"If you build it, they will come,"
That's what we learned from the all-time hit movie Field of Dreams.
Seems like a good insight to live by.. isn't it?
But when it comes to ecommerce... it DOES NOT WORK!
Here's why.
See, a lot of store owners think that if they build a store...
Customers will just come running at them... like zombies ready to devour their products.
However, this idea is only hurting your chances of success.
Because in order to drive more traffic to your online store, you need to focus on the best way to advertise your ecommerce business.
In today's blog post, I'm going to walk you through low-cost ways of advertising your ecommerce business.
But before we dive in, we need to know WHO you're advertising your business to.
Who Are Your Target Audience?
Before you search "how to advertise my ecommerce website?", you need to know your audience.
Because when you know your audience like the back of your hand, finding the right channel to advertise is peanuts!
The first type of audience is people who are searching for a product like yours. For them to discover your product, you can use search engine optimization (SEO). Content marketing can also be a good fit, such as blogging.
The second type of audience is those who would want your product if they are aware of it. Brand awareness should be at the top of your plan. Ask questions such as Am I offering a fix for their problem? Are they more aware of my competition?
You can further your ecommerce advertising once you know your customer base.
Now that you're familiar with your target audiences, here are five ways to advertise to them:
1. Initiate Email Marketing
Email marketing has been around for a long time. Out of all the types of ecommerce advertising, it's known for its reliability. And for a good reason. Why?
Because it's cost-effective, especially if you're marketing a new ecommerce business.
Did you know that the ROI of email is $42 for every dollar you invest?
The first step is to have your potential customers sign up for your email list. You can ask them through social media. Or on your Coming Soon page before you launch.
After they opt-in, send them promotional offers, referral discounts, product launches, or content. These will help build a relationship with your customers, and in turn, increase sales.
Don't just stop at the beginning of your online store. Continue collecting email addresses on your ecommerce website.
For example, take a look at Debutify's pop-up.
Not only can you use a pop-up to welcome your customers, but you can also use it to collect their email addresses.
Once you have your email list, you can make an automated email marketing campaign. It will do all the work for you, saving you time and effort.
Once you're all set with your email marketing, go ahead and...
2. Establish Your Social Media Presence
This is not a secret strategy: social media is one of the easiest and most effective ecommerce advertising platforms.
To have a solid social media presence, you need to boost your engagement. This increases your brand awareness with your followers.
So how do you improve your presence?
Well, every social media platform needs its own strategic game plan. Each one has its preferred type of content.
Let's go over the best practices for some of the popular social media platforms.
Create Content For TikTok
TikTok marketing is everywhere these days. It also has a diverse audience, from millennial users to teenagers.
It's also a powerful weapon for businesses. TikTok has a proprietary discovery algorithm. This means that you can go viral even if you have a low follower count.
Use the link-in-bio feature to direct your viewers to your ecommerce website. You can also try the free advertising feature such as AR filters to advertise your online store.
Upload Videos On Your YouTube Channel
YouTube caters to almost 2 billion users worldwide. Yet only a small portion of businesses take advantage of this humungous number.
There are many ways you can go about your YouTube marketing. You can create compelling videos such as the following: how-to videos, product demos, unboxing, explainer vids, launch videos, and more!
Feature User-Generated Content
UGC is a great content idea to boost your brand awareness. Social channels get a 28% rise in their engagement rate than standard brand posts.
Product reviews and testimonials are an example of UGC. Post them on your social media, and include the transcript in the caption.
Use Product Tags On Instagram
The problem with Instagram is that it's hard to link your account with your ecommerce website.
The good thing is that it has a feature called Product Tags. It lets you highlight your products in images and videos. Your followers just need to tap on it to view your product.
And don't forget to use branded hashtags!
Now that you've taken care of your social media platforms, be sure to...
3. Make Your Website SEO-Friendly
Still, wondering where to advertise? Ecommerce SEO is still one of the most sustainable ways to drive traffic and increase sales. Consumers primarily use Google to search for products. And they mostly stay on the first page.
With SEO, your goal is to be on the first page of Search Engine Results Pages.
Ecommerce SEO can be a bit complicated. But to start, here are some pointers you can use for your ecommerce store.
- Create a good site structure by categorizing your products. If possible, make a "collection" page.
- Conduct a keyword search. Use your keywords in your content, such as meta descriptions, URLs, image alt-text, etc.
- Add backlinks. Link building attracts organic traffic from Google. Check your competitors' sites to find relevant links you can use, too.
- Utilize content marketing. Having content marketing such as blog posts can help your customers in their buying journey.
Another potential marketing way you can go to is to...
4. Partner With Affiliates
Whether you have a lot of audiences or just a few, affiliate marketing is a good option for you. You can incentivize other people to promote your ecommerce business.
If you are yet to have brand recognition, use an outreach campaign. Find someone with a similar target audience.
Take a look at WeRateDog's Instagram feed. They are partners with the pet insurance company Trupanion. They post testimonials from users who have used their services.
Once you've taken care of your digital marketing, consider...
5. Locally Promote Your Ecommerce Business
Once you've established yourself online, it doesn't hurt to market your business locally.
People are all about supporting local businesses. They may not be your target market, but they still have the power to promote your business on social media platforms.
If you already have a brick-and-mortar business, take the time to ask for your customer's email at checkout. Put up posters or flyers with promotion codes they can use at your online store.
Another way to promote is by getting your local media outlet's coverage. Create a press list with all the relevant publications you can think of. Then, write your press release to pitch to reporters.
And there you have it! Five brilliant ways to advertise your ecommerce business!
To inspire you further, I've collected some of the best ecommerce advertising campaigns I like.
Enjoy!
Best Ecommerce Advertising Campaigns Examples
Blue Apron
Blue Apron provides meal kit services. Yes, their particular industry is supersaturated. But they succeeded in being a frontrunner in their field.
How?
They encouraged their existing subscribers to refer Blue Apron to their friends. They reached out through email marketing. New subscribers would then receive free meals and no delivery fee.
In time, their referral program gained them 34% of the new customers.
It's a win for everyone!
Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club offers a variety of hygiene and beauty products. You might be familiar with their viral video campaign.
Their very first video was a promotional one featuring the company's CEO. The humor, catchy title, and edgy script show the brand's personality in just a minute and 30 seconds.
They then continued to roll the viral video ball by releasing other funny videos.
And it worked! Their campaign earned them 12,000 customers within the first two days.
Bushwick Kitchen
Bushwick Kitchen started with a not-so-special niche: a spice product immersed with honey and chili flakes.
But they set a peculiar ecommerce advertising goal. It's to launch their business in 30 days.
How did they do it?
Well, they approached any relevant media outlet to gain media coverage. Once they gained traction on their social media traffic, they personally messaged every prospective customer.
Their hard work paid off! In just 10 months, they sold $170,000 worth of products.
Now that you learned ways to advertise your business, what are you waiting for?
Go ahead and...
Build It, Advertise It, And They Will Come!
I know it's a lot to take in. So, try out one or two advertising strategies. That way, you won't get overwhelmed.
As you adapt, add more to your marketing strategy. Keep going until you reach your business goals.
Over time, customers will be all over your ecommerce store. Not because you just built it, but because you got them to come.
But once they are where you want them, there might be one reason they won't stay.
What's that, you ask?
They'll immediately leave if you have a slow, unresponsive, or chaotic ecommerce website.
But luckily, Debutify Theme can make your customers stay for longer!
You see, Debutify is more than a Shopify theme. It's your Profit Optimization Partner.
Debutify also offers over 50+ Add-Ons. It optimizes not just your store's aesthetic...
It also improves your conversions, AOV, and profits.
Join over 371,957+ smart brand owners who switched to Debutify!
Jumpstart Your Ecommerce Advertising Strategy With Debutify Theme—Today!
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