Is your business investing in online marketing? If your answer is no, it’s time to start to rethink your customer acquisition strategy. There is a growing number of small to medium-sized companies that have started implementing digital marketing strategies to lower their costs and increase their reach to potential customers looking for their products or service. A Forrester Research study entitled, “The Future of Retail in the United States”, states 268 million American shops online, and this number is expected to grow to 285 million by 2025. With such a large potential for new customers, e-commerce companies have a considerable chance to drive sales and grow their companies.
A highly effective strategy that is often underutilized is the creation of sales campaigns. The ability to leverage pricing strategies with limited time offers to drive more customer sales has been an effective tactic to convert first-time buyers, as well as bring back past customers to your website.
In this article, I will be breaking down everything you need to run a successful online promotion campaign for your e-commerce store or local business.
1. Define the Online Promotion or Sale
The first step in launching an online sale is to define the parameters of the campaign. Decide on the promotion’s duration, the products or services to be included, the discounts being offered, and any additional terms. Make sure you set a clear start and end date for the sale.
- Example: BOGO (Buy One, Get One) Free for Whole Bean Gourmet Coffee until April 1st.
- Example: 25% Off On all order Sitewide .
Below is a live example by Kiehl’s online promotion.
2. Identify the Target Audience
Once you have defined the sale, you need to identify the target audience. This will help you determine the most effective marketing channels to reach your customers. Identify the demographics, interests, and purchasing habits of your target audience.
- Example: Create a persona that addresses the type of person you are trying to target for your sale.
- Free Persona Generator: https://personagenerator.com/
- Persona Example: Targeting Potential Type of Person That Would Buy Coffee Online
- Name: Mike Age: 35 Occupation: IT Professional Location: Suburban area, busy with work and family life
- Background: Mike is a busy IT professional with a demanding job and a family to take care of. He lives in a suburban area and values convenience and efficiency in all aspects of his life. Mike enjoys coffee but often doesn’t have the time to visit local cafes or make a trip to the grocery store to purchase coffee.
- Values:
- Convenience: Mike values products that save him time and make his life easier.
- Quality: While convenience is important, Mike also wants to ensure that the products he buys are of high quality.
- Technology: As an IT professional, Mike is comfortable using technology and may prefer to purchase products online.
- Behavior:
- Online shopper: Mike regularly purchases products online, including groceries and household items.
- Coffee drinker: Mike enjoys coffee but often relies on pre-ground coffee or single-serve coffee pods for convenience.
- Time-pressed: Mike is busy with work and family life and may not have the time to visit local cafes or grocery stores.
- Messaging: To market your fresh gourmet coffee to Mike, you could focus on messaging that emphasizes the convenience of purchasing your product online, as well as the high quality of your coffee. You could highlight the ease of subscription-based ordering or the convenience of purchasing a large quantity at once. Additionally, you could showcase your coffee’s unique flavors and origins, as Mike may be interested in trying new and interesting blends. Finally, you could leverage technology to make the purchasing process as seamless as possible, such as offering easy payment methods and shipping options.
3. Create a Landing Page for Your Online Promotion
Create a dedicated landing page for the sale that clearly showcases the products included in the sale, the discount amount offered, and the sale duration. Make sure the landing page is easy to navigate and includes a call-to-action that encourages visitors to make a purchase.
Related Article: 4 Awful Web Design Mistakes You Are Making
4. Use Email Marketing
Send an email blast to your customer list announcing the sale. Make sure the email includes a link to the landing page and highlights the key details of the sale, such as the discount amount and sale duration.
Pro tip: We recommend using email campaign software like: Moosend, MailChimp, Constant Contact…
5. Leverage Social Media
Use social media to promote the sale to your target audience. Create eye-catching graphics and share them on your social media platforms with a link to the landing page. You can also consider running social media ads to reach a wider audience.
Just remember that there are standard graphic sizes for different social media channels and post types. For example, Facebook’s Shared Image Size is 1200 X 630 pixels, unlike Instagram, which uses a more square image at 1080 X 1080 pixels. Understanding these dimensions can help you display your content clearly.
Pro Tip: Use social media scheduling software to keep your posts reoccurring and in front of your followers. Try software like Promo Republic, Hootsuite, or Social Champ.
6. Implement Paid Advertising
Consider using paid advertising, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, to drive traffic to the landing page. Use targeted keywords and demographics to reach your ideal audience and ensure your ad copy clearly highlights the sale.
Need to work with a Digital Marketing Company? We can help.
7. Stack Promotions
Consider offering additional incentives, such as free shipping or a free gift with purchase, to further entice customers to make a purchase.
According to Statista online shoppers highly consider free shipping options when making purchasing decisions.
8. Measure Results
- Finally, it’s important to track the success of your online sale campaign. Monitor website traffic, email open and click-through rates, social media engagement, and sales data to determine what worked well and where there is room for improvement. Use this information to refine your future digital marketing strategies.
Pro Tip: A free way to monitor your campaign’s status is by setting up Google Analytics.
At Solutionarian Marketing & Web Design, we believe that having great tools and a solid strategy is key to the success of any promotion. This article gives you a practical way to develop, launch and measure the success of your online promotion.
Do you need help launching your next advertising campaign? We can help. Explore our Digital Marketing Services.