You can also listen on:
Apple Podcasts / Spotify
Richard Chapple, former CMO of Gymshark and founder of the Growth Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss effective Google strategies. Emphasising the collaboration between creative and engineering teams, Richard highlights the importance of maintaining Evergreen content, such as Black Friday pages, to boost search rankings and drive traffic. Addressing both rational and emotional customer pain points throughout their journey, from initial discovery to final purchase, is crucial. He also notes the complexities of SEO and advocates for a holistic approach, incorporating both technical and content elements to enhance overall marketing efforts.
Order Rescue: Enhancing Customer Experience and Revenue
Order Rescue is a fantastic tool designed to enhance customer experience and increase revenue. When customers reach the checkout stage and don't complete their purchase, Order Rescue injects the most relevant discount code into the cart, correcting any typos or invalid coupon attempts. This tool is highly configurable, allowing merchants to offer discounts strategically, either correcting invalid attempts or recognising genuine customer effort. On average, merchants see a 1% total increase in revenue using Order Rescue. This tool ensures smoother transactions and higher conversion rates by addressing common checkout issues and retaining more customers.
How to Scale a Business
Many brands mistakenly think they know their customers well. Successful brands, however, use data and feedback to truly understand their customers' needs. By asking the right questions and utilising reviews, surveys, and direct conversations, they gain valuable insights. This helps them improve products, adapt marketing strategies, and address issues. Engaging with customers through various channels and developing focus groups refines products and services, leading to greater business success and growth.
Scaling Gymshark from £8M to £200M
Richard discusses Gymshark's growth drivers, emphasising influencer marketing and strategic SEO. Initially, Gymshark leveraged YouTube and Instagram influencers, benefiting from favourable algorithms. They then improved SEO, targeting broader search terms and creating valuable content like influencer bios and blogs. This strategy, coupled with targeted email marketing and retargeting, boosted conversions and sustained growth. Richard highlights the need to understand customer journeys and use diverse marketing channels to drive engagement and sales.
How to Beat Google and Meta Ads
Richard highlights the challenges of modern digital advertising, focusing on the increasing costs and complexities of Google Ads and Facebook. In the early days of Google Ads, businesses had more control and lower costs, but today's landscape demands balancing algorithm-driven and human-managed campaigns. He emphasises the need for brands to leverage the knowledge and creativity of their teams to outsmart algorithms. Gymshark, for example, grew significantly by blending influencer marketing with sophisticated paid advertising strategies. Despite the complexity and rising costs, it's crucial for businesses to maintain a mix of channels, measure effectiveness, and continuously optimise their advertising efforts.
Marketing Network: Search and Retargeting
If your product solves a specific, rational problem, prioritise Google Search since high-intent customers will likely use it. For emotional or status-oriented products that need education, focus on building brand awareness first. For example, a new supplement for dogs' gut health shouldn't rely solely on search traffic. Instead, educate potential customers through various channels, then retarget them on Google. Avoid over-reliance on a single channel; diversify your marketing strategies to mitigate risks and ensure sustained growth. As AI evolves, its role in search strategies will grow, making digital marketing increasingly dynamic.
The Importance of Testing
Brands often claim channels like Meta, Pinterest, or email don't work for them based on limited tests or poor execution. Instead of dismissing these channels outright, it's crucial to analyse why they're not working and to test different approaches. Engaging directly with customers, such as calling them after an order, can provide valuable insights. Understanding your marketing mix and ensuring all channels work together is vital. Turning off one channel can negatively impact others, as seen when stopping Meta ads affected Google Ads and SEO. Consistent testing, optimising, and understanding your margins are key to a successful marketing strategy.
Check out the full podcast on Gymshark's Growth Adventure here.