Years ago, only 17.8% of sales were made from online purchases. That number is expected to grow and reach 20.8% in 2023, that’s a 2 percentage point increase in e-commerce market share and this growth is expected to continue.

Consumer buying behaviours have evolved as online shopping has rapidly grown. As our technology continues to develop e-commerce companies need to adapt and innovate to stay ahead. By staying on top of these trends, companies can position themselves for success.

Social shopping

87% of shoppers online use social media to make shopping decisions, with 55% of smartphone users purchasing a product after seeing it on social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are now developing the platform to make it easily accessible to buy these viral trending products.

Multichannel personalisation

Multichannel personalisation can be tailored to a shopper’s preferences, creating personalised interactions that boost customer loyalty and sales across devices.

Personalisation involves much more than recommending a relevant product. It requires a recognisable and enjoyable shopping experience, regardless of which device a consumer may be using.

E-commerce platforms can continue to enable anyone to sell their products and sync their catalogues across their branded online store, physical stores, social media, and marketplaces, and this list will continue to grow.

Conversion tools will be critical

There are many tools that you can use to optimise your conversion. You might be using some already? Google Analytics, heat maps on your e-commerce store, user testing, data mining to name a few. In order to succeed 2023 is the year it is vital for a business to stay alert and keep up with the latest trends to optimise sales opportunities.

A good customer relationship management (CRM) system is essential, other solutions are looking at engagement to help businesses connect with customers and prospects. Consider using analytical tools, click trackers, and testing solutions.

Customer retention

Another key trend in 2023 will be businesses focusing on building relationships with new and existing customers. Why? This is because businesses are becoming more customer-centric and it is easier and cheaper to build on customer loyalty than to try and invest in new customers.

If you haven’t built a relationship with a consumer and they can find what you sell for cheaper elsewhere, you’ll likely lose them. On the other hand, if you’re consistently providing value for the customer and a positive shopping experience, personalisation, and genuinely satisfying customer service, you are likely to keep this customer and in turn keep sales.

Ways to keep customer retention at a high and also going back to personalisation – how you can increase a customer’s shopping experience below…

• Display reviews on your website
• Offer your customers their favourite payment options
• Personalise the customer journey
• Offer discounts or reward programmes

If you need help with your own marketing activities the expert team at Brighter Directions can help with any PR, social media, email marketing, or content strategy.

Get in touch today on hello@brighterdirections.co.uk or call us on 01246 586 330.

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Today, marketing professionals must straddle a line between social media, advertising in print or digital, creating topical and engaging press releases, maintaining close working relationships with editors, writing charming copy, adhering to marketing budgets, coping with crisis management… the list goes on.

What if we focus only on traditional PR channels?

Traditional PR in a nutshell

We just listed every aspect of a modern marketer’s role, so if we distil this back down to the core of traditional PR what is left?

Before the explosion of digital media there was print. Today many PR professionals seek clicks and engagement online but print media still exists, with many now sharing newsrooms with an online edition making any secured coverage here worth twice as much as digital alone.

Reputable titles such as The Guardian and The Times still see a circulation of hundreds of thousands of copies and can be key targets for media coverage. Tabloid titles such as The Sun maintain a circulation of close to a million copies.

These figures have declined significantly in recent years but when taking into account for the shared coverage online too their appeal remains strong. The Guardian alone sees hundreds of millions of visitors each month.

So, what are the traditional methods of PR?

Step one, the press release. For a business looking to promote their latest product or service, big-wig hire or acquisition the press release remains a go-to form of communication.

When creating a release it is vital to have a target in mind, particularly if crossing mediums and industries. Consider who you would offer exclusivity to, if anyone, and reach out to them first before circulating wider or self-publishing on your website. Editors will often edit a release if they are interested in covering your news so try not to become too attached to your work.

Option two, media relations.

Maintaining a close relationship with editors and reporters is the sure-fire way to get eyes on your news. It is a two-way give/take situation. If you can provide interesting news or features for an editor’s readers, they can provide the audience you are seeking.

Traditionally these relationships would grow from in-person meetings, conferences, phone calls. Now, this aspect of PR remains of importance but has evolved. It is possible to reach thousands of reporters instantly via social media, engaging with their posts and stories to build a rapport without ever actually speaking. Digital PR has not replaced good relationships, in fact it has made them easier.

Not only easier but more widespread. In addition to editors and reporters of newspapers and magazines we now also see value in working with ‘influencers’ and online bloggers who build their own community of followers often with more trust and closer ties than that of a newspaper reader to their title of choice.

National, regional, and local newspapers, print and digital, editors, reporters, influencers, bloggers. A mixture of professional, working relationships across this selection remains as important as ever.

Traditional marketing strategies remain viable

Outside of strictly PR, other longstanding marketing activities remain as prevalent and rewarding today as they always have.

Company newsletters, especially for larger businesses with a large database of recipients, is an easy way to spread news to an engaged audience who have chosen to subscribe to your mailing list.

Working with the local community, sponsoring events or fundraising for a good cause, appearing at tradeshows and business conferences to network. The modern marketing professional should not neglect any of these. Instead embrace how digital platforms have made each easier to handle.

Traditional PR strategies are as relevant today as they were for marketing figures in decades past. If you need a little help with your own outreach the team at Brighter Directions are happy to have a chat and see if we can assist.

Drop us an email at hello@brighterdirections.co.uk or call us today at 01246 586 330.

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In the UK, 85% of young people unfollowed influential social media stars during the pandemic; but why? This week, we’re discussing influencer marketing across all perspectives. We explore the phases of the purchasing journey and how emotions impact each touchpoint.

Over the last decade, we have seen social media grow rapidly in importance. More than 3.4 billion people actively use social media – that’s 45% of the world’s population.

Inevitably these people look up to influencers in social media to guide them with their decision making.

Influencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views. Brands love social media influencers because they can create trends and encourage their followers to buy products they promote.

Types of Influencers

You can separate different types of influencers in multiple ways. Some of the most common methods are by follower numbers, by types of content, and by the level of influence. You can also group influencers by the niche in which they operate. This means that influencers who may appear in a low category by one measure may seem more influential when looked at in another way. For example, many mega-influencers are also celebrities. Yet both these groups often have less real influence on their audience because they lack expertise in a dedicated narrow niche. Some micro and even nano-influencers can have a tremendous impact on followers in their specialist niche. They may be of significant benefit to a firm selling a product targeting that sector.

What is an influencer?

An influencer is an online personality who impacts their followers’ purchasing decisions based on their reputation. They use their online presence, mostly on social media platforms and blogs, to partner with brands they use and create content that advertises products or services of those companies.

How many followers do you need to be an influencer?

People with followers in the range between 40,000 and 1 million followers on a social network are macro-influencers. Most influencers are micro-influencers with between 1,000 and 40,000 followers. In really specialist niches, you have nano-influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers.

Here at Brighter Directions our social media team keep ahead of popular influencers and trends to engage with audiences in our social marketing strategies.

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