As we approach the end of this unprecedented year, we’re turning to the industry experts in the trenches to bring us guidance. Our fireside chat with Michael Bower of Sellry painted the big picture of where we’ve been and what comes next for eCommerce brands. They’ve proven themselves as a full-service brand agency through clients including Facebook and GOAT.
In addition to some piercing reflections about the collective caffeine addiction of Americans, we talked about: How this year has reshaped direct-to-consumer sales at a pace no one expected possible, and which lessons can and should be applied to eCommerce marketing strategies for brands right away.
- Think outside the box, but not too far outside. Many brands that harnessed the power of their niche have proven to do very well in these challenging times. For example, Lululemon Athletica, offers athletic apparel for yoga, and began offering virtual yoga classes. They’ve now acquired Mirror, a company centered around subscription services for at-home exercise and wellness classes. The key here is to think progressively while owning your lane.
- Give your customers a break. Literally. Once you’ve made the first sale, let them bask in that glory for a moment - or several! Figure out what is the appropriate length of time to nurture the relationship with your new customer without trying to sell them something else.
Use this time to let your customer fall deeper in love with your product and your brand while you celebrate with them. Do what it takes to let them know they are a valuable part of your brand’s family - not just another potential order number.
- … Baby One More Time. Don’t let your customer get lonely. After you’ve given them a moment to breathe, optimize toward their second purchase with at least as much care as you did for the first. The key here is to be even more thoughtful this time around as a second purchase is a great indicator of a potential lifetime customer.
With proper nurturing, this relationship will continue to bloom and before you know it, you’ll have an evangelist on your hands singing praises of your company and offering testimonials to their own social networks.
- Go back to basics. But, do it creatively. Compelling organic content is more crucial than ever before. Email marketing continues to flourish in its efficacy while direct physical mail is typically brushed aside as a thing of the past. Despite that, Sellry has seen direct mail deliver results 28x more effective than what was produced by email.
Michael reminds us of Jeff Olson’s statement: “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.” So, get creative and try something old, but make it your own! (While being as eco-friendly as possible, please!)
- If you stand for nothing, what’ll you fall for? With today’s circumstances making social disconnectedness often feel like a plague of its own, brands have a unique opportunity to play an increasingly important role in social commentary.
The strongest brands create movements, or at least get behind the important ones in order to assert their values and find their tribe. This is especially critical for up-and-coming brands to define their moral code. It’s far more difficult to change how the public perceives a brand’s values once their perception has been cemented.
Take these principles, and combine them with the more obvious modern strategies like engaging social influencers and diversifying your affiliates. Pay attention to the data that matters, and reflect upon the purpose of your approach until the data is solid enough to automate your processes. Although there is no quick, one-size-fits-all formula, focusing on winning the long-tail game will allow your brand to find its place in the world without being reliant on advertising.
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