eCommerce is one of the most competitive sectors there is, specifically when it comes to staying relevant. Online businesses continuously have to be aware of how to get their brand and products in front of the eyes of their customers. Because of this, eCommerce companies need to come up with creative marketing strategies that communicate their brands’ story in a thoughtful and distinctive way.
Below, we have compiled examples of booming eCommerce businesses, and the marketing strategies behind their success, to inspire you and help you increase your traffic, leads, and sales.
Case Studies
Warby Parker:
Warby Parker, the glasses e-tailer, has a keen eye for understanding their brand and how to make mundane objects fun and exciting. By weaving their brand’s mission into their marketing tactics, Warby Parker has a clear objective: to make buying fashionable, affordable glasses online possible and easy. Their entire business model depends on their unconventional, quirky marketing strategy that pokes fun at their own brand and product while involving their audience. This way, through social media, Warby Parker was able to engage and hence, generate tons of content through their social fanbase; by getting users to submit their own Warby Parker content for their Instagram feed. Not only does this boost customer loyalty, but it also adds to the user’s experience. Their excellent customer service also ensures that the entire eCommerce transaction will be a delight from start to finish.
Toms:
Toms, the feel-good shoe brand, masterfully intertwines audience engagement with its marketing strategy through a positive social mission with their outstanding marketing slogan/company vision: one for one. This socially conscious eCommerce brand gives a pair of shoes (or service) to a person/community in need for each pair sold. First-time buyers are quickly converted into loyal customers by keeping their business model deeply embedded in acts of service. Also, the company has social media initiatives that encourage customers to participate in campaigns and competitions for their #withoutshoes initiative. This drives traffic to their shop while generating user-based content, in turn, boosting their SEO and social proof efforts without spending a dime.
Birchbox:
The UK’s number one beauty box takes full advantage of word-of-mouth marketing through its creation of a revolutionary product: sample-sized beauty products tailored to your specific beauty needs (which was unheard of at the time of the launch). Due to the massive amounts of beauty products out there, it makes shopping for the right ones difficult, especially when products react differently to different people. Birchbox eliminated that problem for its customers who naturally stimulated interest, and generated buzz all over social media in addition to free content. Also, due to the quality and customizability of their products, happy customers are encouraged to spread their excitement about how great the brand is. This positive feedback solidified their marketing efforts by creating profitable word-of-mouth campaigns. Their eCommerce model has since been reproduced by eCommerce niches worldwide, due to how effective their inbound marketing strategies are.
Asos:
Asos, the clothing e-tailer, offers buyers the best fashion items on their platform and groups them in with their own products. By combining their own brand with the best selection other brands have to offer, they not only heighten their own brand name and sell more products, but they have also become the destination for online shopping. Asos has boomed into a billion-dollar empire due to their content marketing strategies, influencer marketing, and social advocacy. For instance, Asos has its own magazine that regularly publishes high-quality content. It comes in both print and digital, and for digital subscribers, the magazine lets you click on the items it features, making it exceptionally easy to shop as you browse. Their Asos Insider initiative takes influencer marketing to another level by encouraging influencers to post their outfit of the day (OOTD) on their social media channels, where customers can buy the influencer’s entire outfit from social media. In addition, the company advocates for disadvantaged youth through the creation of the Asos Foundation, which builds infrastructures and educational initiatives. By placing its emphasis on corporate responsibility, Asos establishes itself as a brand with a positive image and impact, which has, alongside their marketing efforts, set them up as the go-to eCommerce brand in the fashion industry.
Bonobos:
For eCommerce companies, competing against goliaths like Amazon and eBay can be brutally difficult. Their low costs make it nearly impossible for smaller businesses to reduce their prices while maintaining product quality. Bonobos, the men’s pants company, not wanting to sacrifice their standard of clothing just to survive, created an entirely branded marketing strategy. They provide a specific product to a particular niche, and it just so happens that the niche they ran with (namely millennial males who do not enjoy traditional retail experiences) love their better-fitting, better-looking pants. By personalising their product and focusing on what they can offer customers, that giant eCommerce mammoths can’t, they can establish a loyal customer base while protecting their own slice of the eCommerce cake.
