#213 HTE - "We Saw You Checking Us Out 😏"

August 07, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

Hey there!

What better way to kick it off than diving into some exciting discussions about marketing, DTC, and the ever-evolving world of E-Commerce! 🚀

From innovative strategies to skyrocketing sales, we've got it all covered. So grab your favorite drink, find a cozy spot, and let's unravel the latest trends, success stories, and insider tips that'll take your business to new heights! 📈

Get ready for a weekend filled with marketing magic and valuable insights that'll leave you inspired and ready to conquer the digital landscape.

Let's dive in! 💻

Here is what we have for you today! 

📉 Threads Faces User Drop-off, Meta's Cultural Ascent Hinges on Gen Z Approval

🚀 Transform Your Business with Omnisend: Personalized Email and SMS Campaigns that Skyrocket ROI!

🌀 TikTok Aims to Be the Amazon of Social Commerce with Its Flywheel Strategy

👔 Brand of the week: Knot Standard 

📈 Amazon Rides High on Retail Rebound and Record Advertising Revenues in Q2

🛒 Rise of Online Grocery Shopping: Nearly 30% of US Consumers Embrace Digital Carts

💼 YouTube Shorts Unveils New Content Creation Tools, Boosting Opportunities for E-Commerce Marketers

📕 Top Reads Of The Week

⚙️ HTE JOB BOARD: Plenty Of Jobs Await You!

Threads Faces User Drop-off, Meta's Cultural Ascent Hinges on Gen Z Approval

So, Threads recently hit its one-month mark, but there's been a bit of a dip in user engagement since its launch. CEO Mark Zuckerberg spilled the beans during an internal town hall, revealing that the app has lost half of its 100 million users. 📉

But fear not! Meta, the parent company, isn't sweating bullets just yet. They're not planning to monetize Threads until it's marching confidently towards a billion users.

🚀 After all, Meta already has big shots like Facebook and Instagram in its arsenal.

Now, let's talk about Meta's biggest rival: TikTok. It's become the cool kid on the block, where all the internet trends are born.

Reels, Meta's TikTok contender, has been doing pretty well with over $10 billion in annual earnings across their apps, edging out TikTok's worldwide ad revenues. 🤑

But there's a catch – Reels is a hit with the millennials and older folks, but Gen Z seems a bit meh about it.

Our latest "US Gen Z social media survey" tells us that more than two-thirds of Gen Zers in the US haven't hopped on the Threads train.

Among the younger crowd (ages 15–17), that number goes up to a whopping 76%.

🙅‍♂️ Turns out, Gen Z isn't too keen on text-based social media like Threads.

Surprisingly, only a small chunk of those who downloaded Threads did so for the love of reading or writing text posts. 📚

For most of them, the allure was that it looked fun – that's what 40% of respondents said. And if Threads wants to win Gen Z over, it needs their stamp of approval.

So there you have it.

Threads might not be the next billion-user superstar or a cash cow for Meta, but it could be their ticket to becoming a cultural phenomenon. TikTok's got the pulse of internet trends right now, and Meta wants a piece of that action.

So let's see how this all plays out in the ever-evolving realm of social media! 📱😎

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TikTok Aims to Be the Amazon of Social Commerce with Its Flywheel Strategy

TikTok is on a mission to take the social commerce world by storm, and people are saying it's like Amazon's flywheel strategy all over again! 🌀

They want to quadruple their global ecommerce business to a jaw-dropping $20 billion in merchandise sales through TikTok Shop.

Talk about aiming high!

Now, TikTok might face a few hurdles while setting up their shoppable world, but they've got some secret weapons up their sleeve. First off, their creator community is growing like crazy, and they've got Gen Z totally hooked! And we all know how Gen Zers are forming their shopping habits and loyalties, so this is the perfect time to strike!

TikTok's flywheel is a three-part magic potion – media, advertising, and commerce. Amazon started with commerce and added media and advertising later, but TikTok is doing it their way. They nailed the media game already, and their ads are working like a charm.

Now, commerce is the final frontier they want to conquer!

True, TikTok's online shopping journey has just begun, with only 17% of US adults starting their retail adventures there. YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are still leading the pack.

But hey, TikTok isn't giving up that easily!

They're throwing some wild ideas into the mix – like influencers doing live shopping sessions. You know, when those cool people on TikTok convince you to buy stuff while you're watching them in real time. It worked like magic in Asia, but they're still working on making it a hit elsewhere.

Oh, and they tried their hand at selling trendy products under their parent company, ByteDance, in the UK. It didn't create much buzz though, but hey, they've got more tricks up their sleeve!

TikTok's latest power move?

Incentives for sellers! They want to grow their online marketplace big time, so they're offering merchants free listings, free shipping, zero commissions, and even warehousing space.

Talk about a sweet deal! 🛍️

The best part is that TikTok is at the very heart of the cultural zeitgeist. They know what's hot and what's not, and that gives them a serious edge. It might just make users hit that "buy" button faster than ever before! So, watch out, world – TikTok's on the rise! 🚀

Brand of the week: Knot Standard 

Introducing Knot Standard, the game-changer in fashion, offering custom-tailored suits accessible to all since 2011. Based in NYC, they've revolutionized suiting with personalized masterpieces. 👔🎉

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They've expanded to physical retail, offering an intimate in-person fitting experience. 💼

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Amazon Rides High on Retail Rebound and Record Advertising Revenues in Q2

Amazon's retail engine is revving up again, and boy, did they surpass expectations in Q2! Net sales zoomed up 11% compared to last year, hitting a whopping $134.4 billion. 🚀

Take that, Bloomberg's estimate! Amazon's North America retail segment even swung to a profit, bringing in $3.2 billion in operating income. The cost-cutting initiatives are paying off, and it's all smiles for the big A.

But wait, there's more! Amazon's advertising revenues rose by a fantastic 22% to $10.68 billion, leaving StreetAccount's estimate in the dust.

Cha-ching! 💰

The need for speed is real, and Amazon's got it figured out. CEO Andy Jassy is beaming with pride as the company slashes fulfillment costs while delivering stuff faster than you can say "Prime."

Their regional fulfillment model is making magic happen. More than half of US Prime orders in the top 60 metro areas got there on the same or next day in Q2. 🚚

💨 And you know what that means – happy customers, more sales, and a bunch of new stuff to choose from.

But hold up, Amazon's got a little secret to share. They're not quite sure about the grocery game yet. 🍅

🥕 While they've been rocking it in ecommerce, AWS, advertising, and all the cool tech stuff, they're still scratching their heads when it comes to groceries. They've made some changes, like letting non-Prime members in on the delivery fun, but investors are raising their eyebrows.

It's a tough market out there, and Amazon's got to find a way to stand out from the crowd.

Despite the grocery puzzle, Amazon's eyes are on the future, and it's looking bright. They're expecting sales to keep soaring in Q3, especially after their record-breaking Prime Day. 💥

They're forecasting sales in the range of $138 billion to $143 billion – that's some serious cash!

But hold your horses! There's an FTC antitrust suit looming on the horizon that could rain on Amazon's parade. It's like a suspenseful plot twist in this retail adventure.

So, while Amazon's enjoying a taste of success, they know there are challenges ahead. But hey, they've tackled obstacles before, and with Jassy at the helm, they've got the horsepower to keep moving forward! 🐎🏎️

Rise of Online Grocery Shopping: Nearly 30% of US Consumers Embrace Digital Cart

Online grocery shopping is becoming a big hit in the US! 🛒

💻 Nearly 30% of consumers are hopping on the digital grocery bandwagon, buying their food online more than once a month.

And here's the kicker – that number is expected to shoot up even higher in the coming years, making a serious impact on both online and offline grocery sales.

Even the most hardcore online shoppers still love a good ol' trip to the store. But they've got their preferences, you know?

They're more likely to grab their perishables online and skip certain categories in the aisles.

But hold on, they haven't ditched the grocery store altogether!

They still swing by for their must-haves, especially when it comes to perishables like milk, eggs, and cheese.

More than 80% of these digital grocery buyers got their dairy fix in-store, while just over half did the same online. 🥛

🍳Nonperishables are a bit of a mixed bag. Snacks, for example, see about 67% of these buyers making in-store purchases, while around 68% choose to snack online.

But there's a twist!

When it comes to some categories, these frequent digital shoppers are saying, "Online only, please!"

🙅‍♂️ They're giving in-store shopping the cold shoulder for things like fruits and veggies, bread, frozen foods, snacks (yeah, they love snacks), and even pantry and cleaning products.

Here's the scoop: A bunch of these online enthusiasts are all about those virtual shopping carts for certain stuff.

For instance, they're more likely to snag snack foods online (over 70%) in the last year, while about 62% of them went to the store for the same treats.

That means online CPG sales are gonna keep soaring, but it might come at the expense of those in-store sales.

So, there you have it – the world of grocery shopping is changing, and the digital wave is making quite the splash! 🌊

Who knows, maybe someday we'll all be ordering groceries from the comfort of our couches. Time to stock up on snacks, just in case! 😉

YouTube Shorts Unveils New Content Creation Tools, Boosting Opportunities for E-Commerce Marketers

YouTube Shorts is stepping up its game with some awesome new content creation tools! 📹🚀

First off, they've got this cool "Collab" feature where you can record a Short right next to a YouTube video or another Short.

It's like creating magic side-by-side! Plus, there are previews of live videos coming to the Shorts feed, so your audience can get a sneak peek of what's coming up.

Oh, and get this – you'll soon be able to add Q&A stickers to your Shorts! 🎉

It's a great way to engage with your viewers and build that awesome connection. And that's not all!

YouTube is testing "recomposition tools" to make it super easy for you to turn your YouTube videos into Shorts. Talk about making life easier, right?

They're really making a splash with all these new features, and it's no wonder creators are loving it! In fact, 2 billion logged-in users watch YouTube Shorts every month. That's a big number!

And guess what?

YouTube is sharing the love with creators by relaxing their eligibility requirements to join the Partner Program and sharing Shorts ad revenue with them.

It's raining opportunities for you!

TikTok may have been the star in the short-form video space, but things are changing.

With TikTok getting crowded, creators are looking to diversify and expand their reach. That's where YouTube Shorts comes in – ready to catch up and offer you a whole new audience!

So, E-Commerce marketers, pay attention! YouTube Shorts is making waves, and with these awesome new tools, you can take your content to the next level.

Time to get creative and start building your brand's presence on this dynamic short-form video platform! 🌟💻

⚙️ HTE JOB BOARD: Plenty Of Jobs Await You!

⚙️ HTE JOB BOARD: Plenty Of Jobs Await You!

➡️ Management Accountant - Clear Course

➡️ Wholesale Channel Lead - Driftaway Coffee

➡️ Associate Consultant (Global Benefits) - Lockton

➡️ Senior Customer Marketing Officer - SQA

➡️ Senior Marketing Executive - The British Red Cross

CHOOSE SUCCESS below, and have a great day ahead! Get that D2C business runnin’.