Good morning,
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Fly Glyde, punchy, and Perk Clothing. 👋
🤔 When You Run an Agency, Who Do You Turn to for Perspective?
✔️ Clients need answers.
✔️ Your team needs direction.
✔️ Growth depends on the calls you make next.
Agency exists for agency leaders who no longer want to tackle every decision on their own.
It’s a vetted peer network for 7–9 figure agency leaders who want clarity, perspective, and support from people who truly understand the role.
Inside Agency:
• Talk through decisions with experienced operators
• Learn how others are navigating the same challenges
• Gain perspective before problems compound
Agency gives you a place to think through decisions with people who understand the stakes.
💰 New Year, New Tech Review!
Before diving headfirst into Q1, one of the smartest moves you can make is tightening up your tracking.
A clean, accurate technical setup on Meta is the foundation of profitable scaling and the easiest way to lose money is running ads on broken or incomplete data.
The Pilothouse Meta team runs event tests weekly and recommends a deeper audit monthly or quarterly, depending on your site and checkout flow.
Here’s what they suggest reviewing:
1️⃣ Pixel Implementation Check
Make sure the correct pixel fires everywhere it should.
Walk through your site and confirm:
Tools that make this easier:
Using Meta’s Test Events and the Meta Pixel Helper Chrome extension.
2️⃣ Confirm CAPI Setup
Server-to-server tracking is critical for Meta’s accuracy.
Compare browser vs. server events inside Events Manager to confirm your Conversion API (CAPI) is implemented properly and consistently firing.
3️⃣ Check UTM Parameters
Even if you check regularly, Q1 is a great time for a reset. Review that:
It’s also a good moment to update your UTM structure. Here’s the full list of trackable dimensions in GA4 if you want to refine your framework.
4️⃣ Compare Events Manager vs. Shopify
This is the fastest way to spot tracking leaks.
Compare event counts across both platforms (e.g. Shopify and Meta) for:
As a rule of thumb, 80%+ accuracy is a solid number.
👉 If you’re below 80%, you likely need a developer to diagnose mismatched events, missing parameters, or integration gaps.
The takeaway?
A January tracking audit sets you up for success for the rest of the year.
Fixing just one broken event or inaccurate CAPI call can unlock cheaper CPAs, stronger retargeting pools, and more reliable optimization signals.
Go through this checklist now and start 2026 on the right foot and with a performance edge!
🎧 How Pretty Litter Scaled to $300M+ With Only 12 Employees
Daniel Rotman, founder of PrettyLitter, shares how he turned an “unsexy” product into a $300M+ business.
Learn how he identified a real pain point for cat owners, innovated a stale category (with only a lean team of 12!), and got acquired by Mars Petcare.
What we cover:
▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube.
🎧 Or click here to listen on Spotify.
No, the algorithm doesn’t hate you.
Your ads are underperforming because you keep doing this.
Nick Theriot says advertisers need to stop blaming the algo and re-evaluate their creative strategy. Instead of making small CTA tweaks, take big swings by testing new concepts.
🔧 Google Ads New Shortcut Button to Change History
Google has made it easier to troubleshoot campaign issues with a new shortcut button.
Advertisers will now see a “Go to...” dropdown in the Change history report. From here, you can jump right into your desired campaign or ad group.
📥 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?
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.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
