What Is Ecommerce Marketing? Here's a Guide to Get You Started

Effective Ecommerce Marketing Strategies

Ecommerce marketing is marketing that specializes in the awareness, traffic, and sales related to products and services sold online.

With the rise of sites like Shopify and WooCommerce, establishing an ecommerce business online is easier than ever. Ecommerce has excellent benefits such as flexibility and the potential to reach a large global group of consumers, but there is a definite downside. Through the ease and accessibility (not to forget to mention the lower start-up costs), ecommerce is incredibly popular and ever-growing, making it challenging to stand out from the crowd.

Follow These 4 Essential Ecommerce Marketing Tips for Starters

What is Inbound Marketing for Ecommerce?

Inbound marketing for ecommerce is a strategy that focuses on attracting potential customers through valuable and informative content. By providing helpful resources, such as blog posts, videos, and social media content, ecommerce businesses can establish themselves as authorities within their niche and build trust with potential customers.

Social Media Marketing

A common example of content marketing for ecommerce is creating shoppable content on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, which allows customers to purchase products directly from ads.  This is just a small sampling of the various marketing tactics you need to consider with regards to ecommerce marketing.  Done right, social media marketing can be one of the best ecommerce marketing strategies you can roll-out to drive ever increasing sales.

Reaching Your Target Audience on Social Media

Social media has become an integral part of inbound marketing for ecommerce businesses. To identify and reach your target audience on social media, it’s essential to understand the audience demographics of different platforms. Facebook and Instagram cater to a younger audience, while Twitter targets a more tech-savvy audience. Pinterest, on the other hand, has a predominantly female audience interested in DIY and home decor. Google Shopping Ads target a more transactional audience, while Facebook and Instagram ads focus on building brand awareness and engagement. To reach your target audience on social media, it’s crucial to create visually appealing and engaging content that resonates with your audience. Additionally, running paid advertising campaigns and leveraging user-generated content can help extend the reach of your business. Ultimately, successful inbound marketing for ecommerce requires a focus on creating value for your audience and building a positive reputation for your brand.

Optimization is Key

Additionally, optimizing all pages on an ecommerce site for search engines and running pay-per-click campaigns can help extend the reach of the business. Ultimately, the key to successful inbound marketing for ecommerce is providing value to the audience and creating a positive reputation for the brand.

Proven Ecommerce Marketing Tactics

Understanding the difference between ecommerce marketing strategy and ecommerce marketing tactics is crucial for any business looking to establish a strong online presence. Ecommerce marketing strategy refers to the overall plan that outlines the goals and objectives of the business, while ecommerce marketing tactics represent the specific actions taken to achieve those goals. For instance, optimizing all pages on an ecommerce site for search engines and running pay-per-click campaigns can help extend the reach of the business. However, prioritizing visual platforms, leveraging social media, creating shoppable content, and incorporating SMS marketing into an ecommerce marketing strategy can help build customer loyalty and drive sales. By providing value to the audience and creating a positive reputation for the brand, businesses can successfully engage with their customers and achieve their marketing objectives.

Let's Dive a Little Deeper into Marketing Tactics

Here is a guide to help you get started with Inbound Marketing for ecommerce:

1. Prioritize Visual Platforms
   
   To maintain a competitive edge, it’s crucial to prioritize visual presentation of your products or services. When a visitor is looking at a product on your ecommerce store, you want them to feel as if they have just as good a visual representation of the product they’d be buying as they would in a physical storefront.
   
   Leverage Social Media
   
   Social media that focuses on imagery will help to show off your product and attract attention.  Highly curated Social Media posts can also be an excellent source of referral businesses.  Your customer's friends are definitely listening to what their friends, your customers, have to say.  Make sure they say positive things. 
   
   

   Create Attractive Instagram Ads

   Instagram ads are great because they flow into the viewer’s feed as if they were regular social media posts. This ad integration feels less intrusive than outbound ads placed on webpages and pop-ups. They can also connect to the brand’s Instagram page that acts as another source of content marketing—offering visual inspiration and interest.

   Create Shoppable Content to Provide a Visual Shopping Experience

   Now, through sites like Pinterest and Instagram, it’s possible to create shoppable content. People can purchase products directly from your ads. This will direct buyers directly to a shopping cart and speed up the purchasing process.
   
   SMS Marketing:  SMS marketing is a powerful tool that ecommerce businesses can use to connect with customers in a more personalized way. By sending text messages to customers who have opted-in, businesses can share promotions, new product launches, and other relevant updates. One creative use of SMS marketing is sending personalized product recommendations based on a customer's purchase history. For example, if a customer has previously bought running shoes, a business can send a text message suggesting new running gear that complements their purchase. Another example is using SMS marketing to create a sense of urgency around limited-time deals. By sending a text message with a time-sensitive offer, businesses can encourage customers to make a purchase before the promotion ends. Overall, incorporating SMS marketing into an ecommerce marketing strategy can build customer loyalty and drive sales.
   
   User Generated Content:  User Generated Content (UGC) is any type of content that is created by the users of a website or social media platform rather than the brand itself. UGC can include customer reviews, photos, videos, and social media posts about a brand or product. Ecommerce businesses can leverage UGC to increase user engagement and drive sales. For example, a clothing brand may ask customers to post pictures of themselves wearing their products with a specific hashtag. The brand can then repost these photos on their own social media accounts, showing off their products in an authentic way and promoting customer loyalty. Hubspot can help ecommerce businesses make the most of UGC by providing tools to manage and curate user-generated content, and by using UGC to build a sense of community around the brand. By encouraging customers to share their experiences and promoting their content, businesses can build a strong customer base and increase sales at a lower cost.
   
   

2. Entice Your Audience with Valuable Content
   
   

   Creating relevant and targeted content that helps your customers get the most out of your products should be your chief goal with ecommerce focused content marketing.

   Blogging: Offer Consistent and Helpful Content

   A blog is an excellent resource for people to learn about your brand and establish yourself as an authority within your niche. Blogs that contain valuable information can help to increase the traffic of your online store and eventually convert readers into leads.

   Create a Pillar Page: The Ultimate Resource for Your Niche

   Another way to incorporate the content you create on your ecommerce site is by creating a pillar page. A pillar page is a page that acts as a comprehensive guide on a topic within your niche. It allows you to display your content that showcases your topic clusters (the main topic and subtopics you base your content around) in an organized fashion. This strategy builds authority as a brand and can eventually lead to further sales.

   Videos

   Aside from Google, YouTube is the most popular website in the world. Ignoring this powerful platform can cause you to miss out on a significant reach. Youtube videos are also a very flexible format, and there are many ways they can be used to share valuable marketing content. A few examples are:
   
   

   • How-To Videos: Step-by-step guides or educational videos.

   • Demo videos: Show your product in action.

   • Interviews: Publish interviews with influencers within your industry.

   • Live Videos: Offer behind-the-scenes glimpses or live Q&A sessions.
     
     

3. SEM & SEO: Understand the Power of Search Engines
   
   

   Whether you use SEM (Search Engine Marketing) paid advertising or rely solely on organic searches, you should have your site’s ranking on search engines in mind.  Why?  Because Google Search is the absolute dominant player when it comes to Search Engine Optimization. 
   
   Expanding ecommerce marketing messages into different marketing channels is crucial for businesses looking to establish a strong online presence. Advanced ecommerce SEO tactics can help achieve this objective by optimizing all pages on an ecommerce site for search engines and running pay-per-click campaigns.
   
   For example, prioritizing visual platforms, leveraging social media, creating shoppable content, and incorporating SMS marketing can help build customer loyalty and drive sales. By using SMS marketing, businesses can personalize communication with customers and share promotions, new product launches, and other relevant updates.
   
   User-generated content can also help increase user engagement and drive sales. By encouraging customers to share their experiences and promoting their content, businesses can build a strong customer base and increase sales at a lower cost.

   Don’t Skimp on Optimization

   All pages on your ecommerce site should be optimized for search engines. Direct and descriptive long-tail keywords can help people find your storefront. While it may be tempting to write clever headlines and descriptions, it will be easier for people to find your products if the descriptions are clear, concise, and written using appropriate keywords.

   Use Paid Advertising to Extend Your Reach

   If you are looking to use paid advertising in your inbound ecommerce marketing strategy, an excellent option would be PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns, which set up and run using Google Adwords and the Google Merchant Center. PPC campaigns place your ad on the top of relevant search inquiries to increase awareness and sales. Some benefits include:

   • It’s a non-intrusive method of advertising

   • It can help to gain traction in a competitive niche

   • 46% of searches land on the top three paid spots
     
     

   4. Email Marketing: Provide a Valuable Experience for Your List
   
   

   Much like content marketing, sending relevant, targeted, and helpful emails can provide a valuable experience to your customers. This can (and should) consist of more than an update on current sales. Providing behind-the-scenes glimpses and helpful newsletters can help build a relationship with customers on your email list.
   
   Moreover, using an automated marketing platform such as the Hubspot Inbound Marketing Suite, can help you run email campaigns efficiently and effortlessly.

   Some examples of the emails that can be sent are:
   
   

   • Abandoned cart emails: Emails sent to those who left items in your store’s cart but never completed the check-out process.

    
   • Abandoned Cart Email Best Practices:  When sending abandoned cart emails, it's important to be timely, relevant, and provide an incentive such as a discount code to motivate the customer to complete the purchase. Additionally, including images of the item(s) left in the shopping cart can help remind customers of what they were looking forward to buying. 
     
     
   • New Product Launch Coupons and Special Offers:  When it comes to enticing customers to buy from your ecommerce site, email marketing can be a powerful tool. By sending relevant, targeted, and valuable emails, you can build a relationship with your customers and encourage them to make a purchase.
     
     Hubspot offers several features that can help you make your emails even more enticing and relevant, such as segmentation and automation. For example, you can send abandoned cart emails to those who left items in their cart or post-purchase follow-ups to thank customers for their purchase. You can also offer targeted sales to those who have yet to make a purchase or have not made a purchase in a while. By focusing on providing value and building a responsive email list, you can increase exposure and traffic to your ecommerce shop, leading to increased sales and revenue.
     
     

   • Welcome emails: Emails sent for those who have converted and joined an online mailing list.

    

   • Welcome emails are an important part of building a positive relationship with your customers. It's important to make sure your welcome email is friendly, helpful and engaging, while also providing valuable information such as store policies, special offers or product recommendations. Additionally, personalizing the message and including a call to action can help increase engagement and encourage further interaction.
     
     

   • Post-purchase follow-ups: Emails that are sent to thank the customer for their purchase.

      

   • Post-purchase follow-ups are excellent for showing appreciation and fostering customer loyalty. Providing an additional offer on their next purchase is a great way to incentivize customers to come back. Including a referral link or offering an opportunity to subscribe and save can help build relationships by making it easy for customers to spread the word
     
     

   • Targeted sales: Offers to those on your list who have yet to make a purchase, abandoned their cart or have not made a purchase in a while to encourage a sale.
     
     

   • Influencer Marketing Emails: One effective way to increase exposure and traffic to your ecommerce shop is through influencer marketing. By partnering with influencers in your niche, you can leverage their audience and credibility to promote your products and services.
     
     However, reaching out to influencers can be time-consuming and may not always yield results. This is where Hubspot comes in. Hubspot's influencer marketing tool allows you to discover and connect with influencers, build relationships, and track campaign performance. Plus, by integrating Hubspot with your email marketing efforts, you can improve conversion rate optimization by sending targeted emails to subscribers who have engaged with influencer content. With the right influencer marketing strategy and Hubspot's tools, you can increase sales and revenue for your ecommerce business.

   
   A great way to build a responsive email list and send relevant emails to a subset of your customers is through segmentation. Segmentation is a way to send specific emails that cater to a subscriber’s interests, demographics, and stage in the buyer’s journey.

Other ECommerce Tools

While the ecommerce marketing tactics mentioned above are effective, they only scratch the surface of the many tools available to ecommerce marketers.

Here are four additional marketing tools to consider:

1. Social Media Advertising - Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer robust advertising options that allow you to target specific demographics and interests. Social media advertising is a cost-effective way to reach new customers and build brand awareness.
   
   
2. Affiliate Marketing - Affiliate marketing involves partnering with other websites and influencers to promote your products. When a sale is made through their unique affiliate link, they receive a commission. This can be a great way to expand your reach and increase sales.
   
   
3. Retargeting Ads - Retargeting ads are a type of online advertising that targets people who have already visited your website or added items to their cart. These ads can help remind potential customers about your products and encourage them to make a purchase. By using a combination of these and other marketing tools, ecommerce businesses can create a comprehensive marketing strategy that drives traffic, increases sales, and builds customer loyalty.
   
   
4. Product Bundling:  Product bundling is a powerful ecommerce tactic that can help businesses increase sales and revenue. By bundling related products together, businesses can offer customers a more comprehensive solution at a discounted price, making it more appealing to potential buyers. For example, a beauty retailer could bundle a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer together as a skincare set. With the right bundling app, such as Bold Bundles, and the integration of Hubspot with Shopify, businesses can easily create and promote product bundles to their customers. Hubspot's marketing automation tools can also help businesses send targeted emails to customers who have shown interest in certain products, further promoting the bundled offerings. With product bundling as part of their ecommerce marketing strategy, businesses can not only increase sales but also provide a better customer experience by offering more value at a lower cost.

Key Takeaway: Focus on Providing Value

You want to create an ecommerce marketing strategy that does more than increase consumer awareness of your brand but also provides value to your audience.

Think beyond your storefront ecommerce site and aim to be an authority within your niche, offering your insight and expertise throughout each stage of the buyer’s journey.  This helps to create a positive reputation for your brand, leading to increased exposure and traffic to your ecommerce shop.

Think Holistically to Increase Ecommerce Sales

In conclusion, effective ecommerce marketing strategies require a comprehensive approach that prioritizes providing value to your audience. From social media marketing to email campaigns and product bundling, there are many tactics ecommerce businesses can leverage to increase exposure, drive sales, and build customer loyalty. As seen in the ecommerce case study of Heyday Footwear, utilizing tools like HubSpot can improve SEO rankings and conversion rates for your business. Don't miss out on the potential of ecommerce marketing - prioritize visual platforms, create shoppable content, segment your email list, and optimize your site for search engines. By doing so, you can establish your brand as an authority within your niche and stand out from the ever-growing crowd of ecommerce businesses.

Heyday Footwear Ecommerce Case Study

Want to see our ecommerce work in action? Download our short case study on how HubSpot improved Heyday Footwear’s SEO rankings and conversion rates.

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