Sweat Pants Agency

Hiring people with solid processes and frameworks is a game changer. Why? Because those who have established processes show a level of introspection and a commitment to continuous improvement. Let's take creating better copy as an example. This process always starts with research. And I believe 80% of copy success comes from it. Before AI, this involved diving into reviews, websites, Reddit threads, and social comments. Today, we can turbocharge this by using tools like ChatGPT. By feeding it the same content—reviews, surveys, etc.—we can quickly identify top marketing hooks, reasons for buying, and common objections. This streamlined approach not only saves time but also ensures accuracy. The key is to dig deeper into reviews or posts that resonate with the points you want to highlight. Having a process shows curiosity, standardization, and a foundation for continuous improvement. This is what we look for in new hires.

I was talking with a brand the other day about a new product launch and whether we should gather sign-ups before the official release. The likely answer is yes, but only if you’re confident in the product’s appeal. Gathering sign-ups beforehand won’t make or break your launch, but it can definitely give it a boost if done correctly. Timing is crucial here. You should start collecting leads 7-10 days out. Anything beyond that tends not to be too valuable. With the most valuable leads happening in the last 5 days before launch.Why? Because the most recent leads—captured 1 day before launch—typically generate more revenue than those collected 2, 3, or even 4 days out. So, why start 7-10 days early? This gives you time to fine-tune your creative assets during the first 2-3 days. By testing and optimizing early, you ensure that by the time the final days roll around, you’re getting the best possible results. Once you’ve dialed in the messaging, you can confidently increase the budget. In essence, if you’re confident in your product and have the opportunity, gathering sign-ups before launch can significantly enhance your results. This approach helps you make the most out of your product launches.

You’re getting great results. So you scale up. It works for a while, but then you hit a brick wall. Why does this happen? There are several reasons, but one of the main culprits is often budget-to-audience density. This metric refers to how much you’re spending behind a single audience. The more you spend against this audience, the more you start targeting less intentful users, and your CPMs rise. Ad platforms recognize your aggressive targeting and start charging a premium for that privilege. This leads to diminishing returns as your ads begin to saturate the audience. You can mitigate this with better economics (LTV/AOV), conversion rate optimization, and new creative. However, at some point, you’ll still hit that brick wall. Additionally, sometimes when you push heavy budgets behind the same audience, you’re not just spending more—you’re pulling future demand forward. What this means is that while you might see a temporary spike in sales, you could have achieved similar results over time with a more paced approach, likely at a lower cost. Plus, as you increase spend, your ads start to fatigue, and engagement drops. This lowers the user value on platforms like Facebook, further driving up your costs and reducing effectiveness. Overall, when scaling, it’s important to recognize the downsides and understand that growth isn’t linear.

Ever heard of decoy pricing? It’s a clever strategy that can boost sales by making one option look like the best deal. Take The Economist subscription, for example: Web-only subscription: $59 Print-only subscription: $125 Print and web subscription: $125 Notice how the print-only option is the same price as the print and web bundle? It’s a decoy. This setup makes the bundle seem like an unbeatable deal, driving more people to choose the most expensive option. Or consider the classic movie theater popcorn example: Small popcorn: $3 Large popcorn: $7 Medium popcorn (decoy): $6.50 The medium popcorn acts as a decoy, making the large popcorn look like a much better value for just 50 cents more. The result? More sales of the large size. Decoy pricing works by guiding customers toward a specific choice—usually the one you want them to pick. In eCommerce, this could mean structuring product tiers or bundles to make the higher-priced option seem like the obvious choice.

The best way to overcome objections? Tackle them before they even pop up in the customer's mind. Let me give you an example. Selling a kids' subscription box? Here’s how to preemptively strike: "Is it age-appropriate?" Don't wait for this question—highlight right away that it's perfect for ages 4 to 14. "Can it be used independently or with family?" Emphasize that it offers both solo challenges and family bonding opportunities. Two birds, one stone. "Will they get bored with it?" Counter this with phrases like, "It's so fun and addicting!" Sprinkle in some testimonials about kids who can’t wait for their next box and spend hours engaged. How do you uncover these sneaky objections? Surveys and social media comments are your secret weapons. Use them to anticipate customer concerns and address them in your ads and landing pages. Turn those objections into selling points, ensuring customers see the value right from the start. Addressing objections upfront isn’t just smart—it’s your ticket to winning over more customers.

I remember years ago working with a coffee brand, and we discovered some fascinating insights from analyzing customer buying behavior. We had two types of purchases: subscriptions and one-time buys. When we dug into the data, we found a significant pattern. Only 18% of one-time buyers made a second purchase. But if they did, there was an 85% chance they’d order a third time, and the repeat order rate stayed high after that. This showed us a major bottleneck. The founder initially wanted to focus all incentives on attracting first-time buyers, but the data told a different story. We saw the value in driving that crucial second purchase. So, we overhauled our approach: 1. Revamped Fulfillment Kits: The first order kit included incentives for a second purchase. 2. Updated Email Campaigns: Emails were tailored to encourage a second buy. The results? We boosted the second purchase rate to nearly 30%, leading to a significant increase in overall sales and customer lifetime value (LTV). Even with pushing more people into that second order, we only saw a small dip in the number of people who went from a 2nd to a 3rd order, moving from 85% to 83%. This experience shows the power of slicing your data by cohorts to uncover bottlenecks and then addressing them directly. Sometimes, the biggest gains come from focusing on the steps beyond the initial sale.

In B2B lead generation, the quality of leads is just as important as the quantity. Here are some key questions to consider when optimizing your lead gen strategy: 1. Is Your Content Resonating with Your Audience? Are you using content like webinars, events, or white papers that align with the pain points of your target clients? Ensure your content speaks directly to the challenges and needs of your ideal prospects. 2. Are You Effectively Qualifying Your Leads? How are you qualifying leads upfront? Asking the right questions early can help you filter out unqualified prospects. Consider firing your lead conversion pixels only when a lead meets your qualification criteria. 3. What Data Are You Feeding Back to Your Ad Platforms? Are you leveraging conversion data when prospects move through different stages of your CRM? This feedback loop helps ad platforms optimize for better quality leads. 4. Are You Targeting the Right Audience? In specific B2B niches, purchased or rented data can outperform standard ad platform targeting. Make sure you're reaching the right people with the right message. 5. Is Your Content Attracting the Right Clients? If lead quality is declining, review your content strategy. For example, if selling to apartment complex owners is more profitable than regular RE investors, tailor your content to address their unique challenges and goals. By aligning content, refining qualification processes, optimizing feedback loops, and targeting effectively, you can achieve your B2B lead generation goals more efficiently.

The quality of “Top E-commerce Voices” really went downhill when they let this guy in.

I don’t need gifts or praise from our clients. I need the love and appreciation that comes from telling a Google rep to get lost.