EP229 - Ecom, DTC, retail, BFCM + more.

0:00 Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of the PPC, chat Roundup in today's episode. We have Julie taking a break and when we have someone who's usually in the audience, who's expertly answering the questions? When we have this chat, we have got the amazing dwane Brown taking the lead on our chat today. Him, and his company. I take some risk.com. Go check them out, and they do a lot of like yeah, DTC retail, and I feel experimental channel. So the likes that not necessarily everybody else is using the lights of red. Decora Snapchat takes all this kind of stuff. A lot of social media channels. So there he's the one that will be talking about performance Max shopping campaigns and you know, how to do the really good retail type campaigns.

0:43 So today he's going to be taking us on a topic of e-comm DTC said that's direct to Consumer retail Black Friday and the final six to two days left in 2022. So yeah, didn't realize it was only sixty two days left. In fact since Sunday I've booked Three Christmas dinners with different groups of friends and there's also work one that we're going to have and the ninth. And then we've got the last PPC, live UK event that's happening in, just over two weeks on the 24th of this month. So yeah, it's going to be a quite a busy 62 days and I've got a webinar that I need to be on in December and a friend wants me to do podcasts. Oh Lord!

1:24 I'm gonna need to start putting a to-do lists together so I'm just going to forget things. But yeah, let us discuss with our experts today as to what they have plans in terms of Google ads and paid search in terms of. Yeah. The for the last 60 days of the Year, hope you enjoy. Hello. And a warm, welcome to this episode of the PPC chat Roundup a podcast where I round up the Twitter discussion that happens on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. GMT. I'm your host annual Recording from my studio here in London UK. And I use this platform to share not just expert but also my ideas and considered best practices about paid media and the direction the digital industry is going in. So if you want to keep up to date with my tips and tricks in the industry, and get the latest on the podcast that has been called, you'll go to, if you don't make it to the PPC chat live discussions and even if you do then like, follow share and retweets on.

2:24 That's right. Twitter with the handle, the marketing annual join us on our LinkedIn Group, which is the PPC That Roundup podcast, or if you're on Instagram, why don't you check us out, at PPC, chat underscore Round Up to get quotes and Snippets from our previous episodes. So yeah, as I said we are going to be having a chat led by Dwayne during Brown. Who's going to be took taking us through direct to Consumer it campaigns, retail Black, Friday prepping for Black Friday, what are the plans was usually starts as self saying how you doing today? How is your November going done? Anything amazing for yourself lately and Excited to jump on that question because yeah, I was like I'm great excited for the upcoming PBC life on the 24th of November. So yeah, go get your tickets.

3:09 So just go to at PPC live. UK the handle, it will give you the link to get to get that ticket. But, yeah, definitely has been something that I feel like, I've done amazing for myself. If I, you told me I was going to be an event organizer in January before the end of the year. I Don't Go Near yeah. Crazy. Why would I want to do that? But yeah, I've done that. We've got two events to have got two events under my belt and hopefully the third one would be will be as successful if no, even more doing goes, congrats those things. Yeah, are to be excited about. And yeah, we've also got Robert, Brady, who joins us, as well as Julie advice, they've Gallegos as well joins us and I'm sure like, yes, he'd Gibson.

3:49 Ashton Clark, I saw answer some question. Robert Brady as well as shown earlier. I'll try to do. I'm not sure that doing did it hair, but I'll do a little bit of the PSE that you Does yet. We are a friendly and welcoming Community if you want to share if you have an idea, if you do, please do join this chats. Yeah. Even if it's late, even if you come in, after the hour, please do join in the in the chat, we are friendly and welcoming Bunch. There is nothing like you know not knowing well enough, we're all about sharing just our experiences what we're doing. So you can't really have a wrong answer to that but obviously lurkers as well as listening. Names of the podcast are definitely always welcome. So yeah, let's get into our questions today. Doing asks what are you seeing out there for Black Friday? What is the good?

4:40 The bad and ugly? Any Browns launching sales already and I was like I don't know whether it's a UK thing. I've not seen many much Black Friday ads already and I could have sworn like this time. Last year at already seen plenty like beginning of November even October seen a few Black Friday ads this year. It seems to be very light on the ground for that Kirk Williams, own response saying, I connected recently with a research company who is anticipating Brands making steeper? Discounts this year, overall in order to Claire inventory, expect more like 20 to 30% off on average past years. It's closer to 10 to 15 percent off on average. I guess we'll see.

5:21 Brain goes. I wonder if any Brands will try at are discounts to get those early sales, but without hurting margin as much. Gibson replies to question one, say nothing. I've got no clients who are doing Black Friday stuff during goes, you must be huge. That must be a huge sigh of relief for you. Yeah, sometimes know how doing Black Friday ads. During during this time, it's such a relief because it just gets so hectic. And everything just feels like you're doing firefighting work to leave us wanting. I'm seeing a lot out here. It hasn't been a day for quite some time. We've been seen and running weeks, long holiday ads with a black Friday sales coming soon. In a few campaigns we had been have Robert Brady responded to question once and I feel like having Amazon Prime days in October was like bezels saying I'll beat all those Black Friday figs to the punch and it's been sales or deals ever since and we have shown Ellie responded to question.

6:18 One saying I have some higher aov clients and this quarter has been pretty rough so far we are hoping for a good Black Friday but a front-loading spend a bitch to try to strike before others get Super aggressive as longer buying cycle 2 and then we have. Yeah, I said to, I responded saying not as many early as this year as I have seen in previous years like significantly. I don't think I have seen any. Is it a UK thing? Have not been have I not been paying attentions? Yeah, I'm like lying to know we've not done much Black Friday stuff yet and then Ashton clock response to question. One seen as a consumer. I'm already seen a ton of Black Friday, deals and promos and he's in the UK. So I have just been missing on those needle goes. I haven't really seen any ads or companies that stand out yet. They're just the usual discount messaging with product. Images, would love to see some more creativity. The closer we get to the main sales days. He continues as a non-ecommerce marketer, we don't really have any clients with Black Friday or holiday primers. For those companies, we are little more focus on 20:23 planning right now Durango's interesting Ashton seen tons of ads but nothing is grabbing at your heart to make you Oh, by yet, or maybe he just has, you know, a very, very strong respect of his money and I don't think a lot of us have. I don't think I have a strong respect of my money all the time, but I've gotten better as the years have gone long and when Robert Brady had talked about Bezos saying that he'll beat those Black Friday, folks to the punch during respond dead.

7:50 I think I read about this second Amazon, Prime day was how it only. Did 30 percent of the sales compared to the summer now. A hundred million dollars is still a lot of money. I In they wanted higher numbers and in response to Sean, Ellie was with Sean saying I have some higher AV clients and this quarter has been pretty rough. So far, Durango's, has October not been a rough month for them in the past. Everyone wants a good Black Friday for sure. This year, even more than last year, and Sean response saying I'm October is usually so. So, but September October this year, we have been very slow. They have tried a couple fall sales that we have pushed to try and get some momentum. In Tambour haven't seen much success doing goes interesting, one client, try to do a sale end of September and he was quiet. Even the email list didn't move much, which had us scratching our heads.

8:40 All round tin McDougal respond saying we've seen sales Trends. Hold up, better with lower arv product categories as well. Hire a RV is a mixed bag. Amazon has been murked mostly. Okay. DCC, sometimes more of a challenge and then doing himself goes being seen a few beat Black. Cyber Monday sales already. One brand Cuts clothing has been running ads non-stop. I get an ID, add every other day. I've been waiting for the big Brands to start. Doing something was in USA yesterday and even Google store has a Black Friday Cyber Monday. Email sign up for deals interesting and we have Julie advice at responding again given another answers. Question, one seen, I've seen a lot of really strong loyalty messages around Black Friday or holidays more than straight up ads.

9:29 The Laura and Starbucks notifications about using points, are a treasure Trove of great sales or holiday messaging and yeah drain goes. That is called to hair. If you have any screenshots, please share. Yeah, make maybe not about selling new things but for customers use the thing that you already have, that's a very interesting angle going down. Takes us on to question to say, now we know how the market is doing some early movers but mostly seems quiet on the home front he goes, what are you doing for Black Friday? Cyber The Monday doing anything outside of your standard Playbook. How are you trying to stand out clogged response? And I'm curious. If the group has a preference on creating pmax promotional Black Friday, Cyber Monday content as new assets within existing acid groups or create an entire new acid groups. For p Max promotions, we see pros and cons to both options. Julia, Vice a response.

10:24 We exclusively use new acid groups for p. Max do too rigid time constraints. I can Cy optimizing an existing group would be a good approach, but we need to layer messages. Car goes so far. We're taking things on a case-by-case basis like this to curious. If someone had more General reasons for choosing one or the other, for instance, this creative new assets does creating new acid groups force, a more aggressive learning period. I assume. So but don't know for sure you'll advise goes. Good shout and does building ahead of time, reduce the learning. Period. She said, LP and my brain went landing page, but I definitely from Context, she means learning period. We know it constantly reviews old posed assets. So I think the learning period should include days before life and in response to Ashton Clark, where he had gone in response to question one seen as a non-ecommerce marketer, we don't really have any clients with Black Friday or holidays. For those companies were a little more focus on 2023 planning right now.

11:27 Julie advice goes, how are your seat? PM's right now. Inflation plus Q for often equals to a lot more money. Ashton goes yeah, we saw cpms. Go up pretty significantly for a client on LinkedIn last month so we're definitely keeping an eye on those Trends. Same goes for cpcs on all channels but that's varied and little more depending on the industry. Like how B to B tends to be slightly slower in Q4 during goes the worst time to start advertising from scratch. Yes. Because it needs a lot of learning period and a response to a question. Into we've got Sean Ellie saying we have a few different strategies depending on the client. But overall for us clients have cut budgets compared to last year. So we are trying to strike a bit earlier before cpc's get too high trying to get users to buy before. Black Friday.

12:16 Can be tough though during goes. Yeah, they do say, the early bird gets the worm. We will have to see how that plays out right now. Things are tough out there. I feel for the brands and marketers who still just say let's 100% do. Meta and nothing else. Oh yeah, you're going to lose money and leaving money on the table there. I'm not quite a question or an answer to a question but Julie advice girls, speaking of seasonal messages and getting comes ready, Google ads, we need to setup campaign shells. If the ad group can't be saved until all assets are in it. I'm setting up the whole campaign immediately after creative delivery, not great.

12:57 So yeah, that might mean that by the time creative is approved, it's five minutes before the ads need to go live. That could just seemed like a lot of Rush work doing goes, you mean more in the UI and not the editor? I imagine? Yeah, cuz in the editor, you be able to do that, you'll have eyes goes. Yes, although I don't see p Max yet in the editor who I'd feel differently. If one tool would always will allow prep ahead, Durango's, that pesky p Max needs to get their ass in line and helps us all out in the editor. I hope we see a nice update soon for this. Yes, this is one of the another things that makes me. I think they rushed out the release of P.

13:39 Max, if you don't have it ready for editor, don't release it. And I'm Ashton response to question 2, saying, since we don't have any clients running Black Friday, cyber monday deals, I'm spending more time on 2023 planning especially with recent CPM and CPC inflation. A main focus has been refining underperformers as well as finding or testing low-hanging expansion opportunities. During goes sounds like a great way to spend your Quite a Time Ashton under performance as in ads or platforms to Ashton goes, thanks really going after underperformers in any capacity, whether it's a platform, keyword, add excetera part of this is because clients are more focused on it, likely due to the economic concerns.

14:23 But we also want to make sure we have a clean stars to 2023 without any extra noise. Yeah. And during those sounds like some solid spring cleaning in Winter then hopefully it goes smoothly for you and The team. And yeah this is the kind of homework that is going to make the beginning of 2023 for Ashton and his team. A little less stressful even if it's just a little. And then we have drank a taken us on to question 3 saying, based on the last 10 months. Have you readjusted what you expected to see in Q4 2022? Did you start the year with higher hopes? After gangbuster Q4 2021, how are your bosses taking this year so far?

15:04 And then bring those. This was my first It while writing this question you know the Gangnam Style guy where he looks like if he's riding a horse dance. Yeah, that's the gift that he sure to us to that answer before we get into that Fraser and Drewes joins a chat and he responds to question 2 saying we're doing a little bit of the anti Black Friday rhetoric this year. For one client in particular, it's really important to make it clear that they are against the holdfast discount, Mega savings type thing. Thing. Yeah same thing for me even though this is like my very first Christmas time. Black Friday time Thanksgiving time event. I want to do the anti Black Friday thing. I want to stick to my guns in terms of the quality of the event.

15:50 I know the price is already quite low 16 pounds for lovely meet up, full great speakers and you know food and drinks and mince pies. And some yeah, swag they'll be giving out for PC live. Some stuff like you. Usb chargers that kind of start charging cables and pens that I'm getting like multifunctional pens actually I saw that. Anyway, I don't want to reduce the price of that, if I'm going to be giving that as guess for people, I don't want you to comment says, come off as too cheap during Brown. Then goes on to a response question for himself, a not Black Friday per se. Seen more news around the resales market and he shares a link to an article from blog edited from edited occurrence. State of the resale market.

16:37 So yeah we're talking secondhand kind of stuff is really booming, interesting, point of view for that one doing Brandon continue saying also this piece is very Black Friday related. People will spend less overall on on few Brands. Why should they pick your brand? Yep. That is a very an interesting question which is why I like the fact that people see live you UK is quite unique in its space are not too much competition but why us? 16 pounds for four speakers. Mince pies, pizzas, drinks, Shard view. I mean, come on. Did I say any more? I wouldn't because you've already been bored with me, you know, plugging it in every five minutes, GTA Vice response to question for saying yes Lots.

17:23 None of it seems particularly solid, unfortunately costs are going up that we can count on and wow, is that it? We've got out. I'll get someone else's answer outfits. Unseen, I did expect to turn around but I did not expect a big drop like, what? We experienced. A lot of our clients are decreasing, the marketing budget to lower costs and sorry, I missed mentioning this question because you are treated. Sometimes does that doesn't actually give the question in the chat. Question for was seen any interesting news data or articles that talk about what key for 2022 or 2023 will be like so anything around resources and he shared a couple one from consultancy and another from? Yeah, the edited one about the resale market and yeah, you have eyes as well.

18:13 Said yes, lots of none of it seemed particularly solid. Unfortunately costs are going up that we can count on. So yeah, we Be watchful and keep a watchful eye on your costs. And on that note, that brings us to the end of this chat. I feel like, yes, the US have, you know, switch times as well. Say was the same time was 5 p.m. GMT over here. So yeah that was that was nice to know that I didn't miss it this time. Yeah hope you found that talking useful. Hope you are excited about. Yeah Black Friday Cyber Monday times and excited as in you know what's coming. There's not going to be any Panic sales or you guys already prepared or you don't have to do any Black Friday sales. That could be a very exciting time and relaxing time for you meaning that you are you're you know, approaching it from the consumer point of view.

19:05 Instead of The Advertiser point of view, but if you want to continue chatting about what aspects of Black Friday could be, and what the outcome of, you know, the the tasks of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Could be, please join us on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. GMT. 12 p.m. eastern time to continue the chat for any feedback about the podcast or maybe even some correction in anything that has been shed. Do get in. Touch with me on Twitter, my DMs are open on my handle the marketing, a new Or on LinkedIn. Just find my name a new addict. Bola, I'd love to connect with you. We also have a PBC chat Roundup group. So yeah, please join us on there for all those longings. Long-standing members or brand, new listeners of the podcast on, would love to get get a review from you. If you just go to link tree.com /p P c-- chat underscore round up.

19:58 So that's link2sd. Re e.com /pb see chat underscore Roundup and Last plug for PBC live UK. That's having its last event of the year last event of the year, not the last event, because we're gonna come be coming back end of January, probably February early February for our next event. In the New Year, our last event of the year is happening, 24th of November go to our Pages or PPC live UK, just search for it, easy to find and you'll get a link that will take you to where you can buy your 16-pound ticket for. For great speakers, we're going to be talking about broad match, we're going to be talking about account structures best practices, especially for B2B we're going to be talking about building towards rowi, we're going to be talking about lifetime value and how to really structure your campaign and optimize your campaign towards that. And we're going to be having food pizzas drinks. Mince pies crystal Christmas festivities. So, yeah, I would love to have you there. Anyway, finally remember for your campaigns and businesses to Glide smoothly?

21:05 As a lot of hard work needed beneath the surface, so keep your swans kicking by and speak to you next week.