At Bear North Digital, our marketing agency’s Shopify services are unlike any that back other Shopify businesses. We understand no two companies use a given platform the same; therefore, a marketing channel that helps one establishment thrive won’t always provide the same results for another. However, we’ve listed the best and most popular marketing channels below to consider.
1. Marketing on Social Media
Living in the era of social media where nearly anyone can become TikTok famous and make a living from YouTube means people give plenty of attention to these platforms. Creating a Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat page guarantees your company some of that attention via organic marketing. And this exposure requires no additional cost to your business since you don’t pay for clicks or views.
Individuals will not only come across more of your posts, pictures, and videos that show the family side of your business or the quality of your products, but they’ll also follow and like any content they appreciate. It’ll drive them to your website for more information and grow your social media presence, bringing you to the right influencers and companies that may also help promote your business.
Additionally, it’s a place to connect to new and returning customers. Whether you allow them to leave comments under posts or feedback on recent experiences with your company, customers will believe you value and acknowledge their business. You’ll also learn and alter your business accordingly for better customer satisfaction.
2. Paying for Social Media Ads
Although social media pages make ideal marketing channels, they sometimes only reach those familiar with or trying to learn more about your business. Bringing in a new wave of customers means placing ads on other pages where your target audience may be instead. Once you partner with one of these platforms, they’ll uncover your key demographic and lead those with similar interests to your site.
Unfortunately, this form of social media presence includes pay-per-click (PPC) digital advertising, which costs your company each time a potential customer uses the sponsored link. These ads only stay up for a limited time, making them less stable than organic social media marketing. Still, they may encourage new customers in this short time when used correctly to promote brand awareness and increase leads.
3. Creating an Email List
Another common type of marketing channel is email marketing. When customers purchase something in-store, ask them to join an email list for updates on future promotions. When visiting your website, a popup with a promise of a discount code or free shipping for joining the email list is more likely to persuade individuals to join the list and use their codes for bargains.
Once they add their email addresses to your list, use the list for more than promotional emails. For instance, send triggered emails redirecting an individual’s attention to their abandoned shopping cart. However, you must decipher whether further consideration for the product or disinterest was the cause of abandonment.
For large or expensive products, a customer may want more time to consider their purchase. For cheaper products with competitive prices elsewhere, you may have lost your lead, and your customer no longer has an interest in the product. When this occurs, don’t bother chasing a dead-end that won’t bring in revenue.
Instead, spend more time creating content and emails that’ll further encourage a considering customer to purchase within your company.
Also, send transactional emails, which include:
- Confirmational emails after purchases
- Shipping update emails that help track orders
- Complementary emails with a discount or free item for making a recent purchase like Amazon, which provides free shipping for 24 hours after a purchase
4. Maintaining a Direct Mailing List
Potential customers easily hit delete as they quickly scan through their junk email, putting a lot of pressure on your email headline. If your catchy title or promotion isn’t enough to get them to open the email, you’ll lose sales.
Sending direct mail via the postal system allows residents to see more in one glance and places physical coupon cards in their hands, tempting many to use them. Other direct mail includes upcoming sales and new product or service announcements. Companies like RayBan and Tiffany & Co. also send catalogs highlighting in-store items and new arrivals, hoping a quick flip-through will be eyecatching.
Direct mail also becomes an effective marketing tool for older customers with less understanding or access to online marketing channels.
5. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing functions like social media advertising since you pay an external source to recommend your products or services.
Social media influencers have long-standing loyalty with their viewers based on trust and unbiased reviews. Their viewers look to them more favorably than they will to a new company like yours and will take their word of mouth to mean more. Partnering with these influencers means they’ll promote your business, and their viewers will not only want the products but want to have what those they admire have.
However, you must turn to influencers who promote the types of items you sell. For instance, cosmetic brands should reach out to those with the most YouTube followers in the beauty community. Also, you should consider reaching out to high-profile vloggers and others with a variety of content as long as they reach your target audiences, such as teenage boys, adult women, parents, or the elderly.
When you make this partnership, provide a unique discount code only available for their users, which can be the influencer’s name or channel title. Each time a viewer clicks on the product, the blogger receives a commission, and you’re one step closer to making one of their long-time viewers one of your devoted customers.
6. Utilizing SEO
Sometimes, the best marketing channels involve a process rather than a platform.
More often than not, when individuals purchase a product or service, a general search for items of that sort leads them to that specific item. If you offer goods that people constantly search for in their favorite search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing, consider search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO refers to the process of using the Google algorithm and other online ranking factors to land your website or blog pages on the first of the search engine results pages (SERPs). Once your company lands at the top of the first results page, you have a better chance of someone clicking on your website or article than those below you. Few viewers scroll far down or even reach the second page of search results.
By using appropriate keywords and tags, you’ll also pop up in a wider array of searches. For instance, if someone searches for jewelry, use popular adjectives like vintage, modern, gold, or costume alongside the main keywords like jewelry, necklace, earrings, and rings.
Don’t Bear Average Marketing: Turn to Bear North Digital
If you need someone to enhance your SEO ranking nationwide or within a small community, trust us. Learn from our Google My Business guide how to outweigh the competition in ranking standards and which marketing channels are best for you.
Call Bear North Digital at 715-319-4822 for a free consultation on how to optimize your Shopify marketing strategy despite your choice of marketing channels today!