When Airbnb first came on the scene,

The idea of having a stranger stay at your house was outrageous.

But the founders managed to create a super strong sense of community on their platform. And now, the concept of hosting or being hosted by a rando is NBD.

In today's newsletter:

• How Airbnb went from 0 --> $93B (find out how the founders built a community-focused brand at scale)

• ST ARGO’s struggle to 7 figures (this rags to riches story proves anyone can make it in business)

• Trend plug - Please, please, please (this sound’s already been used in 100k videos, so get to it!)

• Ask the Editor - Is it time to scrap my social media strategy? (before you do, try this…)

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

Where would we be without Airbnb? Well, we'd be in a lot more crappy hotels, that's for sure.

Airbnb has absolutely changed the travel game since their conception in 2008. Before this, travellers were limited to hotels and motels which were generally high in price and low in vacancy.

Today, thanks to Airbnb, we have 7 million rental options, in over 220 countries worldwide.

The company has to be one of the greatest examples of innovation and disruption in our time. The brand created a completely new business model and offered a never-seen-before service.

Eventually, Airbnb pulled off a successful IPO worth over $100 billion. And that was during the worst year for the travel industry--the 2020 pandemic.

But how did they convince people to allow complete strangers into their homes?

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Copywriter

ST ARGO’s Struggle to 7 Figures

If you're a dog mom, you know the importance of having your pooch look as aesthetic as you do.

People say 'it’s an animal, not an accessory.' Duh. 

But that doesn’t mean my animal can’t ACCESSORIZE. C’mon now.

Maggie Outridge knew the importance of this.

But when she got her new pup, she found there was a total lack of cute and affordable collars or carriers.

Because let’s be honest, as much as we love our dogs, nobody wants to pay $460 for a leather collar. Hell, in this economy, I’m not spending $460 on my own leather collar, or belt, or whatever you’re into, ya know.

And so, ST ARGO was born.

The brand's story is one of passion, resilience and thoughtful strategies that got them to a globally scaled, 7 figure ecommerce business. Not to mention, they had no third-party funding and no employees. Just Maggie, her partner, and her pup (I’m not crying, you are.)

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Copywriter

Trend Plug - Please, Please, Please

Today's trend is inspired by a sassy lyric in Sabrina Carpenter's new song 'Please Please Please.' 

The line that's taken the internet by storm? 'Heartbreak is one thing, My ego's another, I beg you don't embarrass me, Motherf*cker.'

The sound's already been used over 100k videos. Some creators have used this trend to make self-deprecating jokes by pointing at themselves in the mirror. Others are shining a light on scenarios where someone or something else might embarrass them.

[You can avoid the profanity by cutting the sound before it occurs, as shown here.]

How to use this trend

Lip sync to the sound, making sure to convey the energy of asserting yourself and avoiding embarrassment. Choose your target—whether it's yourself, another person, a pet, or even an object. You can feature them in the video or use onscreen text to clarify who you're addressing.

 A few ideas to get you started:

• 'Me to my 2010 computer: Please don't crash during this presentation.'

• 'When your boss is being scary to the new intern: I beg you...'

• Hype yourself up in the mirror before a big speech. Lip-sync the entire line with fierce confidence.

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

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Ask the Editor

Q - I've spent a lot of time (and money) on my beauty brand's social media strategy. But I'm not getting the results I want yet. Trying to decide whether to scrap the whole thing or keep going. What should I do? - Yasmin

Hey Yasmin!

It's a bit hard to answer without knowing the full story. But if you've already spent a lot of effort coming up with a strategy, I'd stick with it for a bit before throwing the whole thing out. Take a look at ways you could iterate on what you're doing. How can you evolve and build on what you've tried?

The second suggestion I have is to dig into your analytics. Rather than using your personal opinion to decide what's working, see what the data says. If you've had some success, double down on what worked.

If you do all this and still aren't seeing any results, then it may be time to have another look at your strategy.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡