Creating a list of effective eCommerce marketing strategies isn’t hard. I mean, everybody knows that email marketing and social media are a must.
But the way you execute these marketing strategies also matters. Not to mention, trying new tactics always pays off. For instance, have you thought about leveraging the power of video? How about incorporating video in your email campaigns? Or maybe you could tweak your keyword research strategy for better results? The possibilities are endless and that’s what makes digital marketing so much fun!
In this post, we’re offering 4 basic digital marketing strategies to help you level up your eCommerce business.
1. Social Media
When it comes to online marketing, choosing social media as your channel sounds like a no- brainer. But if you think that managing your social media platforms simply means posting once a day, you are definitely wrong. In order to be successful and increase sales, you need a plan.
- First, you need to figure out which platforms are worth using. Every social platform has its own specific audience. For instance, online fashion retailers probably shouldn’t bet on LinkedIn and focus their efforts on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest instead.
- The next step is to determine who you’re speaking to. Who are your followers? Are they in their twenties or in their fifties? Male or female? Once you figure this out, you’ll be able to determine which social platforms they might prefer.
- Once you’ve chosen the best platform(s), it’s time to think about other aspects of your social media strategy: What type of content will you post and how often? Creating a social media calendar can be of great help. Planning your social media strategy in advance will help you maintain balance and consistency in your marketing activities. In time, as you figure out what kind of content your target audience responds to, you’ll be able to better optimize your social calendar and improve the results.
2. Email Marketing
Online retailers simply love email marketing and for a good reason – in terms of traffic and sales, email marketing yields fastest results. So, what are the top email marketing strategies to try out?
- Build your email list by using signup forms and landing pages to ask website visitors to subscribe. By having their email addresses, you can use them to send them updates about special offers or promotions.
- However, as your email list keeps growing, segmentation and personalization will become very important. By personalizing your emails, you can show your customers products they might be interested in based on their browsing history, which might make them more likely to buy your products.
- Another option is to go with cold email outreach. Now, contrary to popular opinion, cold emailing is still quite an efficient marketing strategy, with average email open rates varying from 15% to 30%.
- But if you want your cold emailing strategy to be successful, it needs to be done right. Bear in mind that people haven’t heard about your company or your products, so getting them to open your cold emails won’t be easy. Using a powerful outreach automation tool can be of great help. Outreach automation tools can handle various aspects of your email campaign, such as sending personalized emails, follow-ups, and campaign tracking. This, combined with an irresistible offer and great copy should be enough to persuade your leads to open your email.
3. Video Marketing
It’s 2020 and pics are no longer enough. Today, video is definitely one of the most important marketing strategies. Fortunately, videos are super-easy to create, all you need is your smartphone and a decent editing app. Here are some basic marketing strategies to try:
- Depending on what your products are, you can create a range of different videos: vlogs, behind the scenes, product review videos, webinars, interviews, live streaming videos, tutorial videos, etc. Of course, the type of videos you create will largely depend on the platform you’re on, so, you’ll need to tailor your video content to the audience.
- Post short and frequent videos on social media to increase your brand presence.
- Use video in email to increase conversions, click-through rates, and help educate your customers. Research has shown that including a video in an email can increase the open rate by up to 13%.
- Use Instagram Stories to create quick videos with your products that link directly to them. Make sure the videos are eye-catching and don’t forget to add a CTA to get people to swipe to buy the product.
4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
When it comes to attracting organic traffic to a website, search engine optimization is even more powerful than social media. However, SEO doesn’t yield instant results and that’s why many online retailers tend to steer away from it. But if you’re looking for long-term results, SEO is definitely the way to go.
Now, when it comes to SEO, everything starts with thorough keyword research. But instead of choosing keywords for your specific niche try going broader. For instance, if your e-store sells yoga equipment, besides choosing keywords related to yoga, you should also choose ones related to mindfulness and fitness. Because search engine optimization isn’t just about sticking to your exact audience; it’s about driving traffic. So, in this case, by offering content created around fitness, you still have a chance to introduce the yoga concept to a broader audience.
So, what are the most efficient SEO marketing strategies?
- First of all, you need to ensure that your content is always fresh and relevant. Google loves content that is up to date with current trends and will reward you by boosting your ranking.
- Another great strategy that will help you improve your ranking is creating more web pages by either writing new blog posts or adding new products to your e-store. You could also create ebooks, landing pages, or other web pages.
- Finally, be sure not to use duplicate content. Many dropshippers simply add the manufacturer’s product copy on their site without being aware that this is duplicate content. Duplicate content is a major SEO error that could get you penalized by Google. The largest search engines might decide to lower your traffic or even ban your website altogether!
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the ultimate digital marketing strategy is not about choosing a single channel or tactic. A combination of several strategies is most likely to drive the highest level of growth.
