🧠 Preparing for Growth

Welcome back to the 37th edition of Nord Media

Before we get started -

I’m excited to announce that I'll be joining Chargeflow + dozens of other incredible talented and smart eCom marketers for a live webinar on November 7th. Registration is absolutely free - so if you want to come learn more from myself and others click the button below.

We'll share valuable insights on optimizing your e-commerce strategy for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, boosting sales, and maximizing revenue during this crucial shopping period.

This is a can't-miss event for any e-commerce business looking to make the most of BFCM!

Register for free 👉 https://go.chargeflow.io/bfcm-webinar-kody-nordquist

As a brand, seeing your numbers go up is a top 10 best feelings.

But if you’re taking your foot off the gas pedal at every win, the results will be short-lived.

Year-over-year growth won’t happen with isolated wins.

Each strategy you implement today will build on yesterday’s successes, creating a growth engine that produces steady gains.

Here are the top 4 strategies that’ll hold your brand’s ground as you continue to scale:

Segment and Personalize Emails

Every person on your email list is their own individual with different interests, habits, and needs.

So the same generic email blasted to everybody won’t work. A message that profoundly resonates with one person probably won’t hit the same for the next.

Email segmentation is dividing an email list into distinct groups based on specific criteria to send more targeted and relevant messages.

The more relevant the message, the more your audience will resonate.

A quick mini-course on how to keep segmentation manageable:

For Basic Segmentation:

30 / 60 / 90 Day Engaged: Has opened or clicked an email in x days

Buyers vs. Non-Buyers: This is the simplest form and is useful for campaigns focused on converting non-buyers or upselling to buyers.

Lifecycle Stages: Segment based on customer journey stages (e.g., new leads, first-time buyers, repeat buyers).

For Deeper Segmentation:

Recency of Purchase: Segment based on the timing of recent purchases (30, 60, 90, 180 days).

Viewed / Engaged: what they've viewed on the website or purchased to target them with products in the categories they're interested in

Frequency of Purchase: Segment based on how often they buy (first-time, second-time, frequent buyers).

Monetary Value: Segment by spending habits (e.g., high-value customers vs. low-value customers).

Begin with basic segmentation and refine as you gather more days. Don’t overcomplicate it from the start.

Eventually, you’ll start seeing:

Higher open rates,

More clicks,

And a loyalty that compounds year after year.

Branding

I often see branding being extremely misunderstood as just visual identity—things like the

Name,
Logo,
Design,
and Packaging.

Unfortunately, many people, even some experts out there, still see it this way.

The outdated idea that branding is only about visuals is still being pushed, even by top marketers.

Branding is “the perpetual process of identifying, creating, and managing the cumulative assets and actions that shape the perception of a brand in stakeholders’ minds.”

To form the core of your brand’s identity, you must consider differentiation and consistency.

Differentiation: This is about what makes your brand special.

In the millions of options, you need something that sets you apart, something that makes people choose you over the rest.

It could be your product, your story, or the way you connect with customers—whatever it is, it needs to stand out.

Consistency: Once you’ve found what makes you unique, consistency is what keeps that message clear and strong.

You need to show up the same way every time so people know what to expect from you. It’s what builds trust and makes your brand recognizable.

When customers choose between your brand and your competitors' brands, they’ll choose the one with the branding that best relates to them and has been consistent with their core messaging.

Focus On Relevant Metrics

Hot take: Metrics don’t always have to look “good.”

I’ve had highly profitable brands with $100+ CPM. It just depends on the target demo, niche, and goals.

Don’t let someone tell you your metrics are wrong if they’re performing.

That being said, there are a few metrics you should be paying attention to:

For Email:

Opens - You need opens for people to get the message / be able to click.

Clicks - Clicks are the most important as they are what will drive revenue through the website.

You shouldn’t be selling in your emails. Use them to get clicks and let your website drive the conversion.

For Ads:

Starting from the top…

ROAS / CPA—These determine whether your brand is profitable. If they aren’t where they need to be, stop worrying about anything else until you solve this.

Other factors influence these metrics, but ultimately, this is what drives incremental growth and profitability.

If you’re not getting clicks, fix your ads.

CTR / CPC—The same concept as email: people can’t buy if they don’t click. Make sure your ads resonate well enough with your audience to drive clicks.

If people aren’t clicking, your creatives probably suck. Focus on creative testing to drive clicks that yield profitable conversions.

Creative metrics:

Thumbstop, Hold Ratio, and Unique CTR all provide insight into your creative performance.

However, this only matters once you have ads that are converting well and showing results.

You can then use these metrics to implement strategic testing and analyze what’s working, where it’s working, and where you need to improve.

High thumb stop but low hold ratio? Your hook is solid, but your follow-up sucks.

Low thumb stop? Your hook needs work

High thumb stop + high hold but low CTR? Your offer/value wasn’t compelling enough to drive a click.

Funnel Metrics:

Add to cart / Cost per add to cart

Started checkout/cost per started checkout

Monitoring these metrics shows you where your audience is falling off.

If you’re getting good clicks and the website flow is going well, but people aren’t adding to their cart, you likely have a PDP / Landing page issue.

If people are adding to their cart but not heading to checkout, your cart isn’t strong enough to convince them.

Each has different solutions, but ultimately, our goal is to provide enough social proof, foundation, and value to your customers that they go to the cart → checkout → purchase.

Cash Flow Management

Positive cash flow means more money is coming into the business than going out.

I’ve seen many businesses still in growth mode spend way more than they earn. You can't sustain growth without a healthy cash flow—it will catch up with you eventually.

There’s a difference between getting by and prospering. To truly prosper, you need enough cash flow to invest in growth opportunities, such as

Marketing campaigns,

New product development,

or Expansion into new markets.

Depending on your DTC brand’s revenue range, you should be putting your focus on different efforts:

Less than $1 Million

Focus on survival and establishing a strong foundation.

Tight Expense Management: Keep overheads low. Avoid unnecessary expenses and negotiate better terms with suppliers.

Inventory Management: Avoid overstocking. Use demand forecasting and just-in-time inventory to minimize holding costs.

Cash Flow Forecasting: Regularly update cash flow projections to anticipate shortfalls and plan accordingly.

Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC): Focus on cost-effective marketing strategies like content marketing, social media, and partnerships to acquire customers at a lower cost.

Payment Terms: Negotiate favorable payment terms with suppliers and encourage early payments from customers by offering discounts.

$1 - $5 Million

Focus on scaling operations and improving efficiency.

Operational Efficiency: Invest in automation and technology to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Diversify Revenue Streams: Introduce new products or services to diversify income sources and reduce dependency on a single product.

Improve AR/AP Processes: Optimize accounts receivable and accounts payable processes to improve cash flow. Implement efficient invoicing and follow-up systems.

Cost Control: Regularly review expenses and identify areas where costs can be reduced without compromising quality.

Financing Options: Explore financing options such as lines of credit to manage cash flow during growth spurts.

$5 - $10 Million

Focus on sustaining growth and preparing for larger-scale operations.

Working Capital Management: Maintain sufficient working capital to support day-to-day operations and invest in growth opportunities.

Strategic Investments: Make strategic investments in areas that drive growth, such as marketing, technology, and talent acquisition.

Cash Flow Analysis: Conduct detailed cash flow analysis to identify trends and make informed financial decisions.

Supplier Relationships: Strengthen relationships with key suppliers to secure better terms and bulk purchasing discounts.

Financial Reporting: Implement robust financial reporting and analysis to monitor cash flow performance and make data-driven decisions.

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Final Thoughts

With just a few months left in 2024, now is the time to refine your strategy and focus on setting up your brand for long-term wins.

Revisit your current tactics—what’s working and what’s not? Think of this as your last chance to test, learn, and adapt before the new year, setting a strong foundation for 2025.

For brands aiming to wrap up the year with a bang, focus on cash flow, customer segmentation, and monitoring metrics that matter.

Reinvest in campaigns that are driving engagement and avoid pouring into initiatives that don’t align with your core goals.

This is your chance to go all in on what’s actually moving the needle.

As always, approach these next few months with a balance of caution and ambition.

Test smarter, spend intentionally, and keep a close eye on your funnel metrics to understand where to double down.

Let’s make the last few months of 2024 great!

Want to learn from me or connect on other platforms? 👇
 LinkedIn • Instagram • Twitter 

Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.

Sincerely,
Kody