DTC946: Grow Social Proof, CRO Tactics, and Faking Scarcity

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

• ⭐ More Social Proof = More Conversions
• 🛠️ 3 High Leverage CRO Moves Before Black Friday
• ❌ Why You Shouldn’t Fake Scarcity

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Simmer, barre3, and Sprinter. 👋

‍🔥 Brands That Win Q4 Aren't Just Discounting. They’re Dominating TikTok Shop, Lives, UGC

Every Q4, most brands fall into the same trap: deeper discounts, lower margins, louder ads. 😵‍💫

But the truth? Q4 performance isn’t just about your offer. It’s about the creator firepower behind it.

👉 Shoppers trust TikTok reviewers, Amazon demo videos, Instagram reels, and Spark-enabled creators who know exactly how to sell.

That’s why top DTC, Amazon and TikTok Shop founders/CMOs turn to JoinBrands. ⚡

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• Amazon + Instagram + Youtube creators all in one place
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‍⭐ Using Post IDs To Carry Social Proof During Q4

Ever stopped scrolling because an ad had hundreds of comments? That's social proof in action.

When people comment, tag friends, and share experiences, it becomes easier to scale on Meta.

Plus, it's an easy way to boost credibility when users see real conversations taking place under your ad.

Other benefits of social proof:

• It improves ad deliverability (Meta’s algorithm loves engagement).
• It warms up new shoppers, giving them social validation before they ever click through.

📈 Why It Matters in Q4

Budgets are bigger. Spend is faster. Comments stack up overnight. That’s why it’s crucial to consolidate engagement instead of spreading it thin across multiple ads.

The Pilothouse Meta team recommends using post IDs when duplicating ads.

This lets you carry over all comments and likes from one ad to the next, instead of starting with a blank comment slate.

How to Use Post IDs
Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

1️⃣ In Ads Manager, select the ad you want to duplicate and click Preview.

2️⃣ Click the arrow on the top right → choose “Facebook post with comments.”

3️⃣ In the URL, copy the number after /posts/ — that’s your post ID.

4️⃣ Create a new ad and select “Use existing post” under Ad Setup.

5️⃣ Paste the post ID in the field under Ad Creative.

Now, when you publish, both ads share the same comments, likes, and engagement.

The takeaway?

In Q4, every comment, share, and “this actually works” matters.

By compounding social proof with post IDs, you’re not just saving engagement, you’re building momentum that helps ads perform longer and scale smarter.

‍⚡ This Is Your BFCM Command Center

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‍🎧 3 High Leverage CRO Moves Before Black Friday

Jordan Gordon, host of TWBERP, stops by the All Killer No Filler podcast, to talk about powerful CRO tactics brands can use to close off the year strong or even get done in time for Black Friday.

He shares Pilothouse’s proven tech stack with listeners and goes into the importance of having a fast website, common chokepoints, and emotionally resonant copywriting.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Specific tools to help you lower bouncebacks and raise AOV
• How these 8 chokepoints can make or break your conversion rate
• Dissecting the pros and cons of Uniqlo’s website, homepage, and PDPs.

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube here.

🎧 Or click here to listen on Spotify.

‍💰 YouTube Tests Reducing Ad Spend For Underperforming Campaigns

Missed performance expectations?

YouTube is experimenting with a new system that automatically lowers media costs when a Demand Gen target CPA campaign underperforms.

How it works:

If a campaign delivers fewer conversions than Google’s model predicted, YouTube may retroactively reduce charges to bring your CPA closer to your target.

Learn more here.

While scarcity can motivate customers to act now, Harry Molyneux warns against using ‘fake scarcity’ to increase conversions.

This CRO trick can build mistrust, and he shares that other CRO tactics like countdown timers and stockout history are better ways of creating urgency.

‍📥 Got a B2B Biz?

Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 150k brand leaders and founders this year. Talk to our team to learn more.

Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• 💰 Ad-venturous 28: Q5 Goldmine Between Xmas and New Year’s
• 🛠️ TWBERP 59: Under The Hood of Your Account
• 🚀 4x Original Grain’s Growth Using Persona-Based CRO
• 🎨 AKNF 558: Creative Strategy in the Andromeda Era
• 🎁 Ad-venturous 27: Why Gifting Deserves Its Own Q4 Strategy
• 📧 TWBERP 58: Email Deliverability Explained with Senders.co

Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.