You’ll know just how critical it is for small businesses selling online to use a variety of marketing channels and tactics to maximize sales. You’ll also know how important it is to measure results and evaluate budget allocations.
You can supercharge your sales, get customers through brand new channels, and breathe life into your business in 2023 by utilizing some of these useful shortcuts. Here are four ways to get started.
1. Engage your customers where they are
It is not only about the number of channels you use; it is also about the channels your customers use regularly.
In order to grow, businesses need to find new ways to reach consumers. In its 2020 research, Google discusses the ‘messy middle’ of the buyer decision journey, showing how many touchpoints there are for customers now in order to find, compare, and buy from you.
You can find out when and where customers are most engaged when you use a wide range of channels.
Consider being featured on a cashback or voucher code site instead of Google Ads or email marketing. Do you want to work with bloggers, influencers, or price comparison sites? Research shows that two-thirds of consumers seek out coupons or vouchers before purchasing a retail product. A majority of shoppers make an online purchase based on the opinions of bloggers and editorial content websites.
This kind of affiliate partnership offers your products great tactical exposure. Their platform makes managing tracking and payments effortless and doesn’t require a lot of admin time or effort. The biggest benefit of partnering with these sites as a small business is that commissions are only charged when sales are made. You just pay a percentage of the sale or a fixed fee when they feature you on their websites, typically for free.
2. Make use of the data
A wide variety of channels allows you to test and optimize. Some channels work better than others.
A powerful tool for online growth and optimal ROI, however, is being able to test this and get real-time data.
If your Google Ads generate lots of clicks, but you get few transactions, or if your Instagram engagement is low, but you get lots of purchases, you may have an issue. The advantage of expanding into other online channels like affiliate marketing is that you can track every transaction made through your choice of online partners from one convenient dashboard.
You can see which partners are bringing you new customers and raising your average basket up with this type of reporting. Your perfect customer can be driven by the partners who drive your business.
You’ll get more bang for your buck if you focus on metrics that matter to you (clicks, average cost of sale, conversion rate, etc.). The more you focus on the right metrics, the better your results.
3. A future-proof marketing plan
Small online businesses must change how they connect with their customers due to the cost-of-living crisis and changes in online consumer behavior. The sooner you diversify and test channels like affiliate marketing, the better. You can protect your marketing investment and build momentum and relationships in advance, ready for key retail dates like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
The preparations for peak holiday shopping seasons such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas generally begin in the summer.
Working with an affiliate partner such as an influencer will allow you to set the perfect marketing plan for those winter goals without rushing at the last minute. A range of media packs and partnership options are available to help you reach your business goals.
Take advantage of tried and tested digital channels in good time to get prepared. With this method, you’ll be able to make quick decisions when time and money are at stake.
4. Be fearless
A new venture can be daunting for smaller online businesses, who have limited budgets, less time to dedicate to managing new channels, and a lot of personal investment at stake. Nevertheless, being fearless online can lead to incredible results. You can reach thousands of potential business partners, who can promote you to their targeted audiences, through channels like email marketing, social media and influencers.
