Scaling your DTC brand?
Buckle up!
We’re going to unleash the secrets to turbocharging your direct-to-consumer success 🚀
Get ready to dive into customer-centric strategies and real-world examples that will make your brand soar.
Here are 19 things to do if you want to guarantee success.
Get the right product fit.
Be different
Know your persona
Solve a problem
Focus on a specific Persona.
Don’t be everything to everyone.
Scaling a DTC brand starts with a deep understanding of your target audience. By putting your customers at the center of your strategy, you can build a loyal following that drives growth.
Solve a real problem.
What makes customers proactively search for a solution?
Prose customizes haircare products
Curology provides personal acne solutions
Figs makes scrubs stylish and well-fitting
4. Create or own your category
Don’t promote your product. Promote a category your brand is trying to disrupt.
5. Challenge the established norms
How can you stand out and make a name for yourself? Challenge industry giants or the established order and embrace the role of the underdog.
6. Having a fantastic product alone won't cut it. Experiment with activation strategies
Florae Beauty > personalized haircare solutions
Loveseen > Find Your Lash
Third Love > Fit Finder
7. Build a community early
Your fan base can be your ultimate strength. They drive frequent repeat purchases, contribute to product enhancements, and can be powerful during product launches.
Look to Glossier, and Lululemon for inspiration.
8. Get the business model right
HOW?
High AOV
Hight repeat purchase rate
Low return rate
Limited quantities (scarcity)
Build in subscription (Bonus Points for This)
9. Transform Your Customers into Brand Advocates
Implement an effective referral system that dazzles customers with a free product while reducing your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC).
Harry’s gave away razors for emails.
Girlfriend Collective gave leggings away for social shares
Tools to use: Viral Loops, Kickoff Labs
10. Invest Early in Organic Traffic
Aim to keep your paid traffic below 50% during your growth phase. SEO is a valuable tool to achieve this goal. Allocate resources to create content that targets high-intent search queries.
11. Retention is the New CAC
As advertising costs increase, investing in email, SMS, loyalty programs, and lifecycle marketing becomes more important to boost sales.
You can create a personalized retention strategy by collecting customer data through a quiz funnel or during onboarding.
12. Customer Service is Marketing
In business models with a high rate of repeat purchases (such as beauty products and razors), exceptional customer service can be a hidden asset in fostering lasting customer loyalty.
13. Construct your growth plan by adapting to seasonal fluctuations and surges
Schedule your product launches, collaborations, and promotions to coincide with the highs and lows of your sales cycle for maximum impact. Successful brands strategically generate buzz every 2-4 weeks to meet their sales targets.
14. Facebook / Instagram Ad Tips
Make sure your data is tracking correctly (implement CAPI)
Connect the Shopify Catalog and run these ads for anyone who abandons their cart
For prospecting creative, lean on UGC and influencer content
For retargeting creative, How-tos, social proof, and detailed product shots win
Optimize for purchases using CBO
15. Google Ad Tips
Synergize Google ads and Facebook ads for enhanced performance by implementing the following strategies:
Protect your brand by bidding on your brand name through Google ads.
Implement Google Shopping ads to showcase your products effectively.
Perform keyword mapping for high-intent, medium-volume keywords to optimize your ad campaigns.
16. Get a grasp of your unit economics before scaling.
What is your margin?
What’s your payback time?
What’s your LTV
What’s your CAC (blended) and CAC (per channel)?
Revenue per email
Purchase Conversion rate
17. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel with Your Tech Stack
If you’re just getting started, start with the following tools and don’t look back:
Shopify
Klaviyo
Klaviyo Reviews
Outgrow or Jebbit
Shipstation
Justuno or Klaviyo Pop-Up
Gorgias
18. Channel your investments into Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) to unleash your growth potential.
Don't squander valuable advertising funds on an ineffective conversion funnel. Consider allocating your resources towards a reputable CRO agency (I may be partial to Radiance Collective) that conducts on-site tests and qualitative research on your behalf. Your path to doubling your conversion rate might be just one test away.
19. Your strategy before the launch provides you with a distinct advantage.
Ministry of Supply leveraged Kickstarter for pre-sales
Harry’s built a 100,000 waitlist pre-launch. Click here to learn more.
Bala Shoes spoke with 500 Nurses pre-launch
CONCLUSION:
Scaling a DTC brand involves careful planning, customer-centric strategies, data-driven decision-making, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Following these strategies and learning from successful brands can take your DTC business to new heights. Whether through personalization, data optimization, e-commerce excellence, or strategic partnerships, the possibilities are endless in DTC brand scaling.