EcommercePlatforms.io

Category: Marketing

  • Why Every Ecommerce Business Should Engage in Referral Marketing

    Why Every Ecommerce Business Should Engage in Referral Marketing

    If you run an ecommerce business, you know all it takes is a few quick messages and clicks to make a sale. The same can be true to gain a new customer —  if you use referral marketing.

    Referral marketing is the process of motivating customers to share your business with others. By utilizing existing relationships, incentives, and word of mouth, an ecommerce business can see exponential growth by using this tactic. 

    Below, we go over a few other reasons why every ecommerce business should engage in referral marketing.

    Referral marketing works alongside your current operations

    Take a look at your existing customer communication. Do you post on social media, conduct customer surveys, or send transactional emails? These are all perfect opportunities to include referral marketing. 

    The best time to ask a customer to recommend your business to others is when they’re at their happiest — usually after a purchase or standout experience. 

    Make the most of these moments by including a catchy call to action at the bottom of your emails. Something like “Share the love,” “Tell your friends,” or even a straightforward “Give £10, Get £10.” A brief mention of your referral program and its benefits is enough to continue the relationship with your customer. 

    Referral programs are easy to start

    Thanks to specialty software, an entire referral program can be set up in just a few weeks. This is less than the amount of time it takes to conceptualise most other types of marketing campaigns. 

    Not only can the right referral software tool integrate into your ecommerce site without any difficult coding, it can also track the program’s progress and referral rates. 

    Many steps can be automated, including sending out the reward incentive or adding new referrals to a list of leads. Plus, all the collateral can be customized with your brand for a completely seamless experience.

    Referrals are one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies

    Think of referral marketing costs like commission —  you only have to pay when you make a new sale. 

    Aside from any software and management costs, referral marketing is pay per performance ( therefore, low risk). Most of what you spend for are the referral incentives, which are only paid once you make a sale. 

    For example, say you offer £20 for every successful referral and receive 20 referrals in the first month. The amount you pay for incentives (£800) is only given after you’ve already closed those 20 new customers. If you don’t get a new customer, you don’t pay a thing. 

    In fact, discounts, store credit, and even non-monetary incentives can be enough to generate referrals. Plus, they encourage repeat business from your customers.  

    Referral marketing shines on social media 

    Whereas word of mouth originally took place offline, from person to person, much of today’s word of mouth happens through social media and online communications. 

    Referral marketers know this, and allow customers to send messages through their preferred social media or messaging platform. 

    A good referral campaign will include a pre-drafted message that can be customized or used as is. It will also offer a range of social share buttons so customers can easily and quickly send the message to their friends and family. 

    With businesses inviting their customers, and customers messaging their family and friends, referral marketing maximizes your presence on social networks. 

    Referrals add to your social proof 

    Referral marketing also builds social proof. And  for an ecommerce business, this can be what leads a potential customer to your business. 

    It makes sense: When others hear about your brand from their family or friends, they’ll automatically see it as one that’s trusted and valuable. 

    In fact, 83% of respondents across the globe trust recommendations from friends and family — much more than commercial ads, online review sites, or email campaigns. 

    And since your customer’s network is likely to have many others in your target market, these referrals will be more inclined to check out your business. 

    Referrals lead to long-term customer relationships

    A goal of any retailers is to form long-term relationships with their customers. Referral marketing helps do that, with rewards that encourage goodwill and repeat business. 

    Most successful referral programs offer discounts or store credit, which incentivize customers to stay loyal to the business. The referred friend often also gets a similar incentive to increase the odds of a first purchase.

    Referral marketing works because in addition to spreading the word about your brand, it forms a mutually beneficial relationship between ecommerce businesses and its customers. 

    Referral marketing software makes data easy to track

    If you run an ecommerce business, you know how important it is to track data. Click through rates, average order value, conversion — these all help inform you about the customer’s shopping experience. 

    Well, referral programs help round out the picture. Referral marketing software tracks the number of successful referrals per customer, what platforms they use to share, and which rewards encourage the most referrals. 

    Many marketers even send out an initial survey to see who of their customers are most likely to refer others to a business. These are the best customers to invite to your program and get the referrals rolling.

    Plus, if you notice one of your customers is especially active in referring their friends, you can develop the relationship even further and ask them to be a brand ambassador or influencer. 

    Expand your ecommerce business 

    The benefits of referral marketing have helped a number of ecommerce businesses expand their customer base. 

    If you already see some customers recommending you to others, it’s a good time to try referral marketing. The reward incentives and easy ways to share will only help build on that organic word of mouth.

    And since referral programs can run completely online, they can be integrated and managed alongside your ecommerce store with ease. 

    About the author: 

    Kat Dalao is a content manager for Referral Rock. She’s spent her career in publishing, first as a writer and then as a creative director for a magazine. She’s currently based in New York, where she enjoys doing random projects, exploring the city, and cooking.

     

  • How To Build A Successful Affiliate Programme

    How To Build A Successful Affiliate Programme

    What makes a successful affiliate programme? Well, it depends on a variety of factors (such as the quality of your affiliates, your commission structure, your products and services, and the effectiveness of your affiliate management). This article will discuss each factor and a brief discussion on why you should have an affiliate programme for your business.  

    What is affiliate marketing?

    Affiliate marketing is the practice of allowing other people to promote your products and services in exchange for a commission. This commission is usually a percentage of the profits for every sale. Commissions are only paid when a successful sale is made. 

    It is a concept that came from old salespeople who only get paid when they managed to sell something. Even the word ‘commission’ came from that advertising model. When salespeople (or affiliates) get paid for every person, they are encouraged to buy a product or service.  

    Why this works 

    Affiliate marketing works because you allow expert marketers to do your promotions for you. Instead of doing it yourself, you let people with lists and followers do the heavy lifting. It works because these people are usually experts in converting leads to sales. 

    You may be wondering how you can convince world-class marketers to promote your products and services. Well, the primary reason why affiliates look for products to promote is they don’t have the time to come up with a product themselves. So they usually look for products from affiliate networks and focus on promotions.  

    How does affiliate marketing work?

     Knowing that it works is different from knowing how it works. While the concept is simple, the process can get quite technical. It is not just about what it can do but what happens in the background. All of these steps are necessary for an affiliate programme to work.  

    Step 1

    An affiliate signs up to an affiliate programme. He or she is then given a unique affiliate ID, which is appended to the product URL. He or she can then use this link to promote the product.

    Step 2

    When someone clicks on the affiliate link, a cookie is placed on the person’s computer who clicks the link. This action will ensure that the affiliate will get credited when the person who clicked the link purchased the product from the same page days later. 

    Step 3

    When a sale is made, the affiliate cookie is searched on the customer’s computer. If it is there, the deal is credited to the affiliate. 

    Step 4

    The affiliate programme should create reports showing the affiliates all his clicks and sales. 

    Step 5

    Once an affiliate meets a payment threshold, his commission is then released to him. 

    This is how the process works. But the elements involved are varied. 

    First, you need an affiliate signup page. This is where potential affiliates can sign up for an account.

    Next, you need an affiliate dashboard. This is where affiliates can get access to his affiliate link and his referral reports. This is also where he can request payment.

    Then, it would help if you also had an administrative dashboard. This is where you can view all of your Xaffiliates and pay all of their commissions in one click. 

    Is affiliate marketing right for your business?

    Now that you know how affiliate marketing works, you may wonder how it applies to your business. Affiliate marketing, after all, is not for all types of business. 

    You cannot give away hefty commissions if you have incredibly low-profit margins. You may be far better giving away your products without making profits if you deduct commissions from your low-profit margins. 

    You need to understand that it is a promotion model that works by giving away commissions for every sale. You need to adjust your profit margins to make room for the commissions. 

    So how do you know if your business should have an affiliate programme? That’s simple. You look at similar products and services in your industry. If you found that they also have an affiliate programme, it might be a good fit for your business. If not, you may want to skip it and think of other ways to promote your products and services. 

    It also helps to look at how long an affiliate programme exists in business before you make a decision. Having products and services with longstanding affiliate programmes in your niche is a good indication that you should pursue it. 

    Another way to find affiliate programmes in your niche is to use search queries that will help you uncover these. Here are some keywords that I use. 

    • PRODUCT OR SERVICE + affiliates
    • PRODUCT OR SERVICE + affiliate programme
    • PRODUCT OR SERVICE + affiliate marketing

    Once you have decided that an affiliate programme is for you, you can start setting one up on your website.  

    How to build a successful affiliate programme for your business 

    The process of setting up an affiliate programme for your website will highly depend on your website platform. It is all about finding the right referral software so that you can set up an affiliate programme in just a few clicks. 

    Shopify, for instance, has some apps that help you create affiliate programmes. This is what websites like Best Drum Set Labs and Most Powerful Crossbow Labs have used for setting up an affiliate programme on their website. 

    Here are some of the most popular apps.  

    OSI Affiliate 

    Many ecommerce business owners prefer OSI Affiliate or Omnistar as their go-to tool for affiliate programmes. The best part is the software keeps on improving. It considers all the needs of its market and has functionalities for influencer and referral marketing. Maybe these functionalities are the reason why big brands like Macy’s use Omnistar as their affiliate tool. The functionalities are just unique. 

    LeadDyno 

    LeadDyno is another popular affiliate marketing tool that integrates with platforms like Shopify. It is popular because of its seamless integration with payment systems like PayPal and Coinbase. These payment systems allow for more manageable affiliate commission payments.  

    Refersion

     Another affiliate platform worthy of your attention is Refersion. It is a tool that has over 100 five-star reviews. Its popularity is mainly due to its free plan, which expands as your business grows. You can upgrade to their paid plan when you get more affiliates and leads.

    With the right software, you can set up an affiliate programme in a few steps. This will allow you to have a dedicated admin and affiliate dashboard where all affiliate links are automatically generated within the system. 

    All affiliate cookies are also tracked within the system, and the corresponding commissions are computed accordingly. With a system like this, you no longer have to worry about manually doing everything; the software will assist you in creating an industry-standard affiliate programme for your business.  

    Finding the right affiliates  

    The success of your affiliate programme will highly depend on the performance of your affiliates. Without the right companions, you will only have affiliates by the number. But you will not feel the results. 

    You’ll know that you have the right affiliates when you see a significant increase in sales.

    A few effective affiliates are suitable for your business. Some brands like Twitch even created stringent requirements for their affiliates. They require them to have a badge of honor before they can promote the brand.

    While you cannot do this if you are not a big brand like Twitch, it still helps to have your own set of requirements when qualifying affiliates who will promote your business.

    There are many places that you can visit where your affiliates may hang out.  

    Your website 

    You’ll want your website visitors to know that you have an affiliate programme. There may be some marketers lurking looking for some opportunities to promote your products for all you know. It helps to have a link to your affiliate programme right on your website homepage. You can have it in the announcement bar, on the sidebar, or a pop-up window. This simple gesture can immediately inform your existing website visitors, subscribers, and customers that your programme exists. 

    Email 

    They say that your customers or followers are the best people to promote your business. The easiest way to reach your customers or followers is to send an email. One message can contact all of your followers in a single click. So it can be useful for promoting your affiliate programme as well.  

    Social media

    One of the best sources of effective affiliates is social media. It helps that the users have become more active in recent years. You can reach more people if you promote your services on social media. Brands know how valuable social media is. Some brands even choose to promote their affiliate programmes solely on social media, and it works for them. 

    Influencer websites

     You can also promote your affiliate programmes on influencer websites. Influencers are great because of their massive impact on the decision-making process of their followers. You can leverage this by getting influencers in your team of affiliates. A technique that worked for me in the past is to create an exclusive programme for influencers. It can be an affiliate programme, but the commission percentage is different for your target influencer. This usually encourages the influencer to join your affiliate team.  

    Affiliate networks

     Another place that will get you some effective affiliates is affiliate networks. These are the websites that marketers flock to when they are looking for products they can sell. It is a great way to gain exposure for your products and services and find effective affiliates in the process.  

    Joint venture websites

    Some of the best affiliate marketers are in joint venture websites. These people earn big bucks promoting other people’s products. They do this by going after product launches. They look at products they can sell, and then they create content for it before it even launches. When the launch day comes, they are already ready to promote and monetize. This is effective if you are only in the first stage of launching your affiliate programme. This will give your plan some much-needed traction so that you can start getting a team of high-performance affiliates to your business.  

    How to manage affiliates 

    Once you have your affiliates, you should know how to manage them. Here are three ways  

    Have a clear set of rules

    Affiliates may seem like they only have one way of promoting your products, and it is posting their affiliate link. But you’ll be quite surprised by how creative they can be. Because of this, it is essential to have a clear set of rules. It would help if you told them outright what qualifies for a commission and what doesn’t. This way, it will protect your system from abuse.  

    Teach them how to promote you

    Some of your affiliates will need some extra help in promoting your products and services. You can provide them with content, emails, and graphics to assist in the advertising process. It also helps if you have a proven way to get sales. You can teach them the system, and this will enable them to be more effective affiliates for your business.  

    Have a tracking system 

    You will only see how well you are performing if you have a tracking system. Effectiveness depends on how well your affiliates can convert a qualified click into a sale. With this system, you will also be able to filter your affiliate list and find high-performing ones. You’ll find that you can have a very successful affiliate programme with a handful of top-performing affiliates compared to a dozen non-responsive ones.  

    Automate your payments 

    Your affiliate system is here to assist you. It gives you a scenario where your affiliates can sign up and get their unique affiliate ID. And it also gives you a system to automate your payments. Use that to your advantage. Instead of fretting about affiliate paydays, click a button and automate it. This will ensure that you pay your affiliates on time and you keep them happy. 

    As you can see, there is no single formula for a successful affiliate programme. You still need to launch one yourself to find how it can work for your business. 

    Author Bio: This article was written by OSI Affiliate Software.

  • 5 Emails Every Ecommerce Seller Needs

    5 Emails Every Ecommerce Seller Needs

    Email marketing is the most powerful tool in your arsenal to get people back to your ecommerce store. But beyond the typical promotions and order detail emails that you’re used to seeing, here are five key emails that you need to send to improve your shopping experience and increase your ROI (return on investment) and CLV (customer lifetime value).

    1. Welcome email
    2. Abandoned cart emails
    3. Review requests
    4. Related and recommended products
    5. Re-engagement emails

    Ecommerce welcome email

    Your welcome email is the first email a subscriber gets after they’ve confirmed their subscription to your list. It’s an easy one to overlook, especially if you’re sending regular emails to your list. 

    Your welcome email is the first chance to establish your brand and start building a relationship with your customers. Even in ecommerce, people want to buy from companies that they know, like, and trust.

    A welcome email is also a great time to delight your customers. If coupons or discounts are part of your strategy, give them a coupon here to use on their next purchase.

    Remember, many subscribers will join your email list when they make their first purchase, so your welcome email will arrive later. To avoid the inevitable “can you apply this coupon to my existing purchase?” customer service inquiries, make it valid on any upcoming purchase in the next 30 days.

    As an added bonus, you can send a follow-up reminder for people to use the coupon code before it expires.

    Abandoned cart emails

    Abandoned cart emails are pretty routine in ecommerce marketing. Most ecommerce email marketing systems offer an out of the box abandoned cart email.

    Take some time to truly customize these emails to align with your brand. If possible, show the products they have in their cart in the email. 

    You can also use this opportunity to show related products that other customers have purchased, either with or instead of what they’ve considered.

    According to Barillaince, the average conversion rate for shopping cart abandonment emails was 18.64%. Take a quick look at your current abandonment rate — and consider what it would mean to your bottom line to get 15-20% of that revenue back into your bottom line.

    Abandoned carts emails are also an opportunity to increase the size of your shopping cart by suggesting related or alternative options to what’s in their cart.

    Review requests

    Consumer proof is one of the strongest tools in your toolbox when selling online since customers are often unable to properly engage with your products until after they’ve said yes. 

    Reviews are powerful tools to increase sales and provide you with virtually unlimited marketing content to take off the site as well. According to Neilsen’s research, 73% of online respondents use reviews to make purchase decisions.

    Send a review request email 1-2 weeks after the product was received and ask for the customers to provide you with feedback. Give the option to reply directly to the email if something wasn’t right and a link to write a review for the product they purchased if they loved it.

    While they’re there and thinking about how great their last order was, they may just add something new to their cart!

    Related & recommended products

    Almost anything you sell online can have another accessory that goes with it. From adding on an AirPod case that matches their new iPhone case to the perfect socks to go with their upgraded running shoes. Finding and recommending the products that your customer needs next is a sure-fire way to convert a one-time customer into a lifetime customer.

    Luckily, with today’s sophisticated dynamic email features, you don’t have to build all of these emails manually. With an ecommerce focused email marketing system, you can use all the work you’ve put into cross-merchandising inside your shop, along with the browsing data collected, to dynamically build and send these emails on a regular basis.

    Re-engagement emails

    Last but not least are re-engagement emails. Also called win-back emails, these emails can get people opening your content and shopping again — or keep your email list clean. As many people as there are out there talking about how to bulk up your list numbers, having a clean email list is even more important. Re-engagement emails should be sent after customers haven’t opened or clicked on emails after three to six months.

    The series is simple —-  you simply ask them if they want to continue getting the emails. If so, they click through. If not, you will remove them automatically. Have your click-through go to a top-rated or new product category on your shop to encourage them to start browsing as well.

    Removing unengaged subscribers from your list means that you’ll spend less each month on your email marketing system plus get better results from every email you send.

    Don’t stop there

    While these five types of emails are important to support your ecommerce business, don’t stop there! Continue to send traditional email campaigns with special offers like promotions, new product announcements, and shipping updates.

    Also, look at your own experiences to identify new opportunities to encourage engagement with your email list. What opportunities have you missed because you simply didn’t know? What information would have helped you make the most of a previous purchase? 

    Education is a powerful tool that you can use throughout your email marketing campaigns to increase customer loyalty and engagement.

    About Brandi Johnson: Brandi Johnson is a marketing consultant and coach with over 15 years of online marketing experience, including content marketing and email marketing. She helps overwhelmed business owners create and implement marketing strategies that support their business goals with less time. You can find her blogging over at heybrandi.com. Her book, Minimum Viable Marketing: Find the Right Pieces to Build Your Marketing Strategy is available now

  • Why QR Codes Are Essential For Small Business Branding

    Why QR Codes Are Essential For Small Business Branding

    Small business branding is vital for spreading the word about your business in a manner that highlights your uniqueness. With today’s highly competitive and saturated markets, branding is what sets you apart from your competitors. When you combine branding with QR Codes, that’s the perfect way to convey your brand and boost your results.

    What is the value of small business branding?

    No branding is the same as trying to promote your business with a blank piece of paper. You don’t need to be a branding expert to recognize how that would bring in literally zero results. Branding is what gives your business a personality and highlights your uniqueness, which is especially crucial for small businesses.

    Around 627,000 new businesses are created each year, and that number is expanding as new technology and ideas are developed at an increasingly rapid pace. So if you want to grow permanent roots in your industry as a small business, that all begins with branding.

    How QR Codes boost small business branding

    One of the best ways to activate and implement small business branding is to use QR Codes. They are customizable for your brand identity, boost both print and digital marketing campaigns, and even scale with your business. Let’s take a look at how this works.

    Customization options that convey your uniqueness

    All branding begins with a few core design elements such as colours, your logo, and a consistent graphic design style across marketing mediums like business cards, print ads, product packaging, email campaigns, and social media. Keeping these elements uniform enables your audience to connect a particular type of content with your brand.

    An example of a QR Code with full-scale branding customization

    Fortunately, there is no limit to the brand customization on your QR Codes. Style them with brand colours, your logo in the middle, and a relevant CTA (call to action) in a custom frame. You’ve also got the option to download them into four different image file formats (JPG, PNG, SVG, EPS), giving you full control over how they’re used in your total graphic designs later.

    A trackable connection between print and digital

    The primary reason why QR Codes have become so popular is that they close the gap between print and digital. Consider this: You design a traditional billboard ad, pedestrians view it, and want to make a purchase, they try to search for the link and can’t find it, so they give up.

    A QR Code on a billboard enables instant access to digital content like a video

    This is why your print ads need QR Codes! Instead of making customers guess, you can instantly access your digital content and drive purchases on print mediums with a fully trackable process based on QR Code scan data. As a result, small businesses can harness the power of QR Codes by using them on items as simple as a shop window or display signage and then get a complete sight of how much revenue they generate.

    Combinable with digital marketing

    By the way, QR Codes work just as well for digital marketing campaigns, especially if your goal is to direct traffic to mobile platforms and apps. Each QR Code you create comes with a short URL; a cleaned up and faster version of longer links. You can then add this short URL in places like emails and social media copies, so the graphic designs are neat, and users can view the same content via desktop, tablet, and mobile.

    QR Codes come with a short URL for digital platforms like a Facebook post

    When it comes to small business branding, one of the most cost-effective methods is to build up followers on social media. Creating and posting your content on social media costs nothing but your time.

    Editable even after print

    Another reason to choose QR Codes for small business branding is that when you choose QR Codes that are Dynamic (as opposed to Static), they can be edited later. So if you decide that you need to update a link or even change your type of QR Code, you can do so at any point without having to design a new QR Code. No more reprints due to updates!

    QR Codes that scale with your business

    In the case that you do end up needing multiple QR Codes as your business grows, you have two options. One, you can use QR Code API to create a large amount of Static QR Codes, and two, you can create a new QR Code for each campaign by creating an account at QR Code Generator PRO. 

    QR Codes for every purpose

    No matter what industry your small business is focused on, the type of content you’d like to share, or what you’d like to use QR Codes on, there are limitless possibilities. QR Codes are common among many industries, including retailers, restaurants, tourism, business, and much more. You can also use them on all sorts of mediums to share content such as videos, social media profiles, PDFs, events, etc. In a nutshell, QR Codes cover the entire scope of small business branding.

    5 Examples of QR Codes used for small business branding

    To put the full flexibility of QR Codes into context, here are a few examples that are sure to pique your interest.

    Extend the functionality of the traditional business cards

    Great brand strategies begin with business cards because networking is the first way to spread the word about your small business. When you combine print business cards with a vCard Plus QR Code, it creates a digital business card that makes networking a lot more manageable. You no longer need to print out tons of business cards, and when you want to share your contact info, the other person can scan your QR Code and automatically view, download, and even share it.

    A QR Code on a print business card creates a digital business card that improves networking

    Make product packaging more interactive

    If your business sells particular products, the design of your product packaging ties directly into your branding strategy. To make product packaging more interactive, you can use a Rating QR Code to get feedback from your customers about which products they like the best. For small businesses, this is particularly helpful because you can use it to refine your products and improve customer satisfaction

    A Rating QR Code makes product packaging more interactive and improves product quality

    RSVPs made easy

    If your business is in the retail industry and you have a physical shop, a pop-up party is a perfect way to launch your brand. You can use an Event QR Code on print event invitations. These QR Codes enable readers to view all the event info via mobile, automatically register, and even add the event to their digital calendars. Because you can keep track of registrations via the QR Code, you can also plan your event based on the number of people coming.

    An Event QR Code on a print event invitation enables a convenient event registration process

    Let posters work for you

    If you’re in the wellness industry, you can use a QR Code on a poster ad to give customers automatic access to your social media profiles. If your focus is on Facebook, in particular, you can use a Facebook QR Code that readers can scan and like your page without even having to visit it directly. You might use such a poster within the spa itself, in public spaces nearby, and on your spa window. Alternatively, if your goal is to grow followers for multiple social profiles, you can use a Social Media QR Code instead.

    A spa uses a QR Code on a poster ad to drive Facebook likes

    Attract new customers or reward loyal ones

    Many restaurants have begun using QR Codes for things like menus and coupons because they’re so much easier to share and don’t require printing out paper. If your restaurant is new, you might try incentivizing customers to try your food with a Coupon QR Code on your Facebook or Instagram pages. On Facebook, a Coupon QR Code is a perfect addition to your banner image, while on Instagram, you can use a QR Code directly on your post image. QR Codes are particularly useful for Instagram because you can’t post clickable links to give users direct access via your QR Code instead of needing to visit your bio.

    A Coupon QR Code on a Facebook banner image incentivizes customers to try out a new restaurant

    Author:

    Adriana Stein is a freelance content writer for QR-Code-Generator.com by Egoditor. Originally from Oregon, USA, she is now based in Hamburg, Germany, where she specializes in creating and managing SEO and content marketing strategies for businesses across a variety of industries. Care to follow her on LinkedIn?

  • The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Launch an Influencer Marketing Program

    The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Launch an Influencer Marketing Program

    Want to know why brands are clamoring to get influencers to promote their brand? Well, they are not only useful in driving traffic. It is also highly effective in convincing prospects to buy. This power stems from the strong relationship that influencers forge with their followers. Their followers don’t only follow them to read and watch their content. They also support them by acting on their recommendations. This power to drive people to take action is what makes influencers highly effective when it comes to marketing. 

    If you are still on the fence on whether you should adopt influencer marketing, here are ten reasons why it may be worth your while. 

    It is effective for reaching your target audience

    Why are more and more brands going to influencers for product and service promotions? Well, it is because it is highly effective. You see, influencer marketing is the only form of marketing with the highest ROI. This is according to Nielsen Catalina Solutions. This is because influencer marketing is quite powerful, especially when it comes to reaching your target audience. 

    The key is finding the right influencers. After all, you’ll need influencers who have a similar target market as yours. This will ensure maximum conversions for each campaign. You have to make sure that your products or services are a perfect fit for their audience. This is the only way for your campaign to fully reach your target market. Once you find the right influencers, you must compile their contact information in an Excel spreadsheet. This will allow for easy access when you are ready to pitch your campaign. 

    Your competitors are tapping into it

    Influencer marketing is the secret behind the growth of the biggest brands on the Internet. If you are planning to compete, you cannot do it without tapping into influencer marketing. Else, you’ll get left behind. You see, influencer marketing allows for natural growth as it helps you expose your brand to thousands or millions of followers from one campaign. The best part is that these people are highly responsive. This is because of the relationship that they have forged with the influencer. Since they know, like, and trust the influencer, they are far more likely to act on the influencer’s recommendations. 

    You can try looking into your competitor’s links to see where it comes from. There are tools that you can use to spy on your competitor’s backlinks. This will reveal the influencers that they have worked in the past. Once you find them, you can keep their contact information in an Excel sheet. The fact that they have worked with your competitor means that they may also be open to working with you. You can take a closer look at how their relationship is forged. Did they create a review? Did they have a link to the website in the sidebar? Did they mention the brand on social media? You can use this to search for their backlinks so that you can do the same and more. 

    It can help you with brand awareness

    Have a brand new website with no followers, leads, or sales? Influencer marketing can help you with brand awareness. Brand awareness is essential when you are first building your business. Not only do you need to drive traffic into your website. You also have to let other people remember you. This is where brand awareness comes in. 

    Fortunately, influencer marketing can help you spread the word about your brand. It allows you to tap into thousands to a million followers in one campaign. It is all a matter of finding and convincing an influencer to work with you. Once you find an influencer, you can propose a way on how you can work with them. You can also choose to pay them if you find that it is worth the money. 

    Influencers know how to approach their audience

    If there is one type of content creator that knows their audience more than anyone, those are the influencers. Not only did they put in the time to get to know their audience. They have also tested different types of content to understand what works and what doesn’t. After all, they would not have reached their influencer status if they did not know their audience that much. You can also learn a lot from them when it comes to creating the right content for your target audience. You can take a look at the content structures and formats, and you can implement it on your own website. 

    More than the content, they are also highly familiar with audience behavior. They don’t only know what to post. They also know when to post and how. All of these factors play a vital role in the success of an influencer campaign. This is the reason why influencer promotions are more effective than others. 

    It can help your brand reach more people

    Influencer marketing can also help you with sheer numbers. When you are running a brand new website, you’ll need to get as many people into your website as you possibly can. Usually, you may resort to paid promotions just to do this. While that is quite effective in driving traffic to your site, the audience may not be as responsive. In fact, you may find that your bounce rate is quite high. The case may not be the same as influencer marketing. This is because you are dealing with a highly responsive audience. These are people who know and trust what the influencer says, and they will most likely visit your website because of this trust. 

    Because of this, influencer marketing is highly effective in driving traffic, even to a brand new website. With one influencer’s promotion comes a stream of traffic that will not only boost your website’s search engine ranking but will also promote your brand. With more people knowing about your brand, you’ll also have a higher brand recall. This means that more people will remember you when they need to buy a particular product or service. 

    It can help you become a trusted brand in the niche

    As mentioned, influencers are viewed as credible because of the trust that they have forged with their followers. You can also become a trusted brand in the niche if you are recommended by influencers. You can do this if you can get a group of influencers to promote you. As the audience sees your brand across different influencer channels, they will eventually visit your site out of curiosity. Many brands have done this. They recommended their product to several influencers in one niche. Later, their followers found the website of the product owner, and they eventually bought it out of curiosity. This shows how powerful influencers’ recommendations can be. 

    So if you want to increase your audience’s trust in your brand, influencer marketing is the key. It is all about finding influencers who trust you and your products, and their followers will do the same. 

    It can help increase your social proof

    Launch an Influencer Marketing Program

    Social proof is essential to the success of any online business. In our age, customers don’t buy products just because someone recommended it. It is their habit to look for other reviews online. They do this so that they can get a glimpse of how the product works even before they buy it. 

    Because of this nature of online buyers, it is much more essential to have social proof in today’s online businesses. You’ll need people to vouch for your products and services so that you can attract more buyers. Influencer marketing is an excellent method for doing this. The great thing about it is that you get more than a typical review. You get influencers talking about your brand. This gives a much more reliable and trusted social proof that is sure to attract more sales. 

    Influencers are expert content creators

    You can learn a lot from influencers when it comes to content creation. Not only do they know what their audience wants, but they also know how to give what they need. This is the reason why they have achieved influencer status. It is all because they know the type of content that their market wants and they know how to give it to them. 

    And it does not stop there. Influencers are also known for creating content regularly. They know that content marketing success depends on consistency. So they ensure that they are consistently creating content for their audience. By doing this, they managed to nurture their relationship with their target market. This means that you no longer have to do the same thing. You just need to work with the influencer so that your brand can also reach his audience. 

    Influencers know how to think outside the box

    Another thing that you’ll learn from influencers is the ability to think outside of the box. They are always looking for new and creative ways to approach their audience. This is the reason why they are able to sustain the attention of their followers. Aside from consistently creating content, they are also looking for ways on how they can catch their attention with a new idea.

    Because of this, you also need to be just as creative when you approach them. Influencers are now used to brands emailing them to request for reviews and promotions. But if you have a unique proposal, your chance of getting noticed is often higher. Some ideas can include collaborations on video content or on products. This is where you get the creative input of the influencer in the creation of something. Since influencers are original content creators, they will be more open to working with you in a project that involves the creation of something. Plus, it will also encourage them to promote their products to their followers. 

    PRO TIP: You can also invite them to your referral program. A referral program is a system where you allow website visitors and followers to promote your website. You can easily set it up with referral software that is compatible with your website. It can go with other names such as WooCommerce affiliate plugin and others. Be sure to choose the app that is most compatible with your website platform. 

    It helps with a website’s seo

    SEO is essential to get your website ranked on the search engines. The higher your rank is, the more organic traffic your website has. While there are many factors that contribute to your website’s search engine ranking, influencer marketing can help you get ranked higher. 

    Why is that? Well, there are two reasons. 

    First, influencers are considered experts in their field. Because of this, their websites usually have high domain or page authority. Getting backlinks from pages with higher power often results in more top rankings. Second, influencer marketing unlocks a stream of traffic. It is no longer enough to have more backlinks. Your website also needs to have traffic in order to get ranked. And that is what influencer marketing can give you. 

    So if you want to get a constant stream of organic traffic to your website, you may want to consider influencer marketing. This will allow you to have multiple backlinks from high authority sites granting you more top search engine rankings. 

    It can help ecommerce website owners

    Influencer marketing is also vital in eCommerce. It can help you stop shopping cart abandonment and bolster your traffic and sales. As mentioned, influencer marketing can boost your social proof, and this helps you to attract more buyers to your online store. Brands like Best Drums Set Labs used this strategy. Influencers helped them receive an instant boost in traffic and sales. 

    As you can see, there are many benefits to influencer marketing. It will help you not only in your traffic and sales. It can also help you get a better brand exposure which can result in more traffic and sales. Alternatively, it can also boost your search engine rankings. This is because it grants you high authority backlinks. Plus, it can increase your social proof for better eCommerce sales. 

  • 3 Reasons Why Customer Loyalty Is Important And How Merchants Can Keep It

    3 Reasons Why Customer Loyalty Is Important And How Merchants Can Keep It

    The ecommerce landscape becomes more competitive every day. More retailers than ever are focusing their efforts on ecommerce, often with amazing deals, free returns, speedy delivery and one-click shopping. Competing in this market can seem daunting, we know! However, with the right strategies and a focus on customer loyalty, not only can retailers keep up in this ever-growing market, they can find space to thrive.

    On average,53% of your revenue comes from the top 20% of your most valuable customers – so it’s clear that harnessing the interest and loyalty of existing shoppers will positively impact your revenue. Implementing a retention strategy is key to achieving long term growth, and improving customer lifetime value.

    Rather than striving to always reach new – and increasingly difficult-to-access – audiences, you should value the shoppers you already have and work to keep them on board. Data shows that only 9% of digital ads are viewed for more than one second, meaning that reaching new customers is costing you significant time and money that could instead be invested in an already engaged customer base, with a better return on your investment.

    In an ecommerce market that’s growing by 13% every year, stepping up your service with a loyalty program is a great way to differentiate your offering. It offers a practical means of demonstrating to your customers that you value them as a unique individual, not just as a number or statistic on your profit/loss sheet. It puts your money where your mouth is and shows in a tangible way that you’re willing to reward loyalty.

    The stats speak for themselves. A first-time buyer who joins a loyalty program spends 40% more than a customer who doesn’t and the likelihood of a loyalty member purchasing from you for a second time is 68% more than a non-member.

    This blog post will analyse three key reasons why investing in customer loyalty is so important for long term growth and show you how you can implement a retention strategy of your own.

    Customer loyalty increases your bottom line and revenue

    Loyal customers tend to have a higher customer lifetime value and larger average order value because they have built up a relationship with your brand – there’s a high level of trust there.

    Not only have they come to believe in your authenticity, but they trust in what you have to offer. Customers increase their basket by 36% if they can earn a reward immediately, rather than at some point after a purchase.

    These loyal customers can be relied upon to return and repeat purchase, spending more and boosting your revenue. The average basket size of a customer who uses a loyalty reward with their purchase is 39% higher than one who doesn’t.

    Women’s fashion store Pulse Boutique is a great example of a brand that has implemented an integrated loyalty program to increase the spend of their members.

    Titled “Pulse Perks”, their loyalty landing page immediately motivates customers to sign up through the use of strong imagery, large, vibrant icons and bright colours to give a clear idea of what could be gained by joining. The four main benefits or “perks” of membership are clearly labelled above the fold for clarity: free gifts, VIP access to new collections, product discounts and priority shipping.

    The design of Pulse Boutique’s loyalty page closely reflects the visual direction and brand personality of the rest of the site, providing an integrated, smooth customer experience. They use strong imagery and match the landing page colours to the store’s signature pink with rose gold to keep the entire customer journey consistent.

    As a result of an easy-to-use, engaging loyalty program, Pulse Boutique has generated a 19% increase in AOV and $200K in earned rewards purchases. The addition of loyalty rewards also delivered a 39% uplift in customers returning to shop again.

    Loyal customers help with acquisition

    Whether it’s via online reviews or word of mouth recommendations, your customers really value referrals from their fellow shoppers.

    Referral marketing – when existing customers tell others about your product or service – is a cost-effective way to acquire new customers who already have a level of trust in your brand.

    Overall, it’s a win-win for every party involved. Your business can acquire new customers, while your customers get social validation for recommending something they love.

    Referral marketing builds trust in your brand – having a recommendation from a friend or family member who you know and trust is incredibly valuable. In fact, 92% of customers trust recommendations from people they know, while 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencing factor in their purchasing decisions.

    Referrals also create hype around your brand. If people are genuinely excited about your offering, you can feel this in the way your product or service is talked about online, on social media and between friends.

    This organic buzz then hooks the interest of others, delivering more custom your way.

    You can make referral marketing a key part of your overall marketing strategy by incentivising customers to make active referrals to their friends through a loyalty program.

    However, the incentive to refer needs to hit the right note and must be meaningful for both the advocate and the friends they are referring to the scheme. For example, Esquido Lashes gives their advocates 3,000 loyalty points and the referred customer a $5 voucher to spend in-store – so both parties benefit.

    Make sure that it’s easy for customers to refer friends by promoting your referral program effectively and making the process as simple as possible.

    You can do this by letting existing customers know the benefits of the program through your email marketing and by setting up an automation email for customers who have already left a positive review, encouraging them to refer a friend in return for loyalty points.

    You could also try targeting customers at the point when they’re most invested in your business (i.e. directly after they’ve made a purchase) by displaying a pop-up on checkout that prompts them to sign up to your referral program.

    Providing an easy way for customers to copy and share their referral URL to earn loyalty points is crucial. Bikini brand Cupshe does this well, sending an email to their loyalty members after they’ve left a review, giving them a unique URL they can simply copy in a single click.

    Loyal customers build community

    Beyond quality and price, social responsibility and shared values are key to maintaining customer loyalty.

    68% of customers have said they are motivated to be loyal when they know that a brand shares the same values as them.

    It’s clear that customers now expect the same things from brands as they do from friends and family – a sense that the brand understands them and knows what is important to them.

    In fact, 71% of 16-24-year-olds say that they feel strongly or very strongly about corporate social responsibility and 89% of shoppers would switch to a brand that is associated with a good cause, given similar quality and price considerations. It’s no longer enough that the product ticks the right boxes – the customer also wants to know what role the company plays within society at large. Overwhelmingly, they want it to be a positive one.

    47% of customers say they are motivated to be loyal when they feel that they are becoming part of a community of like-minded people by doing so. When shopping with a brand, sharing values with other like-minded customers is an important part of the experience. Community platforms make community-building easier than ever and Disciple is a great alternative to Facebook Group.

    Customers want their money to go towards supporting something they believe in – 62% of consumers feel that they would join a loyalty program if they knew the rewards had a positive social impact on the causes they care about.

    Your loyalty program is an incredibly useful tool to help you build a community with shared values at its heart. Welcome emails are a great way to communicate your shared values to new customers. Use them as a way to educate new members of your community about social causes you care about, charitable donations you make, or even how you do things differently to other businesses.

    You can also show your customers how aligned you are with them by letting them earn points for completing thoughtful actions, such as returning packaging to be reused or redeeming rewards against charitable donations.

    For example, Pacifica Beauty has visibly incorporated a recycling program into the customer experience to show how much they care about responsible plastic use. Customers can now send their used bottles back to Pacifica Beauty for them to be reused and given new life. To encourage customers to follow through with this action, they include a prepaid shipping label and award customers 100 loyalty points each time they do this.

    Pet food brand Edgard Cooper also offers loyalty program rewards that support ethical causes customers care about. As animal welfare is at the heart of their brand values, they donate 10% of their profits to animal care clinics. They encourage their customers to exchange “Belly Rubs” – loyalty points – for donating meals to dog shelters.

    A loyalty program is also a social space where you can bring like-minded customers together. Organic and cruelty-free skincare brand, Annmarie Skincare, uses its loyalty program to build a group of kindred spirits with much in common.

    They welcome members into an exclusive Facebook group, where community members can share ideas and anecdotes to work towards a less damaging beauty regime. This emotional bond further drives customers to engage on more than a transactional level and helps to establish a strong and lasting customer-brand relationship.

    In Summary

    The ecommerce landscape is hugely competitive with new businesses launching online offerings every day with ever more tempting discounts and deals. Using a robust loyalty strategy, retailers can not only compete, but find a route to online sales success.

    With53% of your revenue coming from the top 20% of your most valuable customers – harnessing the interest and loyalty of existing shoppers is a must. There are three key reasons why investing in customer loyalty is so important for long term growth:

    • Customer loyalty increases your bottom line and revenue

    • Loyal customers help with the acquisition of new customers

    • Loyal customers can build up a community that organically promotes your brand

    In terms of strategies to implement right now that can increase customer loyalty, we recommend:

    • An integrated, easy-to-use loyalty program that blends seamlessly with your website

    • Easy, one-click referral marketing

    • An emphasis on shared values using your email marketing to build a greater sense of community

    Revisit our Loyalty Up Close and Personal report to find out more about what motivates customers to be loyal in 2020.

    Author Bio: This article was written by the great team at LoyaltyLion.

    LoyaltyLion is a data-driven loyalty and engagement platform that powers ecommerce growth.

    A loyalty program is about more than points and rewards. It is about unlocking real insights to increase customer lifetime value.

    With LoyaltyLion, you can build a better understanding of what drives longer-lasting customer relationships, and use those insights to connect and accelerate your existing marketing efforts.

    Proven to increase retention and spend, LoyaltyLion is trusted by thousands of fast-growth ecommerce merchants worldwide.

  • 6 Steps To Create The Website Of Your Dreams

    6 Steps To Create The Website Of Your Dreams

    The modern world is simply fascinating. All these insane technologies and new scientific discoveries make the modern era a great time to live.

    At the same time, a lot of people have difficulties getting accustomed to the fast-growing contemporary world.

    For instance, many small business owners go bankrupt simply because they do not know how to adjust their businesses to the contemporary society requirements.

    In other words, nobody goes to comic book stores to get some action figures or graphic novels if they can simply order those from Amazon or other online stores.

    However, the very thing that destroys small business is actually the only thing that can save it. Yes, it may sound a little bit nonsense but the thing is if you want to save your little company and even increase your profits, you have to move your biz online.

    Certainly, I am talking about launching a corporate website for your company or any sort of online store. You could use a respected web design company and get them to create your site. However, you can also make it by yourself by using WordPress. This is what Printyo, one of Australia’s top ecommerce printing businesses, did to create the website of its dreams.

    If you decide WordPress is the best option for building your own website then you can make it a reality by using one of the WordPress themes.

    These themes are usually equipped with visual editors so you will be able to do everything on your own and save some money on hiring a developer. Well, if you want to save even more money, go ahead a look at what MasterBundles offers. This very platform has a huge variety of decent web templates for affordable prices, so make sure to check it out.

    Returning to our point, how do you create a website with WordPress? Well, here are 6 steps you have to follow.

    Step One: Choosing your niche

    If you are going to launch a brand-new online business, then it is better to make some research on what industries are the most profitable as well as what particular ones you can work in.

    Besides, you also want to make sure that the branch you would like to work in is in demand nowadays.

    So you might be interested in plus size clothing, application development, handmade, travelling (including space tourism), food delivery services, online banking, and other popular branches. Just find something that you feel you can do the best and you will no doubt see the benefits from it.

    Step Two: Selecting a platform

    A platform is basically the CMS (content management system) on which your site is going to work.

    In fact, there are two types of CMS – open source and proprietary.

    Open source content management systems such as WordPress, Magento, Joomla, Drupal, and PrestaShop are usually free and have no license.

    However, these systems can be rather challenging to work with because they might not have any documentation or support services. At the same time, there is a vast variety of premium options that have documentation and 24/7 support, so you can totally get one of them.

    Proprietary CMSs like Shopify, IBM Enterprise Content Management, Microsoft SharePoint, or Sitecore are paid options, which means that you will have to buy a license to use them as well as to pay for the upgrades and support services.

    So which one should you choose? Well, a premium open-source CMS such as a WordPress theme seems like a perfect choice to me.

    Step Three: Getting a template

    Well, you already know that you need a template for your site as well as that a WordPress theme is one of the best ways to go for you. However, there is a vast variety of themes, which makes it rather difficult to pick one especially for those of you have no experience in it.

    First of all, you must decide whether you are going to buy a free or premium template. Certainly, premium ones are better because they are equipped with useful plugins and have more elaborate features.

    However, the choice between these two types of templates depends on your budget and your project itself. So if you need a business website and your budget allows you, go ahead and get a premium theme. If you just want to start a blog and you are on a budget, then a free option is the way to go for you.

    Step Four: Template installation

    You can either hire a developer to install a theme on your site or do everything on your own and save a whole bunch of money.

    Of course, the process of installation and customization is not going to be super easy especially for inexperienced users, yet it is totally possible.

    Most themes come with clear documentation and 24/7 support services, which means that the installation should not be a problem at all. Well, just go ahead and try it.

    Step Five: Purchasing hosting and domain

    Every website needs a hosting plan and a domain name (or even several names) because without hosting it simply will not work.

    Well, it actually will work, but it won’t be available for other users on the internet, which makes its existence kind of pointless.

    So get your domain and hosting from such companies as Bluehost, GoDaddy, or SiteGround so your website will actually work.

    Step Six: Promotion

    Now it’s the very time to promote your site and the best way to do that is using as many promotion channels as it is possible.

    Improve your sitemap so your website will be among the top results in all the major browsers, collaborate with famous bloggers and social media influencers who will tell their subscribers about your website, use banner ads, create social media accounts for your company, take advantage of email marketing, and try as many advertising channels as you can.

    Final word

    Creating a website is super easy and quite challenging at the same time. It does cost money, it does take quite a lot of your time, and it does make you stressful sometimes.

    But it totally pays off and you simply cannot argue with that.

    So if you still have any doubts about whether you should move your business online or launch a startup, just stop hesitating and do it.

    Do you agree with the thought that every company should have a website? Let us know in the comment section down below!

    Author bio: This content was written by the great team at TemplateMonster.

  • Why Social Proof Is Crucial To Making Your Online Store More Profitable

    Why Social Proof Is Crucial To Making Your Online Store More Profitable

    Social proof is when people mirror the behavior, actions, and opinions of others. Originated by psychologist Muzafer Sherif and further adapted by psychologist Robert Cialdini, the term explains how we tend to use what others are doing as social evidence in determining what we should be doing in a situation that might be new to us. It’s the reason we order the same coffee as the person in front of us in the line, or go see that new film everyone keeps recommending.

    It’s natural to want to push back against this theory. However, social proof doesn’t mean we’re all mindless robots. Mimicking people’s behavior to fit in or get ahead is part of living in a society. It’s normal to believe that if more people are doing it, it is more likely to be the correct way to go about things.

    So, what does all this mean for ecommerce stores and how we promote them? As described by Cialdini, social proof is a convenient shortcut in harnessing the behavior of your consumers. “Yay, I don’t need to teach my consumers anything! One will buy and the rest will follow!” Not exactly. It is key to remember that Sherif was experimenting in 1935 and Cialdini was writing in 1984. Even though the initial theories of social proof remain true, consumers are a lot more active than passive in the modern day. Indeed, social proof forms the crux of any effective customer retention strategy, and its value remains today.

    So how can you use the theory of social proof to your advantage? There are multiple formats of social evidence that you can provide to your potential consumers in order to display that the behavior of purchase and use of your product is correct. Luckily it’s not too complicated, and can be implemented as easily as implementing SEO strategies into producing content.

    Product imagery

    No good ecommerce website ever made it anywhere with bad imagery in the first place, but there are ways to give them an extra boost and ensure social proof in the images you provide to your customers.

    Providing images of models wearing or using your products rather than bland shots of the product itself is a good way of giving it some life, a place in the world and showing the use of the product as normal behavior. It allows your customers to imagine themselves using the product and gives it a more tangible place in the real world.

    Reviews

    When was the last time you visited a new restaurant or purchased a new piece of technology without doing some prior research? Whether money is short or not we tend to look around at others to make sure we’re doing the right thing with it, which involves subconsciously taking social evidence from complete strangers.

    Reading the opinions of others allows your consumers to confide in someone other than the person asking them for their money. Encourage your consumers to share their experiences and include their name if they consent to it for a personal touch to make trusting their opinion more comfortable.

    Questions and answers

    Similar to a review page, a question and answer section on a product page allow for potential consumers to overhear others’ thoughts. Here, potential consumers can communicate with others who are either in the process of making the same decision as them, or have made the decision and can provide some advice.

    Ensure these sections are moderated so that correct information is being shared.

    Influencer marketing

    Influencer endorsements are a common form of social proof marketing in the modern day. Out of the depths of Instagram and YouTube came a swarm of individuals with digital styles that attracted mass followings. Although most communications between influencer and follower are solely digital, a basis of attraction and trust has been built.

    If you’ve got it in your budget, reach out to those online who have genuine connections with large amounts of people in your target demographic. Do some research and/or speak to an agency that can help you invest in the right form of influencer marketing for your brand and product.

    Experts

    Another form of influence comes from experts. When you go traveling, it’s common to want to get a local opinion, they’re most likely to know the area best. This is because we are more likely to trust someone who has the most experience in a situation to ensure we are carrying out the correct behavior.

    Providing your consumers with genuine information from an expert is a good way to help prove that your product is actually going to benefit them.

    Word-of-mouth

    So you’ve provided a bank of opinions coming from a variety of directions, but what about those who are less trusting of others? Maybe your target demographic tends to be a bit more skeptical.

    Encourage your consumers to share and discuss within their inner circle. Social media posts that mention “tag a friend” or blog posts with Share links can help you slide into those more influential conversations. Find out where your current customers are and where your target audience is and scamp ways that a connection can be made.

    Social proof is something all ecommerce stores need to capture to a certain degree. It’s essential for showing the potential and positives of some products. Give some of the above tactics a go and see what works for you.

  • How To Manage Social Media With The Help Of Tools

    How To Manage Social Media With The Help Of Tools

    Social media is fast-paced and compelling (read: always changing).

    Whether you’re just starting in social media or a seasoned pro, it’s still active to keep an eye on what the top specialists are doing.

    If you’re looking for some usual social networking savvy or just in search of some precise tuning for operations, social media experts are the people who have the goods.

    Anyone can learn how to manage social media but to become a social media expert, you have to be a person who is a professional in social media marketing.

    Who knows the ins and outs of it.

    Who is well informed of the basics of marketing through social media channels, concedes various social media tools and analytics.

    A person who knows how to manage social media is well versed in how to accomplish marketing objectives through social media channels and how to write a comprehensive message which can satisfy customers on social media.

    In a nutshell, there is one most essential thing which will help, how to become social media experts. And that is a practical experience.

    Of course, theoretical knowledge is also necessary but practical is must obtain the knack as well as the techniques to comprehend social media marketing.

    Not only that but also, digital marketing certifications can also support a lot in the primary stages of obtaining the job, but once you are in the position, all that matters is your practical experience and performance.

    To acquire theoretical knowledge about social media marketing, one of the most reliable ways is to read lots of posts and how-to models on reputed blogs like AgoraPulse, Buffer Social, Social Champ, etc.

    Apart from these third-party blogs, another handy source to learn how to grow into a social media marketing expert is to comprehend the blogs maintained by social media channels.

    There are many companies running instructor-led training programs in digital marketing.

    The advantage of getting trained from a professional training organization is that one gets the learning in an expeditious time and in an organized way.

    One also gets working experience of different social media marketing activities like identifying the target audience and then they become social media experts, creating the campaigns, creating the social media ads, measuring the results, etc.

    Companies do select a social media expert, and these tips will help you get hired.

    What To Use To Manage Social Media?

    The social media scuffle is a bustling world and one that can be difficult to oversee, regardless of whether it’s your all-day work. You need assistance. Or if nothing else tools. Loads and loads of tools.

    The blog presents a full rundown of all the tools you might need to manage your social media and for posting. That being said, what’s going on with this rundown? All things considered, a significant number of the tools on this list are premium tools: you need to pay to play.

    What happens when you’re simply getting your toes wet?

    What occurs in the event that you don’t have the month to month pricing/subscription plan – or aren’t persuaded that these tools are meriting your monthly budget?

    You look to the best free social media tools for posting, that is what happens. They might be free, yet these social media management tools are strong.

    They do some incredible things. They’re very much highly reviewed. What’s more, indeed, they’re actually free.

    While a considerable lot of the tools underneath offer both free and premium alternatives – everybody needs to bring home the bacon, isn’t that so? – we’ve just picked those that offer generous, many-highlighted free forms that really play out a valuable capacity, rather than simply prodding you to buy the full/premium adaptation.

    1- Buffer

    Buffer is a big name in the social media tools for posting industry. It offers several platform postings and is valued for its work in the suggestions it provides in scheduling posts and the time they should be posted on.

    2- Social Champ

    Social Champ is another huge automation tool. Not only does it facilitate the management of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, it also allows you to schedule posts outside the platform, via convenient Chrome extensions. That said, our preferred feature may just be Social Champ’s recycling and repurposing of the content feature.

    3- Hootsuite

    An organized but constantly growing social media management platform, Hootsuite helps manage your social media accounts and post great content. It is a really good social media tool for posting!

    4- Crowdfire

    The platform merges with most of the significant social media networks and authorizes users to access analytics, schedule content and implement social media support, all from one place.

    Why Do You Need Social Media Tools For Posting?

    Social media is very essential for a company’s growth. No, that is just an understatement.

    Social media integrates the company’s culture and mission together.

    Dozens of factors work alongside a company’s image to hit the sky on social media. One of those factors is continuity if you don’t post constantly or with a schedule, people are most unlikely to connect to your brand.

    This is where these tools for posting step in. they know how to handle your content and where to post them at what time.

    The more organized your team can be, the more time you’ll save.

    Not to mention, you’d also save your sanity.

    A few reasons to use social media tools for posting to take your company’s social media to another level.

    1- Several Platforms

    There are many platforms that you need to cater to.

    When you’re posting to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter multiple times a day, you won’t have time left to do any other tasks.

    Too many tabs, too much hustle.

    2- Keeping an Eye

    A key reason why you need social media management tools for posting so you have the time in your hand to understand your customers, social media is a great place to see what competitors are doing.

    What are they talking about? Who are they talking to? What are they saying, and how are they saying it?

    These kind of insights are easily available with the analytics of a social media tool.

    With the power to see virtually what goes around across the major platforms – including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – it’s relatively easy to see how your competitors are responding to trends and developments within your market sector.

    3- Keywords and Leads

    Buyer conclusions, input, contender data and significantly more. The majority of this data is out there, yet discovering it is simpler said than done.

    Numerous tools offer a devoted spot to look for this data.

    Using Keywords and leads to your content curation is the key to a successful marketing strategy.

    How To Manage Social Media Marketing Campaigns?

    1- Be careful of your posting time

    Before you send out your posts, make sure that you’ve analyzed the current data that you have. When do your followers become most active? When they usually go online? What time are they are the most active/ready to participate and engaged?

    2- New content all the time!

    Don’t publish the same kind of content over and over on your social media marketing platforms. Liven things up by including pictures, infographics, quotes, videos, links from other websites, among others. Always keep in mind, put yourself in the position of your targeted audience and question yourself if you would enjoy the content you are currently automating.

    3- Be available

    Like mentioned above, automate but keep yourself engaged with the audience. Never forget your aims in doing social media marketing. Be available for your customers, help them out if they need assistance, or even when they just want to say hello greet them back, enjoy the time they took to greet you and welcome them back!

    Summing Up!

    There’s been a lot of contradictory talks about automation – it’s boring, not engaging, impersonal, etc. But data tells us, marketers, otherwise. With the strategies and analogies that are always put forward about automation that we very often hear, we know automation will work for you too!

    Create a social media marketing game plan, then buy yourself a chilling drink, sit back and relax, because from now on you’ll have more “me time.”

    So, to sum up, social media plays a drastic part in the marketing of any brand or product. Play your move cleverly, use the right tools and you can become the master of social media marketing.

    Author Bio: This article was contributed to EcommercePlatforms.io by Ahsan Iqbal from Social Champ. 

     

     

  • Don’t Wing It: Why Your Ecommerce Store Needs A Marketing Plan

    Don’t Wing It: Why Your Ecommerce Store Needs A Marketing Plan

    So you came up with a great idea. You’re going to sell t-shirts that you design online. You signed up for Shopify and built a website. You found a supplier and printer. You created a few designs. You even bought an LLC to make it official. You’re in business, right? Not really.

    A bunch of other people just had the same idea. Of the 12-24 million ecommerce stores worldwide, only 650,000 make more than $1,000 per year. What sets them apart? Good marketing. Just because you have a website, a Facebook and an Instagram account, doesn’t mean you’ll bring in business.

    Here are five reasons why you need a marketing plan:

    It Zeroes In On Your Target Market

    Knowing your target is the first, most important step in creating a marketing plan. You can have the best messaging in the world, but if it isn’t reaching the right audience, it doesn’t matter.

    Learning who to target not only helps you select the right demographics when running ads, it allows you to determine the best ways to communicate and where to do it — platform, content, frequency, etc.

    Taking the time to research who’s interested in your product also keeps you focused on the big picture of your business — where you are now and where you want to go.

    When you understand your customer and what they’re looking for, it’s easier to identify market opportunities, trends, and challenges in the marketplace. You’re able to make better decisions based on facts, rather than a hope and a prayer.

    It Creates Tangible Goals

    Instead of “I want to sell t-shirts,” a marketing plan provides a vision for your business and outline key areas for growth. Though sales goals are always important, a marketing plan looks at other objectives to work towards.

    Short-term goals may include increasing website traffic, conversions, social engagements and number of followers. Long-term goals to consider are brand awareness, reputation, and search rankings.

    Marketing goals should be determined by what’s important to you and your business. It could be to drive sales, get more leads, expand market share, secure more funding, or re-position your product line.

    Other initiatives might be to get more media attention, bring on affiliate partners, or align with influencers to grow your brand. Marketing goals should be determined by what you want to accomplish. Tactics are developed to meet those needs.

    It Helps You Get Down To Business

    Entrepreneurs are busy. You’re the CEO, customer service, the marketing department, HR, accounting, and often responsible for packing and shipping.

    A marketing plan creates a clear roadmap with distinct action items to attain your goals. This means you can get things done quickly. You know what you have to do, when you have to do it, and how long it will take you to complete.

    If you know that you need to make three Facebook posts for the week, write a blog, and create graphics for an upcoming promotion, you have a plan and can follow it.

    Your editorial calendar and social content folder make this step simple. A marketing plan creates an environment where you won’t feel overwhelmed by everything you have to do and will feel empowered to move forward, one item at a time.

    It Creates Money Flow

    The goal is to make money and to live a life you love. By creating a targeted marketing plan to hit your goals and following a comprehensive action plan, you’ll be on track to increase revenue, visibility, and credibility.

    Whether you do it yourself or have a marketing specialist create a strategic marketing plan for you, you’ll be positioned to grow your business and lessen the stress in your life, making you happier.

    An added benefit of having a marketing plan is that it can help you raise money, if you’re looking for financing. A marketing plan is an important element of a business plan, which investors and lenders will ask for to assess their risk and to determine the feasibility of your business.

    In this case, marketing plans can work two ways: to help you earn money and attract outside funding.

    It Puts The Reigns Back In Your Hands

    Most importantly, a marketing plan puts you in control of your business. At times, there may be so much going on that you feel like you’re caught in a whirlwind, not sure of what to do. A strategic plan can give you point-by-point guidelines on how to allocate your time, energy, and resources.

    A marketing plan can also act as a great motivator. Knowing what you’re working towards with a set plan on how to get there, gives you the confidence you need to launch your business forward.

    And that confidence and positive energy can be felt – with employees, customers, vendors, and partners – as well as through your brand image online and offline.

    With a marketing plan in hand, your goals are set and you know how to attain them. You understand your audience and what they want. You’re focused and in charge of your business. Putting in the time and effort to create a marketing plan and follow through on a strategic action plan is sure to pay off to grow your business.

    Robin Samora is a marketing / PR expert and speaker from Boston, MA. She teaches small business owners how to rev up their brand online and offline to attract new clients, connect with customers, get media exposure, and increase sales. Have a question on how to build your business and brand? Get the latest marketing insights by signing up for Robin’s weekly articles at RobinSamora.com or contact her here to schedule a complimentary call.