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Noah Brewer - University Of Technology Sydney | E-Commerce & TikTok Ads

Noah Brewer - University Of Technology Sydney | E-Commerce & TikTok Ads

Introduction

Hey, everyone! Noah Brewer here, back again with a fascinating video. Recently, a professor from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia reached out to me. He'd been following my content for a while and asked if I could provide some advice to his students. Inspired by the opportunity, I decided to create a comprehensive presentation on everything e-commerce, including my journey, best practices, and some exclusive advice I haven't shared publicly.

Background

I'm just a regular kid from Danielson, Connecticut—a small town with a population of about 4,000. I moved to Arizona three years ago and started my e-commerce journey back in September 2017 at 16 years old. By June 2018, I had made around a million dollar in sales through three or four different stores. The key to my success was getting a mentor who showed me the ropes, a strategy I blindly followed, which ultimately worked.

Over the next several years, I managed to generate around $ 25-30 million in sales across hundreds of stores. Even now, I remain a student of this ever-evolving industry.

Pros and Cons of E-Commerce

Pros

  1. Location Flexibility: You can work from anywhere in the world.
  2. Scalability: You can start with as little as $ 30 and grow to a billion-dollar company.
  3. Low Barrier to Entry: Fewer moving parts compared to other businesses.
  4. Public Models: Numerous public figures to learn from.
  5. Community: A robust network of like-minded individuals.
  6. Global Market: Sales are not limited by region.
  7. Valuable Asset: Builds a sellable asset that doesn’t rely on you directly.

Cons

  1. Not a Side Hustle: Requires a lot of effort to get caught up as a beginner.
  2. Small Margins: Often you need high revenues to achieve substantial profits.
  3. Cash Flow: Requires significant initial capital for inventory and ads.
  4. Trust Issues: Problems with processors and suppliers.
  5. High Returns and Logistics: Particularly challenging when shipping from China.

Models of E-Commerce

  1. Drop Shipping:

    • Physical Products
    • Digital Products
    • Print on Demand

  2. Brand Building:

    • Rebranding
    • Community Building
    • Designing and Messaging
    • Inventing Products

  3. E-Commerce as a Platform:

    • Services-based businesses like Viral Ecom Ads

Path to Success

Organic Drop Shipping

If you have a low budget and a lot of time, organic Drop Shipping is a great starting point. Use platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels to post about products and potentially go viral. Aim to make around $ 10,000 in profit before moving to the next step.

With a decent budget, paid ads on platforms like TikTok and Facebook can catapult your business. Focus on finding a proven method and stick to it. Product research is crucial—prioritize products that solve a problem or have high perceived value.

Rebranding and Beyond

Once you've made around $ 100,000 in profit, consider rebranding to put your logo on the product and improve shipping times. Scale to making substantial revenue, then move to designing, messaging, and potentially inventing to reach the heights of major brands like Fashion Nova.

Practical Advice

  • Plan on finding 50 to 100 products per week for testing.
  • Spend around $ 100 per product for testing.
  • Always reinvest profits back into testing and scaling.
  • Build multiple winning stores to stabilize revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How should beginners think about general stores versus single product stores?

A: Generally, start with single product stores for TikTok ads and stick to general stores for Facebook if you're planning a long-term play.

Q: How important are customer reviews in achieving conversions?

A: Quality over quantity. Aim for in-depth, genuine reviews that elaborate on the product’s practical uses and benefits.

Q: How can you stay up-to-date with trends in Drop Shipping and marketing?

A: Follow accounts like Trend Bible on TikTok for trends and be an active user of the platform yourself.

Q: Why did you pivot to education instead of consistently focusing on finding new winners?

A: I've always been in the marketing side of e-commerce. My role from the beginning has involved helping others navigate Drop Shipping, and I’ve continued to expand this role over time.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you'd give to your beginner self?

A: If I could go back, I would tell myself to scale as many stores as possible while Drop Shipping was easier.

Keywords

  • E-commerce
  • Drop Shipping
  • TikTok Ads
  • Organic Marketing
  • Paid Ads
  • Brand Building
  • Rebranding
  • Product Research
  • Customer Reviews
  • Influencer Marketing

FAQ

  1. Q: How should beginners think about general stores versus single product stores?

    • A: Start with single product stores for TikTok ads. If scaling a general store, consider keeping it as is rather than transitioning winning products to single product stores.

  2. Q: How important are customer reviews in achieving conversions?

    • A: Quality reviews are much more impactful than quantity. Aim for in-depth, genuine reviews.

  3. Q: How can you stay up-to-date with trends in Drop Shipping and marketing?

    • A: Follow accounts like Trend Bible and be an active user of platforms like TikTok.

  4. Q: Why did you pivot to education instead of consistently focusing on finding new winners?

    • A: I've always combined e-commerce with helping others navigate the space. This has expanded over time rather than a pivot.

  5. Q: What’s one piece of advice you'd give to your beginner self?

    • A: Scale as many stores as possible while the opportunity is prime.

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