In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups

In this episode, Mike Rama, founder of Brand Meets Creators, shares his insights on the rapidly growing TikTok Shop ecosystem. He discusses how brands are leveraging TikTok Shop to generate millions in revenue, with some going from zero to $1 million per month in just 8 weeks. Mike explains the importance of product selection, pricing strategy, and the need for a large network of affiliates (ideally 1,000+) to succeed on the platform. 

He highlights the unique aspects of TikTok Shop, including its built-in affiliate system, the potential for viral content, and the significant halo effect on other sales channels. Mike also shares his company's approach to connecting brands with creators, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decision-making and the need for brands to commit significant resources to succeed on TikTok Shop. 

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Timestamps:

(00:00:10) Mike Rama has helped brands generate millions in revenue through TikTok Shop by leveraging affiliate marketing.

(00:02:13) TikTok Shop integrates e-commerce directly into the platform, allowing creators to earn commissions by promoting products.

(00:04:40) Successful TikTok marketing relies on hitting the For You page rather than traditional follower counts, making it a unique sales channel.

(00:10:08) Brands can benefit from TikTok Shop by focusing on impulse buy products priced under $50 that have a unique or visual appeal.

(00:35:47) To succeed on TikTok Shop, brands should be prepared to invest at least $5,000 a month and launch with around 1,000 affiliates to gain traction.

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Guest Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrama

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In this episode, Jaen Carrodine, co-founder of Drippi AI, shares his insights on the world of cold DMs and how his company has become a leading tool for automating outreach on Twitter. Drippi AI has sent over 800,000 DMs for its users, achieving impressive reply rates and generating significant revenue for clients, including a PR firm that booked over $128,000 in its first month using the service. Jaen emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs, effective messaging strategies, and the potential of cold outreach for both B2B and B2C markets. Additionally, Jaen highlights the challenges of navigating platform guidelines and the necessity of cross-platform strategies to ensure sustainable growth. 

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Swell AI: Content Repurposing Powered by AI - https://www.swellai.com/

Drafthorse AI: AI-powered programmatic SEO for blog posts - https://www.drafthorseai.com/

Landing Cat: AI-Powered Programmatic SEO for eCommerce - https://www.landingcat.com/

Timestamps:

(00:00:10) Cold DMs can actually be a viable go-to-market strategy for companies looking to scale their outreach.

(00:02:15) Personalization is key; using AI to craft tailored messages can significantly improve response rates.

(00:14:03) High-ticket services tend to see better results with cold outreach, especially when the offer is compelling.

(00:18:09) Building trust through smaller, low-cost offerings can pave the way for upselling higher-ticket services later.

(00:36:11) Understanding your audience and continuously refining your messaging is crucial to reducing churn and improving customer retention.

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Guest Links:

https://x.com/speedrunjaen

https://www.drippi.ai/

In this episode, Bryan Onel, co-founder of Oneleet, discusses his journey from hacker to cybersecurity entrepreneur. Bryan shares insights on bootstrapping strategies within a venture-backed model, the importance of community-driven growth, and how to differentiate from competitors by being authentic and customer-focused. Bryan also discusses tactical approaches to leveraging testimonials, participating in relevant conversations, and calling out industry inadequacies to drive growth and establish Oneleet as a leading alternative to incumbent platforms like Vanta -- a strategy that helped grow Oneleet from zero to $7 million ARR in 20 months. 

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Swell AI: Content Repurposing Powered by AI - https://www.swellai.com/

Drafthorse AI: AI-powered programmatic SEO for blog posts - https://www.drafthorseai.com/

Landing Cat: AI-Powered Programmatic SEO for eCommerce - https://www.landingcat.com/

Timestamps:

(00:10) Being a successful founder requires total commitment and an all-consuming passion for the business.

(02:10) Bryan transitioned from being a hacker to building cybersecurity tools after realizing the need for companies to defend themselves against breaches.

(04:01) Working with close partners, like friends or family, can simplify the challenges of maintaining work-life boundaries in a startup.

(19:21) Many compliance-focused companies prioritize checklists over real security, leading to a false sense of safety for their clients.

(37:12) Building trust by genuinely helping potential clients, even if it means advising them not to purchase, can lead to strong word-of-mouth referrals.

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Guest Links:

https://nl.linkedin.com/in/bryan-onel

https://x.com/BryanOnel86

https://www.oneleet.com/

In this episode, I chat with Zach Wright from Reveal.ai, a B2B company specializing in market research and social listening. Zach shares insights on how he's leveraging short-form LinkedIn content to generate demand, achieving over 200,000 impressions in just 28 days with only 1,000 followers. We also discuss the power of podcasting as a content pillar, the importance of finding "content market fit," and strategies for turning product demonstrations into engaging social media content that resonates with your ideal customer profile (ICP).

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Swell AI: Content Repurposing Powered by AI - https://www.swellai.com/

Drafthorse AI: AI-powered programmatic SEO for blog posts - https://www.drafthorseai.com/

Landing Cat: AI-Powered Programmatic SEO for eCommerce - https://www.landingcat.com/

Timestamps:

(00:00:04) Short-form video content on LinkedIn is currently experiencing massive organic reach potential.

(00:04:15) Combining entertaining content with product demonstrations can be an effective strategy for top-of-funnel marketing.

(00:10:23) Having a content creator on staff may become a necessary role for companies in the future.

(00:14:08) Podcasts can serve as both a content flywheel and an insights flywheel for businesses.

(00:27:41) Identifying winning content formats and creating repeatable processes is crucial for consistent marketing success.

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Guest Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachswright/

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https://www.getreveal.ai/

In this episode, we chat with Nick Abraham, a cold email expert and the founder of LeapWord. Nick shared his insights on running a successful agency in the B2B lead gen space, sending over 1.5 million emails per month across his clients. We also discussed the importance of having a solid offer, the technical aspects of setting up cold email campaigns, and strategies for improving deliverability and response rates. 

Brought to you by...

Swell AI: Content Repurposing Powered by AI - https://www.swellai.com/

Drafthorse AI: AI-powered programmatic SEO for blog posts - https://www.drafthorseai.com/

Landing Cat: AI-Powered Programmatic SEO for eCommerce - https://www.landingcat.com/

Timestamps:

(00:05:33) The core thing for successful cold emailing is having a solid offer that actually solves the pain point of the market you're selling to.

(00:11:36) Using intent signals like scraping LinkedIn followers or job postings can significantly improve the effectiveness of cold email campaigns.

(00:17:46) Auto-creating accounts for potential customers and inviting them to try the product can be an effective lead generation strategy.

(00:20:00) When managing cold email campaigns, it's more effective to focus on the contact-to-lead ratio rather than open rates or reply rates.

(00:33:07) Creating content, especially video content, can significantly improve conversion rates and build trust with potential clients in the agency space.

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Guest Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-abraham/

https://x.com/NickAbraham12

https://www.leadbird.io/