you know how to keep the momentum?
Pilothouse shares strategic steps your brand can take to keep the energy alive and increase sales.
1️⃣ Invest in Retargeting Campaigns - A powerful way to convert those warm leads.
Not everyone who visited your site or online store during BFCM made a purchase. By retargeting this audience, you can reengage potential customers.
Next steps: target abandoned carts with an incentive like free shipping or a sign-up discount and promote BFCM best sellers.
💡 Pro Tip: We believe in using dynamic ads to create a personalized retargeting experience.
2️⃣ Leverage Data from BFCM - What did you learn?
Your BFCM sales performance provides invaluable insights into customer preferences and behaviors.
Next steps: Analyze your top performers: what products sold best, which messaging resonated most? Pilothouse saw great results with scrappy unedited warehouse statics over BFCM.
Use this data to shape future campaigns. Review your ad metrics and see if you need to refine your strategy for the rest of Q4.
💡 Pro Tip: Apply these learnings to your holiday and New Year campaigns for improved results.
3️⃣ Engage New Customers with Post-Sale Follow-Ups
BFCM likely brought a wave of new customers and email subscribers to your brand, right? Now is the time to turn those one-time buyers into loyal advocates.
Next steps: Send a Welcome Email series so they can learn more about your brand story, mission, and products. Offer your list VIP perks like early access to sales or exclusive discounts.
💡 Pro Tip: Personalize your follow-ups based on their BFCM purchases to create a tailored experience.
4️⃣ Shift Focus to the Holiday Season
While BFCM is over, the holiday shopping season is still in full swing. Capitalize on the gifting mindset to keep sales flowing.
Next steps: Launch holiday specific promotion and work those gifting angles! Create urgency with 'last chance to ship' offers. You can also upsell and cross-sell to customers who purchased during BFCM.
💡 Pro Tip: The Pilothouse team recommends using festive visuals and messaging that align with your brand to maintain excitement.
5️⃣ Strengthen Customer Relationships
Finally, focus on building long-term connections with your audience. There is so much you can do without overwhelming your customers.
Next steps: Send a thank you email to show your gratitude for their support. Surprise and delight customers with a discount or a free gift.
Don't forget to celebrate your BFCM with your followers! Share the appreciation on social media by reposting UGC content from customers. This makes customers feel valued while building social proof.
BFCM is a pivotal moment for brands, but the real growth happens in the weeks and months that follow. By following some of our tips, you can turn the post-BFCM period into a springboard for long-term success.
💥 Ready for a Gamechanger? Meet Roku Ads Manager: Your Gateway to CTV Success.
Roku's new self-serve platform, Roku Ads Manager, is designed to make CTV advertising accessible and effective.
It makes it easy to succeed, with:
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
