Hey there, eComm legend.

While you're slow-cooking that turkey and crafting those Black Friday campaigns (let’s hope neither comes out overcooked), the e-commerce world keeps turning. TikTok's turning phone screens into ATMs, Google decided to reorganize search rankings Marie Kondo-style, retailers are treating Black Friday like a zodiac season, and Shopify just gave birth to AI twins typing faster than Paul your new intern.

Here's what matters: While everyone else is panic-refreshing their analytics, you're about to turn these changes into your competitive edge. Let's make your Q4 numbers look better than your aunt's "secret" stuffing recipe – and yes, we all know it's from the back of the box.

In today’s agenda:

1) While you read this, another live made $1M 💸

2) Google winter update: rankings go brrr ❄️

3) Best Buy: ‘Hold on, Friday is a day, not a month?’

4) Shopify drops AI beep-beep-boop

— Alex

1) While you read this, another live made $1M 💸

TikTok Shop superstars Made by Mitchell and P. Louise aren't just making bank on TikTok—they're breaking it, pulling in $1M faster than you can say "link in bio." Here's how to join the millionaire's club (no fancy suit required).

Money Moves:

With 93% more sales in live sessions this year in UK, TikTok Live isn't just hot—it's scorching. It's QVC for Gen Z, minus the awkward sweater sets.

• Go Live or Go Home: Be the main character in your own shopping channel. Think Billy Mays energy, but make it fashion. Test your script in advance—no one likes a stream full of "uhms."

• Time it Right: Schedule streams when your audience is awake (go to sleep if that 3 AM entrepreneurial energy is hitting). Use TikTok analytics to pinpoint their peak activity times.

• Flash Those Deals: Create deals so juicy, viewers' FOMO kicks in faster than their credit card auto-fill. But focus on VALUE, don’t pull the 98% off card. Try bundling products for a higher perceived value without slashing your margins.

Glow-Up Guide:

If your catalog was a dating profile, would it get right swipes? Time to make it irresistible.

• Pics That Pop: High-quality images that make scrollers stop dead in their tracks. Use natural lighting and lifestyle shots for that “I need this now” vibe.

• Snappy Titles: "Magic Skin Elixir" > "Face Cream That Does Stuff". Keep titles under 34 characters for better visibility.

• Details on Point: Size, color, material—everything but your life story. Anticipate questions and answer them in your description to reduce pre-purchase hesitation.

The Secret Sauce:

Stats have shown that 58% of TikTok users shop directly on the platform—it’s about 70 million in the United States alone. So your videos need to be money makers (literally).

• Tag It: Make buying as easy as impulse shopping at Target. Add clickable product tags so customers never leave your video.

• Trend Surf: Ride those viral waves like a pro—hashtags are your surfboard. Use TikTok's "Discover" tab to spot trending challenges and sounds to latch onto.

• Entertainment First: Be the main character, not the infomercial.

Squad Goals:

Think of influencers as your personal hype squad, but with better lighting and followers.

• Match Made in Heaven: Find creators who get your vibe (and your target audience's wallet). Use TikTok’s Creator Marketplace to connect with the perfect fit.

• Live Shopping Dreams: Team up with pros who can sell ice to penguins. Prep them with product highlights and let them do their thing—they know their audience best.

Power Moves:

TikTok ads aren't rocket science, but they're pretty close to printing money when done right. New tools like Search Ads and Smart+ let you target shoppers exactly when they’re ready to swipe their credit card.

• Goal Getters: Set targets clearer than your ex's mixed signals. Focus on clicks, purchases, or engagement to measure success.

• AI Bestie: Let TikTok's algorithms be your wingman in finding shoppers. Use Smart+ for automated optimization, so your ads improve themselves while you sleep.

Recap of Your $1M Black Friday Hack:

1. Go Live ✨

2. Get Shoppable 🛍️

3. Go to the Bank 💰

Sources: theindustry.beauty, amzscout.net, retailtimes.co.uk

2) Google winter update: rankings go brrr ❄️

Listen up mon ami - while you are busy planning your Black Friday campaigns, Google decided to play Jenga with your search rankings. Their November 2024 core update isn't just another algorithmic hiccup - it's a full-blown renovation of the search landscape, and some of your best-performing pages might have just gone on an unplanned vacation.

The Damage Report: Major publishers are watching their Black Friday deals pages vanish faster than free samples at Trader’s Joe (well technically there aren’t anymore, but I haven’t recovered from 2021). If Forbes and CNN are getting their pages de-indexed like yesterday's news, you better believe this isn't your average algorithm tango. We're talking about a surgical strike on content that Google's decided isn't bringing enough value to the party.

Your Emergency Response Kit:

1. Fire up Google Search Console like it's Mission Control:

   • Hit hit hit that URL Inspection Tool

   • Submit those re-indexing requests for your money pages

   • Track your coverage reports like a hawk

2. Turn Your Content from Fast Food to Fine Dining:

   • Beef up those thin product descriptions

   • Merge those duplicate pages

   • Add expert insights like andrew20689 on Wikipedia

3. Technical SEO Emergency Surgery:

   • Check your robots.txt file for accidental "noindex" landmines

   • Update your sitemap

   • Make your structured data cleaner than my ex (oops, slipping again)

Your Time to Shine: While everyone else is playing checkers with their Black Friday strategy, you're playing chess. We're talking:

• In-depth buying guides

• Product comparisons

• User-generated content that's actually useful (not just "it’s okay")

Remember - Google's not trying to ruin your Black Friday; they're just raising the bar. Meet them there, and you'll be thankful for this wake-up call come Cyber Monday.

Now go fix those rankings like your Q4 numbers depend on it - because they probably do.

Sources: hivedigital.com, channelnews.com.au 

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3) Best Buy: ‘Hold on, Friday is a day, not a month?’

10 years ago, Black Friday meant wrestling with strangers over TVs at 4 AM. Well, retail giants just flipped the script, and smart e-commerce owners are riding this wave straight to the bank.

The New Playground Rules: Walmart, Amazon, and the gang aren't waiting for turkey leftovers to cool anymore. They're dropping Black Friday deals faster than kids unwrapping presents - starting weeks before the big day. Best Buy kicked off November 8th, Walmart jumped in on the 11th, and Amazon's stretching "Black Friday" longer than those same kids stories (“and and and theeeeen… and and theeeen… and then… and and theeen…”).

Plot Twist - This is Your Moment: While the big boxes play calendar gymnastics, you've got something they don't - agility. Your online store can dart between their mega-sales like a sports car weaving through semi-trucks. When they blast "DEALS!" for weeks, you can craft experiences that make your customers feel like VIPs.

The Money Move: Here's the beautiful part - consumer psychology is working in your favor. With inflation making wallets lighter than helium balloons, shoppers aren't just hunting deals - they're searching for smart buys. They're researching longer, comparing more, and actually reading those product descriptions you sweated and cried over.

Your Winning Hand: While retail giants spread their deals thin, you can focus like a laser beam. Use tools like Klaviyo to segment your best customers. When they go broad, you go deep.

The Playbook: Start your engines early, end later, but don't copy the giants' marathon. Create urgency with limited-time drops that actually mean something. Bundle products like a boss. And for heaven's sake, tell stories that make your products more meaningful than a discount tag.

The extended Black Friday isn't retail giants being generous - it's them admitting they need more time to move inventory. Meanwhile, you've got what they don't: personality, focus, and the ability to make customers feel like more than a transaction number.

In this game of retail chess, you're not the pawn - you're the Queen. Move accordingly.

Sources: mashable.com, zdnet.com 

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* Executive Cheat Sheet

• Bundle Pricing: A strategy where multiple products are sold together at a discounted price to increase perceived value and drive sales.

• Shoppable Video Tags: Interactive tags in video content that link directly to product pages, allowing viewers to make purchases without leaving the platform.

• Semantic Search: A search functionality that uses AI to understand user intent and context, delivering more accurate and relevant product results in e-commerce stores.

• Upsell Engine: A tool or feature designed to suggest complementary or higher-value items to customers during the shopping process to increase order value.