There is more opportunity than ever selling online and it has never been easier to launch a store – the downside to this fact is that because it is so easy, there is a lot of noise out there from people who don’t have a true brand at all. We are extremely privileged to work with some true market leaders in their niche and it is insane how many knock-off companies rise and fall trying to follow in their footsteps with cheaply made products. There are people that will literally use our client’s product images and content to make counterfeit brands all the while expecting the same results. What’s the difference? RELATIONSHIP.
You would never stand on a crowded sidewalk and scream “Who wants to come back to my place for a drink!?” but so many people are doing the equivalent with their marketing efforts without even realizing it.
Instead of obnoxiously begging for attention, challenge yourself to view your marketing efforts simply as a system or tool for adding value to your customers and nurturing them in the same way you would pursue a date and ROI will follow.
So this is all good and dandy but what does the application of this actually look like? Glad you asked!
Brand Awareness: Do whatever you can to serve your ideal customers your most relevant and compelling content…Keeping in mind, you are just trying to start the relationship and add value to their lives. This can be done through “top of funnel” paid ad campaigns, live social videos, or simple organic posts. Content is king and consistency is a must.
Conversions & Nurturing the Relationship: This is where the magic happens. Granted you have your Facebook Pixel placed and have been collecting data on your site, you can now take segments of your “top of funnel” audiences and retarget them based on behavioral data with highly contextual and sequence-based content and nurture them to the point of purchasing. One good application of this is Facebook’s Dynamic Product Ads (DPAs). You can get very in depth with sequenced content and offers through these campaigns but a good starting point is a campaign that serves ads to anybody who viewed or added your products to their cart but did not purchase. The cool thing about DPAs is that the ads content will be dynamically generated based on the user’s actions…for example, if they viewed a strapless red dress on your site, they will see that very same dress on the ads that will show up in their feed. So instead of feeling overwhelmed and even annoyed by irrelevant advertisements that yell “pick me, pick me”, they are actually seeing ads that they are genuinely interested in and care about.
Loyalty, Retention, and Delight: This is where most brands drop the ball – leaving a ton of money on the table and leaving newly converted customers out in the cold when they are feeling the warmest towards your brand. Your customers should feel delighted and encouraged to be your strongest brand advocates. There are countless opportunities to up-sell, cross-sell, serve related content and keep your customers coming back for more and more and more!