**Q&A with Nick Sharma, Founder of Sharma Brands**
**Benjamin Gotle:** Hi Nick, welcome to the show.
**Nick Sharma:** Thanks for having me.
**Benjamin Gotle:** You're the founder of Sharma Brands, a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping DTC brands grow their businesses. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started in this industry?
**Nick Sharma:** Sure. I started my career in finance, working on the trading floor at a large investment bank. After a few years, I realized that I wanted to do something more creative and entrepreneurial, so I left finance and started my own digital marketing agency. I quickly realized that there was a big need for help with DTC brands, so I focused my agency on that niche.
**Benjamin Gotle:** What makes a good product for DTC brands?
**Nick Sharma:** There are a few things that make a good product for DTC brands. First, the product needs to be something that people actually want or need. Second, the product needs to be differentiated from the competition. Third, the product needs to be priced competitively. Fourth, the product needs to be easy to sell online. Fifth, the product needs to have good customer service.
**Benjamin Gotle:** Let's talk about finding a good product to sell. You mentioned that the product needs to be something that people actually want or need. How do you go about finding that product?
**Nick Sharma:** There are a few ways to go about finding a good product to sell. One way is to look for products that are already selling well on Amazon or other online marketplaces. Another way is to talk to potential customers and see what they're looking for. You can also do market research to see what products are trending.
**Benjamin Gotle:** Once you've found a good product to sell, you need to make sure that it's differentiated from the competition. How do you do that?
**Nick Sharma:** There are a few ways to differentiate your product from the competition. You can offer a better price, better features, or better customer service. You can also create a unique brand identity for your product.
**Benjamin Gotle:** You also mentioned that the product needs to be priced competitively. How do you determine the right price for your product?
**Nick Sharma:** There are a few factors to consider when pricing your product. You need to consider the cost of production, the cost of marketing, and the competition. You also need to make sure that your product is priced high enough to make a profit, but not so high that it turns away customers.
**Benjamin Gotle:** Let's talk about the importance of marketing. You mentioned that the product needs to be easy to sell online. How do you make sure that your product is easy to sell online?
**Nick Sharma:** There are a few things you can do to make sure that your product is easy to sell online. First, you need to have good product descriptions that clearly and concisely explain what the product is and why it's valuable. Second, you need to have high-quality images of your product. Third, you need to have a clear and easy-to-use shopping cart. Fourth, you need to offer a variety of payment options. Fifth, you need to have good customer service.
**Benjamin Gotle:** You mentioned that DTC brands should focus on organic marketing and paid advertising. Can you talk about the difference between these two channels and when each one is most effective?
**Nick Sharma:** Organic marketing is marketing that doesn't require you to pay for ads. This includes things like content marketing, social media marketing, and search engine optimization. Paid advertising is marketing that you pay for, such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
Organic marketing is a great way to build brand awareness and generate leads. Paid advertising is a great way to reach a wider audience and drive sales.
**Benjamin Gotle:** When it comes to paid advertising, you mentioned that you should start with a small budget and test different campaigns. Can you talk about how much money a business owner should spend on their ads and how they can track the results of their campaigns?
**Nick Sharma:** A good rule of thumb is to start with a budget of $1,000 per month. You can then adjust your budget based on the results of your campaigns. You can track the results of your campaigns by looking at metrics such as click-through rate, cost per click, and conversion rate.
**Benjamin Gotle:** You also mentioned that DTC brands should have a clear value proposition and a strong story. Can you talk about why these are important and how to create them?
**Nick Sharma:** A clear value proposition is a concise statement that explains what your product does and why it's better than
