9 powerful multichannel marketing tips for e-commerce brands
E-commerce businesses cannot stay on one platform if they want to get ahead of the competition. This is where e-commerce multichannel marketing comes in. Channel loyalty doesn’t exist; buyers check different channels before they make a purchase. Even with promos, they still compare offerings. Multichannel marketing involves promoting and selling on every channel that your customers can interact with you on.
Take Amazon prime day for example. Below is a summary of how shoppers plan to interact with various platforms:
| Platform/Action | Percentage of Shoppers |
|---|---|
| Plan to visit other channels | 76% |
| Compare prices at Walmart | 46% |
| Use Target | 40% |
| Try brand websites | 39% |
When going the route of multichannel marketing, the issue isn't in choosing all the platforms that there is. It's in maintaining a competitive edge. Many brands are marketing on multiple channels; you need to stand out. This article gives powerful tips that improve the effectiveness of your e-commerce multichannel marketing strategy.
Tip 1: Define channel focus
Multichannel doesn’t mean being everywhere. You don't have to push out on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs (including those not directly related to you), and so on. Before you choose any channel, define what it means for your business. Every channel you pick should work for your business model, industry, and target audience.
Narrow your channels to the most strategic ones for your target audience. The first step to that is knowing who your targets are. Ask these questions:
- Where does your customer live?
- What is their education level?
- What stage are they at in their carrier?
- What is their income range?
- What age group do they fit into?
- What pain points do they have that connects to your products?
With the answers, you can brainstorm the platforms your prospects are likely to pay attention to your message on. For example, baby boomers are less likely to be on Snapchat. It’s best if you don’t decide on platforms on your own; instead, ask people in your target group through questionnaires, surveys, or simply by talking to them. Note down the channels your competitors are using as well.
Platforms you can look into include:
- Paid marketing on Google or affiliate sales networks
- Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter)
- Organic search engine results
- Marketplaces and online communities
- Blogger/influencer mentions
- Messaging apps and Email
Tip 2: Understand the buyer's’ journey
To grow and scale an e-commerce business, you need to understand the buyer's journey. It takes more than one touchpoint or interaction before buyers are likely to purchase from you. If they visit your website through organic search, they may leave without converting. Also, people hardly buy a product the first time they see it. Instead, they may search for reviews, compare your product price with that in another marketplace, or ask around.
There are four phases buyers will pass:
- Awareness: This stage may be on social media.
- Consideration: They may search for reviews and other information.
- Decision: Comparing offerings and making the final choice.
- Post-purchase: Continued interaction after the sale.
By understanding these phases, you can ensure your message reaches prospects on the platforms they are likely to pay attention to.
