Beyond PPC: Unleashing Brand Brilliance with our Optimization Secrets with Abdus Samad Shah

In this episode, we delve into the realm of brand optimization beyond the confines of PPC advertising. Join us as we uncover the strategies and tactics that elevate brands to new heights in the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce. From maximizing profits to navigating the Amazon entrepreneurial journey, we explore the secrets behind sustainable growth and the emerging role of the Pakistani seller community. Get ready to unleash brand brilliance with our optimization secrets!

√ Abdus’ VIP Page
√ GFAVIP
√ Advertising Spire and Design My AMZ

√ Visit our GFA partner – Mercury – for US banking solutons for your ecommerce businesss
√ Visit our GFA partner – Loadpipe – to leverage the power of web3 and the Loadpipe protocol and community to bring ecommerce on-chain.

Thank you Abdus for being on the show, and thank you everybody for listening in.

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[00:00:00] Hello everyone, how are ya? Welcome to episode 431 of our podcast, and mind you all, this is going to be our first ever GFA. Yes. First ever, GFA member series. Yeah. I’m thrilled to be your host for this exciting journey. I’m your girl, Yasha, your guy. Through this member series Adventure. Welcome to the Global from Asia podcast, where the daunting [00:00:30] process of running an international business is broken down into straight up actionable advice.

And now your host, Michael Micheli. You’re doing great. Yes. Oh, wow. Like in the new camera? I’m here. I’m here in a hotel lobby in Bangkok. Oh. mm-Hmm. I can see that your, your flight is going be this afternoon. I’m gonna go to Hanoi, Vietnam for a, uh oh yes. Uhhuh for, I know blockchain and, [00:01:00] and decentralized internet and handshake.

So yeah, it’ll be then back to Chang May on Monday. Oh, wow. That’s gonna be a, another big event for you then in, in Vietnam, was it? Vietnam? Yeah, Vietnam, Hanoi in the north. My first time to Hanoi, I’ve been to Ho Chi Minh a couple times, but first time to Hanoi. Oh, wow. Well, that’s, that’s. Yeah, it should be a, it should be a good experience for sure.

Yeah. And we just want to mention as well that, speaking of events, [00:01:30] hey guys, CBS is coming, it’s what, in a few months? Yeah. Six, six, uh, six and a half months. I’d say six months. Time flies very fast. It’s gonna come quick. Yeah. Yeah. So I hope to see everyone there November 3rd to the fifth. Yeah. Excited to have you there and, and to meet everybody.

Meet some yes people, and of course some og uh, yes. Returning people. [00:02:00] So it’ll be a great experience. Yeah, it’s gonna be my first time too, so I hope it’s gonna be good. I’m crossing my fingers. Fingers crossed. Yeah. Yeah. So this week’s show is, yeah, you’re the host this time, and we’re just, I’m just here for the intro.

We’ll just get into the show in a second, but you. Yeah, so you wanna share about who we’re talking to today? Yes. So just for everyone’s information today, we are going to talk to our first ever again, just for our member series, JFA [00:02:30] member series. His name is Abdis. Well, he is actually a, he works for the, the Amazon, like his company makes or helps people advertise and do the science and those kind of things.

And when I was talking to him, you know, he, he knowledgeable about what he do. I literally told him when I was talking to him like, you feed my brain with all of these. He is very well spoken as well, so guys. Hey June. Let’s do it. I’m excited. [00:03:00] I’m, I’m excited to have you sharing with us this this week. Yes.

Are you looking for USA banking solutions for your e-commerce business? I am proud to say mercury.com is supporting the podcast here, third year in a row at Global from Asia. And we’re proud to say, ’cause we use ’em ourselves for many of our own. Amazon brands and e-commerce brands and joint ventures with our US structures.

And they’re super easy to do online application, no fees, and they have great customer support. Have helped us with trouble with Amazon Seller Central over the years about some [00:03:30] receipts and statements and everything like that. So we’re so happy to say thank you, mercury, for supporting our show, being a great service and supporting other e-commerce sellers.

We’re really proud to say they’re a sponsor here and we also have a video tutorial as well as an overview and a special. A link with a little bonus for you as well for us under certain conditions. Check it out@globalformasia.com slash mercury for that information. Thank you for listening and thank you Mercury.

Hello guys. Welcome to [00:04:00] GFA member series. Today I’m thrilled to introduce to you a special guest. None other than ab.

I am good. Thank you so much, Yasha. How are you doing? I’m doing good actually. It’s, it’s, it’s good that I finally see you because, you know, we’ve been talking in, in WeChat and, and it’s good to at least see you now, at least in a video call and hope to see you on, you [00:04:30] know, November. So ab, how long have you been a member here at G?

I enrolled in the VIP Member SHIP program in 2023 October. I was planning Oh, wow. To Jo attend the Cross Border Summit last year. Yeah. But my immediate plan with my family tour, so it, I missed it. That’s, that’s alright. We have, you have another shot this, this [00:05:00] coming November. So I really hope to, to see you there.

So the reason why we’re here ab just is I’m just gonna ask you some, you know, some, some questions about you and about yourself. That’s for us to help you connect with other members that we have as well at GFA. So for sure, all other members would like to know, like, can you introduce yourself and what you do in your company and all that.

Sure. So I’m basically belong and residing currently in Pakistan. [00:05:30] Mm-Hmm. We have been working in Amazon services like Amazon advertising and creatives for now, four years in, we started in 2020, in the start of 2020. Until that we worked with more than 500 brands, a small medium, and a large size brands.

Mm-hmm. Mainly we are Amazon PPC advertising company, but later on we feel that our clients were struggling a lot with designers while they were working for their [00:06:00] designs for their. Listing images. So we took the research part, we conducted detailed research and then create a detailed design brief for the designer, because designer only know how to design.

They don’t know market research market, buyer persona, customer journey. So yeah, so that’s why we started another agency with name of Desto. And currently me and my partner is also planning to launch five products and under [00:06:30] our own brand with budget of $100,000 initially. Oh yeah. Wow. Yeah. That’s touching right there.

Yeah. And how is it, how is it going? The, the, the, the company under your name that you’re trying to put up? How is it going so far? You mean the service company or the product company? The product company. Yeah, so at the moment in the sourcing state, we are sourcing from China and yeah, there’s some people from the community recommended to check in [00:07:00] Thailand as well for sourcing.

So yeah, Thailand is also in my consideration. And then with Nam and Philippine, but I will check or first target countries, obviously China because it’s Mm-hmm. Easily accessible through the marketplace. Mm, yes, definitely. Wow, that’s, that’s, you have a, like a, a very good blueprint already of what you, you plan in the future, which is, that’s a very good, that’s a very good one.

And my next question to you falls onto the, [00:07:30] when did you start up, and I think you mentioned that already, correct me if I’m wrong, was that 2020 exactly. In the start of 2020 before, how did you Before, right before the covid hit us. Oh yeah. Oh wow. Well, so if you’re saying that you started 2020 and it was, you know, we had Covid then, it must have been very hard for you to start then, or was it just normal for you?[00:08:00]

Actually, it was an opportunity. Start it. The Covid like contributed to our journey. It boosted our journey and, yeah, because I was a student at that time, so I, oh. Yeah, I see it in home and I wasn’t doing nothing. I was just doing data entry job. So in the backend I would listen to a lot of podcasted sector.

So I was listening to a person who was talking about Amazon selling on [00:08:30] Amazon and how you can sell your services when you like get the knowledge. So from there, I started it. Wait, so you’re telling me you started. While you were studying Exactly. I was 21. Wow. Yeah. So I can imagine, like when I was studying, I wasn’t thinking anything about, you know, making things like what you [00:09:00] just did When I was studying.

I was just like to, you know, play around and go somewhere else and, you know, enjoy, but. Hearing that you have started this and have this idea when you were 20 is, is really amazing. That’s, that’s, that’s really, you know, good to hear. And also, I just wanna know as well, so like, how did, did the pandemic give you like, you know, a, a bad or like a, a, a good effect with, with your plans and all that [00:09:30] gave you challenges?

So it was like more it, it benefit me obviously more on the personal side. I was, yeah, I was really focused on learning this stuff. The internet was available and I was unable to go out of home. So the only time I have to spend with my computer and my mobile and drop laptops, I was. Learning this thing and Mm-hmm.

I avoid gaming and Mm-hmm. Wasting time. So those were not the options. So I [00:10:00] was learning this stuff. Mm-Hmm. Yeah, that’s right. Because, you know, during Covid we really aren’t allowed to go out. We’re not even allowed to like, you know, just be outside our house. We’re in the Philippines, we’re not even allowed to do that.

Like we, that’s actually. You actually used your time very, you know, wisely because you are at home, instead of just sitting and laying around and doing nothing, you were able to, you know, learn about the things that [00:10:30] you like to do. So since you are an expert with, with, with that kind of field also, can you, um, give us like, just a hint, what are the strategies you believe, you know, are the most effective for owners?

1. Sure. So in the start, there are different STA stages when you are building your own brand. Hmm. So, in the very start, we [00:11:00] recommend all sellers that instead of going for all alone, branding all alone, branding means you set up your own website and then bringing traffic from different sources, which is obviously very costly because you have to.

Mm-hmm. Run different marketing campaigns. So we recommend that initially you should go for a platform where there are already a customer base. Amazon has already a customer base. People are already searching for specific certain [00:11:30] product, which you already have. Mm-Hmm. So you just have to put there beer, the fee.

Mm-Hmm. And when you get good reviews, for example, cross 500 reviews, then mm-Hmm. Uh. Also you can get good cash flow, then go outside Amazon as well. Mm-Hmm. For example, TikTok shop and then other good platform, for example, flip shop. So there are a lot of different shops in US and other countries. And then it, it all about cash [00:12:00] flow.

It all about how much capital the client have for the branding and how for the brand. So, mm-Hmm. If they have good budget, they have enough, or you can say unlimited budget, then they Oh wow. They should, yeah, they should go for the, a standalone branding and stand a standalone because they can afford. Mm.

Yeah. Yes. Yes. So, yeah. So for brand awareness, number one, go to the platform which has the Mm-Hmm. High. Yes. Customer base. For example, in this case, [00:12:30] Amazon. Mm-Hmm. Then go for the other platforms, for example, TikTok shop and other shop. And then after that, go for the social commerce, for example, Instagram and Facebook, Facebook marketplace.

And then also you can go side by side to the standalone, for example, for your website. So this is how you can increase your brand awareness and value. Wow. That’s, that’s. Like it fits my [00:13:00] brain right now talking to you. It’s like, you know, it fits my brain. And, and I’m pretty sure to, to, to those people who, who are going to watch this or who is, you know, going to watch this, I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to learn a lot of things as well.

Just from this video alone, just for the explanation that you just did right there, they would, they should be able to have a, a blueprint on their head already. And also we want you. One reason why we are actually conducting this as well is that we want you to be able to [00:13:30] connect to other people as well.

So we wanna help you as well. So second to the last question is, of course, you know, other, other members that we have in GFA would know, would like to know, rather like what benefit can they get, you know, or what are the benefits can these individuals expect? From utilizing your service? Sure, and it’s great question.

So [00:14:00] when I was on the call with Mike for the onboarding process, like initial onboarding call, so my first question was that how I can contribute to the community I. Hmm. So, yeah, so because I have experience of 500 brands we work in, in almost all category, in all big categories, kitchen and gardening, pet supplies, beauty, supplements, electronics.

Mm-hmm. Sports, fashion, female related products are key. [00:14:30] Everything actually. Yeah. Uhhuh. Yeah. So, so we have very wide experience and we already build some general. Strategies. Obviously when there is a specific product and a sub niche, then there is a a very specific strategy, but we now know that what a generic strategy should be applied to that.

In, in GFA community, there are a lot of sellers who are, who are selling in any of those categories. So I, I’m available to share my [00:15:00] knowledge to and to speak on any category, to speak on any launching strategy, for example, on Amazon. In which category, what they should do, what should be the launching approach, et cetera.

So yeah. And secondly, we are offering the advertising and the design services. So I offered Mike that we will give 20% discount and all of our services specific to the GFA community. Oh, so yeah. [00:15:30] Yeah. If, yeah, if any community member is interested in that, they can just reach out and then they can G-F-A-V-I-P, but they can just mention it to us.

Yeah. Well guys, you know who to contact when you need help in terms of advertising or, you know, design, you do designs two plus adver advertisement, right? So you, you, you’re, if they contact you, it’s like they’re hitting two birds in one stone. I [00:16:00] hope I said that right. Exactly. Yeah, that’s, that’s very good guys.

Keep that in mind. Of course, being a valued member here at GFA, we also would like to know what kind of help can we help you with or what kind of help do you need from us in that way. We also know how to be able to, you know, help you because in this kind of partnership, we would like you and GA to, you know, grow together.

So, yeah. [00:16:30] So I will start it with the story, how I discovered the GFA community. So I was in a search of a community who is Asia based like. When we see there are a lot of US based, and there are states based communities, UK based, Europe based. So I was like searching that we should also have a community.

It was my pinpoint like mm-Hmm. [00:17:00] We were selling already. Good. We, we are working already. Good. But I was in search of such community. There are a lot of like millions of Asian sailors who are selling in those marketplaces. Mm-Hmm. So there should be a Mm-Hmm. Community. They’re not only just a seller’s community, but all those community can also benefit.

Like some certain sellers can say that, okay, this is a product, or this is a category which can be easily sourced from Vietnam, and [00:17:30] I have the context. So yeah, so I was looking for something like that, and I searched for different cures only. Obviously I searched for commu Amazon sellers community in Asia, so I was unable to find anything but.

But then I searched for Amazon Sellers event in Asia. Then mm-hmm, I found the GFA globe, what? It says Cross Border Summit 2023 mm-Hmm. When I went to that [00:18:00] and then I went to the order. Page. Then I saw that if you are a VIP member, then check mark clear clicking. Then I, then I, then I searched what are the VIP members?

So I searched it and I found that, oh, there is a VIP member community for the GFA. Then I mm-hmm. Joined the community from there, but I didn’t, uh, attend the event at that. Oh. So I didn’t attend the event. Yeah. But I joined the community. Ah, well, you [00:18:30] know, so the main thing, I am looking from GFA community that there are a lot of sellers, although I have experience, but I am on the service providing side.

They’re on the ah, yes, yes. Selling side. They’re the mm-Hmm. Entrepreneurs. So they are experience, they knowledge is different than mine. So, mm-hmm. I tried to attend all of the calls and the, uh, video recordings. Mm-hmm. To learn the perspective of a [00:19:00] seller and to learn from them. Yeah. And secondly, I was looking for sourcing partners in different countries for my own product.

And then when we. Like we are successful. Then I will obviously share with my clients as well that okay, you can source your products from these countries as well. Oh, wow. That’s, you know, hearing, hearing those, hearing you say those things are actually like, if, if, if you notice my [00:19:30] face, I’m just, you know, I’m just focused on you and I’m just, you know, smiling because you know those words that just.

Came outta your mouth. Is is, it’s just, you know, it’s just amazing. It makes me, it makes me want to listen to whatever you’re saying and, you know, makes it be in my head. So that’s, that’s actually a good thing because you can someone, someone’s attention. You know, and, and you can make them listen to you.

And to be honest with you, [00:20:00] you know, this kind of, of of talks for me in the past is kind, you know, I, it, it kind of didn’t interest me, but like Mm-hmm. Being able to, to, to join GFAI was able to like, you know, know the importance of all of these things and, you know, it made me more interested. And it’s just good to know that you are really knowledgeable with what you do and you know, it’s, it’s really good.[00:20:30]

Now, what would you, as, as does the last one, do you have any, any, any message for our members out there that would like to, you know, reach out to you in the future? Anything like that? Or if they need your help, do you need them to go to some sort of a website or something? Do you have a message for them?

Yeah. One message it, it can be like a request that. There should be more engagement like when there are people [00:21:00] just silent, then it’s like nothing. But there are people who are talking, then everyone is comfortable that, yeah. Mm-Hmm. There are humans living here. So there should be like communication. There should be questions and there should be guidance.

So the community is like. Well awake. So this is one request and message is? Yeah, my website is advertising [00:21:30] spire.com. It can be hard to spell, but I can provide you the link, which you can put in the description. Yeah, we’ll put it here. We’ll put Okay. No worry. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mm-Hmm? They, yeah, so they can reach out and Yeah, we will give them discount.

Mm. Okay, well that’s, that’s good to hear. Alright, well guys, members out there who would like to, you know, get help from, from Abdu, you may always get in touch with [00:22:00] him. We will put the link of. Right here are right here. Yeah. Here and, yeah, or there actually on his, on his side of the video. And then you can always reach out to him when you need him.

And, yep. That’s all for tonight guys. Thank you very much for, for staying with us and Abdu, thank you very much for granting my request to you and yet I wish you all a good night, [00:22:30] Abdis. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having this interview and appreciating the power points and everything. Thank you so much.

Have a nice night ahead. Night. Okay. Goodbye. Okay, bye-Bye. The future of e-Commerce. Is waiting load pipe is back. It’s a protocol. We are making the new way to do e-commerce with blockchain technology. This is very early [00:23:00] stage and we have, Hamza is our first marketplace in this new ecosystem. It’s very epic if you wanna participate, we are on alpha stage in Q1 2024, where you can be a buyer or a a vendor application only.

Check it out at Hamza. Biz for the marketplace or the overview of this protocol and subscribe for updates@loadpipe.com. See you there. How you doing? It felt good. I’m, [00:23:30] I’m doing good. I hope you guys enjoyed the member series. I hope you guys were able to pick up some ideas here and there, and we really hope to be able to make more members.

A members soon. So if you wanna be, yeah, if you wanna be featured or if you wanna, if you like what you. You know who to contact, contact, contact me. I can schedule an interview with you. Yeah, it’d be great. I’m really [00:24:00] excited for this. I think speaking to one or two people already, and we’re, we’ll line these up.

Plus we have Yes, yes. More workshops coming. I think there’s a workshop next week here in Chiang Mai that we’re gonna be recording for the show. Oh. Mm-Hmm. And also some other great people in the, in the community as well. So there’s gonna be good member stories, interviews, workshops, lots of learning. Wow.

We are going to have a lot to, to give you guys, so please stay tuned and you know, join us for the ride in the future. [00:24:30] Yeah. Thanks everybody for tuning in. Cheers. Thank you. To get more info about running an international business, please visit our website@ww.global from asia.com. That’s ww.global from asia.com.

Also, be sure to subscribe to our iTunes feed. Thanks for tuning in.