Tips for Achieving Online Profitability

What digital marketing channels have the biggest impact on helping quarterly earnings? At NP Digital, we work with a lot of publicly traded companies. And they all want the same thing, more profitable growth. Now marketing isn’t the only thing that impacts quarterly earnings. But we’ve seen some channels help more than others. Here are the ones that we see have the biggest impact in order: 1. Conversion rate optimization – most publicly traded companies are already at scale. So a 10 or 20% increase in conversions can have a massive impact on new revenue. Most publicly traded companies that we have worked with tend to index low when it comes to conversion optimization investments. 2. App store marketing – everyone has phones and companies have apps, but very few publicly traded companies focus on organic app store marketing versus paid app store marketing. It doesn’t mean paid ads are bad, but you can do a lot organically, which can really help move the needle. 3. SEO – most publicly traded companies have good domain authority. But a lot of them mess up on basic SEO fundamentals. Such as not having multiple pages going after the same keyword. Or not updating the content on money pages often enough. Simple fixes can have a quick impact on rankings, especially for sites with high authority. 4. Email marketing – large companies tend to have lists. But they don’t optimize their emails for sales. Yes, sending more emails helps, but the real lift is from sending better-optimized emails. The second big lift comes from scrubbing the email list. If you send emails to people who don’t want your emails anymore it really hurts deliverability for anyone whom you send it to (even the people who want your emails). 5. Paid ads – paid ads are super expensive. The cost really adds up, but it’s because it is effective. The real lift we see isn’t from spending more money, it’s by fine-tuning the campaigns combined with working on the rest of the funnel. Remember, the paid ads just drive people to your site, you still need to convert them by optimizing the landing pages and the rest of the funnel. Now, typically large publicly traded companies are leveraging most marketing channels. If they weren't the list would be different. And works for them, may not work for you. For example, if you don't have volume in visitors and sales, it's hard to do conversion rate optimization.

Driving more visits to your website is great, but it's a little meaningless if those visits don't convert into sales. The smartest digital marketers pair SEO with conversion rate optimization (CRO) to attract qualified traffic and then guide visitors to convert. While SEO and CRO strategies sometimes conflict, with planning you can optimize for both search rankings and conversions. Here are afew best practices to align SEO and CRO to get more value from your website traffic: 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Determine your main website goal (e.g. online sales) and the smaller steps that lead to conversions. Macro conversions are purchases, micro conversions are downloads, newsletter signups, etc. Optimize content for both.  It can't all be macro goal focused. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 Align content to search intent. Transactional queries ("buy product X") need pricing, specs and clear calls-to-action. Informational searches ("best product X") require detailed content that informs and builds authority.  And - unless you're fantastic at content - it's hard to solve for both in a single piece. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 Create content that speaks to your audience and attracts qualified traffic. Use an authoritative but conversational tone, share expertise through case studies, add graphics/videos. Develop content to guide visitors step-by-step toward conversion. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 Use A/B testing to identify what converts best. Track key metrics - click-through rate, time on page, bounce rate. Quantify the user experience and remove what doesn't work. Refine and optimize what performs best to keep the metrics moving up and to the right. SEO brings more visitors. CRO converts those visitors to leads and buyers. With intent-focused content, frictionless UX, testing and refinement, you can align SEO and CRO to get more from those improving rankings. Focus on delivering value, not just ranking keywords. When your content informs and persuades, traffic and revenue will grow together. #SEO #contentmarketing #CRO #digitalmarketing

A few nuggets of wisdom I've extracted from being in e-commerce for a decade. 1.    Crowdfunding isn't just for startups; it can validate and fund new products. 2.    SEO is a long game but costs less than paid advertising in the long run. 3.    Direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels give you more control and data. 4.    Sustainability isn't just ethical; it's increasingly a customer demand. 5.    E-commerce platforms have different fee structures; choose wisely. 6.    Building a brand is more sustainable than selling generic products. 7.    Inventory management software can save you from cash crunches. 8.    Test new markets with dropshipping before committing inventory. 9.    Diversification within your product line can capture more market. 10. Customer service excellence can set you apart from competitors. 11. Regularly review your expenses for any unnecessary outgoings. 12. Leverage business credit cards for short-term financing (wisely). 13. Social proof can drastically reduce customer acquisition costs. 14. Keep an eye on your competitors but focus on your customers. 15. Understand the cost of customer acquisition vs. lifetime value. 16. The right affiliate program can significantly boost your reach. 17. Email marketing has one of the highest ROIs in e-commerce. 18. User-generated content is both authentic and free marketing. 19. International expansion requires local market understanding. 20. Know your numbers: Gross Margin, Net Margin, EBITDA. 21. Keep learning; e-commerce trends are constantly evolving. 22. Influencer marketing should be authentic, not transactional. 23. Protect your cash flow by having a buffer for emergencies. 24. Scale at a pace that doesn't compromise your cash flow. 25. Leverage social media platforms for brand storytelling. 26. Invest in high-quality product images and descriptions. 27. Don't underestimate the power of a strong community. 28. Always be negotiating with suppliers for better terms. 29. Never stop optimizing your operations for efficiency. 30. Data privacy laws are tightening; ensure compliance. 31. Mobile optimization isn't optional in today's market. 32. Automation tools are an investment, not an expense. 33. Use failure as a learning opportunity, not a setback. 34. Customer reviews are gold; actively seek them out. 35. Cash flow is king. Prioritize it over profit on paper. 36. Retargeting campaigns are essential, not optional. 37. Outsource non-core activities to focus on growth. 38. Use analytics to drive decisions, not gut feelings. 39. A solid return policy can actually increase sales. 40. Diversify your sales channels to mitigate risks. 41. Packaging can be a powerful marketing tool. 42. Understand and optimize your sales funnel. Consider every piece of advice here as a starting point, not gospel. That doesn't mean these insights won't apply, but adaptation is key. If there's one common thread, it's this: EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS. #ecommerce #amazon #strategy

Majority of digital marketers might not know this. But every time you run an ad campaign in a platform like Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn something amazing is happening. In a fraction of a second every active campaign calculates: - expected click-through rate (CTR), - expected conversion rate, and - expected conversion value. The product of these 3 parameters gives you an optimal bid your campaigns place on a real-time advertising auction. The reality is a little more complex, of course. But this gives you the idea. Why is this important and what you can do about it? (1) Make sure your campaigns produce A LOT of conversion data. Ad robots need to predict 3 separate variables (2 if you’re using CPA-based bidding like tCPA or max conversions). And multiplying multiple random variables multipliers the margin of error. So the more data you feed to ad platforms >> less error there is in their predictions >> your campaigns place more optimal bids >> your revenue and ROI is maximized. (2) Value-based bidding (tROAS or max conversion value) is always a winning strategy for the long term. One more degree of freedom to optimize bids for (conversion value) means a difference between being swamped by low quality leads and consistently getting a greater number of ever more qualified leads. If you know how to assign conversion value to a lead, of course (comment or DM if you don’t). And in the long term your chances of having enough data are very high. (3) Try to give your campaigns as much time to learn as you can. Relaunching a campaign resets the learning to basically ground zero. And we just discussed why feeding more data means more revenue and higher ROI. What aspects of biddable paid media did you find most insightful? Please share in the comments. #ppc #paidsearch #paidsocial #programmaticadvertising

Hey folks, I want to share some insights from our experience in helping industrial companies implement and refine their digital marketing. There are common gaps that companies should be aware of. Think of this as a checklist of sorts for your next campaign: 1️⃣ Clear Goals: Without clear and measurable objectives, your marketing can’t be successful. Remember that the end-game is generating revenue and profit for your company. Marketing goals can encompass top-of-funnel metrics such as increasing website traffic, as well as bottom-of-funnel metrics such as sales qualified leads and pipeline value. 2️⃣ Technology Stack: The right technology stack is critical for capturing data and measuring the performance of your marketing efforts. Your tech stack should include analytics tools, a CRM system, and a marketing automation platform, all of which should be connected to seamlessly share data and route leads. 3️⃣ Well-Defined Target Customers: Knowing your target audience inside and out is critical. Develop detailed customer personas. Understand their pain points, preferences, and buying triggers. This knowledge will guide your content creation and messaging, making it more relevant and engaging to your audience. 4️⃣ Messaging: Your messaging should resonate with your audience and clearly communicate your value proposition. It’s tempting to talk about our products, and there is a time and place for this. But a sales-first message will often be ignored by people who aren’t ready to buy. Instead, start by offering helpful, informative, interesting, and educational content. This approach builds trust and strengthens your brand. 5️⃣ Distribution of Content: Creating great content is just the first step. Ensure it reaches the right audience through effective distribution. In short, get your content and message out in front of your target customers so they have the opportunity to engage with it. Utilize social media, email marketing, SEO, and industry-specific platforms to amplify your content's reach. 6️⃣ Test and Optimize: Continuous improvement is key in digital marketing. Implement testing and optimization on all of your campaigns so that you can learn and improve. A/B testing of ad copy, landing pages, and email subject lines, for example, can uncover what resonates best with your audience. 7️⃣ Lead Nurturing: This is often missing from campaigns, in my experience. Establish a lead nurturing process to build trust and help transition leads through your sales funnel.  Drip email campaigns, personalized content, and targeted follow-ups can keep leads engaged and move them closer to conversion. Addressing these potential marketing gaps will help your company win in 2024 and beyond. 📊📈💼 Feel free to message me with any questions if you want to go a bit deeper on any of these items. As always, I’m happy to share/talk.  #DigitalMarketing #IndustrialMarketing #Growth

If there’s one piece of advice I could give to anyone about to start spending on paid advertising, it’s this: No amount of ad spend can make up for a garbage landing page. I’ve seen massive campaigns fail before they even start because of a poorly optimized landing page. Imagine crafting the perfect set of ads, with beautiful imagery, compelling value props, and an offer your target audience is clamoring for. Then, when you finally get that click... The landing page takes too long to load. Or it looks nothing like the ads you’ve shown. Or it’s a mishmash of half-baked value propositions, hard to read copy, and ugly product images. Or, worse, the landing page doesn’t even open. If you want to drive growth, your landing page needs to be optimized to convert those clicks into customers. Focus on these key elements: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱: You’re taking the user on a journey, make sure everything on your landing page is consistent with what they’ve just seen in the ad. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀: Make sure your headline clearly communicates the offer or solution. It should set the stage for the rest of the content. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆: Write straightforward, persuasive copy that addresses pain points and highlights the benefits of your offer. Use bullet points and subheadings to make the text easy to read. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗖𝗧𝗔): Your CTA should be prominent and direct visitors to what you want them to do, whether it’s a purchase, sign-up, or download. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Use testimonials, reviews, and security badges to build trust with your visitors. 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly with a responsive design and fast load times. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴: Regularly test different elements of your landing page to find out what works best. Use the data to make informed changes and improve conversion rates. A high-converting landing page is the backbone of any successful digital marketing campaign. It doesn’t matter how amazing your product is or how many problems it can solve, if your landing page isn’t optimized to convert, you’ll never get those sales. Instead, you’ll be losing out on massive amounts of potential revenue. 💡 What has been your biggest challenge with landing page optimization? Comment below and let's discuss how to overcome it! 💡

It was 2016. I was looking at the YTD reporting for a creator and I was blown away. $13m in sales. 3 person team. I had heard about stuff like this, but had never seen the hard data before. As I dove deeper into the creator space I started to find more and more stories like this. Marie Forleo. Pat Flynn. Sam Parr. Amy Porterfield. Jacques Hopkins. Dale Beaumont. Wildly successful creators with less than a dozen employees. Chatting with many of these creators first-hand. Here are a few things I have learned… 1) Trust is the biggest barrier: For online creators, digital marketers or small eCom brands, the biggest barrier is trust. Why should folks tune in for your content, or buy your membership or course? Nearly all of the folks mentioned above focused heavily on customer proof, testimonials and UGC to build their brands in the early days. Two tips here: #1 Make sure the testimonial style matches your audience. For example, someone like a Marie Forleo would want a more emotive before and after style of testimonial vs. a B2B SaaS creator might want very specific data and a more quantitative approach. #2 volume matters. Often folks won’t read through 100 reviews but if you have only 4 reviews on the site folks will wonder “Why can they only get 4 reviews? Are they small or unpopular?”. 2) Community, not just audience: For the top creators operating at scale, I find the communities they build are an essential part of the puzzle. When you foster an environment of like-minded people who can start to help each other, you create real lasting power and retention. Most of the top creators are masters of this. Top tips I find are: #1 Be a good curator. Free for all communities typically devolve quickly. Make sure you keep the quality bar high for folks. #2 Have a lot of dynamic content. Communities with just static resources get stale quickly. Workshops, lives, and other frequent dynamic events are key for retention. 3) Use email effectively: Whether it’s for onboarding, or a newsletter, or letting folks know about product launches, running promotions or even just deepening education on your niche, email is the lifeblood of effective digital businesses at scale. All of the top creators I have worked with use email and automation as a core revenue lever. Top tips I find are: #1 Segment based on dynamic and static behaviors, meaning things they do (opens, clicks, page visits) and info they provide (industry, team size, role). #2 Build systems. Email is not just a newsletter or to push coupons, but email is tied to the core processes of the business, taking people through a full lifecycle, and dynamically adjusting the pathway for trials/customers based on their needs. One of the things that has blown me away in my first quarter working at ActiveCampaign is how many small teams we have powering big businesses. Thousands of teams with just a few employees powering $1m+ businesses. Tech is heralding in a new age of accessibility in entrepreneurship.

You can be very competent but poor branding and positioning can make you very poor. The key to turning your expertise into profitability doesn't just lie in your competence; it's also about effective branding and positioning. Being highly skilled is crucial, but if you are not properly positioned where your target audience can find you, your expertise may go unnoticed, underutilized and eventually you are a skillful poor person. Here is a Simple Framework I will suggest you practice if you feel you are skillful and struggling to cash out from your skills. Step 1: Self-Audit Begin by conducting a comprehensive audit of your skills, strengths, and unique selling points. Know what you bring to the table (marketplace). Step 2: Identify Your Audience Decide who can most benefit from your services. Knowing your audience allows you to tailor your brand messaging and positioning more effectively. Step 3: Market Research Study the competition and understand market needs. This will enable you to find gaps you can fill or areas where you can outperform others. This is important. Step 4: Branding Create a professional brand identity. Utilize a consistent color scheme, logo, and tagline across all platforms to establish brand recognition. Step 5: Online Presence Build or update your website (if you can afford) and social media profiles. Ensure they align with your brand and are optimized for search engines to improve visibility. Keep learning on this. Step 6: Content Creation Regularly produce high-quality content that resonates with your audience. Share your expertise through blogs, webinars, or social media updates to position yourself as an authority in your field. This will take time but start. Step 7: Networking Utilize both online and offline channels to network with industry peers and potential clients. Networking not only increases your visibility but also improves the chances of referrals. Who knows you matters. Thank you for knowing me because you are reading this (smiles) By adopting this seven-step process, I think you can elevate your expertise from just being competent to being lucratively recognized. I have coached different professionals and they have been able to achieve this and more. Thus, mastering the art and science of branding and positioning is not just optional; it's essential for financial success in today's competitive marketplace. You want to make money from your skills right? Do this then. I know you learned a few stuff. Leave a comment, tag a friend who needs to see this and do share. I am rooting for your success. Dr. Javnyuy Joybert.

KPI paralysis is real. Tracking and actioning the right metrics is 50% of the battle. Make these 3 shifts to elevate your insights. 1. Revenue-based LTV -> Profit-based LTV Many e-commerce analytics tools make a primitive mistake. They fail to prioritize profit contribution above revenue. Some argue that the primary goal of marketing is to drive revenue - profit is secondary. But if your brand loses money on every customer it acquires, the least you need to know is when (if ever) you recoup the acquisition cost. And that means looking at profit after deducting all variable costs. Revenue-based LTV will not do the trick. Even better - look at 30-day and 90-day LTV:CAC. 2. ROAS -> ROMI (Return On Marketing Investment) ROAS is a flawed metric. Return =/= revenue. Return = profit. ROAS only considers revenue generated for every $1 spent. ROMI considers profit generated for every $1 spent. ROMI = Profit Contribution / Marketing -> profit after variable costs and marketing. ROAS is not bad in relative terms, but ROMI is the real "return" on marketing. 3. AOV -> AOV Levers AOV lacks context. It's a metric that consists of at least 4 levers: AOV = AUR (average unit retail) * UPT (units per transaction) * DR (discount rate) * RR (return rate) Deeper insights stem from granularity. Focus on the levers when crafting a strategy. --- If you were Abraham Lincoln, spend the first 5 (yep, not 4) hours finding the right metrics, and only 1 hour analyzing their impact. P.S. if you need help understanding which metrics to focus on, DM me! #ecommerce #profitability

A harsh truth about growing CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) brands: While selling DTC isn’t a necessity, overlooking this channel WILL hold you back from growth. Here are 5 tips to make your website work for you: 1/ Establish an E-commerce Presence Before anything else, you’ll need to build an online store because it’ll give you control, flexibility, and insights that channels like retail and Amazon lack. That said, if your business is already thriving on Amazon, you could start by selling merch. There’s another playbook here I’ll share in another post. 2/ Incentivize Your Customers to Shop With You If you’re considering launching DTC, create subscription models exclusive to your website to incentivize customers to shop directly and generate recurring revenue. You can also offer personalized product options for enhanced customer engagement and a unique experience. For instance, we worked with Once Upon A Farm to build a custom subscription box where customers can add their kids’s favorite flavors, catering to parents of picky eaters. Launch limited-edition or exclusive products that can only be purchased through your website to build customer loyalty. 3/ Leverage Digital Marketing Use digital marketing tactics to direct traffic to your website. If you’re not selling online yet, consider a couponing strategy to drive foot traffic to stores. Give customers access via email sign-up. Use this data to inform future brand strategy and build effective retargeting campaigns. 4/ Produce Educational Brand Content Engaging content, such as recipes or usage tips can create a personalized experience. For example, a brand offers a multi-pack of premium cookie mix. A customer might be persuaded to make the purchase when they see the list of high-quality ingredients and a list of recipes they can make with the mix. Use QR codes in retail to give customers quick access to quality content! Brij co-founder Kait Stephens can give you the full rundown on this. Don’t forget email. Create a few simple segments of customers to send content that hits home. 5/ Establish Direct Feedback Loops Provide direct communication channels to encourage customers to reach out with issues and feedback, fostering a community around your brand. & Grow! These tips help build relationships you otherwise would not have had with customers. Learn from them, foster them, and when you’re ready to invest in DTC, you’ve got a community of folks ready to engage.