#71 Looking to the Future of Ecommerce: What to Expect
Ecommerce has never just been about selling. With ever-evolving digital technology, emerging social platforms, and changes in data privacy, ecommerce has always been about adaptability.
Casey Roeder is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skylab Media, an omnichannel marketing agency that looks to the future of ecommerce. Skylab media not only covers lifecycle marketing, SMS, paid social, and paid search, it strategizes crypto advertising campaigns, NFT marketing, podcast marketing, and more.
Tune in to hear Casey and our podcast host and CEO Daniel Budai discuss:
✔️ Casey’s Journey into Entrepreneurship
✔️ Casey’s Business Approach
✔️ New and Emerging Marketing Channels
✔️ The Future of Ecommerce
✔️ Casey’s Tips for Q4
Casey’s Journey into Entrepreneurship
Casey began working in marketing in 2013. In 2016-2027, Casey worked at Hawke Media, one of the biggest names in D2C (direct to consumer) marketing. Casey and his team oversaw Hawke Media’s growth into the company it is today.
At the forefront of management services and advertising, Casey worked in email, paid search, SMS, and collaboration with Octane AI for Facebook Messenger Marketing.
Fast forward to three years later, Casey was working at MuteSix when he was approached by another agency on LinkedIn with a VP Marketing job offer in Hollywood. At that time, Casey was watching a lot of Dave Ramsey videos on getting rid of debt, developing financial literacy skills, and learning how to be financially independent. One of Ramsey’s pieces of advice was to ask for a raise and/or get a second job if you’re not making as much as you’d want to. Casey, however, didn’t want to leave his job at MuteSix, so offered to become VP of Marketing only on a freelance basis.
Over the course of the following year and a half, Casey dived into the hustle. One of his co-workers said that he was surprised that Casey wasn’t running his own business.
“That’s where the wheels started turning. I’m like, maybe I can do this. Because in order to be an entrepreneur, you have to have the hustle, you have to be able to work under pressure, you need that grind.”
Having that foundation and skillset, Casey took a leap of faith and founded Skylab Media. Two years later, Skylab Media is thriving as an omnichannel marketing agency that offers futuristic services in NFT, cryptocurrency, and podcast marketing.
Casey’s Business Approach
So now that Casey’s running an entire agency, what’s his approach?
In terms of the hiring process, Casey is all about transparency. He makes it very clear that his employees and potential employees shouldn’t expect an average 9 - 5 workday. But hard work will be rewarded.
The most important thing for Casey is not entry or senior levels, it’s about who’s willing to put in the work.
New and Emerging Marketing Channels
Social search, lifestyle, and influencer marketing are what Casey describes as the “new age” of print and TV marketing.
Skylab Media offers services in paid socials, paid search, SMS Marketing, and Email Marketing. But what sets Skylab Media apart from its competitors lies in its services in newer (and very hot) markets: cryptocurrency, NFT, podcast marketing, Spotify. Well beyond what your average DTC agency provides.
“It’s cool, it’s new, it’s something that people aren’t doing. And it’s really fun. And why not enter that market as one of the leaders?”
A lot of investors right now know that cryptocurrency is something that should be taken very seriously, especially when we think about the rollout of 5G and new technologies.
Casey believes that most marketing agencies also aren’t thinking about AR, VR, and Oculus. When these innovations become increasingly present in our everyday lives over the next couple of decades, customers will want to bring them into their digital experiences. Casey is already thinking about this - pointing out that AR and VR will give so many more opportunities for brand-customer interaction than the 2D realm.
The Future of Ecommerce
So what does Casey expect to see in the future of ecommerce?
As many of us know, the iOS15 update is taking a huge hit on many small business owners. Enterprise accounts are not as affected because they have an entire plethora of different services going for them. It’s really hitting home for those who are just starting out and mid-sized agencies that rely on advertising longer than a seven-day window period.
Casey advises diving into TikTok, influencer email marketing, and SMS marketing. When done well, these should offset the dip in performance on longer attribution window cycles that used to be available on Facebook and Instagram. SMS Marketing especially, Casey assures, is your “best friend”. What other advertising platform can reach the palm of your customer’s hand with a 90 open rate and a return on average greater than 10x? Nothing other than SMS has the ability to do that.
And TikTok?
TikTok is a fantastic platform for going viral - you’re more likely to go viral on TikTok than Facebook and Instagram. TikTok isn’t as moderated and CPM rates (cost per mille - price of 1000 advertisement impressions) are under $3 on average. TikTok is also rolling out a lot of advertising features very similar to Facebook, such as a storefront and tagging your products for sales.
A lot of big players are now advertising on TikTok. If you’re not on it, Casey advises, to hop right on it. Its algorithm is fantastic and you can get returns from day one. Just make sure that you are as organic as possible and stay very mindful of how you portray your brand. Brand loyalty, identity, and perception on TikTok are very different from how they are on Facebook and Instagram. The two main demographics on TikTok are Gen Z and millennials. The way Gen Z will interact with a brand is completely different from that of any other demographic, including older millennials.
As for other advertising avenues?
Casey says that Snapchat is a very underrated platform and well worth exploring.
Podcast marketing is key to building and growing a dedicated audience that will listen to your brand. In terms of influencer marketing, getting your ads on podcasts you know your audience would be interested in is a fantastic way to get through to them.
Casey’s Tips for Q4
Plan ahead. You don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute to approve Adsense or creatives. If you’re a small to midsize business, make sure all your Black Friday plans are planned by October.
If you're a Gen Z brand, consider donating some of your profits to a charity or a cause - your audience will really gravitate towards that.
Take a holistic approach: what platforms are going to work for your brand? If you don’t have the budget for a huge omnichannel marketing venture, think outside the box. Can you give influencers a product in exchange for content? How can you encourage UGC?
Whatever you do, don’t miss the opportunity. November and December will be your best time for profit.
TL;DR: Look to the future of ecommerce. Use TikTok and SMS marketing, prepare, prepare, and prepare some more for Q4.
Visit Skylab Media or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to take your advertising light years ahead of everyone else.
Connect with Casey on LinkedIn for all things startups, growth, and omnichannel marketing.
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