Want to grow? Here’s what to know…

Happy new(ish) year. ???

As another year gets underway, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of ‘tech trends’ articles doing the rounds.?

And even as someone who’s tried and tested a lot of tech in my time, I find it all a bit overwhelming. There are so many shiny new tools being raved about on our feeds, and it’s hard to know what’s useful – and what’s just another passing fad. (Rest in peace, NFTs.)?

For us, the yardstick of a good tech trend is that it helps you grow. So that’s what this edition is all about.??

Go headless to grow.

Our podcast sponsors, verse. , dropped me a note about what they’d done for their client The Fabled Thread – and it’s definitely worth sharing.?

Bit of background: The Fabled Thread sells embroidery kits to people who love sewing, and all the beautiful stories you can tell through it. To help them revamp their online store experience, Verse transitioned their site from using a headed system to a composable commerce-driven one.?

To potentially over-simplify....?

Composable commerce is where you separate out the front end of a site (i.e. what customers see) from the back end (i.e. where all the business happens). With the two sides of the site now working independently, you’ve got the flexibility to adapt and personalise your front end for different customers a lot more easily.??

You can check out the full case study here, which has all the juicy/complicated details. But the headlines are that The Fabled Thread can now:?

? Create a one-stop location for managing the shop?

? Tailor their webpages?

? Give their VIPs a swankier experience?

And the results were pretty great, too:?

? 170 new subscribers in the first month ???

? Over 3.5k new users in the same period???

? 28% higher conversion rate ????

I know I'm biased, but you should definitely check them out (they also offer free audits btw). And on the subject of biased...?

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Some podcasts about tech that drives growth.?

We just so happen to have done a tonne of podcasts on this topic in our series The Right Way to Grow. Have a listen, and get immersed in the wonderful world of DTC tech:?

• Can’t make head nor tail of headless? – a deeper dive into composable commerce and headless tech, and why it can be a game-changer for growth, with Verse’s CEO Sean Connell .? ?
• Why your Meta ads suck on TikTok? – how to navigate this advertising jungle and create content that makes it right to the top of the algorithm. All with TikTok’s Head of eComm, Dave Morrissey .? ?
• Mobile Apps, Convince Me – covering mobile apps from every angle: how to get the most value from a mobile app, how to roll it out, and how to keep it going. If you think apps are a waste of money, it’s worth hearing this out with Ash Mousavian from Tapcart .

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Savvy new ways to use social commerce.?

Chances are, you’ve probably heard of social commerce by now (i.e. where people can directly buy brands’ products through social media platforms).?

It’s massive: over 35% of the UK’s retail sales are now generated through it, and it’s predicted to grow to $6.2tr globally by 2030.?

But as the years have gone on, the tactics brands are using to drive growth through it have got a lot more subtle. One thing that struck me is how companies are taking a more hands-off approach, letting customers and influencers do all the talking on their behalf.?

Here are some examples of this that caught my eye (and it might just spark a few ideas for your brand this year):?

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1. Wayfair lets livestreaming loose: they handed the mic over to 200 influencers, who livestreamed their products to literally millions of customers on social media. By very carefully matching up the right influencers with the right products and the right audiences, they racked up over 30M engagements and 185K live views.??

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1. Flip lets DTC brands harness epic social proofing: it’s an app that allows real customers to post reviews about your products, which other people can then buy in their feeds. And all the while, brands have absolutely no say in what is posted about them. This ‘free range’ style of selling saw 600% transaction growth in 2022 alone, and 3.5k DTC brands are now on the platform. It’s not available in the UK yet, but could mark a huge shift in the way brands reach new people.?

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1. Walmart embeds real products in a Love Actually-style rom com: they treated viewers to a 23-part love story over platforms like TikTok and YouTube. But here's the twist: over 330 of their products featured throughout the episodes, which viewers could buy while getting embroiled in the festive drama. It was called ‘Add to heart’, a lovely nod to the disparate worlds of rom com and social commerce alike.?

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Links I’ve been loving...??

The ‘enshittification’ of social media. Why our feeds have become with inundated with bots, abuse and bad memes - and what this all means for brands and advertising.?

The very real risks of using AI-made ads as a DTC brand. A few DTC brands talk about their foray into the world of AI-generated ads. And how, contrary to popular opinion, it wasn’t what it was all cracked up to be.?

Disney is working on a VR treadmill. Is this the future of online stores? Will your customers soon be able to walk through a gorgeously curated virtual shop? And what kind of easter eggs, discounts and weird pixellated objects would you leave lying around for them to enjoy??

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That’s it for this one and – I think – just about enough tech for one day.?

If you know anyone in your network that would enjoy this, please do forward it on.?

Until next time…??

R?