← The Product Boss with Jacqueline Snyder
The Product Boss with Jacqueline Snyder
685. “Struggling with Slow Sales? How to Focus on Bestsellers and Find Loyal Customers” | Coaching Session
01:05:15
Loading summary
Transcript323 lines
- [00:02]
Jacqueline Snyder
Hi, I'm Jacqueline Snyder and this is the Product Boss podcast. I've helped launch and grow thousands of product based businesses, even one of my own. And over the last 20 years, I've seen behind the scenes of businesses just like yours. Whether they are makers, manufacturers, artists, or food and beverage businesses. I have spent so many hours studying it all. I've discovered what makes them successful, what mistakes they could have avoided, how did they turn their ideas into a successful business, and what are the strategies that they have used to make more sales and be discovered by more customers. And this is what this show is all about. Whether you're just starting out or you're looking to become a million dollar product boss, I'm here to give you the permission to chase your dreams, no matter how big or small. All you need is the right mindset, a little courage, strategy and support, and you too can be the next million dollar product boss. Let's do this. Oh my goodness. Friends, if you are anything like me, you probably spend more time running errands than running your business. Am I right? Like, everything needs something, we gotta run around. And I knew that this was like a major issue for me back in the day, which is why I decided to get help where I could. And I decided to let Instacart handle all of my grocery shopping. So I no longer had to worry about running all the errands and having to run out and get more almond mil milk for my lattes. Rather, I was like, you know what, we're just gonna let Instacart handle that. So I want you to imagine skipping the store and getting back to designing packaging, orders, making, or maybe actually taking a break, even a nap. Remember those? Okay, so with Instacart, you can get groceries and essentials delivered in as fast as an hour so you can focus on growing your business without sacrificing a meal. Plus, less stress and more focus. And here's a tip. I've actually used Instacart before to order gifts from my daughter's friend's birthday parties because I haven't had time to run out and get presents. And I've been able to get the packaging, like the gift bag and the G, like hello, Sephora, delivered to my house while I was in the middle of coaching sessions so that I could have the present right. It's like having a personal assistant without having a personal assistant. So if you want to do what I do and get the help where you can, you can try it. Now if you head to the Product Boss.com Instacart welcome to another behind the scenes coaching session. Today you'll hear me speaking with Ashley, founder and owner of Teal Meal. She sells baby products that are sustainable, toxic free and eco friendly. When she came to me, she had a couple of concerns. Her sales were low, averaging around $200 a month. She was also concerned that her product offerings were unfocused and that her messaging just isn't resonating with her audience. She's starting to see traction on her social media and her email list, but there's a lot of friction there and she's starting to feel really overwhelmed. I'm going to help her focus on her bestsellers and see if we can grow her business from there. There's a lot to cover here, so let's get into it. So right now you're feeling like you are everywhere, Right. You're kind of feeling a little bit like out of control. I don't know what I'm doing. I have the stuff, but I don't know what I'm doing.
- [03:05]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [03:06]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. And is it all bought from other companies? You haven't manufactured any of it?
- [03:10]
Ashley
I haven't designed. Yeah, it's from like the manufacturer, but it's not something that I've designed. It's like pick from a product list.
- [03:18]
Jacqueline Snyder
Is it all branded Teal Meal stuff?
- [03:20]
Ashley
Yeah, I do.
- [03:21]
Jacqueline Snyder
I.
- [03:22]
Ashley
So most of it is branded Teal Meal.
- [03:24]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [03:24]
Ashley
I do have three products currently from a brand called Pretty Please Teethers who they have like closed their shop but wanted to like continue their brand on. So I like some of their items were more complementary to what I have. So I brought on a few of her pieces.
- [03:42]
Jacqueline Snyder
But all the silicone stuff, people are like, oh, that's that we're buying Teal Meal.
- [03:46]
Ashley
Yes.
- [03:46]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. I just wanted to make sure. So I mean that's, you know, whether we source from overseas and you know, I was doing this, I was going to start a company for my husband. He decided we should not be business partners, especially product based. But we were looking to source overseas the certain products that they had already been made, but then sourcing them, curating them and then eventually what we wanted to do is label them with the brand name on it. So is your stuff labeled? Yes. Okay, cool. Great. Okay. So then what I want to do is talk about who your ideal customer is. And so what I want you to think about is it's one person. It's like one mom. It's not moms from 25 to 45 that have babies. Right. Because that's Too broad. Right. So for you, who would be your kind of like your target mom that, you know, where she shops, you know what her day looks like, you know, what her fears and worries are, you know, the things that kind of bring her joy.
- [04:44]
Ashley
So my ideal would be a mom for, like, early 30s, maybe her first child or second. But mom of toddlers, really?
- [04:59]
Jacqueline Snyder
Let's decide if it's first mom or second mom energy over here.
- [05:02]
Ashley
I would say second mom.
- [05:04]
Jacqueline Snyder
Oh, it's so funny. I think first you do.
- [05:06]
Ashley
Okay, okay.
- [05:07]
Jacqueline Snyder
Why? Because second, like, you might be just reusing the stuff from your other kid.
- [05:12]
Ashley
Yeah, that's a good point.
- [05:14]
Jacqueline Snyder
My sister has a silicone. It's the butt cream spatula. Like, when I was. Like when my kids were little, I used my hand.
- [05:22]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [05:23]
Jacqueline Snyder
Like eight years ago.
- [05:24]
Ashley
Yep.
- [05:26]
Jacqueline Snyder
And so she. She has a butt cream spatula. And when she was having her second, I was like, surely you're going to get a new one. She's like, it's dishwashable. I'll just clean it. And I was like, like, of all the things. Right. Yeah.
- [05:38]
Ashley
So, okay, so first. No, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah.
- [05:41]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. Because second time she's kind of like, what do I have left? You know, like, again, I had a girl after my boy, and my girl was dressed like a boy for the first few months. Because then you get practical. You're like, the baby doesn't go anywhere. Like, she just needed pajamas. It's okay if she's wearing, like, a truck on it, even though it's always okay if she's wearing a truck. But you know what I'm saying.
- [06:01]
Ashley
Yeah, I got it.
- [06:02]
Jacqueline Snyder
So I do think it's more of the first time mom. It's the. Who has, like, the registry.
- [06:06]
Ashley
Yes.
- [06:07]
Jacqueline Snyder
You know, and she wants all of the things and she needs to try all of the pacifiers because she's not sure. Like, her friend told her this one's going to work, but what's going to end up happening is, like, it's not going to work. Right. And she's going to have to go through a million other pacifiers and a million other bottles and all the things.
- [06:22]
Ashley
Yes. Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah.
- [06:24]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. And now it's not to say that. So what will probably happen, too, is as her child grows, if she loves the product, she'll buy the toddler plates. Right, Right. And then especially toddler, because I feel like they're in that phase a little bit longer. And then eventually you'll have like two toddlers at some point eating Plates, that's when she'll go and she'll buy the second round. So I'm gonna be really generous here. It's not always true, but I'm just gonna say pink versus blue. I'll go my way. So my son's born, I get the blue stuff and the yellow stuff and all the stuff that I like want to, you know, do with him. Then my daughter, you know, she's got like kind of whatever. We're using some things that are the same. Right. But then as soon as they're both having bowls that they're both aware of and they start to be more aware of their favorite colors and stuff, that's when I might buy the pink bowl and he has the blue bowl.
- [07:14]
Ashley
Right? Yeah, that makes sense.
- [07:15]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, so you're, you'll have. What's cool is like you're going to have a long term customer. The more kids she has, she may buy more of the older kid products more often or in multiples. And sometimes like the start the baby, like the baby age maybe.
- [07:33]
Ashley
Yeah, yeah, for sure. Because more of my products are for that like toddler stage. I would say she is interested and searches for items that are eco friendly, items that can be easily cleaned because everything's like dishwasher safe and microwave safe. And in terms of shopping, I would say like, likes to see, like to buy what her friends are buying or what she sees that is influenced by maybe there's a version at Target but wants to like see what else is out there. So shops around a bit and is environmentally conscious, so wants to find a product that gives back in some way.
- [08:29]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. Only thing about that, and this is the thing that I think a lot of times people get stuck on is well, you have every good intention for what you're going to do with your business and give back and stuff. The only thing that does for a customer is when she's at that buying decision point, she feels better about herself that she's spending the money.
- [08:48]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [08:48]
Jacqueline Snyder
Oh, but they give back. Yeah, but she's not necessarily always looking. She's not seeking out. I'm only going to buy from a kid's company that gives back most. The majority of people are always as good as they are. They're going to think about their needs first and then what's going to help is knowing that they feel better because. And maybe if it was two products sitting in front of them, same price, same product, but you're like, oh, what if I buy from that one? It's going to give back again. That's kind of the thing that might push them over.
- [09:17]
Ashley
Okay, that's helpful. And that's what I was around of what I would to get back to because I've been really struggling with that was like the initial marketing and did get some traction. Part of that the reason for it got on like Good morning, the products got on Good Morning America. But it did not create sustaining sales, obviously, which is why I'm here. Right. So. So that is exactly what I've been struggling like is this really differentiator. Do I go with this in my marketing? So it's helpful that you just said that because that's kind of what I was feeling. But I didn't know if I should speak to that less if that would hinder me any more than like the few sales I have.
- [10:03]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. So I think it's important to them that you are a company on a mission that is doing good in the world. It's not just for capitalism. You know, they're not fighting the man. They're like helping another woman do good for other people. Yeah. But it's not going to be the reason. So it's a pillar of your content, right? It's a pillar of the reason they're gonna buy from you and not Target potentially. Because Target is more of a. You're walking through the aisle and you're like, these are cute. I'm gonna buy these. Most of the time, like we less likely go in for something specific. Unless they're doing like a collaboration, like a Tabitha Brown collaboration. You want that? It's more of a convenience play and they move through product quickly. So if they ever had something like what you do, they have it and then they'll do something new. Right. If they're doing silicone product, it's going to be this on this season and then it completely changes to another silicone. The other thing about the eco friendly aspect, for me personally, I almost flip it. So while it is eco friendly, right. And that's just like a point of like the description and the parts about it. Again, what's in it for them? It's silicone, it's food grade, it's non bpa, it's not plastics, that kind of thing. Because first they're going to be more concerned about what they're putting into their baby's body. Then they're also going to be concerned about we're putting into the oceans, for example. Yeah, I wouldn't leave like the eco friendly, but I would do like the food grade silicone that are bpa. Latex, lead, phthalates free. Right. So it's all that kind of like clean, safe products to use.
- [11:36]
Ashley
Right?
- [11:36]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [11:37]
Ashley
Yeah, I like that. Clean, safe, rather than listing everything out.
- [11:42]
Jacqueline Snyder
I mean, obviously list around. But what we can do and what you can do is research other brands that are in the market that are making stuff that's silicone based. You're not the inventor of this.
- [11:54]
Ashley
Right, right, right.
- [11:55]
Jacqueline Snyder
This is an iteration that you're doing that you're going to bring to your specific customer. But let's go and look at their words that they're using.
- [12:01]
Ashley
Okay.
- [12:02]
Jacqueline Snyder
You, I want you to know and like that you don't have to reinvent the wheel or reinvent the words. Like a lot of times people just want you to be practical and tell them what it is.
- [12:12]
Ashley
Right. Okay.
- [12:13]
Jacqueline Snyder
Operating your business with a set of personal values is great. If more businesses did that, the world would probably be a much better place. But when it comes to attracting customers, factors like donating to charity or environmentalism will always come second to what directly benefits your customers. It's important to do both. But to get them to buy, tell them what's in it for them personally. Okay. Next I want to move to your biggest competition, like who's already in the market. Crushing it.
- [12:46]
Ashley
I would say Mushi is really big. I definitely look up to them for their branding and messaging. They're big though. So some of the times I'm looking at them and thinking like, well, they don't really have to do very much to sell anymore. It's like a lot. It's a very well known brand and now they're, you know, in Target and things like that. There's yeah. Baby goods and the other one is Lalo, like L A, L O. I'm assuming, like how a child says yellow.
- [13:18]
Jacqueline Snyder
So when I just searched Lalo, it says Lalo makes baby and toddler products you'll be proud to own. We are rethinking the way parents shop for the little ones. And then with Mushy, they said we carefully curate safe, innovative, functional and stylish baby products. So that's their one liner. And then there's even like people ask, where is mushy from? Are mushy toys non toxic? Where are mushy products made? Where are mushy bibs made? So it looks like there's a lot of people that want to know where it's coming from. It says all products are designed in Houston and Sweden by a team of designers. The company utilizes factories in usa, Denmark, Turkey and Asia. So they're not just going to be like made in China. Right. Because that's obviously what I think some of these parents are searching.
- [14:04]
Ashley
Right.
- [14:04]
Jacqueline Snyder
And so they start with, all products are designed in Houston and Sweden by a team of designers led by Mushy. Right. So wherever you are. Right. Designed in. And then it utilizes factory. So it doesn't say it's made in. It doesn't say China. It says Asia.
- [14:19]
Ashley
Asia. Yeah.
- [14:20]
Jacqueline Snyder
So you can be very general in that. And then another thing, that somebody looked as much as clean brand, so they actually are using the word clean in there too. So we can get into those words later. But I just kind of wanted to.
- [14:34]
Ashley
Yeah, that's good. That's helpful.
- [14:36]
Jacqueline Snyder
Do a little competitor analysis.
- [14:38]
Ashley
Yep.
- [14:39]
Jacqueline Snyder
When you're not sure how to communicate your product's value to your customers, taking a quick look at some of the competition that's doing similar things can be really helpful. You're not looking to copy anything, but it's totally fine to get some ideas that get your own business brain into motion. Now we're going to move on to looking at Ashley's bestsellers.
- [15:00]
Ashley
I would say my best seller, just looking at the data, is Sippy Cup, Sippy Cup Top and Half Moon Bowl.
- [15:07]
Jacqueline Snyder
So, okay, we know your best sellers. Are you only selling on your website and how are you getting people to get there?
- [15:12]
Ashley
So I'm selling primarily on my website. I have really. I have like one product or two products on Amazon right now. I've just really had a hard time like getting that going.
- [15:24]
Jacqueline Snyder
But what's on Amazon?
- [15:26]
Ashley
The Half Moon bowl and. Yeah, that's it. So I had, I think three Half Moon Bowls on there, but I just haven't pulled it.
- [15:37]
Jacqueline Snyder
That's okay. And then otherwise the couple hundred dollars you're making a month that's coming through your website?
- [15:42]
Ashley
Yep. So it's all through website. I haven't sold anything on Amazon.
- [15:46]
Jacqueline Snyder
How do people know to find you? Like, where are they coming from?
- [15:50]
Ashley
Usually from. So I have two places where people. One is my email list, which is pretty stagnant right now.
- [16:01]
Jacqueline Snyder
How many people?
- [16:02]
Ashley
1700. Okay. People on that. And then I have my Instagram account that I also get a lot of people clicking through and then not necessarily buying right away, but like then coming back to the site directly and purchasing and I think that's like 30, 375 or something. Okay.
- [16:26]
Jacqueline Snyder
So then going back to you and your site. So do you have to do pacifiers and like baby products? Where is your sweet spot and age of the kid?
- [16:43]
Ashley
Yeah, it would be really around like six months, I would say, when they start introducing solid food is really the sweet spot. I've been like, yeah, I mean, I would not be sad about removing the little. The infant. Like the pacifier side of things.
- [17:03]
Jacqueline Snyder
They don't sell a lot of them.
- [17:06]
Ashley
No, I don't. Yeah.
- [17:09]
Jacqueline Snyder
And can the silicone mini utensils, can 6 month olds use that or is that.
- [17:13]
Ashley
Yeah, that's like kind of when they're starting to just get familiar with holding something, playing with it with food, like starting to pick up food. There's a little fork and a little spoon, but a lot of times it's just getting used to, like the holding portion. And then kind of really, people use like it's more of familiarity and getting and playing with the food and they can like pick it up. But it is kind of like part of that baby LED weaning where they're just getting like, used to textures and that motor skill development.
- [17:46]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, I'm just gonna go edit through your site to know how we focus, then we can talk about how we're gonna sell it. Okay, so I clicked for you. I clicked on the zero to six months. And so what came up for me were the silicone pacifiers, the clips, the teether, the utensils, the bibs, and the lovies.
- [18:06]
Ashley
Yep. Yeah, so all of those, with the exception of like the bibs and the utensils are. It's more about.
- [18:17]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, so I sold one because you have the mold and the manufacturer and you know how to make them. It's not to say that down the road, once you get this company on its feet, that you can't bring certain things back. I think pacifiers are hard because, like, you want proof that a pacifier is going to work.
- [18:32]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [18:33]
Jacqueline Snyder
So just because you can make a pacifier doesn't mean, like, you should make a pacifier. And everyone's specific about the pacifier. So pacifiers, I'm cool with you just like not doing, maybe never doing again. The love is a completely different material because the levies are like, you know, a linen. Yeah. Fabric attached to a wood piece. And as cute as they are. Same. It's. Is it the same manufacturer? Is it a different manufacturer?
- [18:57]
Ashley
That one is the Pretty Please teethers.
- [19:00]
Jacqueline Snyder
So it's.
- [19:01]
Ashley
Yeah. I mean, I don't, I don't. I'm not attached to them.
- [19:05]
Jacqueline Snyder
So, yeah, I'm good with you dropping those and then the bibs, we can come back to you because, like, those can be put in a bundle and people can buy them individual or something like that. Because those bibs, too, they come in like, three packs at Target, right?
- [19:18]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [19:19]
Jacqueline Snyder
And certain ones people buy are because they have a certain color to it, or they become like a fan and that. You have that for them.
- [19:25]
Ashley
So.
- [19:26]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, so then we're gonna get to six to 12 months. So we've got the silicone cup in the top, the utensils, the hook bowl, the bibs, the teether. Is the teether yours?
- [19:37]
Ashley
The rainbow teether? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not a huge seller, though.
- [19:42]
Jacqueline Snyder
It's not. Okay, let's drop that probably. Let's drop the pacifier teether as well.
- [19:48]
Ashley
Okay. Yep.
- [19:50]
Jacqueline Snyder
The moo. The mod feeder. Yeah, that's.
- [19:53]
Ashley
That one is also pretty pleased teether. So I was kind of just test testing it out.
- [19:56]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [19:57]
Ashley
I've only had a few sales with that one, and it's people that have purchased it in the past.
- [20:03]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, let's come back to selling other people's stuff later because that's more money of yours out.
- [20:08]
Ashley
Yep.
- [20:09]
Jacqueline Snyder
Since you have to buy it from people and I'd rather you establish yourself as a brand.
- [20:13]
Ashley
Yes.
- [20:14]
Jacqueline Snyder
So really, out of the six to 12, we're keeping the plate, the spoons, the bib, the two different bowls, and the sippy cup and sippy cup top. Let's see what you have for 12 to 24. They're the same products, right?
- [20:27]
Ashley
For the most part. The only other addition would be the divider plate.
- [20:31]
Jacqueline Snyder
Oh, the divider plate. Okay. And then the stacking toy, right?
- [20:35]
Ashley
Yep, the stacking toy. But I really don't have much of that.
- [20:38]
Jacqueline Snyder
Perfect in stock because it's not a feeding toy, so. Right to eat. So they don't really need that. Do you ever sell the bundle, the mat, with the bowl?
- [20:48]
Ashley
Occasionally I sell more of the mini bundle. The mini bundle. It's like, without the mat. So it's the plate, the utensils, and a bib.
- [21:00]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [21:00]
Ashley
And usually people do that for, like, a gift. Yeah, they don't usually buy it for themselves.
- [21:06]
Jacqueline Snyder
100. And then we go to 24 to 48 months, and it's the divider and the cups and the silicone sun plate.
- [21:13]
Ashley
Oh, yeah, the sun plate, too.
- [21:15]
Jacqueline Snyder
That's a good.
- [21:16]
Ashley
That one sells pretty well.
- [21:18]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Because those kids, they like to throw their plate on the ground.
- [21:21]
Ashley
Yep.
- [21:22]
Jacqueline Snyder
Like, gotcha, baby. All right, so we're gonna get rid of toys. We're gonna get rid of zero to six, and we're gonna go to being plates and stuff that kids can Use. And you said this early on, but it sounds like you have like some sort of knowledge about it. But it's kind of. You were saying baby led weaning and then you were starting to talk about all the things you know about kids learning to feed themselves and stuff. So do you have an expertise in that?
- [21:50]
Ashley
No, I don't. It's more of just like personal research and then like I have three boys, so raising them.
- [21:58]
Jacqueline Snyder
Well, you do have an expertise then. Yeah. Maybe you're not trained like you know, like. Right. I don't occupational therapist, but like you have it. So I like that you have all this knowledge and the knowledge sets the product apart in the way of like when you were talking to me about the little utensils for the babies, the silicone mini utensils, you started talking about hand eye coordination. So there's a lot that you are innately saying that a first time mom who's going through these phases at first needs the information and the education for her to say like, oh, I want a smarter baby.
- [22:40]
Ashley
Right.
- [22:40]
Jacqueline Snyder
I'm willing to get them these utensils even if the baby never uses them and throws them on the floor. She feels better about herself that she's introducing the right kind of utensils or toys to her kids or her child to feel like she's advancing them.
- [22:57]
Ashley
Right.
- [22:57]
Jacqueline Snyder
Like, yeah, I lived in New York City. There's this one kid we were friends with. My, my kid was the sage and the boy was in Russian, Mandarin and English. He couldn't say a word at two and a half because he was getting so many languages, you know, so there's those parents that want their kid to really like advance at a young age. And then there's the parents that are like, use your hands, I don't care. Right. And that might be the second third kid mom too. Yeah, so. So yeah, So I do want you to lean into the education or the stuff that you actually don't realize that you know so innately, but you do.
- [23:28]
Ashley
Okay.
- [23:29]
Jacqueline Snyder
Because that's another thing that you will be helpful to moms by giving them that information. We love talking about bestsellers at the product boss. And for good reason. Knowing your best sellers allows you to streamline your marketing, your messaging and your product lineup. When you're selling too many things, it can get overwhelming to potential customers. They don't know who your product is for or what they should buy. And ordering lower quantities of multiple products makes manufacturing costs go up. So don't be afraid to drop products that aren't selling and really focus in on the ones that work. So you wanted a clear strategy to focus and build and the three things you wanted to talk about were growing organic traffic and converting. I receive a lot of traffic when I run ads, but few to no conversions. Then you want to talk about where do I focus. Sippy Cups and Tops are my best sellers, but really want to promote Subscription box and three would be lead gen struggling to build an email list and gain traction. I have 1700 people on my list, but recently there's been low engagement, approximately 45% open rate but very low click through rate. Yep, I, I hear you on that. So you're right now making about $200 a month year to date and we're in September. You've made $1300 but you would love to be making $5000 a month and about $60,000 annually.
- [24:49]
Ashley
Yeah, I mean long term goal is much more than that. But yeah, I want it to be like realistic and not be overwhelmed with like, oh my gosh, I'm never going to get there. But actually this month I've actually made like 320. So.
- [25:03]
Jacqueline Snyder
Amazing.
- [25:04]
Ashley
This is a better month.
- [25:06]
Jacqueline Snyder
Why don't we focus on how do we get to $1,000 a month.
- [25:08]
Ashley
Okay.
- [25:09]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then a $2,000 a month. Right. Instead of you feel like holy moly, I have no idea how to scoop up all the humans to get $5,000 a month. We'll work there. But let's try and get you from A$200 a month to $1,000 a month. That would be a really big jump.
- [25:25]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [25:25]
Jacqueline Snyder
And you'll kind of start to see what works. And then when you start to see what works, you can kind of double down on that.
- [25:30]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [25:31]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, so who runs your ads and what are you spending and what's all that looking like?
- [25:36]
Ashley
So I've only done ads a couple times. I've done them myself just based on like tutorials. I've really just done engagement type ads. Like what are they called? Like viewability or visibility ads. I've boosted some posts which get like traffic. But then I switched to like maybe I shouldn't just boost posts because I don't get a lot of sales from the boost post. It really is like vanity metrics on.
- [26:02]
Jacqueline Snyder
My, on Instagram we all have some views though. I'll tell you.
- [26:05]
Ashley
I know. So I switched to just okay, like, okay, I'm gonna do the Facebook ads and try it out. So I did one campaign where I ran two different ads for six days, $10 a day for was my spend and one ad was a video and it was basically me with a placemat. And then I would put the like, base what products to use for different stages, like four to six months, then switch them out six to nine months or whatever. That did really well. And I got a lot of clicks, like click throughs. I ran another one that was more of like tip focused. Did terrible.
- [26:53]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [26:53]
Ashley
Really did.
- [26:54]
Jacqueline Snyder
What about this? You have a reel on Instagram. That's the one with like the kids eating. It has your most views.
- [27:01]
Ashley
Yeah, I have not run that one.
- [27:03]
Jacqueline Snyder
You have a few that are in the three to five to 6,000.
- [27:07]
Ashley
Yeah, the one those are most likely promote boosted. The one that I did not boost is. Wait, it's a sippy cup one. And it got like 10,000 views last year. I've ran it a couple other times just with a different main image, like front image, and it's done. Okay. And I've ran it without just to see, like, how do people have posted it without. Just to see if it got the same amount of views when.
- [27:38]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [27:38]
Ashley
I ran it in September 8, 2022. So it's like way down. That one received the most ever and that was. Yeah, like 10,000.
- [27:50]
Jacqueline Snyder
Did you use Suna Studios or who took your photos into the stop motion?
- [27:54]
Ashley
I did the stop motion. Some of the stop motion. The. It was not Suna. It was like a separate product.
- [28:00]
Jacqueline Snyder
You used another company?
- [28:01]
Ashley
Yeah, I've primarily used another company. I've used like the kids, the one that you just held up that I hired a photographer for. But some of the other photos are mine. Just, I just.
- [28:14]
Jacqueline Snyder
You have great esthetic. What I really actually love, which you kind of moved away from, was the teal background.
- [28:21]
Ashley
Okay.
- [28:22]
Jacqueline Snyder
You're still establishing this brand and the teal background with all the colors on top, kind of having the teal then for me is like a trigger in my eyes that it defines your brand as different than. And like, what's also interesting to me is the bright color that is used as the background. Like even the pink one, the popcorn, but then the neutral in front. Right. So the product is neutral, the background is bright. Yeah, it stops me, like stops the scroll. So, okay, I wonder if there's a level of you trying to incorporate more teal of more of that blue. So that teal male stick. The. The name sticks in my head because I see teal, the color, I remember your name. And then anytime I see an image, even if your stuff is super neutral, the bright is like the differentiator. Because if you Think about the people you see that are competition. So Mushy is very neutral.
- [29:14]
Ashley
Yes, they are.
- [29:15]
Jacqueline Snyder
So, like, they have the same kind of color products, but they're that kind of whitewash. Instagram, Pinteresty house, where everything's, like, in neutrals and everything's just, like, kind of dull.
- [29:27]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [29:28]
Jacqueline Snyder
And if you follow what's happening in, like, architecture and homes right now, they're actually going bright and wild.
- [29:33]
Ashley
Yeah. I do really want that. Like, when you land on the website and when you see the imagery, that it's, like, joyful and fun. Like, that's the vibe that I want to kind of give out. So I would be. Yeah, I. I can definitely start moving in that direction because I think that. Yeah, that does work more with Lala.
- [29:54]
Jacqueline Snyder
Right. So Lalo is navy blue with a lot of white, so it does look Scandinavian or like the kind of house, like, you will never allow your child to have, like, slime or juice. Right?
- [30:07]
Ashley
Yep.
- [30:07]
Jacqueline Snyder
So where I see the differentiator, even if your products are the same, is the mom, is she like, that hybrid? I just think the color and even using the ocean and the way that the ocean looks and the picture that you have of, like, the ocean with the turtle and there is this level of bright there.
- [30:23]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [30:24]
Jacqueline Snyder
And it is kind of the idea of, like, you're using very natural colors, like colors that can be found in nature. So the nature part part, like, when you see the colors that feel more things that are made in nature and not as synthetic, then, you know, maybe the parent looks at it and they're like, oh, it must be safe because it's so natural looking, right?
- [30:43]
Ashley
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [30:44]
Jacqueline Snyder
Do you like the colors that you're doing? Like, the neutrals?
- [30:47]
Ashley
I don't mind them, but I also don't. I feel like I'm trying to get to a place, but I'm not quite there. I'm not there. So I'm definitely willing to shift and play around with different colors and see how that goes.
- [31:07]
Jacqueline Snyder
What are your minimums? Let's say you wanted to come out with a new color or something like that. What are the minimums for your factory? It's.
- [31:14]
Ashley
I haven't ordered a new product in a really long time, so I believe it was around, like, 150.
- [31:21]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. So not bad.
- [31:23]
Ashley
No, not bad. Okay.
- [31:25]
Jacqueline Snyder
So I think what I would say is if and when you do create more product, I actually want you to get a logo or an icon or something that, like, I look at it, and no matter what people on Amazon make it has like your official.
- [31:38]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [31:40]
Jacqueline Snyder
Stamp. And when you take the photo, I can see it, right?
- [31:43]
Ashley
Yeah. And I think that's what I need to do because I have those, like the plates. In the middle of the plate is the logo. Teal meal.
- [31:53]
Jacqueline Snyder
Let's see how here has.
- [31:54]
Ashley
Yeah. And there's this before pressed. It's like out. I don't know what.
- [31:59]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. It's like a embossed.
- [32:01]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [32:01]
Jacqueline Snyder
It's not embossed, but it's out. Yeah.
- [32:03]
Ashley
Right. And the ones that I. What I have is. It's in. It's like pressed in. So maybe I need to switch it so it's more visible like in photography. I don't know.
- [32:12]
Jacqueline Snyder
I think it depends on what the mold. They might have to change the mold and I don't have to pay like from new mold fees.
- [32:17]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [32:17]
Jacqueline Snyder
But at least have the photo or ask them just kind of talk about it. But if anything, when you do the photography that the photographer or you captures the thing that we want them to capture. So by seeing all these hook bowls, I'm also not convinced that you should do hook bowls.
- [32:35]
Ashley
Yeah. Yeah.
- [32:37]
Jacqueline Snyder
Because I can go get a six pack on Amazon for 14.99. So I'll never buy them.
- [32:44]
Ashley
No.
- [32:46]
Jacqueline Snyder
From you.
- [32:46]
Ashley
Yeah. That must be the manufacturer. I can't even buy them for that much. Six of them for that much from the manufacturer with shipping.
- [32:59]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. Yeah. Look at this one. It also has it raised instead of. So you can ask them what that's going to look like. I know it feels like we're getting like deeper and deeper into the problem, but we will come out with a solution.
- [33:09]
Ashley
Okay. Okay. Yeah. I'm like, oh, no. But I mean, I. I know there's so much out there and it is really like at this point, like what is. I don't know. You'll probably get.
- [33:19]
Jacqueline Snyder
Actually, can we dig into your price? Because you just brought that up. So what is the pricing? So you order 150 units. Is it one color or you can order multicolor in One color. One color. So let's just go with a couple of your bestsellers. So the sippy cup and the top.
- [33:33]
Ashley
Yep. Like, how much does it cost?
- [33:37]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. And if you have it land, like, do you also add in the duties and landed to you to your door?
- [33:44]
Ashley
Yeah. So I don't have. I have not had to reorder the sippy cup in top because I've got a ton of them. But the cost for the cup is A$75 and the top because I have a sheet in Front of me is also A$75. So then it's like a, is that close to a 70% increase. But it does include like the shipping of the actually getting the product.
- [34:14]
Jacqueline Snyder
To me, the $75 does.
- [34:16]
Ashley
No, that does not.
- [34:17]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. Yeah, I usually add about 20%. That could be over.
- [34:21]
Ashley
Okay.
- [34:22]
Jacqueline Snyder
But let's just for the cost sake, $1.75 times 20%. So it's another 35 cents. And then do you do anything, does it come prepackaged that like it's ready to ship or you have to pull them out and like do something with them?
- [34:36]
Ashley
I pull them out and right now I have a very simple packaging. But that's another thing that I would like to improve on. I just haven't, I just haven't done that yet.
- [34:47]
Jacqueline Snyder
Have you ordered from your competitors?
- [34:50]
Ashley
No, my husband was asking me the same thing.
- [34:52]
Jacqueline Snyder
I would order from a couple of your competitors the similar products.
- [34:56]
Ashley
Okay.
- [34:56]
Jacqueline Snyder
And see how they come packed. Because if you're already paying $1.75 and then you're paying, you know, duty and all that, if and when you go back into production, I want to see like can they pre pack them for you?
- [35:08]
Ashley
Okay.
- [35:08]
Jacqueline Snyder
So however your bigger competitors are having them, I don't know if they're coming in boxes and poly bags. Like I have no idea what they're coming in.
- [35:17]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [35:18]
Jacqueline Snyder
But order a couple things from competitors.
- [35:20]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [35:21]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then just see how does it arrive to you. And then you can always counter source that with your manufacturer and ask them to send it prepackaged and you really just get to get the boxes. And when you get the orders like you pull them and you pack them like you don't have to repackage because that's labor.
- [35:37]
Ashley
Yeah. Okay, that makes sense.
- [35:39]
Jacqueline Snyder
I know we're really getting into the nitty gritty details here, but that's what we're all here for, right? The details matter. When you're building a product based business from ideal customers bestsellers, product photography, branding, costs and pricing, it's a lot to juggle. But you don't have to do it alone. Hey friends. Okay, so I don't know if you're anything like me, but sometimes it feels like my self care routine is slipping through the cracks. Because when I'm juggling and wearing all the hats in my business and doing all the things, I mean the last thing I have to do is like really fulfill that self care routine that my daughter's talking about. She's like, mom, so listen, so when it comes to running a successful Business, you can't really pour from an empty cup. And a lot of times that self care is like one of the first things to get yourself recalibrated. So that's why I want you to meet Glossy. Now, Glossy is my favorite daily beauty supplement designed to transform your skin and gut health from the inside out. And I'm actually an investor in this business because I so believe in this idea of science backed ingredients for digestion and skin hydration. And Glossy makes it really easy to look and feel your best without that whole 10 step routine in the mirror. The thing I don't actually have time for, all I have to do is simply mix the stick into my water and I'm good to go. So if you want to try this, because I so, so believe in this business, I think it's amazing. It's done so many wonders for my skin and my gut, which are two things that I need help with. And you want to simplify your wellness and your beauty. All you have to do is click in the show notes and you can use the code Jaclyn Snider. So it's my full name. Use the code Jaclyn Snider and I'm hooking you up with 15% off your order. So cheers to glowing skin and a thriving business. All right, so the first thing that I want you to do is we're going to go to your manufacturers and we're going to say at what amount is there another price break? Is it 300 units? Is it 500 units? Is it just 200? Because if we were going to get competitive with your customers or with your competitors and we were going to like kind of work our way backwards. So if we can go back to your manufacturers as you're thinking about doing this and see like at what point can you get the divider plate from them at with landed? So like with the 20%, potentially. Mm. At around like $4.40.
- [37:59]
Ashley
Okay.
- [37:59]
Jacqueline Snyder
That's what that 20 added. So something less or what you do is just go by the math and say like how can you get them to drop it like 50 cents. And then your bib, you should be 13.64. You're selling it for 12.99. Okay. So same with the bib. How can he knock off? Or they knock off like 50 cents per item because that 50 cents adds an additional $2 to your end cost at least, right? Yeah. So if we can bring down 50 cents in cost, we can bring down all prices by 2 bucks, which is significant between 18 to 20.
- [38:27]
Ashley
Yep.
- [38:28]
Jacqueline Snyder
12, you know, to 14 or 15. And those are these, like, little minor numbers we're working with to make it happen. And then from the sippy cup perspective, you're selling them for 10. 99, and we said they were 210 landed. So it actually puts you $8.40 for the cup.
- [38:47]
Ashley
Okay, so I'm, like, pretty high with that one.
- [38:51]
Jacqueline Snyder
You're. Yeah, you're definitely higher. And then, for example, mushy is selling 12.99 for two cups, and Lalo is two cups for 12.50. So it's kind of the same concept with the cups. Technically, the cost would have to be about $3 and 13 cents for two, which puts us at like a dollar 51.60 per cup.
- [39:14]
Ashley
Yep.
- [39:14]
Jacqueline Snyder
You're at about 210 with the 20% added. So again, it's kind of that 50 cents drop. So I'd love for you to just go back and find out the units you need to get the 50 cents off. Ish. And if he's like, we could never do it, then fine. But they will tell you they can. They will give you the numbers. And then I want you to go back in and I want you to cost your products as if you were like, at the next. Here.
- [39:39]
Ashley
Okay.
- [39:40]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then see it. Because what happens when people are like startups or they're just starting out in the market? It's always going to cost us more per unit.
- [39:48]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [39:48]
Jacqueline Snyder
You know, unless you're fully funded and you're like, you've got all the people to sell to, typically, you're gonna be buying less units and it's gonna cost you more per unit. So we can't price the product at that higher cost amount because it's not feasible. So if you can go and you can get like, another tier, tier up and be like, okay, I know that when I start to sell, I will make better margins. Right now I'm not. I'm gonna price according that. Because that's gonna be, like, what the market can bear.
- [40:14]
Ashley
Right.
- [40:15]
Jacqueline Snyder
And where this doesn't work is sometimes people have, like, really, like, they want to make something, and there's no way it'll ever go lower to hit the price point, they think. Right. And so it's not possible. So then they have to really reconsider. Like, I don't know, let's just say you're coming out with really super cool, I don't know, a diamond bracelet, and you're like, but I want to sell the diamonds for 150. Like, there's no way you'll ever be able to price it that low. So that's an unreasonable thing. What you're doing is super reasonable because it's just a unit game. So I think I'd like to see you shift to what your competitors are doing. So dinner cups, you can get in a set of two.
- [40:52]
Ashley
Okay.
- [40:53]
Jacqueline Snyder
Or four. You can't buy them individually. Even your lids would be interesting to do. Like a two pack or a four pack.
- [41:01]
Ashley
Yep.
- [41:01]
Jacqueline Snyder
And they could be the same matching colors to the cups. Right. So then I know I can just buy the two lids and the two cups. I would be interested in seeing what it would be like if you sold the lid and the cup together. I think I want to see bib sold in packs. They're selling them for $30. Right. So that's going to automatically start to double your revenue for the people who are buying because it's raising your average order value. And that's like one of the number one things you can do.
- [41:28]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [41:29]
Jacqueline Snyder
You're also making it easier for them because like having me pick between all the cups and all the colors and I don't know what I want. Right. But I might be like, okay, you know, I'm going to get to the green to the pink and then I'm gonna have like this cute pink and green combo. This tip has come up before and that's because it's such a no brainer. Bundling products raises your average order value, reduces decision fatigue for your customers, and increases the perceived value of your products. And it's so simple to implement. Try it in your business this week and see if it works for you. I think for you to go through these, look at the products you're going to continue with and say, okay, they're selling these as individuals. Will keep that individual. We'll keep the bowls individual, we'll stack the cups, we'll double the bibs. You could do a cup lid unit like a skew that you put them together. Because I think for me that's my biggest issue with your thing, is that if I am buying for a 6 to 12 month old. Right. I'm never going to buy the cup.
- [42:30]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [42:31]
Jacqueline Snyder
I want a sippy cup. Right. But for me to think about sippy cup top, that's like, oh, I'm just going to add that to cups I have.
- [42:38]
Ashley
Right.
- [42:38]
Jacqueline Snyder
Or you don't have what I need. Which I need a sippy cup.
- [42:41]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [42:42]
Jacqueline Snyder
So if you show instead the basil cup with the basil lid together and you sell that as, you know, the best Selling Sippy cup Bundle. And then also though I could buy the packs and I could buy the individuals.
- [42:54]
Ashley
Okay. Just a question about confusion as well, because I started to build out a product draft product where it's. Instead of having each individual color as its own, like, page, doing what Mushi does and together the tabs that. Yeah, like, what are those called? Those circles. It would show less products on my site. But I personally think as a user experience, I like to be able to just click through and see things, but I don't. I wanted your thoughts on, like, what you think about that switching to.
- [43:32]
Jacqueline Snyder
I prefer it.
- [43:33]
Ashley
Okay.
- [43:34]
Jacqueline Snyder
So if we think about your site and it looking like there's less. If we go to the front page of a site, they have the products, they tell you bestsellers and they let you pick usually between the categories and then whatever they want to like, push or talk to you about. Right. So obviously this brand has other things that they're pushing.
- [43:52]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [43:52]
Jacqueline Snyder
You can go look at Lala's home. They're pushing a liberty sale. They're selling furniture. Yeah. They let you pick between mealtime, playtime, bath time, which you're not doing, but same thing. Like all the products are not on the homepage. And then I have to go navigate my way to try and buy. So first I can go for mealtime, playtime or bath time. Then I have to pick. Am I going for a high chair, a booster, tableware and bibs, mealtime accessories, bundle and save, which I like. That bundle and save.
- [44:19]
Ashley
Yep.
- [44:20]
Jacqueline Snyder
Because that right there is like they're selling kits and every mom wants to bundle and save. So that could be a cool one for you. So for yours, if we go to your site, I don't actually know 100% what you sell immediately in the way of what are your best sellers. So she's adorable with a bib and a teether. So do you sell bibs and teethers? But you're telling me your best sellers are the meal time things?
- [44:46]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [44:47]
Jacqueline Snyder
So it would be great if like this was going towards whatever you wanted to push or it was that image from your Instagram that has like the blue with like the products. You know, a moving image and then as it drops down, it goes into customer favorites or best sellers and then we can talk about the map of like, where you move them through. This also gets hard for me because I have to click on so many places to see what you have.
- [45:10]
Ashley
Right.
- [45:11]
Jacqueline Snyder
Feeding. Okay. Right. Mushy has what's new Bestseller shop. And then I can do shop all and I can just go to feeding and it's not all the things and then it brings feeding for me. But then I can price here. Right. Or if you were just feeding, it'd be like cups, plates or shop all or, you know.
- [45:29]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [45:30]
Jacqueline Snyder
Thinking about your category. So that's the first place I would say on your site that I'd love the homepage to be. We'll go over that in an audit. But like clearer. And then it was easier for me to navigate here. Then I go to feeding and instead of you worried about not having a lot of stuff, nobody has time to comb through all this.
- [45:47]
Ashley
Right?
- [45:47]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. So just show me like your bestsellers, your essentials or your kits.
- [45:53]
Ashley
Yep.
- [45:53]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then if I'm like, I'm sold on this half moon bowl. And then it's the same thing as like these where it has a little color swatches down below. So I know, oh, it comes in these colors more and more I gotta click and then I see it. So the first color that they're pushing is seed. So it's like product with lid product in use. This is them kind of like showing you a pack. Even they can't buy it, but they're just kind of showing you something that's like, oh, that's cute, I need more of that. And then, hey, all the colors in one.
- [46:21]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [46:21]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then if I click over to their lilac color similar. Oh, that's how it comes packaged the product in use again with, it's like this. It's not always the Sage, but at least the in use product is a different one than the last one I looked at. So yeah, I like it this way. And you have to think, busy mom doesn't have a ton of time, wants to get something done. How does she get it done? You're going to make it easy. She clicks on the product she's visually attracted to. If you're telling me Sage is really popular. The other thing though, I want to say is that people buy what they see. So even though Sage is popular, have all of your products show at least one color as the first image. So what that means is don't do all. Sage is like the first image and they have to click through to see their colors. You can see here they have a Sage, but then they show a cup in blue and then they show a cup in this like oatmeal color. That way, like I can see different products in different colors and I can kind of make a decision like, oh, I really like the blue, I really like the green. And then I figure out the product and like, okay, I really think I like the sippy cup. And then I can kind of see, but don't have all of your shop all images the same color. You can see here how important it is to consider your customers and every decision you make whether it's pricing, images, bundles, product variations. I want you to always be asking yourself what is going to make my customer's life easier? So now we're going to get into, I think if you clean up your site, I think if you make it really clear of what I'm buying and you're raising your average order value, because we're going to do some bundles, the conversion is going to go up. Okay. I don't want you to worry about your subscription box.
- [47:59]
Ashley
Okay.
- [48:00]
Jacqueline Snyder
Because I don't know that they need a subscription box.
- [48:05]
Ashley
Okay. Probably. Maybe the bundles is more of the direction.
- [48:09]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah, I'd rather you go in the direction of problem solving because like you said, a lot of stuff that people buy are gifts. So either you're going to have moms that come because they're like, oh, that's that feeding company, that's that company that like does baby lead weaning or whatever or it's going to be, I love this, I'm registering for it and it's, you're giving me my all in one bundle. Right. Like, and then it's a better gift. And then the bundles can be at different prices because people either want to spend like a 25 gift, a 50 gift, you know, 7,500. Like people, it's important to them what they're spending.
- [48:45]
Ashley
Right.
- [48:46]
Jacqueline Snyder
Then these friends that do bundle and save, shop the perfect bundle for your bundle of joy. Get our best selling products bundled together for savings. Right. So bundle and save. So all this is about saving. Okay. The viral content, some of the pillars of content that you're going to do are going to be baby led weaning food, using utensils, hand eye, motor coordination, that kind of stuff. And then the solution to that is buying your product versus you trying to sell an aesthetic.
- [49:11]
Ashley
Yep.
- [49:12]
Jacqueline Snyder
And competing with people who are already out there. Long term you can compete in that way. But we'll start, we'll test and try this way because it feels like an easier way in. So let's talk about lead gen and traffic. I think some blogs using the SEO module and multi stream machine and keywords will be helpful for you to start to lead people to your product from a backdoor. The blogs are never like I am now a blogger. They're Just informational. And there are a few ways, like we teach you how to do the research and the keyword research and all that. And you'll find the ones that you're like, oh, I'm gonna try that. Like, it's a lead in. So super aside. But for my business, I had found that a really, like, successful blog idea and other people did really well with it with Traffic and all the ways you searched the keywords was fashion trade shows. So I just created a blog with a list of fashion trade shows for 2000, whatever, 20, 20, 21, whatever year it was, and just did it. I ranked number one or like, like number one through three of looking up trade shows.
- [50:22]
Ashley
Interesting.
- [50:23]
Jacqueline Snyder
So then people who are looking at fashion trade shows. Well, I'm not a trade show. They're like, what is this consulting company that helps you start up your fashion brand?
- [50:30]
Ashley
Right.
- [50:30]
Jacqueline Snyder
Because if they're looking for fabric, they might also be looking and thinking, how am I going to make this? Yeah, same thing with, like, I used to say, like, helping you build a brand from the ground up for general people. They're not thinking, I'm going to build a brand. They're thinking, I want to start a clothing line. So then I also switched my keywords to, like, how to start a clothing line, and then did a blog on how to start a clothing line and then went and, like, created it. So now, especially with like, AI and Chat GPT and all that stuff, it. It can. You'll figure out what you want to do for it. Yeah, you'll gather the information and then you could even have Chat GPT do it. And then you go back in and you kind of do the headlines and you do the backlinks and the inner links and all the things that we teach in there. But it won't be that hard. And you could do four or five and just stop at that.
- [51:19]
Ashley
Yeah, okay. Okay.
- [51:21]
Jacqueline Snyder
That's long term. So that's like a 90 days to see that work. So don't get overwhelmed. Like, that does not have to be the thing you do first. But I do think that can be something you do. Okay, then, for the lead gen, I want you to think about 10 people you can collaborate with.
- [51:38]
Ashley
Okay.
- [51:39]
Jacqueline Snyder
And so all these people that you're chatting with and stuff, I want you to think, can we do a collaboration? Can we do a giveaway? Can we do a Instagram Live and not just do it once, do it a few times right from that Instagram Live. Can you get some of the stuff that they said and turn that into topics. Can you email your list and say, hey, I'm going live tomorrow with Expert blah blah blah on Instagram. Right Click this link to join us. And then you get that. And then you can take the video or parts of it and then you can say, hey, did you miss it? Like, go watch it. These are three of the things we talked about. Okay, so when you start to email your list, I think what I'd love to do is do you have a welcome series?
- [52:21]
Ashley
Yes.
- [52:22]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay, so you have your welcome series, which maybe you'll go back into and you'll say like, why it's helpful. This is who I am. Here's your discount. Then you're. If you're only going to send weekly emails, there's going to be the E comm emails that are like new bundles. Right. New kits, new whatever. Or like the green mealtime kit or meal. Just like they're not going to eat basil, but like you show the basil color of the new color.
- [52:50]
Ashley
Right.
- [52:50]
Jacqueline Snyder
So there's the E Comm emails. And then every so often you could do an email that's like a. We do our hot tips, but like a feeding tip of the week or like a mom joke of the. You know, like there could be something connection if you want. Otherwise I would just lean on straight up E Com emails.
- [53:07]
Ashley
Okay, okay.
- [53:08]
Jacqueline Snyder
Because you're saying that you're emailing your list, they're opening it, but they're not clicking. Right. And it could also be the kind of email you're sending.
- [53:16]
Ashley
Yeah, it's been a combination of like, if I do an E Comm email, I will get it like one sale from there. And then I have tried a couple tips, but I don't. But I think I just need to. I think it's just a little dry, honestly. I think I just need to like make it more of the personality of the brands that I would like it to be like more joyful. Like I was saying, joyful and fun and not so just like, here are some tips. 1, 2, 3, 4. Add a little more storytelling to it is. I think that's one thing that would help. But yeah, that's what I've done. But I haven't been very consistent. That's what I need to just like put a schedule on my calendar. This. These are when I'm sending them. And then be consistent.
- [54:13]
Jacqueline Snyder
If you want to sell your stuff, you have to let people know you exist. Yeah, right. And you have to show up in their inbox. You have to. So consistent is hard when you're like, oh, I need to send an email Wednesday, I'm going to write it on Tuesday. Right. Because then you're living off of this sort of whatever. If you can batch and say, yeah, we're in the first week of September. So let's say it was last week or two weeks ago, like by the 15th, on the 15th of every month, you're batching out four emails for the following month. So you've got the first, second, third, fourth week of the month done, unless it's a five week month. And so you know, every middle of the month there is a day that you're going to plan your promotions for the next month. Because promotions are what you're selling.
- [54:56]
Ashley
Right.
- [54:57]
Jacqueline Snyder
So week one is like, we're going into September, it's back to school, people are buckling down. It's going to be after Labor Day. So it might go into that like everyday essentials or like lunchtime at home. Because these kids are, they might be in daycare, but we're talking about home eating.
- [55:14]
Ashley
Right.
- [55:15]
Jacqueline Snyder
So you may, for a couple of weeks in September be leaning into showing like the whole setup on the table. Like, oh, I need all of that. If you wanted to move sippy cups, you can move sippy cups. So you're going to think about what do I want to push each week? And your website home image will reflect what you're selling in your email and the content you're posting on your social media will also reflect what's happening in your email. So all roads are leading to selling two or four packs of cups. All roads are leading to selling basil, the basil color. And so if you can plan that out and you create a calendar. Okay, I want to focus on this week. I want to focus on that this week. It will help you focus. Your customers will know what you're pushing and then all of your content can evolve around that one thing. Then as you start to get into the October time, right. That's when you might lean into those fall colors. Like it could be like volume. All starts to happen in September. Pumpkin spice and everything nice. You know, it could be like your pinkish orange color. Yeah. Or your orange. You start to plan the culture. So people are talking about pumpkin spice lattes already.
- [56:22]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [56:23]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then you could do like the, you had that really pretty Christmas layout. So it could be the Thanksgiving table for kids. Right. Or call it like the kitty table for holidays or festive. And that's where you start to move into. Because now it moves away from like just the stuff I need for my house. And more into the thing I want, which is like, I want to feel festive and I, Yeah. Want to be like pumpkin spice everywhere. And I want to decorate my house with like all the things. And I'm also going to now be like, I don't need another plate, but. Oh, cute, right? I need that pumpkin spice color. I need the green pumpkin look that they have going on there. That's so cool and fresh for me to have like my kids table setting.
- [57:07]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [57:08]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay. Okay. And then you do it. So that's a little bit of like that messaging when you're doing it, that they feel like wherever they look, they know what you're selling.
- [57:16]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [57:17]
Jacqueline Snyder
And if you do collaborations with people or partnerships and you get in front of their audience, you do collaborated emails or they're a guest blogger for you and then they push it, I think all of that is going to start to bring people and then when they get to your site, they know what they need to buy. Like, it's a clear conversion point and a clear customer journey. So how can we kind of wrap this in a way that you feel like you have a clear action plan or that you feel like you got your questions answered or where Can I help give you some more clarity? Yeah.
- [57:49]
Ashley
No, I feel like you answered a lot of my questions in terms of focus and like trimming down product. I guess the only thing to round out the conversation because I wrote down a ton of steps. Like a ton of things that I just need to like, organized into steps.
- [58:05]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah.
- [58:06]
Ashley
Of what to do.
- [58:07]
Jacqueline Snyder
How can I help you set a plan of committing to yourself that you will be more consistent.
- [58:13]
Ashley
I think that I. I need to. Well, I like the idea of the. By the 15th of each month. Like how you said that too, because I wrote that down to batch my content and I think that setting like dates for me is really helpful.
- [58:31]
Jacqueline Snyder
Okay.
- [58:31]
Ashley
To be able to do that. So I think just using that recommendation.
- [58:35]
Jacqueline Snyder
So what if it was like week one of the month before you started planning out what you want to sell that next month? Right. Because we're in September, week one.
- [58:44]
Ashley
Yep.
- [58:45]
Jacqueline Snyder
So while, yes, you're going to kind of scramble and figure out for September, but you have a lot of work to do. So there's also like a. Don't worry about getting sales tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's say right now or week one of September, you're thinking of October and you're thinking week one, two, three, four, five. I think because it's a long month, obviously we're not going to be selling Halloween on Halloween last week. Yeah, Right. Instead, actually you could do a Halloween sale if you wanted. But up until that, at least on week one and week two, maybe week three, as long as you knew you could ship in time, you're doing kind of like pumpkin ish. Halloween ish. It doesn't have to be full Halloween. It can be part of it. And you're pushing those colors and you're pushing the theme of Halloween. And then you could think like, okay, what am I going to push this week? This week, this week and this week?
- [59:35]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [59:35]
Jacqueline Snyder
So in the first week of every month, you plan out what you want to do. And let's say in the second week, you batch the marketing materials you need. You're like, okay, I need to get four emails up because I know what I'm selling in each week. I need to create my graphics on Canva. Do you need to take photos? Because you can do them yourself now if you think that you need more time, yeah, you can do the second week of, like, creating the content or any photos, whatever. And like, let's say by the third week, maybe you use second and third week to flesh it out. I don't know how long you need.
- [60:07]
Ashley
Yep.
- [60:08]
Jacqueline Snyder
And then you get them scheduled. Like, can you, by the third week actually just pop them in and have them scheduled in Kavio to go out on the dates you want them to go out on? So if you could just batch your week, knowing your cadence, knowing your time, then it's easier to be like, oh, week one, I got it. Let me just sit down and spend the time thinking.
- [60:25]
Ashley
Yeah, that. Yeah, that's good. Okay.
- [60:29]
Jacqueline Snyder
And longer term, things that are going to take you longer might also be for, like, the foresight to thinking, okay, now that's October and I'm coming to Thanksgiving. Can I do any collaborations during, let's say, November with different food people? On Thanksgiving for toddlers, Thanksgiving for babies, Like Thanksgiving meals that you could make that your toddler will eat, how to make your baby feel like they're included in the dinner table. You know, thinking about that. And then if maybe you're thinking about collaborations or partnerships or blogs or whatever, because that's going to need more time.
- [61:04]
Ashley
Right.
- [61:04]
Jacqueline Snyder
Maybe that's a couple months before. And then you also are spending time on that outreach. So who are 10 people I can collaborate with? Try and push for like the Black Friday Cyber Monday, like the holiday time. And just think, like, you'll make the outreach and maybe it'll be a couple of people, but it's a couple more People than zero. Right.
- [61:21]
Ashley
Okay, that's good.
- [61:23]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. I'm excited for you. I think you have a great product. I think manufacturing. I think you've got everything set up. And then for you, yourself, if you feel like you're. Are you a visual person?
- [61:33]
Ashley
Yeah.
- [61:33]
Jacqueline Snyder
Yeah. You may want to create, like, your own vision board of your ideal avatar or your vision for what you stand for. Like, if it's something that you have to look at and you're like, oh, yeah, that's what I do. Because for me, sometimes I have so, so many ideas and thoughts and, like, something new will come. I'm like, oh, we should try that. Yeah. And I lose all the stuff that worked. All right. I think you have a really good foundation under you. I would love for you to try and think, I need to get 50 average order values, and what do I need to do to make five orders a week?
- [62:07]
Ashley
Okay.
- [62:08]
Jacqueline Snyder
And if you're not hitting it, you try something else. And you try something else. The other side of this is growing your email list, which, when you do the collaborations, you want to grow your email list. If you do a freebie download or whatever, you can ask people on social media for their email address. You have a link for them to sign up and give them a reason to sign up. Right. So that we can go from that 1700 also and start to grow the list too. So another goal could be like, how do I get 20 new people a week on my email list? So you get 80 to 100 people a month.
- [62:40]
Ashley
Yeah. Okay.
- [62:41]
Jacqueline Snyder
And set yourself just realistic goals. Like, they're stretched because of where you're starting from, but they're not the worst. You're not like, oh, crap, I can't do that.
- [62:48]
Ashley
Right.
- [62:49]
Jacqueline Snyder
And also, if you don't hit five sales next week, that's fine. You're gonna work. Let's get you one sale. Right. And go to two, you know? Yep. Yep. Okay.
- [63:00]
Ashley
This is great. Thank you so much.
- [63:05]
Jacqueline Snyder
We covered a little bit of everything in this call, didn't we? Ashley has a lot to do, but she doesn't have to do it all at once. Some key takeaways that you out there listening can apply to your business are bundling products to raise your average order value, cleaning up your website to make your best sellers clear to your ideal customers, and looking at your competition to streamline your ideation. Building a business is complicated, but I know you can do it. And if you want help along the way, and to make 2024 your best year ever, all you have to do is visit theproductboss.com Best to sign up for our free Masterclasses. We cannot wait to see you in there. All right my friends, remember action takers are money makers and I'll see you in the next episode. Thank you for being here and listening all the way through the Product Boss podcast. If you love our show and it has helped you in any way in your business, would you mind doing two things for us? Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode and leave us a review. Reviews help other product entrepreneurs know that this is the place to be to grow their businesses and realize that they're not alone. And we know that you all know that a five star and honest, honest review helps you sell more products to more people. So you know that your reviews help us reach more listeners around the world. Remember, what we give is what we receive and we are all about helping each other in the Product Boss community. We are all in this together. We would be so appreciative of you if you could take the time right now to subscribe, leave a review and even share this episode on social or someone you know so we can impact more lives. And remember, subscribing means that you will get notified each time we release a new episode so you never miss a thing. You have helped us grow and climb into the top 10 of all marketing podcasts and together we can keep climbing. Thank you friends and remember, there is room at the top for all of us.