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Home Business Tips for marketing your ecommerce start-up

Tips for marketing your ecommerce start-up

by Wanda Rich
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Looking for a way to take your ecommerce marketing strategy to the next level? In today’s post, Andrew Dark, Director and Co-Owner of the custom clothing retailer, Custom Planet, shares his top tips for using ecommerce marketing to make your start-up business thrive. 

A solid ecommerce strategy is one of the most important things a business can have in today’s market. COVID-19 has had a serious impact on consumer trends, one of which being the acceleration in the move towards online shopping. 71% of Brits reported that they did more online shopping than ever before in February 2021 (Statista). But the change was already in motion before the pandemic, as online spending tripled between 2008 and 2018 (ONS). So it doesn’t look like the consumer’s love for online shopping is going anywhere post pandemic. 

Top quality marketing is important for any ecommerce business, but particularly for start-ups. Not only does it allow new companies to establish their brand name, but it can help them gain frequent and loyal customers. If you’re looking for ways to start your new business with a bang, why not give the following ecommerce marketing tips a try?

Make your presence known with social media 

The power of social media in ecommerce marketing cannot be understated. There are currently 3.6 billion social media users worldwide, and this number is expected to rise to 4.41 by 2025 (Statista). Having such a huge collection of potential customers just the click of a button away is a gift that should not be sniffed at. 

Your brand’s social media sites provide potential customers a snapshot of what you’re offering, so it’s important to make them stand out. Reach more users with attention grabbing images and videos, accompanied with short and snappy captions. You should also get personal by telling customers a bit about yourself and the company, or by showing some of the behind-the-scenes action at your business. Doing this will humanise your business account, and allow customers to see both the brand and the people behind it. Make sure to engage with potential customers often as well, to make them feel valued and turn them into regulars. 

But social media isn’t just about selling your products — you can learn more about your customers too. Social media analytics tools give you the inside scoop on your customers preferences and wants. These tools are available for all business accounts on social media. They’re usually pretty intuitive, so using them should be a breeze, and they tell you so much about your audience’s demographic, such as age, gender, and location. You can also use this tool to find which of your posts have received the most interactions, which in turn helps you figure out which products to push and what to post more of to get your content seen. 

Find the perfect logo 

Your brand image is everything, and one of the most important parts of any brand image is the logo. This will be the first impression that potential customers get of your business, so you need to make it count. When choosing your logo, try to go as simple as you can. A uncomplicated image that is clear to interpret will help customers easily understand what your business is about. 

And make sure to spend plenty of time when deciding on the colour scheme. Although it may not seem like it matters too much, the colour of your logo can improve brand recognition by a whopping 80% (Forbes). Try not to overdo it by adding a whole array of hues though, as 95% of brands only use two colours (Foundr). The whole process for choosing the perfect logo can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you aren’t artsy, so it might be a good idea to reach out to a professional logo designer for help and advice. 

Make your USP known 

No ecommerce business can truly establish themselves until they have found their unique selling proposition (USP). Without a unique identity and something that’ll make you stand out from the crowd, there’s no reason for consumers to choose your business over any other. 

To find your USP, start by thinking about the things that your business does differently to anyone else. If nothing comes to mind, consider your customer’s needs, and figure out how to meet them in your own unique way. A good way to figure this out is by looking to your competitors and seeing what they’re doing wrong, and what’s missing from their businesses. 

Once you’ve established your USP, you need to make it known by sharing it with consumers. The USP is a major part of your brand identity, so you should advertise it everywhere you can.  Make it visual by displaying an image at the forefront of your website that explains what your USP is. You can even incorporate it into your logo and tag line if you think this will work. And when creating content, try to make sure that there’s always something that’s advertising your USP, to keep it at the forefront of customers minds. 

Host giveaways 

A sure-fire way to get consumers engaged is by offering up freebies in a competition on social media. One of the best things about this method of ecommerce marketing is that it can introduce a lot of people to your product in a short space of time by making customers share and follow your social media profile to enter the giveaway. This, in turn, has the potential to send your social media engagement through the roof. 

If you don’t have a large audience, you can also try influencer marketing. Find influencers who may be interested in your brand and offer to collaborate with them on your giveaway. You can either promote the competition on both of your social media platforms, or just let them do it their way. Using influencer marketing is great for exposure, as it will give you the chance to promote your products to a completely new audience. Of course, this kind of exposure won’t come for free, and some influencers can even charge up to £1000 per post (PR Week)! For start-ups, it’s best to use micro-influencers (influencers with 1000 – 100,000 followers), as they’re a lot more affordable.  

In regard to the competition prize, it’s a good idea to offer a few items to make the giveaway seem more appealing. Gift cards are great, as this will ensure that the winnings are spent at your ecommerce site. It’s also a good idea to incorporate some products with your brand name on. You can add your logo to pretty much any product, including hoodies, water bottles, umbrellas, and so much more. Once the competition is complete, the winner can advertise your ecommerce business for you by simply wearing your brand!