Learn From These Amazon Bestsellers in Order to Beat Them
Millions of buyers search Amazon for new products and brands. See examples of the best Amazon eCommerce marketing in order to find ways to beat competition. When it comes to Amazon, lots of sellers say that if you can’t beat them, you should join them. That doesn’t refer to copying either the products or tactics of other sellers. At the same time, the platform offers so much information about best-selling products that successful eCommerce marketing often depends upon researching top products and sellers in order to come up with a profit- and growth-driving strategy for their own business. Learn what kinds of products to look for, examples of top sellers, and why Amazon eCommerce marketing offers the perfect platform to launch or grow a business. Finding Amazon top sellers to research StartupBros, one Amazon marketing agency, has their own simple formula they use to find likely products. While other sellers may use different criteria and not every box needs checking for all products, these look like sensible gauges for new sellers who want to find products to help generate new ideas: They tend to favor products with prices between about $20 and $200. For obvious reasons, it’s beneficial to have easy-to-ship items that can qualify for express shipping. Reasonable prices for the item should allow for a profit margin of at least 50 percent. Current product listings should have less than 150 reviews, indicating the market isn’t totally saturated. The product should generate at least 10 sales a day to demonstrate it has already attracted buyers. Evaluating Amazon top sellers Using the requirements listed above, it’s fairly easy to find some briskly selling products and figure out how another seller could improve upon them for their own business. Pet grooming gloves Pet grooming gloves make grooming and de-shedding a pleasant, comfortable experience for both long-haired pets and pet parents. This listing on Amazon ranks at the top for both cat hair removal products and the pet category for Amazon Launchpad, a platform for innovative startups. It also has an Amazon’s Choice badge, which is a designation for products with generally favorable reviews, immediate shipping, and reasonable pricing. Is there an opportunity to do better? Obviously, the seller does well with this product. They’ve also effectively used images in the heading and description. However, they have very little text in the description area. Not only could these sellers have used text to provide more information, they might have sprinkled in a few more key words or phrases to help with ranking on Amazon and other search engines. Vegetable Spiralizers Spiralizers slice vegetables for salads, stir-fry dishes, or pasta replacements. According to the reviews, the Mueller product performs pretty well out of the box for some tasks. Unlike the pet glove listing, this product page appears to contain both clear photos and plenty of text. In fact, the description even provides tips for setting up and using the device, probably cutting down calls and emails for customer service. Is there room for improvement? For one thing, even many positive reviews mention that this wasn’t the first such device people have had. Mostly, this product has steel blades but otherwise relies upon a fairly cheap plastic body. Less favorable reviews pointed out some problems with the product. These issues include: The bin to catch vegetables was too small. The plastic body felt cheap. The product sliced zucchini well but didn’t perform to expectations with softer yellow squash. A competitor should not have a tough time either sourcing or manufacturing an alternative product that resolves these design flaws. Even if the product would cost a little more, plenty of people appeared willing to pay for quality. Why Amazon offers a great eCommerce marketing opportunity According to the eCommerce platform’s own Amazon Advertising page, customers don’t just use the site to shop for things they already want. In fact, 80 percent of Amazon shoppers also visit to browse around and find new products and brands. Also, because so many sellers have already found success, it’s easy to find top sellers and improve upon their product development and marketing.
Pet Care Marketing: How Trends Provide Growth Opportunities
Successful pet care marketing means watching current pet care trends, as pet owner desires and behaviors continue to change fast. An apparent immunity to economic downturns, rapid growth, and a rising share of sales from eCommerce made the pet supply market one of the shining stars of the past year. Still, as Common Share punned, some pet care marketing services still face dog-eat-dog competition as the biggest players capture the lion’s share of business. For just a few examples: PETCO and PetSmart took in almost half of all total revenue in 2019. Amazon penetrated the online market with its own white-label pet products. Large retailers, like Walmart and Target, increased their online presence. Still, plenty of smaller DTC and distributors have pulled off some amazing wins with excellent product development, on-the-nose pet product branding, and catering to hot trends. Look at the top pet product trends from the perspective of a pet care marketing agency to find high-growth opportunities in this expanding market. The latest pet product marketing trends A data technology company called SPINS reported upon the hottest pet trends in 2020. For a general tip about pet product branding, they said that companies that convinced customers they truly cared about pets and their owners had the best chance to thrive in the current environment. Otherwise, these are specific niches that have performed well recently: Natural products: These days, consumers don’t just lean towards choosing natural products for themselves. They also want to provide their pets with wholesome, natural food, toys, supplements, and remedies. As an example, hemp supplements for pet anxiety have grown increasingly popular. Custom products: In addition to offering their furry or feathered friends a more natural diet, pet owners want to choose products specifically tailored for their own pet’s needs. For instance, they may seek different dog food products for puppies or kittens, overweight dogs or cats, or elderly pets. Unique items: Besides custom products like bespoke food, some retailers did well with unique items that caught customer’s attention. Some examples included pet portraits, pet socks, and cute dog beds that look like dollhouse beds. In fact, some IKEA stores had trouble keeping their doll beds in stock because people bought them for their cats and small dogs, even against the company’s advice. Community- or eco-friendly products and packaging: Consumers don’t just want to buy wholesome products for their pets. They also want purchases to contribute to a clean and sustainable environment. Any pet marketing agency can give their brands a boost by using and promoting their sustainable packaging and ingredients. Supporting worthy causes that their customers care about can also catch the attention of a market audience. Better shopping experiences: The rise of large chains and eCommerce doesn’t necessarily keep neighborhood stores or startups in the doghouse. Many pet owners like and use various options, depending upon the situation. Omni-channel marketing with stores, eCommerce, and pickup or delivery can help niche businesses thrive. Examples of successful pet marketing campaigns from smaller companies To spark some inspiration, a pet marketing agency might look at some good examples of startups that successfully launched products. Natural pet food Some smaller pet food businesses gained traction with their high-quality, natural products, a DTC marketing model, delivery, and often, subscription sales. As an example, Ollie delivers vet-approved, customizable, and healthy meals. The Farmer’s Dog offers a meal-delivery plan that starts at only $3 a day. Pet beds Surprisingly, some of today’s popular pet beds come from businesses that gained a reputation for innovation by first making mattresses and bedding for people. These brands include Purple and Casper. This ties into the trend of people looking for the same benefits for their pets they would favor when they buy products for themselves. Dog hygiene Not only do Ethique’s solid shampoo and conditioner bars help reduce packaging waste, the company also uses natural ingredients. Besides marketing these bars to humans, they market the Bow Wow Bar for dogs. According to the company, the PH-balanced, gentle dog shampoo bars can replace three typical bottles of shampoo. A pet product agency perspective on current trends To put it all together, pet products enjoyed a boom in recent years. In particular, online sales have spiked. Even better, forecasts suggest the pet product market hasn’t even matured yet, so there’s plenty of room for growth. It’s true that the major players have benefited the most from this spike. At the same time, some smaller, more innovative companies have found room to profit and grow by paying attention to current trends and satisfying changing customer desires.
5 Successful DTC Launches With Podcast Advertising
Podcast advertising gives DTC brands a chance to connect with a wide, engaged, and growing audience. See five DTC advertising success stories. PPC, blogging, and social media advertising tend to dominate discussions about DTC marketing. These kind of conversations totally ignore the rapid growth of podcast advertising as an effective and increasingly popular promotional medium for DTC brands. Even last year, The Drum reported that DTC ads had increased overall podcast revenue by over 50 percent in 2018. This comes at a time when podcasts have replaced radio shows for a hands- and eyes-free way to consume entertainment and information. Which DTC brands have enjoyed success with podcast advertising? Look at some examples of DTC companies that have found an audience with podcasts. TakeMeUndies As the name implies, TakeMeUndies sells underwear. As a podcast advertiser, they shifted some of their social media advertising money to podcast advertising a few years ago. As early experimenters, they managed to cut deals with some fairly notable celebs. Their bet paid off. According to Ad Exchanger, they have already sold nine million products and expect to generate $75 million in revenue for the year. In this case, the company used host-read ads. The CEO, Jonathan Shokrian, said that he credited his company’s success to having the advertisements sound more like person-to-person referrals than typical advertising. FabFitFun FabFitFun offers a unique and fun subscription service. Subscribers pay $49.99 each season. In return, they get a box filled with eight to ten products with a guaranteed value of at least $200. Members can also choose some of the products they want included in their basic box, or they can pick add-in products for an additional fee. According to Magellan, FabFitFun first started advertising on podcasts in 2017 and by 2019, they made the list of the highest spending podcast advertisers. They’re featured on such popular shows as The Goal Digger Podcast and Chatty Broads. Blue Apron Like TakeMeUndies, Blue Apron has grown up with sponsored podcast ads. In fact, they have even launched their own branded podcast called “Why We Eat What We Eat.” During the show, a food historian named Cathy Erway discusses a variety of interesting topics related to food. Some examples have ranged from the origins of duck sauce to dealing with picky eaters. Whatever their content marketing agency comes up with, it’s working. The company’s sales have increased 500 percent. ZipRecruiter Similar to Blue Apron, ZipRecruiter sponsors a podcast. In this case, it’s called Rise and Grind, a podcast that caters to their likely audience of job seekers, hiring managers, and entrepreneurs. Rise and Grind, the sponsored podcast, has even launched other businesses, like a Shark Tank investor named Daymond John. By producing the right type of content and sharing their platform with entrepreneurs, ZipRecruiter has earned a large, targeted audience and some great publicity. As an example, Daymon John praised ZipRecruiter as a company that focused upon finding good people and good jobs, according to FastCompany. Podcast Superstar According to the Podcast Superstar page on Airbnb, $195 gives guests an interview in a Manhattan studio for a podcast called mürmur. video. The page promises guests a chance to promote themselves, their business, or their idea directly to the world. This example doesn’t exactly fit with the more conventional approaches to using sponsored podcasts to attract an audience and promote a specific business. Instead, the podcast promotes itself as a way for people with a modest budget to get featured in a podcast. The reviews suggest that the host does a good job with the interview, even if his Airbnb page doesn’t mention the audience size. Still, the deal includes a professional recording, so at least, it can give startups and small companies a way to get content produced for a budget-friendly fee. To make this opportunity truly effective, they may need to invest more to distribute and promote the recording. How DTC brands can benefit from podcast promotions Podcast advertising shares certain features with both digital and radio promotions. Still, it has its own character. To make the most of this rapidly growing medium, keep these tips in mind: Typically, podcasts work very well to increase brand awareness, though they can directly push leads and sales. Since many listeners may listen to archived or downloaded programs long after the original date, they may work better for offers that aren’t time sensitive. As with radio, it’s usually not possible to finely tune audience demographics as tightly as on PPC platforms. When developing content for sponsored podcasts, keep the audience in mind. They probably don’t want to listen to 30-minute advertisements, so find relevant topics that would lend themselves well to mentions of specific products and services. As with any other kind of marketing, expect to test and tune a bit before finding the perfect podcast advertising solution. Still, many DTC brands have found receptive audiences and growth opportunities by investing in various kinds of podcast promotions.
Defining Luxury Shoppers in the eCommerce Marketing World
eCommerce marketing is growing, but it takes a different skill to target audience demographics for online luxury goods buyers. A McKinsey report upon the luxury goods sector this year expressed both cautions and reasons for optimism. Because the pandemic has slowed in-person sales worldwide, they emphasized the importance of focusing upon online growth. Not only can eCommerce marketing fuel online sales, it can help propel more potential customers to visit stores later. Of course, to make the best use of digital marketing dollars, it’s important to carefully target audience demographics. How targeting eCommerce marketing to luxury buyers differs from other niches For many niches, a consumer marketing agency will suggest targeting the right buyers through content marketing. After all, posting relevant content can cast a wide net. In most cases, it’s fair to assume that people with an interest in the content will also want to buy associated products and services. Yet, this kind of strategy may not prove as effective for an audience analysis agency that hopes to target their market for luxury buyers. MediaPost mentioned a good example of some pitfalls luxury brands have encountered when they tried to define and target audience demographics with posts about multi-million dollar homes, imported purses, or other big-ticket luxuries. They may attract some potential buyers; however, they’re also likely to engage a more aspirational market. Who hasn’t looked at their social media pages to see a friend posting a picture of a dream home by the beach or high-powered sports car? That’s more about sharing a daydream about a luxury item than serious thinking about buying one. After that social media friend has shared or commented on one of these posts, they will suddenly find themselves targeted or retargeted for similar ads. Daydreaming friends may find the situation amusing; however, for the brands paying for clicks or displays, they’re wasting money. Consider location targeting Property development companies put a lot of thought into where they will build their next gated community or luxury condos. Likewise, high-end jewelers and other kinds of luxury retailers carefully consider which shopping districts to choose for new stores. Even though eCommerce customers can compare, shop, and buy from almost anywhere, it stands to reason that businesses will still find them mostly in the same kinds of areas that would help a physical outlet prosper. With that in mind, consider a few ways to gather information for location targeting: Past behavior: Of course, targeting people who have actually taken the time to visit the physical location of a luxury brand may work the best of all. Even if the consumer did not buy from the business, perhaps they have shopped and purchased from other luxury brands. Geo-locations of homes: The location and value of a current home or rental can help suggest the price range and quality that a consumer might feel comfortable with. Just as physical outlets for high-end goods will target high-income communities, so should luxury eCommerce sellers. Try focusing on millennials The Shopify blog published some optimistic predictions about the future of online luxury goods sales. They expected a growth rate for eCommerce of over twice that of other sales channels. In particular, millennial adults have arrived at their peak time for spending and are especially prone to buy high-end goods for such lifecycle milestones as weddings and other events. When compared to older groups, millennial also generally favor comparing and buying online, so this age group looks like a great place to start. In the past, luxury brands focused upon differentiating their goods by emphasizing quality and exclusivity. These benefits can lure Millennials, but they also appear inclined to support companies with a clearly design purpose. As an example, Gucci says that these younger adults drive just about half of all of their sales. They succeeded with this market by introducing a site called Gucci Equilibrium that highlights their efforts to promote sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. As with other sectors, luxury marketing must adapt The pandemic has impacted just about every kind of business in one way or another. Sales of luxury brands online suggest that high-end businesses can look forward to a bright future if they carefully target their marketing and promote the right message.
How Health and Wellness Brands Bring Self-Care Home
Health and wellness brands know self-care matters more today than ever. Learn how to understand the current landscape and connect with customers at home. No doubt, the coronavirus pandemic delivered a tough blow to many parts of the beauty and wellness industries. As an example, concerns over hygiene and social distancing measures hurt the incomes of professionals who need to touch people to perform their jobs. Locally, these kinds of professions could range from hair stylists to massage therapists. The problem also spread to these professionals’ support staff, landlords, and suppliers. Of course, the coronavirus has also impacted companies that sell health and beauty products in stores. On the other hand, both the beauty and wellness industries have proven themselves adaptable and resilient during past downturns. People might consider beauty even more of a luxury than wellness. Yet, according to McKinsey, the beauty industry grew seven percent during the worst years of the Great Recession. During the current crisis, growth may have slowed in some sectors. During the Great Recession, businesses did not need to contend with social distancing and shutdowns. Even so, from the vantage point of a beauty and wellness marketing agency, many of the strongest brands have pivoted rapidly during this downturn as well. One way they’ve adapted includes helping their patrons attend to self-care at home. Why is self-care a perfect marketing niche during the pandemic? Even the Mayo Clinic and other health experts have emphasized the importance of self-care during these times. People need to take care of themselves to strengthen their immunity and to deal with the sometimes overwhelming nature of additional social isolation and abrupt change. So, creating a wellness brand can tie into measures that average folks already know they need to take. For examples of areas that beauty and wellness brands could help people with, consider some of the steps that the Mayo Clinic suggests for self-care: Maintaining physical health: The Mayo Clinic suggests getting plenty of sleep, enjoying physical activity, eating well, staying hydrated, and taking the time to relax. Maintaining mental health: The Mayo Clinic urges people to maintain social relationships through phones and computers, focus upon things they can control, and look for ways to help other people. Examples of pivoting health and wellness marketing to self-care If customers can’t or won’t visit a salon or store, businesses have cleverly found ways to deliver at least some of the benefits of their services at home: At-home dye kits: When one colorist couldn’t serve his clients in the salon, he began taking orders for at-home delivery of dye kits that he customized for each client from professional products. Virtual massages: The Motley Fool published a story about a massage therapy clinic that successfully offered virtual therapy and coaching sessions to replace in-person massages. Hand sanitizer production: It’s tough to find a wellness or health marketing agency that didn’t advise clients to start marketing high-demand items during the coronavirus outbreak, like hand sanitizer or face masks. Glossy brought up the example of digitally-native Nécessaire. The brand noticed that not only had engagement risen on social media posts about self-care topics, sales of these products had also increased during the pandemic. To their credit, they didn’t just ride the wave of increased online sales.They also worked to focus their social media posts on having conversations about self-care at home. Social topics include self-care tips and quizzes. They also included mentions of their own self-care products and even those of other companies. Their strategy has paid off with an engagement spike of 200 percent. To maintain momentum, the brand intends to expand its presence to YouTube and email marketing. Plus, they want to engage additional features on Instagram and Facebook. According to Randi Christiansen, the CEO of Nécessaire, businesses like hers can’t just talk about the benefits of their products. They also have to engage in some creative storytelling and conversations. This way, they can let customers know why taking care of themselves matters so much and that it matters to the brand, too. They’ve focused upon branding themselves as more of a self-care and wellness brand than they even viewed themselves as before. Creating a wellness brand during coronavirus Any beauty or wellness agency should consider the times and the state of mind of the people they’re trying to connect with. The pandemic has created a situation where self-care really matters, but it’s hard for many customers to visit the businesses that delivered their products and services in the past. That means smart businesses have striven to understand the situation and helped customers bring self-care home.
How eCommerce Marketing Can Cope With Delivery Slowdowns
Learn how eCommerce marketing can battle the slowdowns USPS and other delivery companies are facing, which are impacting companies both large and small. For years, the rise in electronic document delivery and digital marketing have reduced the volume of some kinds of mail. Neither people nor businesses send as many letters or ads through the post office as they used to. At the same time, an increase in eCommerce marketing has spurred the growth of package deliveries, so that somewhat offset the decline in USPS first-class mail and postcards. Even so, the COVID-19 pandemic has made delivery times longer and more uncertain. Along with extra hygiene and social delivery measures, the recent removal of sorting machines and reduction in overtime hours may have exacerbated the problem. Meanwhile, some online retailers have struggled to keep customers satisfied. Find out how a product marketing agency might adjust their eCommerce marketing to help maintain customer loyalty and good will. How postal slowdowns have impacted eCommerce marketing According to MarketWatch, even the largest online retailers have struggled with postal problems. Naturally, these problems have also impacted smaller businesses. For a couple of examples: Netflix: Netflix still mails out DVDs to customers who request them. According to a spokesman, they have suffered some shipping, which hurts their reputation for quick ordering, processing, and mailing. Amazon: Amazon delivery times have become unpredictable, even for the same delivery areas. The CEO of Products on the Go, an Amazon seller, said that her business has suffered because customers have canceled orders and filed complaints over packages that did not get delivered on time. Besides slowdowns impacting deliveries to customers, many companies also have to struggle with another issue. CNBC reported that some companies have had sourcing problems, as they also need inventory, supplies, and equipment shipped to them. They said the combination of problems could even threaten to put some online sellers out of business. How direct to consumer advertising can help businesses cope with slowdowns As quoted in the MarketWatch article cited above, the CEO of Products on the Go, Sharon Buchalter, said that they relied upon the Amazon network of delivery vans and postal contracts to ship orders. Because she could not control delivery times, she felt there was nothing she could do to solve the problem. From the perspective of a consumer marketing agency, businesses might not have the power to speed up the mail. On the other hand, good direct to consumer advertising and marketing can help manage expectations and improve the customer experience. Consider taking these two steps to help maintain good will with customers. Increase social media presence Consumers get online to share experiences and contact businesses. Smart eCommerce marketing should include participating and even controlling this conversation. These days, everybody knows the pandemic has caused problems for many companies, so businesses that communicate well can help reassure their customers. Taking a couple of simple steps on social media can help build and maintain good relationships: Promptly and cheerfully respond to social media messages of comments. Monitor social media for brand or business mentions. A couple of popular examples include HootSuite and Sprout Social. As much as possible, inform customers about any unusual disruptions that might impact their experience. Even more, talk about positive steps that the business has taken to protect customers and employees during this time. Make sure to promote the social media page on other internet properties, such as the business website and sales pages on other eCommerce sites. Let individual customers know about delays and try to make up for them Of course, all businesses and customers would prefer to have orders delivered when originally promised. If that can’t always happen, sellers can use their tracking information to anticipate delays before customers raise concerns. These simple suggestions should help: Taking the proactive step of sending an email to let customers know their shipment might not arrive on time should keep reasonable people from getting upset. Some companies might also consider sending along a discount code for the next order as a sign that they appreciate the customer’s patience, even if the seller did not cause and could not control the delay. Of course, prudent businesses might also add a note to their sales pages to let customers know that they might experience some delays because of the coronavirus. Keep anticipating slowdowns and looking for solutions Delivery problems might not impact all online sellers the same. For instance, a Florida advertising agency may not have clients with exactly the same issues as a New York agency. In other cases, the selling platform, the type of product, or even the size or kind of packages may make a difference. That’s part of the reason that companies may find delivery times so unpredictable these days. Also, just as the pandemic hasn’t completely resolved itself, it may take time for the USPS and other delivery companies to return to normal. Businesses may search for alternative shipping, sourcing, and delivery methods to help cope. Mostly, eCommerce marketing needs to prioritize keeping customers in the loop. They may have concerns when a shipment doesn’t arrive on time; however, good customers will typically understand the situation if they feel valued and communicated with.
CPG Digital Marketing: Top Trends and Tips for Your Brand
Most people still associate consumer packaged goods, or CPG, with items sold on the shelves of grocery, drug, and discount stores – but the category is actually much broader. CPG refers to the kinds of packaged products that people consume and need to replenish, like coffee, dog food, and soap. Historically, limited space on store shelves drove much of the competitiveness in the market. More recently, CPG digital marketing has offered companies the chance to grow beyond the limitations of physical space and sometimes, even to capture a larger share of that. Find out more about e-commerce digital marketing trends for CPGs and how this information can help inform your marketing. CPG Digital Marketing Trends and Consumer Preferences Most people still buy their packaged products in local stores. At the same time, online demand has been growing every year, as demonstrated by these consumer products marketing trends from IRI, an online sales insight service: Online CGP sales grew by over 34 percent in 2018 alone. Online revenue accounted for 11 percent of total consumer packed goods sales. Even more interesting, internet sales of consumer packaged goods made up 64 percent to the total market growth for both offline and online revenue. Which Platforms Sell the Most Consumer Packaged Goods? Besides sales numbers, it’s also informative to see what sorts of platforms most of these sales came from. According to IRI, over half of the sales came from internet-only retailers. Some of the largest examples include such online grocery stores as FreshDirect and Peapod. CGP digital marketing from the websites of mostly brick-and-mortar stores produced about one-quarter of the sales. Companies that directly sell their own products have a smaller but rapidly growing share. How is DTC Marketing Impacting Sales and Growth? Because of the loss of many retail outlets, manufacturers have recently struggled even more for a share of physical store space. To make up for this loss, they have increasingly bypassed traditional retailers in order to connect directly with consumers. According to the Shopify blog, direct-to-consumer, or DTC marketing, has accounted for 40 percent of sales growth in the market. Direct marketing has done more than help established CPG manufacturers offset slowdowns in their traditional selling channels. It’s also launched such purely DTC marketing brands as Dollar Shave Club and The Honest Company. In some cases, new brands have begun their lives online, found success, and then made their way into retail stores. For example, Deliciou is an Australian company that markets their packaged seasoning blends online but has also recently found shelf space inside such large U.S. retailers as Whole Foods. What CPGs Do Shoppers Buy the Most? What kinds of packaged products do people buy online the most? In general, people most commonly turn to the internet to order non-food items. More specifically, vitamin supplements, pet supplies and food, and skin care products, and coffee have enjoyed brisk online sales. Also, shoppers have increasingly begun to turn to online retailers for more sensitive purchases. As an example, the demand for adult incontinence products boomed by 84 percent in the past year. Consumers turn to internet ordering and delivery options for convenience in sometimes, for privacy. What Drives Consumers to Choose Online CPG Retailers? An IRI consumer survey asked online shoppers what options they looked for in e-ecommerce stores. They survey takers could select more than one option. The survey found: Free delivery motivated over half of respondents to purchase online. Almost half said that if the delivery isn’t free, it should be reasonably fast. Four out of ten of these online shoppers also liked in-store pickup options. About one-third of the survey takers would consider subscription services that automatically sent supplies periodically, typically at a discount over just ordering one time. According to the survey, online shoppers also want to find online retailers who will offer them good deals. Over half plan to search for discounts and coupons and use various sites to compare prices. Using CPG Marketing Trends to Inform Your Marketing Strategy Right now, online sales of CGP make up a relatively small but rapidly growing share of the overall market. They can help producers offset increased competition for retail store space through online sales. In some cases, e-commerce marketing can even help new brands get established by making online sales and even getting enough brand recognition to earn coveted slots at brick-and-mortar stores. Now that you understand the benefits of selling CPG online, you can explore ways to get consumers to buy products online that they still may be used to picking up at the grocery store. SEM Marketing for Consumer Packaged Products Just as it’s important to leverage good product placement in stores, you can use search engine marketing to put your brands directly in front of customers. Both for paid and organic SEM marketing for consumer goods, you need to make certain that you rise to the top for the sorts of terms that searchers are likely to use for products like yours. For instance, shoppers might not know to look for your brand of hypoallergenic soap or organic, fair-trade coffee, but instead, they may search for those terms or specific problems your product might solve. To optimize your web pages, make certain you research the kinds of search terms consumers might try. Use those terms to optimize your headings, descriptions, and content. In addition, you should try to build your e-commerce shop’s authority by encouraging high-quality incoming links from other relevant websites. For example, you might seek reviews on blogs, issue press releases, or get listed in high-quality directories. Besides organic search, CPG manufacturers have spent millions of dollars on paid search marketing, according to Search Engine Land. One standard tactic consists of promoting useful content related to their brands. For instance, a packaged food manufacturer might create simple recipes that feature their products. Colgate found success by producing oral health information that related to diabetes. If you find that the direct keywords for your product are too difficult to
3 Common eCommerce Marketing Myths Busted
eCommerce Myths Busted: Failing to market, account for all costs, and to seek help can lead to eCommerce marketing failures. For this latest episode of eCommerce Marketing Myth Busters, it’s time to dispel some notions that are quite common to new sellers. Any experienced product marketing agency has encountered sellers with these untrue or half-true notions. They create obstacles to success that prove much easier to overcome early instead of later. Sadly, buying into these myths can cause online ventures to fail, even when they were based upon a sound business idea. Three eCommerce marketing myths To get started with eCommerce on the right foot, learn the truth about these three eCommerce fictions: 1. If it’s on the internet, buyers will find it Most of the large eCommerce platforms make it simple for non-technical people to either set up stores and create listings. At the same time, just having products listed on the internet will not guarantee sales or even store visitors. That’s true even for retailers or direct to consumer advertising agencies with great prices, products, and service. MarketingSignals put the reasons for eCommerce failures into two categories: Poor search engine visibility: Either the new store has no visibility in the platform’s search engine or in such major search platforms as Google. Generally, it takes some time to get noticed by these search engines, so nobody can expect a high ranking at first. Lack of effective marketing: New stores often start out with low search visibility, so they need to grow an audience through social media, blogs, paid ads, or even offline marketing. Internet stores need a sound marketing plan as much as they need products and a platform to sell them on. About two out of three failed online retailers offered one of the reasons above as the reasons they closed up shop. Other less-common reasons for store failures included running out of cash and an ability to profit on sales made. The truth: Just building an eCommerce site and failing to market it almost never works. 2. Free shipping Certainly, listings with free shipping have grown pervasive on plenty of eCommerce websites. Some platforms even give these listings preference in their search engines. Savvy sellers and even buyers should know that shipping costs money. If there’s no separate shipping cost, then that cost was built into the purchase price. According to The Atlantic, seeing shipping charges at checkout ranks among the most common reasons that buyers abandon carts. At the same time, sellers who fail to either charge for shipping or pad their prices to make up for free-shipping offers will risk losing money. Free shipping offers have been touted as a popular way to increase sales. As a caution, The Atlantic article illustrated the example of Etsy. The site used to offer the most visibility only to their most popular sellers. They changed to giving some preference in ranking for free shipping and found overall conversion rates dropped. After this change to the way Esty ranked listings, some of their previously successful sellers struggled. To cope, many Etsy merchants compromised by offering free shipping for minimum orders, hoping they could absorb the cost with higher revenues per sale. The truth: Sellers need to factor shipping charges into their overall costs one way or another. 3. Sellers have to work alone Success with online sales takes more than just developing or sourcing good products and then finding an online venue to sell them on. It’s also critical to account for all of the costs involved to the business, including shipping, marketing, and overhead. Sellers need to find their market and learn to appeal to them through targeted marketing. Once shoppers find the store, listings need to entice them to push the Buy button. Here’s the good news. Startups owners can seek help from experienced people in all of these disciplines. For example, Shopify says that every six months, one out of three of their merchants seek assistance from a Shopify Partner. The Shopify Partner Program helps connect merchants with individuals that can identify and solve common problems. For other platforms or even a dedicated business site, it’s also possible to find an experienced consumer marketing agency that can help. The truth: A lot goes into running an eCommerce business, and smart sellers know when to seek help. What’s the Truth about eCommerce marketing? Plenty of online sellers had leveraged their hobbies or past business experiences into successful eCommerce stores. Of course, eCommerce marketing also offers physical store owners a great way to expand their marketplace beyond their town or even country. The global online marketplace has topped $4.5 trillion and is expected to keep growing, according to Shopify. There’s still lots of room for savvy sellers to grow a new internet business. While plenty of shoppers enjoy the selection, convenience, and prices they can find online, it isn’t always easy for a new store owner to attract them because the opportunity to profit has also attracted plenty of competition. It also takes money to source, market, and deliver products to customers, and sellers need to account for all of their costs. On the positive side, even new sellers can find the right assistance to start managing all aspects of their business the right way from the very first day.
Don’t Get “Gooped”: Credible Health and Wellness Marketing Tips
Outlandish health claims make trouble. Health and wellness marketing needs quality content and credible distribution channels to develop long-term trust. Since there’s even a Netflix show about Goop, the wellness company has gotten a lot of attention. Founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, Goop has also attracted more than a little criticism for making questionable claims about the efficacy of its products. Not judging, but some of their natural remedies include jade, sexual-wellness eggs and psychological-energy sprays. Actually, according to NBC News, they were once judged and had to pay $145,000 to settle a California lawsuit for making unsubstantiated health claims. To avoid getting lumped with Goop by today’s savvy consumers or even worse, legal authorities, consider some examples of other businesses that can inspire an effective and authentic health and wellness marketing campaign. Authentic, credible health and wellness marketing In contrast to Goop, Sophie Scott serves as the editor-in-chief of BALANCE, a trusted wellness publication from the U.K. She was quoted in Forbes as saying they worked hard to establish credibility. She understands that many people have lost trust in her industry and doesn’t blame them. For one thing, BALANCE focuses upon prevention, so it’s not as easy to document effectiveness than it might be for a company that promoted remedies. At the same time, she believes that during these stressful times, people need the practical and effective information that her publication offers more than ever. As an example, she mentioned that stress alone causes $1 trillion in global productivity losses every year. In addition, the worldwide wellness industry is estimated to have a worth of $14 trillion, so it’s obvious that lots of people are seeking these kind of solutions. Taking a page from BALANCE, these are some ingredients of their success as a credible and successful healthcare marketing agency and publication: Focus upon factual information: It’s important to ensure that all messaging contains only well-researched and factual information. For instance, BALANCED earned a Wellspoken Mark, given to health and wellness companies that adhere to high standards for only making honest claims. No business wants to be accused of Goop marketing tactics, so take care to only promote proven substantiated benefits. Develop a high-performing marketing strategy: BALANCE charges for printed magazines, but they don’t just rely upon hard-copy distribution. They’re also very active with their content on such social networks as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They have a website, Balance.Media, a podcast, and even promote live events. One example of a past live event that’s creative and relates to their ongoing mission was a live saxophone spin class. What can a healthcare marketing agency learn from BALANCE about distributing content? While BALANCE covers a broad range of topics in their publication, they’re not really in the business of promoting their own products. Instead, they use their publication to research health and fitness ideas and in the process, often advertise other companies. Because they’ve gained credibility with their audience, they might serve as a perfect publisher to attract a growing supplement, fitness, or skincare marketing agency. At the same time, health and wellness manufacturers and distributors may want to develop their own marketing platforms, perhaps both online and offline, so BALANCE can serve as a great example. As another example, Casper produces mattresses, and they began publishing their own print magazine, Woolly. Newer businesses might decide to keep their content online but take something away from the idea that a credible wellness publication can also serve as a great place to promote their brand. Find a niche and establish credibility To get started, it’s best to find a niche and establish credibility there first. As an example, MyFitnessPal maintains a blog that features articles about diet, exercise, and diet-friendly recipes. They use the blog pages to insert promotions for their newsletter, apps, and other products. Sometimes, in turn for great content, they offer bylines to topic experts. As an example, a fitness trainer provided an article about easing into weight training. The trainer’s credibility comes from his experience as a college athlete, power lifter, an advanced degree in Exercise Science, and co-ownership of a gym. At the end of the piece, the blog inserted a promotion for relevant features in their app and prompted readers to download it. This serves as a good example of using relevant, valuable content to attract and audience and then taking the chance to market to them. A wellness business doesn’t need or want Goop marketing Goop certainly gained some attention from their marketing tactics and perhaps, their celebrity owner. It’s not the kind of publicity that a legitimate healthcare marketing agency would suggest for any company that wants to earn a reputation as credible and authentic. Instead, develop high-quality content that doesn’t rely upon outlandish claims and then find distribution channels with the sort of reputation you want your brand to associate with.
DTC Marketing Subscription Box Tips to Move Your Brand
How successful DTC marketing companies use flexible plans, content, and pricing to attract and retain their valued customers. To improve returns on direct to consumer advertising, why not consider a subscription model? After all, it can help improve your company’s typical customer experience by offering convenience and discounts. At the same time, it’s likely to dramatically increase retention. Find out how to add recurring revenue to your D2C marketing plan in order to enjoy faster and more sustainable growth. How to maximize subscriptions to your DTC marketing plan Look at a popular example of a company using direct to consumer advertising for a subscription service. According to Core DNA, a D2C marketing agency, Dollar Shave Club enjoys an incredible 50 percent retention rate after 12 months. Even after two years, that figure only drops to 25 percent. Combining an outstanding retention rate and recurring revenue fueled their rapid growth. Look at the example of Dollar Shave Club and some other successful DTC companies to gain some inspiration. Flexible subscription options can overcome objections Since Dollar Shave Club engaged in DTC marketing, they could offer some flexible options that may have contributed to their retention rate. For instance, they have a “Not-So-Hairy” option that lets customers skip months. It’s interesting to note that they tend to take in more transactions on the second month than the first one. Customers might already have blades for the current month, and this option can overcome that objection. In any case, it’s always a good idea to figure out the market’s possible objections and pain points. Adding in some flexibility to help maximize benefits and prompt quick purchases can help attract more reluctant shoppers. Subscription pricing tactics to reduce competition Because Zuora provides subscription apps to online retailers, they’ve paid attention to the effectiveness of various pricing strategies. In Zuora’s view, competing on the price of a basic subscription may be inevitable for some products. Their best advice to a product marketing agency with stiff competition may be to keep prices as low as possible for the first subscription. Then try to maximize revenues with possible upsells. Of course, they also offered the example of T-Mobile. Instead of solely competing by price, the mobile carrier was one of the first to sell their services without requiring a contract, which helped them double their subscriber base within three years. They still have subscribers who pay monthly fees for services, and often, for extra insurance and to pay off their phones. After getting a phone, many customers also decide to add a tablet or accessories. Their strategy provides an example of a company that offered more flexibility in order to maximize customers and the potential for upsells. Consider using content for marketing DTC subscriptions A more traditional consumer marketing agency may suggest using mostly paid ads to gain brand recognition and attention. In particular, a startup marketing agency could advise very new brands that they need to sell products as quickly as possible to start driving revenue. That can work; however, a lot of companies have enjoyed success by using an inbound, content-driven marketing scheme to attract their audience. Some companies even start with content before they ever offer their products by subscription. As an example, Glossier sells beauty products directly to consumers. The founder, Emily Weiss, started with a beauty blog and strong social media and video presence that offered insights about celebrity beauty rituals. Her content strategy also allowed her to connect with plenty of online influencers. Only after the blog attracted 15 million views each month, Ms. Weiss decided to develop her beauty company. By that time, she already had a huge, loyal audience. Even better, she had gotten to know her market very well. Other brands do it the other way. They begin their product brand and then develop online and in some cases, offline content. Popular kinds of online content include blogs, videos, and even webinars. For offline content, businesses might sponsor such relevant events as demos, classes, tables at festivals, or booths at trade shows. Benefit from loyal customers and brand ambassadors Word-of-mouth marketing still performs very well. By offering a referral program, a DTC subscription business can recruit an army of brand ambassadors from its own satisfied customers. Also, the nature of recurring revenue can make it easier to entice customers to spread the word by offering them recurring discounts or rewards every time their recruit’s subscription charges them. And since recurring customers can offer businesses a high lifetime value, it’s worth an investment to keep them. Loyalty programs can motivate customers to stay subscribed by providing them a way to earn discounts, reward points, or free gifts every time they get an order. Work to create the best customer experience with subscription plans Of course, customers enroll in subscription plans to enjoy convenience and discounts. Businesses should learn about their customers to deliver the best possible experience and overcome potential objections. Some succeed by offering very simple options to maximize efficiency and avoid overwhelming people. Others provide a variety of plans to try to satisfy different kinds of customers. Finding the perfect balance may require some testing and surveys.