It’s a known fact that having an online store puts you in the eyes of a far larger audience, but many businesses shy away when they remember that global giants like eBay and Amazon take up a large part of the ecommerce space.
Although there is some tough competition out there, it’s important to remember that a staggering 4.4 billion people now use the internet, meaning if a business has a good digital marketing strategy in place, the growth can be phenomenal.
There are many examples of ecommerce businesses who have cut through the noise and risen to success with their digital marketing campaigns, benefitting from boosts in sales and strong brand awareness. We’ve decided to share some of the best ecommerce marketing campaigns out there, providing you with plenty of inspiration for your next strategy.
Monki
Monki is an affordable clothing brand which caters to women who enjoy oversized fits and funky patterns. Monki, like many other popular clothing brands, use the power of social media to create a hype surrounding their trendy garments. With over 620k followers on their Instagram page, you’ll immediately notice that Monki encourage social sharing, telling customers to tag their outfits with the hashtag #monkistyle.
The photos which feature this hashtag will then automatically make it onto a feed on the Monki website, and some of the best photos will even be re-published on Monki’s Instagram. Seems like a pretty good incentive to buy some of their clothing and upload a snap, right?
Key takeaway: Promoting your products with help from high-quality pictures and expensive models will only take you so far. Nowadays, if you’re promoting on social media, an authentic approach will take you to the next level. Your followers are going to want to feel involved, and by promoting a hashtag like #monkistyle or #AsSeenOnMe (ASOS), you’re putting your customers at the forefront of the brand. Collaborations don’t get much better than that.
Learn more: 📈 Top tips for building a soild following on social media
Sephora
After having a well-established website, the next step for many ecommerce brands is to optimise their shopping experience for mobile. After all, it’s expected that by 2021, 54% of all retail ecommerce will be generated via mobile.
The best way to become optimised for mobile is through the use of an app. This is where Sephora’s digital marketing magic lies.
Sephora, a highly respected beauty brand, decided to take the plunge and give virtual reality a go. They released a ‘virtual artist’ feature on their app, allowing users to upload an image of themselves and test out a whole range of different products (Sephora products, of course). Once the users finish playing around with different products, they have the option to be directed to the ecommerce store, where they can buy the products.
This extremely clever form of marketing was new and exciting, giving users the chance to have confidence in the products they’re buying from the comfort of their own home. The strategy has been extremely successful, generating over 8.5 million visits. That’s the chance for 8.5 million new customers.
Key takeaway: When you’re in an industry like the beauty one, there is a lot of pressure to promote your products as authentically as possible. The last thing that you want is disappointed customers. By creating the Virtual Artist, Sephora have shown that they truly care about their customer and want what’s best for them. As technology continues to advance, more and more exciting forms of marketing are going to come to play. It’s all about thinking outside of the box and giving unfamiliar tactics a try. In Sephora’s case, it certainly paid off.
Learn more: 🖥️ 7 new technologies shaping online marketing for the better
Tesla
Tesla are another brand making bold moves in the ecommerce world. Ever since they made the decision to shift all of their sales online, they’ve truly ramped up their digital marketing tactics, outshining competitors like Ferrari and BMW. However – they’ve added a twist.
While Tesla are pretty active on social media (over 3 million followers on Twitter), the true magic lies within the activity of Elon Musk; CEO of Tesla. Elon Musk has a whopping 27.3 million followers on Twitter alone and uses his profile to talk about personal and business affairs. The approach he takes adds levels of transparency and humanity to the Tesla brand; which people clearly love.
Reason for top rating is that active steering & braking safety features of Tesla Autopilot are turned on no cost for all cars https://t.co/HBKwAEbgc9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2019
As well as utilising the fame of the CEO to drive sales, Tesla also uses live streams to build up the hype of products which are about to launch. Of course, live streams are only valuable if you’re guaranteed a dedicated audience, but they certainly pay off. As viewers begin to live-Tweet along with the stream, brand awareness continues to circulate.
Key takeaway: So, firstly, the effort which Elon Musk makes to interact with his audience proves just how important it is to be transparent as a brand. We’re unfortunately in a world where it’s far too easy to get scammed, meaning customers are going to be cautious when it comes to looking for someone they can trust. Reminding them that you’re human is a great place to start.
Another valuable lesson which we can takeaway from Tesla’s marketing activity is that marketers shouldn’t be afraid to gloat about their product. Building up hype, e.g. via live stream, helps potential buyers to make an informed decision and share their views before the launch. By doing this, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of the demand for your product and feel far less stress on launch day.
Learn more: 🎥 8 crucial insights marketers should take from the latest video trends
Zappos
Zappos are easily one of the best brands around when you’re in need of some ecommerce SEO inspiration. For many years now, Zappos have been using their excellent customer service expertise to market the brand and win over customers. In fact, Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, even wrote a book on the importance of online customer care.
Through promoting such positivity and encouraging customers to give feedback on the excellence of their customer service, Zappos have created a loyal following of both new and returning customers.
Let’s not forget that their Twitter looks like it’s run by a hilarious and relatable teenager, either…
all you need is love…and a Zappos VIP membership for 1 day shipping
— Zappos.com (@Zappos) July 8, 2019
Key takeaway: Your businesses personality and reputation is extremely important. Once again, this relates back to trust; if you can prove your excellence and have a loyal customer base to prove it, then your chances of having more sales are second to none.
Learn more: 🌟 5 invaluable reputation manegement tips
Great! What’s next?
Now that you’ve seen just how many avenues you can go down with ecommerce marketing, it’s time to establish what will work best for your business. Combined with our top tips for ecommerce marketers and a whole lot of inspiration, you’ll be ready to skyrocket sales and truly excel in the online world.