What Brands Should Learn From The TikTok Ban

Welcome to this issue of The DTC Insider newsletter. 👋

We strive to deliver the latest growth marketing news and trends in the DTC space straight to your inbox every Wednesday.

Topics we'll cover today:

💠 Meta Enhances Lead Ads with New SMS Verification Feature
💠 What Brands Should Learn From The TikTok Ban
💠 Breaking Barriers in Kids’ Fashion

Big Improvement to Meta Lead Ads

"Meta Lead Ads generate low-quality leads." - Me, many times.

And I know I'm not alone.

But, this changes things, at least in theory.

Meta just upgraded Lead Ads, introducing SMS verification.

This new feature aims to ensure higher-quality leads.

Here’s how it works:

📱 Leads enter their phone number in the form.
🔑 They receive a one-time verification code via SMS.
✅ The code validates their submission.

Advertisers must include a mandatory phone number field to activate it.

Why this matters:

→ Verifies user authenticity
→ Reduces fraudulent submissions
→ As a result, delivers better-quality leads

Would you test it?

--
Follow me on LinkedIn for more growth marketing content in the e-commerce space.

Want to Make 2025 Your Brand’s Best Year Yet?

In 2024, we audited over 120 brands, and we found that many of them have been stuck in a revenue plateau for 2, and even 3 years.

So, the question is: will you stay in the same place for yet another year, or will you draw a line in the sand and start a new chapter for your brand?

At BSR Digital, we have just 1 spot left for brands that want to unlock the next level of growth.

Will you be one of them?

What Brands Should Learn From The TikTok Ban

What a roller coaster... 😱

We could be discussing whether it's right or wrong to ban TikTok in the US.

But, instead, let's focus on what you can do as a brand.

In the end, it's the only thing you can control.

If this taught us something, it's the importance of channel diversification.

Most brands rely too much on Meta. That's no secret.

Sure, Google and maybe TikTok Ads are in the mix — but Meta is still the #1.

Many want to find new revenue streams, but they're stuck.

The main reason?

They keep thinking about the same, traditional, channels. 😕

And here’s the thing: in the last year or so, we’ve seen a shift.

Decentralization is changing the game. A few examples are:

🛍️ Now there’s TikTok Shop and YouTube Shopping (Meta coming soon?).
🤖 Some brands found my agency through ChatGPT, instead of Google.
🔍 In 2024, TikTok launched Search Ads to compete with Google.

All signs are pointing to a new era, and brands need to adapt.

But…what if I told you there’s something else brands could do to acquire new customers besides being active on more ad channels?

Here are a few ideas:
📱 Launch a branded mobile app (many brands have seen a big boost from this already)
📍 Boost offline engagement (ie. pop-up stores, events, and other in-person actions)
🛍️ Leverage new channels such as TikTok Shop and YouTube Shopping
🛒 Use targeted ad networks (like Disco, among others) at checkout
🤝 Build long-term relationships with influencers and affiliates
🔒 Create a community to engage with your audience

Hopefully, this gives you ideas to improve your strategy in 2025.

If that happens, this post was already worth it.

--

If you're looking for a growth partner that helps you make 2025 your best year yet, let's chat.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INSENSE

Fact: Nailin' that creator-brand alignment is the secret to high-performing UGC and influencer partnerships. 

Problem: Manually sifting through thousands of creators to find the perfect match is a time-consuming nightmare.

Solution: Insense.

You need Insense’s carefully vetted marketplace of 60,000+ UGC creators and micro-influencers from 20+ countries across the USA, Canada, APAC, and Latin America.

Dermatologists for your skincare brand? They’ve got it!

Watch collectors? LGBTQ+ creators? They’ve got it!

2,000+ eComm, DTC, and Amazon brands are using Insense to find their perfect niche creators and run diverse collaborations from product seeding and gifting to TikTok Shop and affiliate campaigns, and whitelisted ads.

• Quip - received an 85% influencer activation rate (32/37 influencers posted)

• Any Age Activewear - quickly matched with mature female creators aged 50+ which boosted AOV by 20%

Try Insense yourself. 

Book a discovery call by January 31 and get a $200 bonus for your first campaign

Breaking Barriers in Kids’ Fashion

Should little girls only wear princess-style clothes?

As the father of one, I don't think so.

This is what these founders had as a mission: to smash those stereotypes.

In this episode of The DTC Insider podcast, I had the pleasure to chat with Rebecca Melsky and Eva St. Clair, founders of Princess Awesome.

If you're looking to disrupt an industry, this is the perfect episode for you!

Check it out 👇

We discussed:

👉 The increasing challenges of the e-commerce landscape since 2013.
👉 How Princess Awesome evolved from a side project into a thriving full-time business.
👉 Leveraging Kickstarter to address market frustrations with gendered clothing.
👉 Transforming the kids' clothing industry through innovative designs.
👉 Navigating challenges associated with fulfillment centers for growing brands.
👉 The importance of understanding fulfillment costs to protect profit margins.
👉 Utilizing Meta ads as a key channel for customer acquisition.
👉 Prioritizing retention strategies to drive long-term growth.
👉 Launching new products frequently with regular drops every few weeks.

Tune in:

📺 YouTube
🎧 Apple
🎙️ Spotify
🌐 Website

More episodes our listeners love:

💎 Unlocking New Revenue Streams in 2025 with Neal Goyal
💎 The Secret Sauce Behind BattlBox's Success with John Roman
💎 IQBAR’s Journey to 10,000 Locations And $50 Million with Will Nitze
💎 Supplement Brand Bootstrapped $10,000 and Built It Into Sales of $30 Million in Three Years with Ronak Shah
💎 Unlocking 9-Figure Growth: The Blueprint That Transformed Two Brands with Brett Swensen

Also Happening in the DTC space

📰 Everything You Need To Know About Meta’s Change in Content Rules
📰 YouTube Expands 3-Minute Shorts to All Users
📰 International Shipping Services and Rates for Ecommerce (2025)

Promote your Business to 11,000+ People in the DTC Space

The DTC Insider newsletter + podcast reaches a highly qualified audience of DTC founders, directors, and marketers. Learn more about the sponsorship opportunities we offer for your business.

Show us some love!

If you love the value delivered on our podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review.