TikTok Shop Masterclass: Lessons from £20M of Spend
TikTok Shop is the most powerful growth levers in DTC right now.In this episode, Olly and Loukas sit down with Liam Dean, Co-Founder of For You Advertising (the UK’s top TikTok agency who spent £20M on ads in 2024 alone), to unpack the full strategy behind what’s actually working on TikTok Shop right now.They break down how UK brands are driving millions in GMV through affiliate creators, storytelling-led ads, and TikTok Lives... and how that content is being repurposed into high-performing Meta ads.From a first-time creator generating £130K in GMV to a brand giving away Lamborghinis to top affiliates, this episode is packed with real data, viral creative analysis, and practical frameworks you can apply today.What they cover:1. Why TikTok Shop is the biggest DTC growth channel in 2025 and how brands are winning early2. How For You Advertising went from a lockdown idea to one of TikTok’s top 6 agency spenders in the UK3. How affiliates have become the new “sales team” for scaling TikTok Shop4. The 5 viral creative frameworks driving results and how to repurpose them into Meta-compliant, high-ROAS ads5. The live formats that convert: from order packing to community-driven tutorials6. What’s next: AI creators, TikTok One, and the rise of automated affiliate growthWhether you're an operator at £50K/month or scaling to 8-figures, this is a masterclass in launching, scaling, and sustaining growth on TikTok Shop, without burning margin or missing creative momentum.+PLUS 🎁 Get the free Creative Resource + Unit Economics Calculator by subscribing to our Youtube Channel and commenting on the video "TIKTOK SHOP CREATIVE" and we'll send it over. 💥 Follow Liam on socials:Linkedn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-dean-a11a43152/Follow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/
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1:13:39
How US DTC Brands Are Using AI and Data Strategy to Scale Faster Than Brands in the UK
D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Foreplay.Foreplay is the must-have tool for monitoring competitors, curating endless ad inspiration, and finding that one winning ad that can scale your business.Get 20% off FOR LIFE with code “D2CDIARIES” at Foreplay here https://shorturl.at/LEzzZ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find out how to maximise the value of your ecom brand here from the Fortia Summit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWAb34d_gp0Theta Group – thetaclv.comFortia Group – thefortiagroup.comIn this episode of D2C Diaries, we break down how the most ambitious US DTC brands are using AI tools, first-party data, and creative strategy to unlock scale, and why many UK brands are falling behind.Fresh from a 3-month stint in New York, Joe Marston (co-founder of Soar With Us and For You Advertising) joins Loukas and Olly to share insights from inside the US market, ShopTalk conference takeaways, and the new AI stack reshaping growth marketing.They cover:→ AI & Creative Strategy: How tools like Foreplay, Grok (XAI), and ChatGPT are changing research and ideation and the power of prompt engineering in performance creative.→ US vs UK Growth Mindset: The “investment vs cost” mindset that fuels American ambition and why networking, deal sizes, and brand positioning are radically different in the US. Also Joe highlights what UK founders can learn from the way US brands own first-party data to increase your valuation.→ Future Trends: Why every service business needs to think like a software company, what Apple, Meta, and X are really building with their AI plays and the rise of AI agents and what’s next after creative automation.Hit follow and subscribe to D2C Diaries for unfiltered conversations, cutting-edge growth strategies, and real talk from the frontlines of ecom.New episodes every week.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow Joe on socials:Linkedn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-marston/Twitter: https://x.com/JoeJMarstonFollow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/
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59:20
The Ultimate AI Creative Workflow: AI Prompts to Build 6-Figure Creatives in Days
On 25th March 2025, a new era of DTC marketing began...In this game-changing episode of D2C Diaries, we dive into how AI and organic-first creative strategies are unlocking ridiculous growth for brands—like helping one client hit a record-breaking £200K day from a single batch of ads.Want the exact AI prompts used to build those creatives?👉 Comment PROMPT on the YouTube episode, subscribe, and we'll send you the EXACT prompt we used.The guys break down:📈 The exact AI-driven workflow used to repurpose organic content into high-performing paid creatives (including the Google Studio + ChatGPT prompt combo)🤖 The latest ChatGPT image generation update and why it's a game-changer for model shots, product renders, and static ad saturation🔁 Meta’s algorithm shift to individual-level taste targeting and why content volume and variety are now your biggest performance levers🧠 A deep dive into organic research: how to mine viral frameworks from TikTok, Reddit, and Google, then plug them into scalable ad systems⚡ Real-world case studies from recent brand launches—including how they turned one creator-style organic video into a $120K+ revenue driver------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Foreplay.Foreplay is the must-have tool for monitoring competitors, curating endless ad inspiration, and finding that one winning ad that can scale your business.Get 20% off FOR LIFE with code “D2CDIARIES” at Foreplay here https://shorturl.at/LEzzZ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/
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48:27
How Zach Murray Scaled Foreplay to 10,000+ Users
🚀 YOUTUBE GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚀Head to Youtube and subscribe to our channel. Comment “swipe file” on the video to get exclusive access to:✅ Zach’s Ultimate Foreplay Board: A curated collection of ad creatives that inspire him.✅ Soar & Hambi’s Best Performers: Our top-winning ads from the past few months.Don’t miss out, drop “swipe file” in the comments and we’ll send it your way!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In this episode of D2C Diaries, we sit down with Zach Murray, founder of Foreplay, to break down how he scaled Foreplay from a side project into a creative SaaS powerhouse used by 10,000+ brands.Foreplay was built on one simple idea: most brands already have a winning ad, they just don’t realise it. Instead of constantly chasing new creative, the smartest brands double down on what’s working and iterate aggressively.What we cover:➡️ How Zach scaled Foreplay from idea to 10,000+ users➡️ Why most brands fail at creative iteration➡️ The secret to scaling ad spend without killing ROAS➡️ AI’s role in ad creative (and why it’s not replacing humans yet)➡️ Zach’s mindset & long-term goal-setting strategyThis episode is a must-listen for anyone running paid social in 2025.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------D2C Diaries is proudly sponsored by Foreplay.Foreplay is the must-have tool for monitoring competitors, curating endless ad inspiration, and finding that one winning ad that can scale your business.Get 20% off FOR LIFE with code “D2CDIARIES” at Foreplay here https://shorturl.at/LEzzZ
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57:49
Meta ads not landing? Steal our viral TikTok ad strategy that’s SCALING creatives on Meta
When marketing doesn’t let you have a day off…Even on holiday, we’re back with a new episode, this time, with a spatula as a mic.In this episode, we dive into how TikTok-style creatives are driving serious results on Meta and how brands can repurpose them for better performance.We cover:1️⃣ Why TikTok Shop-style ads are dominating and how to leverage them2️⃣ How to fuse high-production (HP) content with UGC for 10X creative iterations3️⃣ The impact of storytelling-driven ads on engagement and conversions4️⃣ How brands can test TikTok creatives first before scaling them on MetaPlus, in the second half of the episode, we answer YOUR questions breaking down how to avoid creative fatigue, scale ad performance, and drive better results with lower budgets.If you’re not repurposing TikTok ads for Meta, you’re missing out, tune in to learn how to make it work for your brand.Follow Loukas on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8BTwitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambiFollow Olly on socials:LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqOTwitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudsonFollow D2C Diaries on socialsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diariesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/
Join Olly Hudson and Loukas Hambi in a laid-back yet insightful podcast, where we dive into the heart of D2C and e-commerce. With a combined experience of managing over £150 million in ad spend across Meta and TikTok and helping scale over 200 brands, we bring you a digestible blend of performance, operational, and creative wisdom.
Ireland