First came eCommerce. Soon after, mobile commerce descended from the skies above - or rather, the screens below…
Now, a new type of commerce has taken flight, seeking to dethrone all lesser commerces that stand in its way.
And they shall call it, social commerce.
If you’ll allow me to be frank, I find the notion a little bit ridiculous. The only difference between the aforementioned ‘lesser’ commerces, and social commerce, is that the social commerce process is handled entirely within the social media platform that is hosting the service.
The term social commerce Pretty much means, “I’ve got an eShop on Facebook”.
And on the surface, I will admit, it - mostly - makes sense, but I find that in reality the term is completely redundant. For example, let’s say that a seller has an eShop. That seller then decides to put his eShop up on Facebook, paving way for the grandeur of social commerce.
That seller still has an eShop running externally of Facebook. All they’ve done is create a new customer touch point. On Facebook.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Dismissive of the strategy itself, however, it just feels like the term social commerce has been created specifically to aid in this novelty commerce type, which at the end of the day is still very much eCommerce. Call it a marketing strategy for the masses, if you will.
Before moving on, let’s not forget about aggregate commerce, and gift card commerce, and oh, hand-to-hand commerce… You see what I mean? Making such a big deal over this event, the next big thing, the one, the only… it serves no purpose whatsoever.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the practice itself and take a closer look at a few advantages as well as some pitfalls of… *sigh* …Social Commerce.
One of the key issues with typical eCommerce setups is the time between interest & sale. The attention span of many, many consumers does not last throughout the whole conversion funnel (which is also a silly metaphor, check article). This is why removing the middle-man and allowing customers to complete their purchases directly on social media platforms makes sense.
This direct contact between the sellers and consumers not only allows for a more convenient point of sale, but has the added benefit of relating to consumers on a personal level, through social feeds or network bubbles. This pseudo-organic relationship plays a very significant role on the consumer’s psyche.
As I’m sure you’re all very well aware, reviews mean everything in the e-commerce space, and what better testimonial than like-minded users who are much more likely to offer an unbiased opinion on the product or service you’re looking to purchase.
Going back to the relatability and trust between seller and consumer, building and maintaining your brand image on a social space or social network is one of the best ways to garner your customers trust and loyalty. The personal touch in the overall feeling of sharing that experience or journey with your customers Goes a very long way as you’re putting money where your mouth is and showing your customers that you are there for them, if they ever need assistance or have any questions.
Last but not least, the fact that you have access to mobile shoppers on a global scale, and in whatever languages they may be using said social platforms, Not only drastically expands your customer base but also gives you the appeal of worldwide reach.
Considering that over 75% of social media users access those platforms through their smart phones or tablets, it becomes way easier to guide them down your conversion funnel when the problem of interest period, to sale, is for the most part solved.
It’s not all butterflies and rainbows for social commerce however, as some of the points I mentioned could likely backfire. Let’s take a look.
The first thing I want to mention the fact that social commerce is primarily shopper’s market. What I mean by this, is that this entire ecosystem was created around the shopper Experience. Businesses and independent sellers could be impacted negatively, Through the loss of web traffic since their store and products are fully hosted on the social platform as well as click through rate (or CTR) which could negatively impact advertising efforts elsewhere.
And let’s not forget about how time consuming the process of building your brand and maintaining your public image can be, especially on a social network, where everything hits 10 times as hard. Creating your eShop on the social platform is simply not enough, part of the appeal and utility of social commerce is intrinsically rooted in that personal touch. Failing to maintain that connection would not only be detrimental but could very well tarnish your brand’s image - and that’s not something you can get back so easily.
And speaking of tarnishing your brand, there is no safer bet than a negative review or negative feedback, especially on the social network. I mentioned how some positive aspects could likely backfire - and this is the most important one to be aware of.
As great as positive testimonials and positive reviews on your social eShop are, it only takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch. This plays in parallel with the time commitment necessary to foresee and prevent issues like this affecting your overall brand image and, in result, sales.
Overall, I find that the social commerce pitfalls fall into two categories.
Time and visibility.
On top of the enormous time commitment required to be fully successful in your social commerce endeavors, you should also keep in mind that if you’re going to host an eShop on a social platform, you’ll have to shell out a fair amount of money for advertising.
If you’ve stopped reading and are asking yourself “why would I need to advertise on a social network with so many users and potential customers” that I’m afraid that social commerce may not be for you!
Social platforms host various eShops, and do so without a fee, per se. That fee, my friends, will be paid in kind in the advertising costs required to sustain your business on the social platform. There may be millions of people perusing but the harsh truth is that organic reach is simply unsustainable for an online business.
And always remember.
Facebook gon’ get paid one way or the other.
Date: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
It's quite surprising that Facebook is still the most popular social media platform for businesses. However, it's too early to know how things will continue in the aftermath of the Meta rebrand, so as it stands, let's assume that this is the case.
For the time being, Facebook is the most popular social platform for promoting your business, but there is a big caveat. In order to be effective on Facebook, your ad copy must be twice as powerful.
However, writing persuasive ad copies isn't without its challenges, so without further ado, let's take a look at a few pointers that will undoubtedly take your ad copy to the next level!
94% of Hedgehogs Love Headlines
Hedgehogs? Really? That’s very interesting. Tell me more.
I’d love to tell you that there has been extensive research into hedgehog reading habits and preferences, but sadly, that is not the case. However, it would make for some very interesting reading.
The title I’ve used forms this weird juxtaposition between Hedgehogs and Headlines that makes no conceivable sense, yet, creates an intrinsic curiosity, which motivates the reader to delve further into this mystery of Hedgehogs and Headlines.
The first thing your audience will see is your ad headline. It may very well be the single-most important aspect of your entire advertisement. Within an ideal 5-word limit, be direct & try to describe what your ad is about. Too much more and you risk sending your audience scrolling.
Furthermore, consider beginning the headline with a number. Research has shown that headlines that begin with a number or statistic tend to resonate with quite a large number of users.
Direct headlines possess a lot of clout, a lot of oomph. Aim to create direct headlines that leverage the essence of cruciality or importance. This straightforward approach conveys commitment and clarity that resonates with users – even if the copy has nothing to do with hedgehogs.
The Yes Effect
"Yes" questions might just be exactly what you're looking for in order to finally net you the unwavering support of your audience. The beauty about these questions is how they captivate the audience because they believe you understand them.
However, this must be part of a targeted effort as it will not apply to everyone. For example, if you’re advertising your delivery business you won’t go asking a question like:
“Have you ever spent money on an experience you didn’t like…”
You would instead focus on something like:
“Ever waited for your groceries long past your estimated delivery time?”
Because of this specificity, you must establish the demographics and preferences of the audience you’re targeting. Do this correctly and you’ll be able to connect with your audience through this wildly effective method and persuade them to say "yes”, both to your question – and your ad.
Calling All Units, Calling All Units
Alongside your headline, your call-to-action is one of the most critical aspects of your ad content. It is the advertisement’s job to appropriately direct your audience through the necessary steps required for a successful conversion.
There’s no need to add more than one CTA per post. It’s actually highly inadvisable as it runs the risk of confusing the user with too many variables.
Your Call-to-Action should be clear and direct:
Follow the headline thought process in making your CTAs short, succinct, and direct!
Toss a Coin to Your Trends
There are many ways to go about this. You could keep an eye on your competitors to see if they’re using a piece of pop culture reference that’s working – or simply stay informed with current trends and events by using Google Trends.
A clever quip or integration of a successful trend – or even meme in some cases – can be very effective in bringing your audience closer to your business or brand.
The Greatest Stories Never Told
Using your ad copy to tell a story or feature a testimonial (that also mostly tells a story) is a great way to bring more users closer to your business or brand. Nothing can quite compare to the effect that a damned good story can have on the psyche of a user or customer.
Selling stories or testimonials is for the most part, a way for users to empathize, resonate, and connect to your brand and your products or services.
If done correctly, it can bring tears to your customers’ eyes – and subsequently, coins to your pockets’ threads.
Selling emotions is a practice as old as time itself — but the real challenge lies in its sincerity.
People can smell the foul stench of insincere copy from miles away, especially when it comes to advertisements. You won’t succeed in persuading anyone if your heart isn’t into it. Quite the opposite in fact, risking the loss of a big chuck of your already-converted audience.
Some points to consider could be among the following:
Evoking emotions is not an easy task and your copy should be given the necessary time and energy to discover and address issues that individuals in your field may face and how your copy will successfully illicit an emotional response that comes off as sincere and genuine.
The Art of Seduction
Even if your fledgling ad copy is ready to tackle the great wide world of webs, there are a few key aspects to consider before starting the journey.
First off, enhance your content with an image your customers can connect to. As humans, we are very visual beings, so adding an effective image to your ad copy has the power to change everything. And with great power, comes… you know the rest.
Links, for instance, are also essential to creating effective ad copy. It takes is a single, well-placed link to fool the customer into thinking that the post in front of them is simply yet another post – not an ad – a post.
This gives your readers the impression that they are engaged with any other content on their feed. They are more likely to click on your ‘ad’ if users are under the belief that this is organic content that appeals to them. By the time they figure it out, it’s too late.
Muahahaha!
Finally, don’t go at it alone. This holds especially true if you have been creating your ad copy by your lonesome. This will without a doubt limit you in any number of ways which could lead to anything from punctuation mistakes, to glaring omissions in content or information.
Two eyes are better than one!
Before finalizing the copy, have someone go over what you've done – heck, go over it together. This allows for a more objective perspective and a clearer view of the ad’s essence and exactly what it is it’s conveying.
By following these guidelines, I can assure you that your ad copy can only stand to benefit in all the right places.
Take your ads to the next level, and please for the love of all things holy, do not forget about the hedgehogs.
Date: Monday, 27 December 2021
It’s a Sunday evening, you’re all cozied up under you warmest blanket and you happen to find yourself in one of those aimless, rabbit-hole scrolls down Instagram Lane or Facebook Avenue, perusing the Metaverse.
You come across an advert for a pair of black leather gloves. Well, wouldn’t you know it, you just happen to be in the market for – you guessed it, they guessed it – Black. Leather. Gloves. Funny that…
At this point you’re already sold. Your initial response is positive, the product description touches on every cloud of doubt in your mind. Everything is coming up Jackson* All you need is one final, clear look at those gloves to ease your purchasing mind, so you click on the photo to enlarge it and… wait a minute… What in the seven hells is this? How did I miss this?!
On careful examination, you discover a blurry image with crop marks around the gloves in a what seems to be a ‘Photoshop for Dummies’ effort at the quick selection tool. On further inspection, you also notice a deep fondness for drop-shadows. Why so much shadow? WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?!
These gloves quickly went from a sure-fire purchase, to a ‘Do not show and more ads from this advertiser’, as if their mission had been to push you through a reverse customer funnel.
So, how can a single image end up becoming the Harbinger of Destruction for your online store?
It’s simple. One image (or video) ends up becoming the only true touch point – or, point of reference – your customers have to your products. In this case, the black leather gloves.
The eCommerce ecosystem effectively removes your ability (& prerogative for that matter) to touch or examine a product up close, be it an item of clothing, or a piece of tech. Ergo, the product image becomes the consumer’s Alpha & Omega (Not to be mistaken with the Omicron Co-Vid variant).
*Jackson is a lie.
Keep in mind that every sales channel or marketplace has their own rules and regulations in place for acceptable image use – with various specifications and requirements to be aware of. On a general level, the difference between a mediocre image and a magnificent image could mean:
To help all of you budding product-listers extraordinaire, I have compiled some handy tips & information on marketplace image practices to help make your images into the best versions of themselves they can possibly be. #ImageLyfe
As previously mentioned, each sales-channel & medium (desktop & mobile) follow their own sets of rules and specifications for product images. Let’s take a look at a handful of specific examples.
The Big Daddy, Amazon
Let’s start off with Amazon because, well… Amazon. And also because Amazon is, by far, the strictest bouncer at the ‘Look at That’ image club.
Though, looking at it from a glass half-full perspective, the benefit you get from optimizing your images for Amazon as a first step in your product image endeavors is quite serviceable. Because of the level of strictness in effect, you can generally use these images as a quality benchmark and then adjust for other platforms where necessary.
For Amazon then, your main product image must adhere to the following guidelines:
These requirements apply to the images themselves. Also to note, are the file requirements which go something like this:
eBay Gives You a Bit More leeWay.
Ebay is slightly more forgiving than amazon but generally follows a similar template. The main takeaways, being:
Google Doesn’t Give a ****
OK, maybe they give a tiny ****. Though the requirements for Google Shopping are nowhere near the level of scrutiny you’ll find with Amazon & to a lesser extent, eBay. You just need to adhere to the following criteria:
File requirements & image specs are one thing. Though, if the image itself is lackluster, all of your image optimizations will be for naught. Take the following points into consideration.
The Higher the Resolution, the Better!
As your customers’ only product reference, pristine image quality is everything in the world of eCommerce.
This makes your company/business or brand seem more professional and trustworthy – and with that legitimacy, comes an effective reduction of returns or exchanges, and by proxy, negative reviews or comments.
Shake What Yo’ Mama Gave Ya
Make use of the product itself. Use various dimensions, angles & perspectives which showcase & highlight your product strengths.
Take a dress, for example. Consider showcasing a 360 degree view, showing off particularly appealing angles or elements that may be eye-catching to the consumer.
On the other side of the product spectrum, if you’re showcasing something like a hotel room or property, select and display photos from various perspectives. Avoid showing the customer the same thing over and over again.
Accurate color & lighting (and in result shadows) are also important in their ability to give your product a more natural feel that generally tends to strike a chord with consumers.
Crop Until You Can’t Crop No More
Because of this white-background requirement most sales-channels have in place, you should make the most of the space that you are given & prominently display your product in a way that fills out as much of the white space as possible.
Finally, all images should retain a consistent crop ratio in order to avoid a sloppy overall storefront image.
The Social Experiment
While most shopping channels discourage creative ads or creative images, social sales channels, like Facebook and Instagram, flip that restriction on its head & encourage your ads (images) to do the talking.
There are some recommendations that Facebook throws your way, though they feel more obligatory than anything substantial. Some of the hits include:
Considering that your main ad text & CTAs are generally handled off-photo but within the ad itself, this point is the biggest non-recommendation on here.
Finally, as with other channels, there are size specifications to take into account which are listed below, but as I like to say, when in doubt, square it out!
Image sizes specifications:
You should make the most of the free rein you’re given when using social sales channels. Standing-out, stands out (nice, huh?) as one of the most important objectives when advertising on these channels. You want to grab the shoppers attention as soon as possible. By including key attributes such as price, product name, and relevant product information on a single slide, customers will instantly have their questions answered, and thus will ensure that more clicks are coming in from qualified customers.
Finally —staying true to the social dynamic — make sure to utilize every tool at your disposal, including customer reviews or special offers. Take advantage of ‘big-budget’ occasions like Black Friday or Valentine’s day and get creative with special offers or promotions that can fit your desired purpose.
You’ve got the specs, you’ve got the recs, and now you’ve read the texts. By putting all of this into practice, you give yourself the best chance for success.
Date: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
The technological leaps over the past few years are indisputable. Unbelievable, even. Others simply refuse to believe how far we’ve come.
I was at my Grandma’s house the other day and we were discussing technology – TVs in particular – and I go, “Hey gran, can you believe that 8K TV’s, are up to around 33 Million pixels, can you believe it?”
I honestly don’t know what I was thinking because the two responses that followed were a bewildered: “No.” and “What are pixels?”
Granted, my audience was… let’s say... less than ideal to engage with the topic – but we trudged on regardless, and we ended up discussing I ended up explaining certain advancements in the industry that I, myself, struggle to believe sometimes.
These advancements in tech are omnipresently evident in the physical goodies we can’t seem to live without — but an area that is less prevalent in our day-to-day, and has made leaps and bounds of progress, has to do with eCommerce & more specifically, what we are now calling mCommerce.
What’s the difference between the two, you ask?
The simple answer: Not much. Not much at all.
For the most part, mCommerce is a natural progression of the eCommerce ecosystem and is generally seen as any monetary transaction that is completed using a mobile device.
mCommerce allows people to buy/sell goods or services anywhere, anytime. And the strength & empowerment that comes with that is the pure, single-most strength that this ecosystem now provides.
The rise of mobile commerce is unprecedented. To give you a better image, it has surpassed previous forecasts for 2021 not once, but two times already this year alone.
At the start of the year mCommerce was expected to make up 54% of total eCommerce sales. Now, in a report published around a month ago, it is expected that by the end of 2021, 72.9% of eCommerce sales will be attributed to mCommerce use.
Strictly speaking, mCommerce use falls under 3 general categories:
To add further specificity, this use (& mCommerce use in general) is related to these types of transactions. Not only that, it has also helped usher in new industries and services as well as allow existing ones to develop further:
Think of the effect that services like Apple Pay and Google Pay for example, have had on your everyday life. Half of us are now using our phones for something as trivial as our daily commute.
It almost seems unreal. Just take your phone out of your pocket and ‘Phwoosh’, simply slide it over the gate scanner and just like that, your morning commute has now become digitised. True story.
The mCommerce boom comes as no surprise when you consider that 67% of the global population owns a mobile phone or tablet in 2021.
To give you more of those sweet juicy stats you all love, it is expected that mCommerce sales will reach $3.56 trillion by the end of 2021, with mobile activity accounting for 67.2% of all eCommerce.
The mobile wallet market alone is expected to reach $3.5 trillion in 2023 and judging from this year’s forecasts, I predict that number will be much higher in reality.
The numbers don’t lie and are a key factor in the rapid adoption of mCommerce as the de facto ‘E-Transaction’ solution. Though, growth potential aside, lies the fact that this transition has a huge number of advantages with very few, very trivial barriers to incorporation.
Augmented reality, for example, is quickly becoming more widespread in its implementation towards consumers. Companies like IKEA allow you to set up and view their catalogue in your own space, simply by using your phone’s camera.
Chatbots & messenger apps are now being adopted by a number of different sectors, which, engagement aside, I feel is solely linked to the concept of, ‘now.’
This ‘Now’ mindset is a sociotechnological concept, created by the current generation of impatience. Yet this newly created culture doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. It is simply the byproduct of Mobile devices and the ability of instant access to information.
Everything has now become, I guess you could say, instant-ised, and these methods sort of act as a pseudo-solution to the consumer/user attention span problem. Though frankly, I see this as more of a stepping stone. I have a feeling that this system will evolve into something much more effective and meaningful in the coming years, possibly with the help of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Because of this novelty, the mCommerce ecosystem comes with its own set of challenges, which, I feel are for the most part simply related to optimisation. Rather, the constant need for optimisation., which brings challenges to an already established way of thinking – and even now, we still have a lot to figure out.
The biggest challenge here is moving away from the eCommerce mindset and changing the way you think. This fluidity is integral to implementing a true omni-channel experience, which is the ultimate strength of mCommerce.
I find that one of the largest factors attributed to the growth of mCommerce stems from the omnipresence of the eCommerce ecosystem. The fact that more and more users are flocking towards mobile is the unparalleled ease-of-use, or rather, ease of information.
What I’m referring to is the all-around presence of both online and offline channels. Being everywhere and allowing your users to access information about your company, your products, your discounts, everything.
It’s important to list your products and be active wherever customers are already spending their time, which is what we call, contextual commerce.
Omni-channel means no (customer) doubt. By being everywhere – especially where your customers are – and making it possible to buy what they want. Now.
Setting up a true omni-channel solution can be incredibly taxing however, but luckily, services such as EshopswithIQ, allow you to streamline this process & become even more effective in your marketing strategy.
Date: Friday, 03 December 2021
The way we sell products online has drastically changed over the years. Single-store online storefronts are increasingly dismissed in favor of platforms & aggregate storefronts or as you may better know them, marketplaces. Some examples include, Amazon, Ebay, Zalando & Etsy to name a few.
Considering that 90% of shoppers begin their product searches on digital channels, this is hardly surprising. What’s even less surprising, is the year-on-year increase of these numbers.
As it currently stands, around 40-50% of shoppers now start out on marketplaces such as Amazon or Ebay. At the current pace, practically everyone has or will have shifted to the marketplace ecosystem over the next few years – if not sooner.
The clearest difference between traditional online shops and marketplaces boils down to one thing: Customer Choice.
Since its conception, User Choice has always been an integral part of the internet. In the early days however, this freedom of choice was celebrated. As of right now, the freedom of choice we truly have has been drastically diminished, a lot of the time monitored, and all of the time, contested.
Right now, everyone is fighting for choice dominance. Fighting to ensure that our clicks are going to – or will be going – to them. Taking steps to encourage our return if we do end up straying. It’s only natural that this choice would expand to the realm of online shopping, to marketplaces – and so should you.
Marketplaces have the innate ability to benefit both the users / sellers / online shops as well as the marketplace itself. By listing your store or products, and depending on your desired goals, marketplaces can help with a plethora of desired objectives such as brand awareness, product visibility, or customer outreach.
How does one begin their marketplace journey?
At the beginning of course! And by that, I mean the beginning of your marketplace career.
Like with any new endeavor, you should first consider what your objectives are – and the methods in which you will attempt to reach those heights.
Speaking strictly of marketplaces, there are various goals which can apply to different situations, depending on where you are in your seller journey.
For example, you can make your marketplace endeavors focus to:
Ultimately, the goals and objectives you set are entirely up to you and what exactly you want to get out of the marketplace paradigm.
Once your goals and objectives are set, developing an air-tight plan of action is your best bet for success.
There are often misconception when it comes to marketplaces and their structure, thinking that it’s an easier venture, or requires less planning. While for slightly different reasons than usual, this is not true in the slightest.
A lesson to learn early on in the lucrative world of online shopping is that nothing should ever be underestimated.
Marketplaces are no different.
If you run, heck, fly, before you learn how to walk, then you are in for a rude awakening, my dear readers.
There are a lot more elements to take into account than one might think. Too many to risk rushing into it without consideration and planning beforehand. For example, how will you deal with:
These are all the constantly moving parts that make up the core marketplace experience – and like any machine, it will only run as well as the sum of its parts.
Before we dive into the how, let’s quickly look at the what (to avoid).
Some common mistakes include:
Now that we’ve looked at what to look out for (and what not to do) let’s discuss the steps for success.
Choosing the right marketplace
We’ve mentioned this a few times already but that’s how important it is. Choosing the right marketplace is integral to your success. It won’t matter if you have the greatest product in the history of products if you list it on a platform that won’t support its success.
Furthermore, pay close attention to the entry requirements for each marketplace. Each has varying criteria that you’ll need to follow to avoid possible account suspension.
Next you should very carefully select your products. They should be fewer in number to begin with, easily identifiable to consumers, and should sell well (in a general consumer sens). Ideally these should also be products with low return rates and high ROI.
Creating Your Account
When creating your account, look into all the settings and tools that could help you in any way or give you an edge over your competition. For example, if you are an already-established brand, you can let the marketplace know and they could give you more control or access over your account.
Listing Your Products & Optimising your content
When listing your products, make sure you do everything by the book. Make sure they are in the right category, have appropriate tags and stand out.
Remember, you will now be constantly competing directly with other brands & suppliers, meaning that you want to stand out as soon as possible.
You want to tailor these optimisations (images, titles, keywords, descriptions & tags) to your customers. Specifically towards the audience you’re targeting on the specific platform you are on.
Green Means GO!
Now that the stage is set and everything is in place, you are finally ready to press that Green button that has so intently been staring you right in the eyes for the past few weeks. Congratulations! You are now ready to start selling! (which is arguably the point where the real work starts…) So, what now?
Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!
One of the most integral parts of selling online, especially within a marketplace. You could say that reviews are the currency of online marketplaces!
This means that as soon as you start making sales, it is important to start gathering reviews immediately. This includes finding ways to engage your customers and guide them to various ways to engage and review your products.
Ad Campaigns and You
Once you have reached a comfortable stage in your current marketplace, it’s time to run some ads. No matter how well you are doing, you could always be doing better (especially if your sales are going well to begin with).
By running these ad campaigns and reviewing the overall results, you can then further optimize both your listings and your ad campaigns based on the data you collect. This data is invaluable as it will not only allow you to better your image, but also allow you to bolster your sales, reach a wider demographic / audience and more importantly, allow you to expand beyond your norm.
Reaching this stage is a wonderful thing as it allows you to start experimenting. Maybe you have a new product you’re not quite sure of and want to see how well it engages with a segment of your current audience. Most marketplaces have analytics and tools that allow you to run any test you like & be the judge of what works and what doesn’t.
More is more
There are limits in what you can achieve per marketplace. As each marketplace targets different aspects or may be more focused on certain objectives over others, you’ll never quite achieve everything you’ve imagined by limiting yourself to one marketplace only.
Thankfully, now that you’ve set everything up, run tests, seen what works and what doesn’t, optimized your content & products and are finally comfortable in this one marketplace, it will be much easier to take what you have learned – and apply it to other marketplaces that are compatible with both your objectives in place & the new challenges that these new storefronts may allow you to overcome.
Date: Friday, 26 November 2021
Facebook is one of the most popular digital marketing platforms on the planet. As the number of Facebook users has grown to more than 2.85 billion active users, its advertising network has also grown to cover a wide range of businesses.
Now many of the benefits of your Facebook presence are quite obvious, but advertising makes things a little more complicated. It is important to understand what Facebook has to offer businesses and how its ad network has been set up to offer many advertising options, before you see how it can help you reach new audiences.
Facebook's market share for online advertising is close to 20%, earning the second place globally, behind only Google. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has caused unexpected changes in online advertising. Due to the large conversion of the market to eCommerce, Facebook had particularly high turnovers in 2020 and 2021 (so far). In addition the average cpc is lower than last year. As people have adapted their shopping habits to eCommerce and online shopping continues to grow, it makes sense to think about the benefits of Facebook advertising for your business. eCommerce is here to stay for all businesses and the advantages of Facebook advertising over its competitors make it a smart choice.
Facebook's advertising model works with the classic "pay-per-click" model, which has become the most popular online billing model for advertising. For the reasons that made PPC the most popular billing model, for the same reason the benefits of Facebook advertising are also amazing: it is affordable, effective and fast!
So we wrote this article on our blog to help you understand and take advantage of the advertising benefits of Facebook. We have gathered the 5 most important of them for you and your business and we list them below.
How many of them do you already enjoy?
1. It has the best return on investment of all the advertising channels
Entrepreneurs and marketers often wonder: Do Facebook ads really work?
Of course they do!
Wolfgang Digital 2020 KPIs research suggests that ads on Facebook users' feeds are the most effective type of advertising for eCommerce. Facebook dominates with Facebook Feed, Messenger and Marketplace ads, which hold all the top positions in the rankings. In addition, according to Statista, 41% of marketers claim that Facebook gave them the best ROAS (Return-On-Ad-Spending), placing it at the top of the most popular advertising channels.
This puts it even ahead of Google Shopping!
Compared to other ads on different channels, users are more likely to click on ads they see in their Facebook News Feed, making them the best choice to invest in your advertising budget.
80% of all referral clicks on eCommerce websites are made by Facebook and its absolute dominance means that Facebook alone is responsible for 40% of the total revenue worldwide for display ads!
Again a bigger percentage than Google!
2. More advertising options for your business needs
Another advantage of Facebook advertising is that it offers a wide range of ad types that some are not available on other advertising channels.
There are many types of ads to choose from and promote your eShop on Facebook:
One of the benefits of Facebook advertising for your business is that you are not limited to certain types of ads and are not locked into plain text ads (as is the case with Search Ads). These types of ads are best suited for branding, as they enable marketers to create ads with visual, creative and graphic media with videos, photos, text, etc.
3. Facebook ads are low cost and bring immediate results
The cost of Facebook ads is determined by many factors (your budget, your ad types, your products etc.), but generally the cost is a few cents per click.
So you can understand that Facebook ads are low cost.
In fact, last year the average cost per click decreased by 6%. And according to data from Wordstream, clothing retailers, caterers and other online retailers receive the lowest cost-per-click (CPC), on average. This means that for you the cost can be 0.01 to 0.70 €. The total average cost per click in all sectors (including expensive sectors such as insurance, pharmaceuticals, etc.) is € 1.45 worldwide but for eShops it is even lower so do not worry.
So ads are ideal for eShops that want to implement both short-term and long-term strategies, as ads can start to bring you revenue and sales once they start running.
Once ad campaigns are created, their Facebook learning period is up and running, they start working immediately and promote your products to thousands of people who have shown interest in them. The ads are normally approved within 24 hours (of course due to COVID-19 there may be additional delays), so you will experience the speed and efficiency of sales from the first days!
4. Facebook Retargeting
Retargeting means advertising to an audience or visitors who have already interacted with your brand or have shown interest in your business.
One of the advantages of Facebook advertising for your business is that you can use this strategy to increase revenue, increase conversion rates or achieve better ROAS.
This strategy works by using Facebook Pixel, a small piece of code that is installed in your eShop so you can retarget your customers and visitors. It monitors users along with the various actions they take in your eShop, such as all the Facebook ads they saw before they visited you, the pages they visited, abandoned shopping carts and more.
In addition, Facebook advertising benefits your business by enabling you to include dynamic ads that can retarget users who have previously bought from you!
5. Facebook ads will improve your overall performance in digital marketing
The efforts you make to promote your eShop on Facebook are very important and you should continue making them!
Facebook ads can be used to enhance an existing content marketing campaign that you are already run and includes the posts you make on social media, the articles you have on your blog or even the SEO done by your developer. Facebook can help in all these areas.
Ads can help a business get more exposure for their Facebook content and increase traffic to their website. Facebook ads can be adjusted to get more traffic to your eShop, more impressions and improved click through rate (CTR).
Combining your content with the power of ads will bring improved results for you. This is why Facebook is one of the most popular advertising channels out there and small businesses prefer it for their digital marketing activities.
As we have seen, advertising on Facebook can combine a wide variety of low cost options and can improve the marketing activities you are already doing. So, do not sit idly by, choose your products, calculate your budget and you will immediately see your sales and income skyrocket!
Date: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
We are very happy to announce that we are getting bigger and expanding our team! After the COVID-19 pandemic, which was tough for everyone around the world, we are looking to broaden our horizons to new markets and in order to do that, we need to find the right people to help us achieve it!
What is EshopsWithIQ about:
EshopsWithIQ is reimagining eCommerce and offers businesses a fully automated digital marketing SaaS platform, through which they can sell their products and fuel their online growth. Our solutions help retailers, wholesalers and marketers by providing all the tools they need in order to target the right customers and grow their businesses through new and innovative ways.
What are we looking for in a candidate:
We want people who want to become part of a team that is driven by the same desire to help eCommerce businesses all around the world! As a candidate we would like you to have passion for innovation and technology. We are looking for people that bring energy and diverse skills with the purpose of producing high value work! As you may have seen on our website and LinkedIn page we are expanding both our marketing and development teams.
For our marketing team we want candidates that have experience with SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) solutions and will help us enrich our marketing efforts in order to raise brand awareness, which in turn will allow us to help more eCommerce businesses. We want candidates with creativity, strategic approach to product positioning and thinking outside the box, in order to inspire our customers to grow their businesses with all the tools EshopsWithIQ provides them!
EshopsWithIQ is a SaaS solution, so it is obvious that top-notch development must be in place. For our development team we are looking for people with creative front and back end skills in order to build an infrastructure as well as a user interface that generates seamless user experience to our customers and our solutions essential to them! We are using multiple technologies and frameworks and we want you to bring your skills and innovative approach to the table to take things to the next level!
What are you getting by working with us:
You will become part of a team that encourages creativity, new ideas and innovative work. You will have opportunities to ascend and develop your career path, whilst being in a welcoming and inspiring working environment! Our values and culture are strong and breathe life into the work we do and into what we want to achieve for us and our customers!
So prepare your CV, apply to our job openings and become the newest member of our team!
Are you ready to follow us on this journey?
Date: Monday, 20 September 2021
ONE WITH THE FORCE
Star Wars is straight up stupid.
Crazy, isn’t it? How the tiniest phrase can instantly grab your attention. A form of reactionism(?) perhaps. Yet another fleeting stimulus to quell the insatiable Dom of Bore.
Perhaps you’ve seen past my soliloquial charade already, perhaps you’re hanging on my every word… If the latter happens to ring true, focus on one word: ‘Engagement’
When all is said and done, it all boils down to this.
Did I manage to garner your interest and engage you, my audience? If so, I have succeeded.
I have understood my audience well enough to form this amalgam of both topic & ‘genuine’ interest, and have managed to sneak in a little product placement now that we’ve gained solid ground.
And hey, maybe I didn’t. That’s fine too. Maybe calling Star Wars stupid – and meaning it – was the killing blow.
I chose to take that risk, as I choose to look at the results of that action.
Create, Target, Risk, Examine.
Your products are an extension of you. Of your brand (more on that later).
Place yourself in every piece of content you produce and Sell. Your. Self.
Find your Target Audience and the rest will come easily...
A MENTAL IMAGE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
...enough. The rest will come easily enough.
Finding your target audience is arguably the most important part of this whole shebang. However, nurturing this newly developed foundation is a different beast entirely.
Learn to treat all of your content in the same way you would any blog post, or twitter blurb. Insert yourself – your brand – into all the nooks and crannies of your blogs, product descriptions, bios, and start building the image you would like to exude.
Block-by-block, post-by-post, all of this starts to add up, eventually coming together to form this image of your product, your brand, of you, that your audience can resonate with.
This content strategy is always a long-term prospect. Don’t expect to publish three posts and suddenly become ‘Reddit King Pete’, or ‘My-Word-Is-Law Jackson’. Though, you shouldn’t be dissuaded either!
The initial content creation push is always the most common roadblock people face when it comes to the consistency that is required in order to brand themselves successfully. However, if you push through that initial slump and get your second wind, you’ll look back and understand how necessary it was to be consistent with both tone and frequency.
Time to put my money where my mouth is and offer you a mental image you can get behind.
Imagine your brand is this massive mosaic you’re building. Bit-by-bit, parchment-by-parchment, you’re slowly adding to the whole of something yet unfinished. You can kind of make out bits and pieces and the general image is faintly visible — but it’s still in the making.
Technically, this specific type of mosaic will never be finished as brands are constantly evolving beings of social metadata but once the foundation has been mosaic-ified, that’s it. Everything that comes after that is simply an addition to that which you have built.
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT….
Wow. Can you believe it’s taken [x] paragraphs to mention the good ol’ conversion funnel? I cannot fathom a marketing article without mention of our dearest friend.
Side Note: If you think about it, funnels are actually terrible metaphors for conversions. Literally everything, like 100% of anything that goes through a funnel, will pass through said funnel.
[Insert Funnel Photo]
Who came up with this concept? *Facepalm Emoji*
Metaphor-validity aside, your content plays a very large role in funneling these converters-to-be through the… well… funnel. I guess.
Too much, and you risk losing their focus. Too little, and issues of trust and authenticity crop up.
Omission, is one thing. Though it should not be confused with Intrigue. There is a very important difference between leaving stuff out on purpose & leaving stuff out on purpose.
For lack of better phrasing; Leaving stuff out without leaving stuff out can (if done correctly) not only enhance the product listing – but can even be used as a brand calling card, if you will.
STICK TO YOUR MARLON...
...Brand(o), that is.
When you think ‘Godfather’, you think GODFATHER. (assuming you’ve watched what is arguably the greatest trilogy of all time. If you have not, please immediately stop whatever it is you are doing and proceed to remedy this tragic ailment.)
Movie(s) aside, the importance of branding cannot be overstated. In Mathematical terms:
Understanding Your Audience + Selling Your Feeling = Compelling Branding
Building a successful & compelling brand is the culmination of everything we have discussed thus far. Approach your content in a way that sells your brand, not simply the product.
So, you tell me.
Is it simply Compelling Branding…
…Or is it An Offer You Can’t Refuse.
Date: Friday, 19 November 2021
We are so excited to release our new update (May 2021 Version) for our customers! We have added multiple new features in order to help your eCommerce business thrive by using our platform.
The list of new features includes:
So let’s start with the new user interface. We redesigned the whole UI with a modern, minimalistic style and also added the option for a dark theme!
We have added new marketing channels in order to give our customers more options in their online marketing strategy. You can now create your campaigns directly through the platform and continue to enjoy our marketing automation features for those new campaigns also!
In terms of supporting our customers, we added a new live chat service directly inside the platform. You can ask us anything and a representative will speak with you. And we don’t use chat bots, you will be talking with a real person that can answer any questions you may have!
On the reporting side, we have a new reporting system that shows our customers all their orders they received and which channel or channels (primary/secondary) helped facilitate the sale of your product for each order, in order for you to have a better picture of which channels really help your business!
And finally we have a new Agency Hub. The Agency Hub is an alternate version of EshopsWithIQ specifically designed to be a tool for digital agencies and freelance marketers who want to automate their workflow and take advantage of our platform and can manage multiple clients and businesses.
Date: Thursday, 01 July 2021
With Google Shopping Ads taking over the world of eCommerce, it has become an essential channel to list products for every Eshop. But in order to get your shopping ads and your products at the top of the page, you have to optimize your feed in order to help Google’s Machine Learning algorithm and make your products more relevant to potential buyers.
Tips for feed optimization
By creating specific rules for your products, you can optimize your feed in order for Google to target potential buyers based on product data received for your feed and the keywords used by people searching for products you sell. EshopsWithIQ can create a tailored Google Shopping feed but you can optimize it further for better results on your campaign.
What are the benefits of an optimized Google Shopping Feed?
Date: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Book a presentation with us! Choose a date, time and video calling platform so we can talk live, answer your questions and learn how EshopsWithIQ can help you!
EshopsWithIQ is a marketing automation and data feed management & optimization platform, designed to promote your products across multiple eMarkets automatically. Without any digital marketing know-how, you can increase your sales and grow your eCommerce business with an all in one platform!