Ecommerce Growth Techniques

While running Amazon ads and the Amazon business in general, the north star business metric for me has always been TACOS which is the Total Advertising Cost of Sales. Not ROAS or ACOS TACOS is basically all your ad spends as a percentage of revenue. The revenue includes both ads revenue and organic revenue. But more often than not, most Amazon teams focus only on ad revenue and ad spends, forgetting the most important part-organic revenue Very few brands would even be measuring what their organic revenue is on the platform at a keyword level. It is extremely important to take all steps that will increase organic visibility and organic sales in the platform. In fact, Amazon Pi Search Performance report gives you the SOV that you have at a keyword level for SP ads, SB ads as well as organic The lead indicator of profitability in the platform are mainly 2 things a) Increase in organic SOV in all generic keywords b) Increase in branded searches Increase in branded searches is more often than not decided by what you do outside the platform. Executing good campaigns on ATL and really good clutter breaking Meta performance campaigns often does the trick here But increasing organic SOV in generic keywords is often a result of what happens on the platform. In Amazon, whatever you do on ads also directly influences organic results. Eg. If you bid and rank top of Search on SP ads for certain keywords and your conversion rates are better than the category on those keywords, Amazon will also start ranking you on top organically for those keywords That is why I have often told that Amazon is a compounding channel and can be run profitably at scale because it rewards good performance with better organic visibility. Because of this, if you could have organic sales and directionally estimate TACOS ( not ACOS) at a keyword level, you could make a lot of optimizations on your ads as well as overall content which would benefit the business Eg: Lets say “mixer grinder 750 watt” is a keyword that I am spending money on ads. I know the ad spends, ACOS and ad driven sales on this keyword. But not how many organic sales I am getting from that keyword and is that improving with time. And since I don’t know the organic sales, I also would not know TACOS for the keyword Ideally I would want both organic SOV as well as organic sales increase for this keyword. Without it, profitability would be very difficult. Amazon doesn’t expose true organic-sales revenue at the keyword level, so any TACoS by keyword metric has to be derived The rest of the post is there in the link in the first comment. Do read and share how you do keyword level tracking of organic sales and keyword level TACOS and how you use the results

9 Email Formats That Could Make You More Money Today: (from a $200M+ Email Marketer) 1. Story Email: A storytelling email that shows how your product can solve a relatable problem. How to Implement This: Start with a story that reflects your audience’s pain points. Show how your product solves the problem. End with a clear CTA that encourages action. Pro Tip: Make your story specific and visual to help the reader relate. 2. Customer Reviews Email: Use real customer feedback to build trust and drive conversions. How to Implement This: Feature 2-3 genuine customer reviews, with photos or videos if possible. Focus on the most impactful benefits. End with a CTA that encourages action. Pro Tip: Use reviews that address common objections from potential customers. 3. Plain Text Email: A simple, personal email with no fancy design. How to Implement This: Write like you're talking directly to a friend. Keep the format minimal—just text. Focus on building trust and being authentic. Pro Tip: Ask a question to get engagement from the reader. 4. Made-Up Holiday Email: Use quirky holidays to catch attention and drive sales. How to Implement This: Find a holiday on NationalToday .com that relates to your product. Connect your promotion to the holiday in a fun way. Add urgency with a time-sensitive offer. Pro Tip: Keep the holiday connection natural, don’t force it. 5. Anniversary Email: Celebrate your brand’s milestones and thank your audience with a special offer. How to Implement This: Share your brand’s story and important moments. Offer a limited-time discount as a thank you to your audience. Pro Tip: Make your audience feel part of your brand’s journey. 6. Offer Email: A simple email promoting a special offer. How to Implement This: Present a clear offer (e.g., BOGO, discount, or free shipping). Use a direct CTA that encourages immediate action. Keep the messaging focused on the offer’s benefits. Pro Tip: Make the offer feel exclusive to email subscribers. 7. Consistent-Format Email: A recurring email that provides value in a predictable format. How to Implement This: Choose a format (e.g., “Top 5 Tips” or “Product Highlights”). Keep it consistent (weekly, bi-weekly) to build trust. Always deliver valuable, actionable content. Pro Tip: Consistency helps build a loyal audience. 8. Guest Post Email: A strategy to grow your list by featuring content from others. How to Implement This: Reach out to a creator or brand in your niche and ask to write a guest post. Include a CTA inviting readers to join your list for more valuable content. Pro Tip: Make sure the post is relevant and provides value to the new audience. 9. Hype Email: Build excitement before a major launch or special offer. How to Implement This: Send 2-3 emails before the launch, each highlighting different benefits. Focus on urgency and how this offer will benefit your audience. Pro Tip: Create scarcity to encourage immediate action.

Email still delivers strong ROI. What’s changed is how leading teams are using it. Here are 7 modern and practical email strategies you can use now and into 2026. 📩 1. AI-Driven Decisioning An example is “next best offer.” Use real-time, historical, and behavioral data to determine the most relevant content, offer, or CTA. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, tools like Movable Ink personalize content based on what users have or haven’t done. 📈 2. Product-Led Lifecycle Messaging Trigger emails based on what users do inside your product. If someone signs up but doesn’t activate, send a reminder. If they complete onboarding but skip a key feature, follow up. Email becomes part of the product experience. 🧱 3. Modular Templates + Guard Rails Stop building emails from scratch. Modular templates let teams assemble emails using approved, no-code blocks. Platforms like Knak help you move faster while staying on brand and rendering correctly across devices. 👁️🗨️ 4. Inbox Retargeting & Re-engagement If someone opens and scrolls but doesn’t click, you can adjust the next email. These behavioral signals help guide follow-ups. A scrolled-but-no-click email may call for a stronger CTA or tighter copy. 🧪 5. Automated Experimentation Go beyond A/B tests. Today’s tools can test dozens or even hundreds of variations at once, subject lines, images, layouts, and more. Platforms like OfferFit by Braze optimize automatically to drive better performance. ⏱ 6. Real-Time Triggers Send the right message the moment someone takes action, like signing up or abandoning a cart. It only works if your data flows smoothly and your systems are well-integrated, but the results are worth the effort. 💰 7. Revenue-Based Measurement Connect email to pipeline and revenue. If your data and attribution are in place, you can measure how nurture programs or product launches actually impact the business. Which do you think is most effective? What would you add? PS: Be sure to check out Knak to scale your email efforts, link in the comments. via Nick Donaldson #marketing #martech #marketingoperations #email

Every brand is different, but their lifecycle is the same...if they survive long enough. If you're running into headwinds finding profitable growth, trying to understand if or when brand investments will ever pay off, or worried about the risks of channel expansion, this post is for you. Here are my lessons around finding a balance of Brand building and Channel Expansion in hopes you can skip the pain and jump straight to stage 7. I used to think channel expansion was giving up on your brand. This is how I used to think: - "Ecommerce has infinite scale." - "Why would we give up control of the brand experience?" - "Why would we give up ownership of the transaction and all that sweet sweet data?" - "All we need to do is build the brand strength and we'll be able to maximize the potential of the brand via our shopify website" This is what I learned: - Yes, maximizing profitable growth comes from increasing Brand Strength.     - That's necessary, but not sufficient.   - Increasing available TAM is also necessary - Because shopping behaviors are sticky, pieces of your total TAM are locked up in other sales channels. - Our Brand can't fully monetize without unlocking the TAM in other sales channels. - We're not going to get everyone who is used to shopping in brick n mortar to buy online. - Some will, but the number is small. - Therefore, Ecommerce does not scale infinitely. - TAM, TAM by channel, sequence of expansion that makes sense, etc is different for each brand, and changes as product offering changes. - If you have an absolutely massive digital DTC TAM, there might be zero need to expand channel and still build the business you want Mistakes: Along the way, you'll make mistakes as you run into headwinds either from your available TAM, or your brand strength. These include: - Over-rotating to short term tactics (discount, promo, high-ROAS, non-incremental spend options) to drive further growth when you don't see the 'results' from the brand investments you're making since you've run into the TAM ceiling of a channel - Giving up on channel expansion forever if you see cannibalization.   - Cannibalization is a symptom, not the cause. The cause is the Brand Strength - Overspending on a new channel after you see strong early results "just from turning it on" - Undervaluing the operational complexity associated with jumping into a new channel. Each channel is, after all, a completely new and different business. - Signing on to wholesale purchase orders you can't deliver on. Why? You don't yet have the Brand Strength to deliver the required full-price sell-through velocity.   - Result? Reduced overall Brand Strength resulting from discounting + promotions needed to move through the inventory Mistakes are to be expected Doesn't mean you should stop investing in Brand or stop building the capabilities to expand sales channels Just means you need to increase one or both of them It's just math hope this helps ✌️❤️🤘

You aren't managing your advertising correctly if you’re not tracking organic rankings. Amazon operates like a flywheel: One action perpetuates another, driving momentum faster and faster. The more sales you generate, the more reviews you gather. More reviews lead to even more sales, building a strong cycle of growth. 👉 This cycle also works for organic ranking. 👈 Sales velocity and conversion rates are two of the most significant factors influencing your organic rankings on Amazon. When a customer searches for a keyword, clicks on your ad and makes a purchase, it sends a powerful signal to Amazon’s algorithm. This action boosts your organic ranking for that specific keyword, creating a ripple effect that can lead to more visibility and sales. However, this creates a catch-22, especially if you’re just starting out on Amazon. Without organic rankings, how do you get sales? And without sales, how do you boost your organic rankings? 👉 That's the importance of strategic advertising. 👈 By driving sales through ads, you can build up your organic positioning, which in turn drives more organic sales. But you're missing out on the full picture if you’re not actively tracking your organic rankings. You won’t know if your ad strategy is truly effective. Sometimes, it’s worth breaking even—or even losing money—on a specific keyword if it pushes you to a higher organic ranking and unlocks more organic sales. Bottom line: Your advertising and organic rankings are deeply intertwined. Sellers, if you're struggling with figuring out the Amazon flywheel, shoot me a DM 📩

Another Sonoma winery has declared bankruptcy. Could we have saved it? Reynoso Wines had a lot going for it: well-reviewed wines at great prices, elegant packaging, gorgeous photography. But it wasn’t enough to stave off bankruptcy. We don’t know the entire story, but as a brand expert, a few things stand out: ⚠️ Differentiation matters — Pretty labels that blend into a crowded shelf won’t stick in people’s minds. Pretty ≠ memorable. ⚠️ Storytelling matters — A list of events is not a story. Without peril, triumph, surprise, delight, what’s the point of remembering or retelling? ⚠️ Visibility matters — Reynoso had 301 followers on instagram. Enough said. The key idea here is RELEVANCE. Today, good product and pretty pictures just aren’t enough to grant you a spot in your customers’ head space. We have to earn it. So what would I do to turn the ship around? 1. Hire a full-time social media person. Think we can’t afford it? I promise you it’s more expensive to be invisible. 2. Build a truly compelling events schedule. This is beyond trivia nights & cover bands. Chef’s dinners, live debate, performance art. Nobody tells their coworkers about the Eagles cover band they saw last week. But the naked people who covered themselves in paint and flung themselves on the canvas? That’s a story. 3. Overhaul the website to follow e-commerce best practices. Big, high-quality photos, easy-to-understand flavor profiles, reviews. 4. Launch an aggressive collaboration calendar. Partner with like-minded brands every quarter — boutique candle makers using our bottles to make a limited collection. Local glass-blower making one-of-a-kind decanters. Micro-influencers with small but passionate followings. Each partnership is a chance to invite new people into our orbit. 5. Most importantly—define your *unique* core values, and figure out how and why they *matter* to the people we are trying to reach. I cannot overstate how important this is. Once we know what we believe, we can ensure that every touchpoint underscores these themes, and we can build a culture people are excited and proud to belong to. I am begging wineries to take this work of branding seriously. Too many wineries are investing in optical sorters and drone videos instead of clear brand foundations that our customers can align with and participate in. The *good* news is that so many wineries lack truly defined and differentiated brands that once you have your foundation, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of your competition! 👇 I want to know: what would you do to turn around a slowly failing winery? ––– P.S. If you want help turning your brand around, Transom is opening another round of our brand alignment workshop. Ninety minutes that will reshape your thinking and map out a pathway to sustained success. Comment below or DM me for more info.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. For some FMCG brands, no price cuts, no problem. The brands growing 3-5X faster than competitors have stopped competing on price entirely. This is the framework of how top CPGs win online. The data is clear; 1️⃣ Digital-first brands like L'Oréal, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble are achieving 3–5X higher unit growth 2️⃣ Their edge: Value communication, optimized digital shelf, and content that converts 3️⃣ They’re using pack strategy and personalization, not blanket discounts, to drive volume ++ 𝟰 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗣𝗚 𝗖𝗠𝗢𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝟮 ++ 1. I strongly recommend, stop leading with "20% off" and start with "Here's why this matters to your life." This way you can master value communication over price communication. - Create content that educates, inspires, and justifies your price point - Use storytelling that connects product benefits to real consumer moments - Build trust through transparent ingredient stories and sustainability narratives 2. Your Amazon listing is your new Times Square storefront. Is your digital shelf better then your flagship store by the way? - Invest in premium product imagery and A+ content - Use data-driven SEO to dominate category searches - Leverage customer reviews as social proof, not just feedback 3. Create value through innovation, not desperation. And it happens faster when you deploy strategic assortment & smart pack architecture. - Develop premium formats and limited editions that command higher prices - Use pack sizes strategically to hit different price points without discounting - Test subscription models and bundles that increase customer lifetime value 4. Use technology to deliver the right message to the right consumer. Is there anybody left not leveraging AI for personalization at scale? I didn't think so. :) - Implement dynamic pricing based on demand signals, not competitor panic - Create personalized product recommendations across all digital touchpoints - Use predictive analytics to anticipate consumer needs before they discount-shop 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: Brands that compete on value creation, not price destruction, are the ones dominating market share growth. If you’re still defaulting to promotions, this is your wake-up call. 𝗧𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 ecommert® 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟰,𝟲𝟬𝟬+ 𝗖𝗣𝗚, 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘁 : 𝗖𝗣𝗚 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿👇 About ecommert We partner with CPG businesses and leading technology companies of all sizes to accelerate growth through AI-driven digital commerce solutions. #CPG #FMCG #ecommerce #AI #retailmedia PepsiCo Mondelēz International Mars The HEINEKEN Company Colgate-Palmolive Reckitt Henkel Kenvue Unilever adidas Nike The Coca-Cola Company

If you embark on a programme of conversion rate optimisation and are expecting your conversion rate to increase, you could be in for a very big disappointment. This is one of the many reasons why what we do should not be called conversion rate optimisation. If I run a CRO programme on your website, I am going to make incremental improvements to your revenue by improving aspects of your digital experience. I MIGHT use the conversion rate of the website as a way of validating these potential changes, but I cannot necessarily make the whole conversion rate of your website increase. 1) The conversion rate of your website is simply a percentage indicator of both the traffic to your website and the orders you receive. Both of these factors are affected by EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF YOUR ENTIRE BUSINESS and the market you operate in, from marketing and branding through to competitive positioning and pricing. The UX of your site has a relatively small impact on this percentage. 2) If your conversion rate was trending down and I increase it by 20%, it will still trend down. CRO is highly unlikely to have any noticeable impact on the squiggly line of your conversion rate, but this does not mean it isn't making money. If I incrementally improve the conversion rate of a site by 1%, this could be worth enormous sums of money over a year, and yet you would never see any impact on the conversion rate trend. If you think this is what is going to happen, the entire exercise is doomed from the outset. #cro #experimentation #ecommerce #digitalmarketing #ux #userexperience

Most Amazon growth problems aren’t execution problems. They’re failures in focus at leadership level. And they’re quietly draining hundreds of thousands in profit. — At a high level, most brands look fine. Revenue is growing. Performance looks stable. Teams are busy. — Then you break it down properly. And we see this time and time again. Especially with 1P Vendor brands. Hundreds of SKUs. No clear view of: → What drives profit → What deserves scale → What should be cut — A small number of SKUs are carrying the business. The rest? → Absorbing budget → Diluting performance → Adding complexity — That’s the hidden cost. Not just in margin. But in direction. — Because every low-impact SKU doesn’t just underperform. It takes: → Budget away from better opportunities → Focus away from what actually works → Momentum away from the products that could scale — So growth slows. Not because of competition. But because of how the business is structured. — The shift isn’t more optimisation. It’s clarity. → What actually drives return → What deserves investment → What should be deprioritised — That’s where performance changes. Not in the campaigns. In the decisions behind them. — I run a small number of focused Amazon diagnoses to help brands get this clarity. → What’s actually driving growth → What’s holding it back → Where the real opportunity sits If you’re scaling but not seeing the return you expect - Feel free to message me.

In the dynamic world of digital marketing, an effective email campaign is more than just a message—it's a carefully crafted experience that captivates, resonates, and drives action. Let's dissect the key elements that contribute to the success of an email marketing masterpiece. 🌐📧 1. Subject Lines that Spark Curiosity: 🔍📌 The gateway to your email. Craft subject lines that intrigue, inspire, or pose questions. The goal? To entice recipients to open the email and explore what lies within. 2. Compelling Content: Tell a Story, Solve a Problem: 📖🎯 The heart of your campaign. Your content should be a blend of storytelling and problem-solving. Connect emotionally, provide value, and address the needs or pain points of your audience. 3. Personalization for a Tailored Touch: 🤝🎨 Beyond just using a recipient's name. Leverage data to personalize content, recommendations, or offers based on user behavior and preferences. A personalized touch enhances engagement. 4. Visual Appeal with Eye-Catching Design: 🎨👁️ A picture is worth a thousand words. Incorporate visually appealing graphics, images, and layouts. Design should complement your brand and guide the reader through the content seamlessly. 5. Clear and Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA): 🚀🔗 The purposeful nudges. Your CTA should be crystal clear, compelling, and aligned with the campaign's goal. Make it easy for recipients to take the desired action, whether it's making a purchase, signing up, or downloading. 6. Mobile Optimization for On-the-Go Engagement: 📱💨 In a mobile-centric world, ensure your emails are optimized for various devices. Responsive design is key to delivering a seamless experience, no matter where your audience opens their emails. 7. A/B Testing for Continuous Refinement: 🔄📊 Don't guess; test. A/B testing allows you to experiment with different elements—subject lines, content, visuals—and refine your approach based on real-time performance data. Share your insights and let's continue to elevate our email marketing game together! 💬💌 #EmailMarketing #DigitalCampaigns #EngagementStrategy