How Seep Scaled eCommerce Growth to £10M: Meta Ads, Retention & Hero Product Strategy with Ed Hamilton (episode 585)
Ed Hamilton is the Head of Growth at Seep, a certified B Corp selling eco house cleaning tools. Founded in 2020 they are now on target for £10million in sales this year, via their Shopify store, Amazon and wholesale.
In this episode, Ed shares how Seep is turning a surge of awareness into sustainable, long-term growth. We explore the strategies behind scaling acquisition, improving retention, diversifying beyond Meta, and building a growth engine designed for lasting success—not just short-term wins.
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Dive in:
[05:44] “Dragon’s Den Success Momentum”
[07:19] “Growth Beyond Customer Acquisition”
[11:56] “Embracing Hero Product Strategy”
[14:01] Driving Repurchases Through Storytelling
[17:05] Diversify Advertising Beyond Meta
[23:07] Listen to Ed’s Top Tips!
Turn Short-term Hype into Long-term Growth
Big awareness moments are powerful, but they fade fast if you don’t act. After the surge from Dragons’ Den, Seep’s focus quickly shifted from buzz to performance. The team increased ad spend, tested what worked, and optimised fast. The goal was simple: turn attention into profitable acquisition. Every brand that gets a spike—from PR, viral content, or TV—needs a plan to capture and scale it. Growth comes from what you do after the attention, not during it.
Diversifying Ad Spend is Critical
Ed discusses the risks of relying too heavily on Meta ads for growth. He highlights how easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking successful channels will always perform well, but the landscape changes quickly. Diversifying into Google Demand Gen, YouTube, and influencer marketing helps reduce risk and expand reach. Testing new channels lets brands stay ahead of algorithm changes and market shifts. For anyone running ads, it’s a reminder to spread your investment and not put all your eggs in one basket.
Founder’s Story as a Marketing Asset
Storytelling—particularly the founder’s personal journey—can be powerful in ads and brand messaging. Ed explains that although their founder Laura is not a natural on camera, her genuine story about seeing gaps in eco-friendly cleaning products resonates with customers. This authenticity builds connection and trust. Using the founder’s story has led to effective ad campaigns and higher customer engagement. Brands should look for real stories that connect, rather than forcing narratives.
Identify and Leverage Your “Hero Product”
Many eCommerce businesses have one product that drives most of their customer acquisition. Ed admits that Seep’s sponge scourer is their main gateway product and initially saw that as a problem. Over time, he realized it’s not a weakness if the business puts effort into retention. By focusing on CRM and educating customers about the wider range, Seep turns first-time buyers into repeat customers. Knowing your acquisition product and planning follow-ups is vital for boosting lifetime value.
Retention Strategy Must Match Your Product Lifecycle
Not every brand should chase a second purchase in 30 or 60 days. At Seep, the core product lasts around a year. Instead of fighting that reality, the team built their economics and CRM around it. They plan communications based on when customers are likely to run out. This creates predictable revenue and smarter marketing timing. The lesson: build your retention model around your product, not industry benchmarks.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
- Growth Levers and How to Find Them by Matt Lerner
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Email marketing
Tool Top Tip
- KnoCommerce Customer Post-Purchase Surveys
Carbon Top Tip
- Take an end-to-end view of your business and reduce impact through small, practical improvements at each stage. Consistent incremental changes add up more than chasing a single carbon metric.
Interview links
Related Episodes
- How Shopify Startup Seep reached £1 Million a Year in Sales with Laura Harnett (episode 448)
- Navigating the B Corp Certification Journey for Sustainable Success with Sarah Whale, Profit Impact (episode 483)
- How Cheeky Panda Grew a £15M Sustainable Brand from a Bedroom Idea, with Chris Forbes (episode 569)
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