I recently attended a masterclass on B2C Pay-per-click (PPC) Marketing hosted at the Accelerator Centre in Waterloo, featuring Daniel Jantzi, CEO of Henson Shaving. Over the past three years, Daniel has led his Waterloo-based shaving brand to an incredible 8,997% growth. His insights were practical, thoughtful, and directly applicable to scaling businesses. Here’s a deeper dive into the top lessons and actionable advice shared during the event.
Rethink Black Friday: Consistency Over Urgency
One of the most striking takeaways was Henson Shaving’s unconventional Black Friday approach: no discounts. Instead of encouraging urgency, their strategy focuses on emphasizing consistent value.
As Daniel explained, customers should feel confident buying any day of the year, knowing they’ll always receive a fair price. This builds trust and positions the brand as premium. For entrepreneurs in the e-commerce and PPC game, it’s a reminder to align your promotions with your brand values, even if that means skipping seasonal sales gimmicks.
Know Your Metrics: ROAS, Cash Cycle, and Beyond
When running PPC campaigns, it’s not just about short-term performance. Daniel stressed the importance of understanding Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) over time and its connection to your cash flow. For example, a high ROAS on Day 1 means little if your cash cycle is too long to sustain operations.
Key metrics that every e-commerce entrepreneur should track include:
- ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): How much revenue your ads generate compared to their cost.
- CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): The cost to acquire a single customer.
- Blended CPA: Your overall cost of acquisition across all marketing channels.
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): The total cost (ads, operations, etc.) to acquire a customer.
- Breakeven ROAS: The minimum ROAS needed to avoid losing money.
Understanding these metrics isn’t just about data crunching—it’s about aligning your marketing efforts with sustainable growth.
The Power of Creative Content
In Daniel’s words: “Creative content eats media buying strategy for lunch.” While platforms and bidding strategies matter, nothing drives PPC success like compelling, high-quality content.
Why? Because great creative gets noticed. Whether it’s a captivating video, a striking visual, or relatable copy, content is what stops the scroll and converts casual viewers into paying customers.
The takeaway? Invest in your creative team. Test and refine your ads relentlessly. Even the best PPC strategies can’t salvage uninspiring ads.
Make the First Transaction Effortless
In e-commerce, the first transaction sets the tone for the entire customer relationship. Daniel emphasized building a “transaction-ready” business—one where customers can go from ad click to checkout with minimal friction.
Tips for streamlining the process:
- Optimize your landing pages for speed and simplicity.
- Include trust signals like reviews or secure checkout badges.
- Minimize steps in the purchase journey.
If your checkout process is clunky or confusing, you risk losing customers at the final hurdle.
Give Back to Build Forward
Beyond PPC strategies, Daniel shared an inspiring leadership principle: Henson Shaving’s leadership team dedicates 10% of their time to mentoring entrepreneurs.
This isn’t just about altruism—it’s a smart way to build connections, learn from others, and strengthen the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. For those building businesses, carving out time to “pay it forward” can open unexpected doors.
Final Thought: “What You Track, Improves”
Daniel closed the session with this simple but profound insight: “Whatever you track, improves.” This applies not just to PPC metrics but to every aspect of your business. Regularly monitor your KPIs, analyze patterns, and make adjustments to stay ahead.
Whether you’re scaling a startup or refining an established business, Daniel’s advice is a blueprint for sustainable growth.
What are your thoughts on these strategies? Let’s connect! If you’re passionate about digital marketing, PPC strategies, or online advertising, I’d love to hear your thoughts or help with your challenges. Reach out for a chat—I’m always eager to share insights and learn from others in the industry!”