DTC988: Zeelool’s Email Pop-up, YouTube Select, and AI Google Search Trends

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Good morning,

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

• 👀 Why Zeelool’s Email Pop-Up Causes Decision Fatigue
• ⏯️ How YouTube Select Unlocks Quality Performance
• 📈 A New Way To Explore Google Search Trends With AI

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Drink Modern, ThermoWorks, and Ion Science. 👋

‍👀 Too Many Offers Can Cause Decision Fatigue

Zeelool’s current pop-up clearly communicates value, but is it too overwhelming?

What’s working well:

✅ Value is clear

There’s four different offers ($20, $15, $10, and $7 off) that give users instant context for what they can save.

This taps into deal-hunter psychology, which is strong in categories like eyewear.

✅ “Claim Free Gift” badge adds urgency

This small visual cue boosts micro-conversions by hinting at extra value and a reason to act now.

Even if the gift isn’t shown, the phrase disrupts skimming enough to make people pause.

✅ Social sign-in options reduce friction

Google, Facebook, and Amazon sign-in options accelerate lead capture, especially on mobile.

✅ High-contrast CTA stands out

The bright blue “Get Coupons” button stands out well against the white background.

If your pop-up already checks these boxes, here are a few other things to keep in mind:

🧪 Too many offers compete for attention: Multiple discount amounts force the user to do math, compare thresholds, and figure out what they actually qualify for.

That creates decision fatigue, which reduces opt-ins.

Instead, try collapsing the value stack into one simple headline.

Something like: “Unlock Up to $20 Off Your First Pair” is easier for users to digest and take action. And you can share the full offer breakdown after email submission.

🧪 The interface leans more transactional than persuasive

Everything presented here is through numbers. Nothing speaks to style, fit, quality, or emotional triggers.

Eyewear is a high-consideration purchase, yet the popup feels like a generic coupon offer.

Consumers convert faster when they can visualize the value they’re about to unlock.

A product shot or lifestyle visual could pique interest and make the offer more appealing.

🧪 “Get Coupons” doesn’t communicate the true benefit

People don’t want coupons. They want better prices, style upgrades, and affordable lenses. The CTA could be doing more heavy lifting.

The takeaway?

This pop-up is built for deal-seekers, but it could be even stronger if the brand simplified the offer to reduce cognitive load and added an impactful product visual.

‍🎧 Why Content Targeting on YouTube Is Beating Cheap CPVs

Eric sits down with Dougie, Pilothouse's Google Lead, to dig into why content targeting, specifically with YouTube Select, is outperforming audience-based targeting, even at premium CPMs.

If you’ve been running low-cost YouTube campaigns with underwhelming results, this is the mindset shift you need.

What we cover:

• What YouTube Select actually is (and why it matters for performance)
• How to think about placements vs. audiences
• Why content alignment improves funnel performance
• What kind of brands should invest heavily into YouTube Select
• How to build creatives that match the content being watched

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube.

🎧 Or listen here on Spotify.

‍Google Trends just got easier to use with a new Gemini-powered side panel.

SEO and AI Search consultant Glenn Gabe shares how it automatically surfaces and compares related search trends, saving time and helping you see the full picture around a topic without manual digging.

For ecommerce teams, this makes it faster to spot rising demand and validate product ideas.

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Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• 💯 Ad-venturous 37: The Old Spice Rebrand That Actually Worked
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• 🛏️ How Silk & Snow Scaled to 10 Retail Stores by Focusing on CAC
• 🔺 AKNF 575: The Angle Audit: Break Out of The “Vibes Plateau”
• 🧀 Ad-venturous 36: Why Logo Changes Feel Like Betrayals
• 💡 TWBERP 67: Site Funnels 2.0: Product Revenue Discovery

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

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