Social Commerce for your DTC Apparel Brand

Since 2020, e-commerce has had a remarkable boom. Amazon has seen 169% growth in two years during the pandemic, rising to 470.7 billion USD in revenue in 2021 from 280 billion USD in 2019. One may have predicted that e-commerce would take a toll once “life” began to open back up after the end of the lockdowns. However, the data tells a different story. Has E-Commerce Stopped Growing? From data collected by WolframAlpha, one can note a sharp increase in Amazon sales right around the start of the worldwide lockdowns during mid-2020. However, there is another interesting thing to note. Though businesses worldwide have opened back up, including offline stores considered a rival of Amazon, their sales have not slowed. In fact, they keep growing. The Reason for Amazon’s Growth Beyond 2022 The key explanation for this is that everyone has gotten used to e-commerce. It is an experience that is: Easier Cheaper Convenient It is also interesting to note that 75% of consumers now use e-wallets and a vast majority of the population prefers digital currency to cash. This change is in alignment with the ideology of e-commerce. Striking While the Iron is Hot It can be argued that the best time to really gear up e-commerce marketing was 2020. However, that ship has not sailed. In fact, it is just picking up the pace. As an example, revenue from retail e-commerce in the United States is projected to have a sharp increase in the coming years. Smaller Businesses Can Grow Even Faster Through Amazon Over 700 small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK reached sales of £1 million or more for the first time, according to an Amazon report in 2022. Amazon also supports global e-commerce in a way that it is feasible for small businesses to export their products. Indian exporters are set to surpass 5 Billion USD in sales via Amazon. How to Create an Effective Amazon Marketing Strategy? It’s essential to understand your target audience to a tee. Exactly understanding your audience also helps you in the marketing process besides simply letting you improve on your own product. Why Do People Buy From You? It is important to note the exact reason people opt for you over your competitors. It is also important to know why the customers are willing to meet your price, whether it’s lower or higher than the customer. Does your brand appeal to their personality? Do you sell a particular feeling in addition to the material product, for example, a feeling of luxuriousness Ask yourself, “Why select you over your competitor(s)?” Amazon does not limit one to selling retail products. Artisans can sell handcrafted goods via Amazon. Artists can publish novels for Kindle, a product of Amazon, or publish videos on Prime Video Direct. Even Twitch is a subsidiary company of Amazon, which enables many to earn a living by streaming videos of various genres. Once you are clear on all of the above questions, creating a streamlined marketing strategy would not only come easily but also naturally. Marketing for Amazon The following methods are most often used to market one’s products on Amazon. Here is how to perfectly execute these strategies. #1 Using SEO and Content Marketing to Level Up Your Visibility SEO optimization can create drastic changes. Increase the Number of New Users Take a look at how we created more than 100% growth in the new users of a website using SEO and content marketing strategies. SEO optimization enables you to create a difference in new users. Once used in tandem with content marketing, SEO enables you to stand above your immediate competitors when it comes to visibility to new viewers. It is important to note that Google, the world’s most used search engine, highly values it when you stay within your niche in writing content. If you sell DIY tools, for example, resist the urge to create a webpage about sports. Use a different domain to share your thoughts about your other interests. Google rates expertise in a niche highly. Increasing User Experience and Trust in Brand Did you know that more than half of modern customers research online before buying? High visibility within your niche creates a sense of trust and reliability around the brand. Besides increasing immediate sales, SEO optimization can also help in brand-building. Creating SEO-friendly websites is also synonymous with creating fast and streamlined websites. For example, a three-second delay in loading time leads to a 7.9% drop in the number of articles a user may read. Target a Global Audience Since Amazon is a global e-commerce platform, the same should reflect in your SEO and content strategy. As an example, take a look at how we created 50% revenue growth in a client through a multilingual SEO campaign. #2 PPC Marketing Gives You an Edge Keep the following things in mind while creating a PPC campaign for your products on Amazon. Use buyer-intent keywords. This means that target what the intent of the buyer is in addition to specifying your product. For example, a user may look for “rain gear” though their specific needs may be “rain jackets”. Target long-tail keywords. These are keywords that are highly specific in nature. Bidding for these allows you to create cost-effective PPC campaigns as general keywords are highly sought-after. For example, target “mens waterproof rain jacket” instead of “waterproof jacked”. #3 Social Media is All the Rage Did you know that the average order value for customers that arrive from Instagram is 65 USD? This comes from a report from Shopify, who also reveal that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube provide a customer order value of 55 USD, 46 USD, and 38 USD respectively. Since Instagram stands clear above the rest in this regard, let’s ask ourselves why? Instagram users are expected to grow at a steady rate, projected to be 1.44 billion in 2025. This is a hugely engaged user base that logs into the application frequently throughout the day. Instagram Helps Build a Connection With Your Audience Instagram can let you present your brand in a way that connects with your niche target audience. They must feel that the brand is an extension of their own personality. It’s the nature of social media to encourage users to log in frequently. Users want to know what is the latest that is happening with people and things they care about. Instagram Helps Boost Sales Many social media sites let you plug in products and services directly to your posts. Instagram allows this in both posts and stories. This can be an effective way of reaching younger audiences, who are interested in social media e-commerce far more than previous generations. Here is how we help businesses connect with their target audience on social media effectively. #4 Use Twitch to Connect With Younger People In 2021, Twitch recorded an average of 2.78 million concurrent viewers. YouTube may boast a larger audience, but Twitch takes the cake when it comes to audience engagement. The audience of Twitch is comprised of mainly younger people who are more connected with the content creators on the website than the audience on YouTube. They invest more of their time in viewing a person on Twitch than the average YouTube viewer. This means that marketing your brand on Twitch, either with paid advertisements or with influencer deals lets you: Reach a younger audience in a way that is relevant to them Market to your specific niche highly effectively Come across as a more authentic brand #5 Use Coupons and Gift Cards Who doesn’t love a good deal? In fact, the deal need not necessarily even be “good” financially for it to create a positive feeling in the customer. All that is important is that your coupon or gift card makes the customer feel good about the purchase. There’s an age-old marketing strategy of raising one’s prices by 2 bucks and giving a discount of 1 to keep customers happy. Note: This strategy can be used in tandem with influencer marketing effectively. That way, customers can feel as if they are a part of an “exclusive” group that gets to avail of a brilliant deal. #6 Use Intelligent Email Marketing Retargeting beats other methods of advertising with an incredible 1,046% efficiency rate! This means that if you know a user’s past history and market to them, you can market highly effectively. For example, email marketing to a user that has arrived on your website and looked for a specific product can be great. In addition, always follow up with an email after cart abandonment. If you do so within three hours, the emails have a high open-rate with a 20% click-through rate. #7 Focus on Prime Day Prime Day is an annual sales event on Amazon. In 2022, Prime Day sales broke global record sales in Amazon’s history by registering 12 Billion USD worldwide. This was an incredible rise from previous years, for example, 1.52 billion USD in 2016. Focus on a special campaign for Prime Day to reap great rewards. #8 Partner With Someone Considering a partnership for digital growth is an excellent option to drive sales up. As an example, take a look at how we created almost a 100% increase in orders through the Amazon seller campaign for a client. Also, get to know our conversion-driven Amazon Marketplace Services. ...

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Each and every business out there needs to have a strong digital presence. We are currently living in an era where the internet and technological evolutions are ruling the world. Instead of bringing customers to where you are, the current era demands the firm to reach out to the masses. And with 4.57 billion people using the internet, you just can’t ignore the digital platform which has become a world in itself. But if we make a paradigm shift from the offline world to the online platform, we realize the competition is neck-wrenching. With 1.7 billion websites on the internet, making your presence stand out of the crowd and appear on the top of the search results while providing an enhanced online experience can prove to be tough for you. This is why, instead of bearing the burden of making your firm shine on the digital platform, especially if you already have too much on your plate, partnering with Saffron Edge for making the most of the current digital marketing trends and optimizing your presence will be the best approach. Our company thrives on the latest tools and technologies along with the best digital professionals for strengthening the presence of our clients on the digital platform. Along with making sure that we are complying with what’s trending in the digital world and offering tailor-made solutions to every client, we also let our experts spend time coming up with new ways of improving the already established digital presence. And one such model that we have come up with for making the digital life of our clients easier is the digital iceberg model. The digital iceberg model Our digital iceberg model is one of the most successful models that proved to be successful for all of our clients who come to us in search of a transformation of their digital presence. In order to improve your digital presence, we function on three crucial parts that most digital marketers overlook- Digital loyalty Digital Popularity Digital confidence So, let’s take a look at these three important aspects of digital transformation to help you better understand the type of approach we use. Digital Loyalty It doesn’t matter how many new customers you drive in or how well you are working on converting prospects into customers, if you don’t have a sustainable digital marketing strategy that helps you in increasing the base of loyal customers, you will never be able to get palpable results from your efforts. Because of the increasing need for loyal customers, most of the firms have started using loyalty marketing programs that focus on making customers succumb to repeat purchases with you. We at Saffron Edge, use the digital loyalty approach in a precise manner so that customers will not only return back to your firm but they will also become your brand advocates. Source-Unsplash Marketing tactics used by Saffron Edge for improving digital loyalty Understanding the customers Instead of just throwing trending loyalty marketing techniques at our clients, we try to understand their customers first. From going through the pain points of the customers to understanding their challenges, we analyze the customer base of our clients in a detailed manner. Marketing the core value We also work on building an appropriate identity of the brand of our clients that aligns with the customer’s needs in the best possible way. In addition to this, we align the core values of our clients with larger causes to make the marketing efforts look more appealing. Craft a bold statement At Saffron Edge, we know the potential a brand holds in order to build an authentic image and we focus on cultivating this image. By keeping tabs on the customer value of our clients, we are always ready to craft bold statements and improve customer loyalty. Why digital loyalty? Customer acquisition is costly You will be surprised to know that the cost of customer acquisition is five times that of retaining a customer. You need to make the customer familiar with your brand, you need to let them know what your company actually does and push your wide array of products and services to them. Well, you can get rid of all the expense involved in acquiring a new customer, if you try to convince an existing customer as the customer will already be aware of each and every aspect of your company. It’s easy to sell products to existing customers Pushing a product to an existing customer is not only cheaper but it is easier as well. All your existing customers must have complete knowledge about your brand and its products and this is why when you push your products or services to an existing customer, it will require less effort and time. The probability of firms selling to an existing customer is 60 to 70% while the probability in the case of new customers is only 5 to 20%. Digital Popularity Making a brand successful on the online platform comes down to brand building. There might be many aspects of building a brand but at Saffron Edge, we make sure to use only tried and tested methods for increasing the digital popularity of our clients. Source-Unsplash Marketing trends used by Saffron edge for streamlining digital popularity Social media At Saffron Edge, we make sure that all our clients are regularly interacting with all their customers so that digital loyalty can be improved. In order to do so, we make sure that content is being published from our client’s social media accounts on a regular basis because this is one of the best ways to keep loyal customers engaged. We take advantage of some of the most popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and much more so that we can reach all the loyal customers of our clients present on different social media platforms. Newsletter By taking advantage of social media and data analysis approach, we build an impeccable email list for all our clients so that they can send regular newsletters to all their loyal customers and this is one of the most genuine ways to make your loyal customers feel engaged. We use various techniques to make loyal customers of your firm feel valued through newsletters. For example, we ask our clients to come up with discounts, offers, and coupons, especially for loyal customers and we send these offers through newsletters. Run contests Running contents on the digital platform might sound like a very common approach but at Saffron Edge, we know the value of running contests when the main goal is growing the popularity of the brand. We use tried and tested methods for running online contests for our clients that can attract hundreds or even thousands of eyeballs on the website of our clients. Digital confidence If you have a strong brand then it will not only convey competitiveness but it will also convey confidence and we call it digital confidence. You must have noticed that the purchasing pattern of the customer keeps on evolving and with the prices of products crumbling down, the strain on every business owner has increased by many folds. By providing great value to your customers and by keeping the prices low, your chances of success will surely increase. But in addition to this, we also work on building a brand for all our clients. This is why at Saffron Edge, we convey digital confidence by building a strong brand for all our clients by using the following approaches- Seamless user experience Positive marketing is all about making the customers feel better and you will never be able to do so with an irritating and time taking website UI. This is why we always focus on building a website for our clients that gives them a seamless user experience. We make our websites compatible with all the platforms and devices while equipping the website with all the tools like a search bar, social media links, and much more. Spreading positivity The power of happiness can’t be overlooked while focusing on brand value. We use a wide array of marketing techniques to make the customers of our clients feel inspired or make them happy. This makes the brand of our client inspirational to the customers and in turn, makes the customers buy products or services from that particular brand so that they can share the same feeling. Ensuring protection and trust We know that everyone is concerned about the safety of their data on the online platform and we use this concern as an opportunity for building brands. We consider each and every aspect of digital security while offering digital services to our clients and thus our clients are able to build a trustworthy relationship with their customers. We use a detailed approach while offering digital services to our clients and this is why we have been successful with our approach. Our digital iceberg model unravels all the things that go into the digital transformation of any business. By working on digital loyalty, digital popularity, and digital confidence, we are able to make our customers become the star of the digital platform in the most economical way possible. ...

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The retail landscape has undergone a transformative shift, and direct-to-consumer brands are at the forefront of this revolution. These brands have revolutionized the traditional business model by embracing social commerce, a powerful tool that offers consumers unparalleled control over their shopping journey. By bypassing intermediaries, streamlining the buying process, and leveraging the vast potential of social media, DTC apparel brands are redefining how consumers discover, engage with, and purchase products. As a result, social commerce has become a crucial aspect of DTC strategies, enabling brands to establish direct interactions with their target audience at any time and leverage valuable insights to create stronger, more tailored channels. In an age where 74% of consumers turn to social networks for purchase guidance, owning the sales channel has become imperative. Social media platforms have recognized this paradigm shift, vying to become the go-to destination for consumers looking to make informed buying decisions. Recent data reveals that a staggering 98% of customers intend to utilize social purchasing for at least one purchase this year, indicating a significant increase from previous years. It is evident that social media channels are positioning themselves to capture a larger share of the market, and this upward trend shows no signs of slowing down. In this article, we will delve deeper into the realm of social commerce and explore its critical significance for DTC apparel brands. We will unravel the transformative potential of this burgeoning trend, highlighting its ability to empower consumers, streamline the buying process, and propel brands to new heights. Social Commerce, Social Shopping, and DTC Social shopping, a hybrid of eCommerce and social media, has emerged as a result of the changing landscape of retail. By seamlessly integrating retail channels with social media profiles and followers' feeds, social shopping provides a unique opportunity for consumers to discover new products, explore emerging brands, and make purchases without ever leaving their social feeds. This convergence of online shopping and social interaction is proving to be wildly profitable, with social commerce generating a remarkable $475 billion in sales in 2020. According to industry experts, this figure is projected to skyrocket to a staggering $3.37 trillion by 2028, exhibiting an annual growth rate of 28.4%. For DTC apparel brands, social commerce is an instrumental element in their quest for success. These brands understand the importance of fostering direct connections with their audience, and social media platforms serve as a pivotal factor in achieving that objective. By embracing shoppable posts, on-site storefronts, and innovative features, DTC brands are harnessing the power of social commerce to enhance customer engagement, drive sales, and forge long-lasting relationships. Social Commerce and Customer Behavior Emerging as the predominant buyer segment, millennials exert an increasingly influential impact on the market. A key aspect characterizing these evolving consumers is their desire for personalized shopping experiences and tailored product recommendations. Their curiosity extends beyond product utility, as they actively seek insights into how others employ various products and services. Real-life encounters and the opinions of genuine individuals hold greater sway over their decision-making processes than brand-generated content. Crucially, 77% of shoppers exhibit a higher inclination to make purchases from brands that effectively personalize their shopping experiences. It is evident that change permeates the landscape for brands and retailers, necessitating a profound understanding of and adaptation to the evolving preferences and behaviors of this connected and discerning consumer base. Why Does Social Commerce Work For Fashion Brands? According to Statista, the number of social buyers in the United States alone reached a staggering 80 million in 2020, marking a notable 30% increase compared to the previous year. Experts suggest that the social commerce trend would have continued its growth trajectory even without the pandemic; however, COVID-19 acted as a catalyst, accelerating its expansion. In terms of monetary value, these consumers collectively spent around $27 billion throughout 2020. Retail experts predict that social commerce sales will witness a further surge of over 35% in 2021, surpassing $36 billion in consumer expenditure. Projections for the future paint an even more remarkable picture, with social commerce sales in the United States, expected to reach nearly $80 billion by 2025. The pandemic-induced spike in these numbers can be attributed to a significant shift in consumer behavior. Notably, consumers have become increasingly reliant on digital platforms, as highlighted by PWC's research, which revealed that over 50% of surveyed consumers reported a heightened digital engagement. Furthermore, the popularity of smartphone shopping has been steadily rising, outpacing in-store shopping since March 2021 by a two-percentage-point margin. Establishing a robust presence on social media platforms has proven to be a key driver of sales. Stores that maintain at least one social media account experience an average increase of 32% in sales compared to those that do not leverage social media channels. Social media platforms have also emerged as the go-to destination for product reviews, with a remarkable 84% of online buyers in the United States consulting these platforms before making a purchase decision. When it comes to discovering new brands and products, the younger demographic, specifically Generation Z, heavily relies on Instagram. Being a mobile-first generation, Gen Z utilizes Instagram as their primary channel for exploration, with a recent report from digital and creative agency Composed indicating that 60% of U.S. Gen Z shoppers utilize the platform for this purpose. While it is evident that capitalizing on the social media trend is crucial for the growth of e-commerce fashion brands, it is essential to know where to begin in order to navigate this landscape successfully and that is what we will break down for you! What Works in DTC and Social Commerce? Your Audience and Social Media: Your Audience and Social Media Consumers utilize social media platforms in a manner akin to their use of search engines, employing channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit as integral components of their purchasing journey. These platforms serve as valuable sources of information, allowing individuals to delve deeper into companies and products as part of their decision-making process. Moreover, social networks enable users to explore recommendations from their own networks, guiding them towards relevant offerings. In this manner, social media plays a pivotal role in connecting shoppers with their desired products and services. Over time, social media has transformed into a virtual marketplace, where users can engage with friends, brands, and creators, resembling the experience of perusing merchandise in a conventional store. Just as the likelihood of making a purchase increases with more time spent browsing in a physical setting, extended periods of interaction on social media platforms similarly enhance the chances of conversion. Customers tend to gravitate towards platforms they are already familiar with and comfortable using. Millennials and Generation Z, for instance, exhibit a preference for visually-oriented networks like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. In contrast, Baby Boomers are anticipated to favor Facebook as their platform of choice. Women seek inspiration and ideas on TikTok and Pinterest, while men turn to Twitter and Twitch for their next potential acquisitions. Apart from the prominent platforms, there exist other social buying sites such as Kaboodle and ShopStyle, which provide users with the ability to curate personal style boards, compile product lists, and engage in blogging. Much like the experience of shopping together in a physical store, these platforms facilitate product reviews and direct recommendations among friends and social connections. Your platform of choice should depend on the target audience of your product/service. It is important that you invest your energy and resources in a directive manner. The Recent (and Relevant)Trends: Present-day consumers display a keen interest in exploring novel features offered by social media platforms. Their diverse connections and interactions provide valuable insights to businesses regarding brand discovery and purchasing patterns. Among various tools for social media targeting, livestreams have gained exceptional popularity. A notable 71% of viewers engaging with livestreams have made purchases through social media, with 48% expressing a desire to utilize in-platform commerce tools for future transactions. Looking ahead to 2023, a significant portion of customers, approximately 45%, will prefer to make purchases directly through their favorite social media platforms. However, these customers also expect a more streamlined and efficient experience. While Gen Z emerges as the demographic most likely to embrace this functionality, with 52% expressing eagerness to engage in social media commerce, overall expectations encompass faster browsing and seamless purchasing processes. Moreover, as the metaverse continues to gain prominence, consumers can anticipate the integration of virtual or augmented reality-powered shopping carts in the near future. However, the extent to which customers embrace this trend largely depends on their generational affiliation. Older customers are generally less inclined to adopt these advancements, while early adopters exhibit a willingness to pay a premium for such immersive experiences. Notably, over 80% of consumers who regularly engage with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies have already embraced social shopping, indicating their receptiveness to innovative approaches. Understand Influence: When making purchases on social media, 49% of buyers are influenced by targeted ads, while 4 out of 10 users are swayed by a brand's organic content. Some individuals (34%) seek recommendations from friends' posts or browse multiple social sites (34%) before making a decision. Throughout the purchasing process on social media, customers continue to rely on various influences: Friends Product comments, remarks, and reviews Brand familiarity Recommendations from significant others Among those aged 18 to 40, friends play the most crucial role in their purchasing decisions, followed by social media influencers. Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen X have developed increased trust in influencers, comparable to their trust in friends, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Baby Boomers, who are less influenced by Millennials, place greater trust in their significant others and friends. Trust plays a vital role in convincing individuals to purchase a specific product or service. Therefore, crowdsourced feedback or product reviews from strangers have the least influence on someone's buying decisions. Consumer’s Psychology The Recent (and Relevant)Trends One aspect of social shopping is the utilization of social proof and heuristic thinking. Consumers often observe what others are buying or have bought and take their lead from them. This is because people tend to view popular or dominant choices as the best and most valid options. It is a classic example of the power of peer influence. Social shopping features employ social evidence to encourage heuristic thinking in purchasing decisions. These features include Pick Lists, which provide insights into what people want and value, and Popularity Lists that showcase the most popular or remarkable products. Additionally, the Share Your Story tool allows consumers to offer human-interest testimonials or reviews, further influencing others' decisions. Follow the Leader Another psychological aspect of social shopping is the reliance on expert opinions and authority figures. Consumers have a natural tendency to trust the judgments of experts, regardless of what they say. This trust in expertise saves time and energy for users by relying on the knowledge and experience shared by authoritative individuals. Social shopping features take advantage of this tendency by incorporating Expert Reviews, which provide insights from niche leaders and industry experts. Referral-Generating Programs also play a role, as recommendations from trusted individuals within the community carry significant weight in the decision-making process. Follow Those You Like People often feel inclined to emulate and agree with individuals they like, admire, or find attractive. This tendency contributes to building social bonds and trust, as it is part of managing our image and identity through association. Social shopping features leverage this aspect by offering Influencer's Lists, showcasing the favorite brands, products, or services of influential individuals. Referral Programs create private shopping events or exclusive live-stream portals that are trusted by the social community. Additionally, Group Shopping features enable users to co-browse online stores together, allowing them to become influenced by the preferences of people they like and trust. In Conclusion Having a social commerce strategy in place is the current of doing business. To optimize yours, partner with Saffron Edge, a leading digital marketing agency with expertise in social media marketing and e-commerce. Contact us today to take your social shopping initiatives to new heights. ...

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