eCommerce is a booming industry that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In America alone, the industry was worth over $370 billion in 2016, and it’s estimated to rise to approximately $620 billion by 2021. Not only are more people shopping online nowadays, but they’re also expecting a more personalized customer experience from their favorite brands – hence why digital marketing has become an integral part of most brand strategies. In order to successfully reach your target audience and convert them into customers while making sales, you need to be using multiple channels and tools. Here are some recommended channels for eCommerce marketers to consider when planning their next marketing campaign:
Channels
Social Media
The ever-growing world of social media gives you access to hundreds of millions of users – and don’t forget about the power of influencer marketing! If you’re not using social media channels to promote your products, then you’re seriously missing out. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit. There are plenty of platforms available for marketers to use to share their brand’s message with the entire world.
Targeted Email Marketing
The modern consumer expects brands to take a personalized approach when trying to reach them. That’s where email campaigns come in. With targeted emails , you’ll be able to advertise exclusively to people who have shown an interest in your products or services before. There are so many ways marketers can use email marketing: sending out promotional offers exclusive for subscribers; sending out newsletters on new arrivals/rare products, designer collaborations, etc.
Mobile Apps
Getting in touch with your customers via mobile apps is also a great way to retain them in 2018 and beyond. Instead of trying to reach out to every single customer individually on social media or via email, you can use push notifications in order to send them content they actually want whenever the mood strikes – whether that be when they’re looking at your site, when they’ve just visited your store, etc. This type of targeted advertising will help ensure that you maximize ROI for every impression sent out .
Marketing Automation
Marketing automation can speed up processes by saving marketers time when it comes to planning campaigns and tasks. It’s capable of filtering through all kinds of personal data collected over time about your customers, so that you can come up with better segments to target. You can also set your marketing automation platform to automatically send out personalized messages at the right time based on data collected about each customer’s behavior – e.g., if they’ve already purchased $300 worth of merchandise from you in the past year, then it’s less likely that they’ll buy something now unless you offer them an exclusive deal or price point.
Creative Messaging
Creative messaging is all about storytelling . Whether it’s through images, videos, graphics, etc… These types of materials help marketers connect more emotionally with their audience , which will make them remember your brand and want to spread word-of-mouth (which is the best form of free advertising). No matter what type of products your business is selling, you should find creative ways to present them in order to stand out.
Tools for Improved Customer Retention
Customer retention is a huge part of eCommerce – and it’s also something that marketers need to pay attention to if they want their businesses’ revenue figures to continue growing . Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here – you’ll have to put in the hard work yourself by providing unique content and experiences on a consistent basis (and definitely not spamming people like crazy). However, there are certain tools that will make this process easier:
Amazon order management
Amazon order management includes the tools that can help brands to deal with their customers. It includes the process from purchase to shipping of your items.
Sales Funnels
Most marketers know that it can be difficult keeping track of what customers do or don’t buy from them over time. Sales funnels help take some of the guesswork out of this process, so it’s definitely worth looking into. Using sales funnels , you’ll be able to automatically track customers along the path to purchase by keeping tabs on what they’re clicking or hovering over while shopping. You can then use that data to come up with personalized recommendations for products/services that are most likely going to appeal to them .
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
CRM tools will help eCommerce marketers follow-up with their audience more efficiently by recording all types of interactions between your brand and current/potential customers – whether via social media, email client, phone, etc. By tracking these interactions in one tool , it will be much easier for marketers to keep abreast of any changes within customer behavior (such as high-value customers moving to a new email provider, etc.)
Workflow
Workflow tools can help keep marketers organized by simplifying processes. For example, you might want to use these types of platforms in order to schedule social media posts or send out newsletters on a consistent basis – without having to set up all of this content manually. All you’ll need to do is pick your preferred settings and go! This will free up more time for strategizing future campaigns/projects instead of being stuck behind the computer screen 24/7 .
Collaboration Tools
Modern collaboration tools are designed with convenience in mind , so it’s easier than ever before for marketers to work together towards shared goals within their organizations. The best part about these types of tools is that they’re also simple to use – you’ll have access to all of your team’s contacts and previous conversations in order to facilitate important discussions , regardless of which network/channel is being used .
Promotion Tools
It goes without saying that eCommerce marketers can’t do their jobs properly if they don’t know what promotions are going on within their industry. That’s why it’s a good idea for businesses to invest in promotion tools – so they can learn about the latest discounts, coupons, contests, etc. from major brands or popular individuals (such as bloggers). These resources will allow them to stay ahead of the curve when it comes time for strategizing future campaigns/projects .
Social Media Management
Social media management will provide marketers with the tools they need to run successful social media campaigns. It’s not uncommon for businesses to be required to post updates on multiple channels in a short period of time, which can result in inconsistent content (and even mistakes). By using the appropriate types of scheduling/planning software , you’ll avoid these pitfalls and save yourself tons of time.
Conclusion:
The secret to being successful in eCommerce marketing campaigns lies in doing a little bit of research before diving headfirst into the process. By investing a bit of time and energy into familiarizing yourself with all of the latest tools, you’ll end up saving a whole lot more down the road.
