Top social media strategies in eCommerce (1)
Miguel Nicolás
13/04/2018
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Let´s talk about social media and eCommerce. We have 10 examples of brands that are doing a really good work. Get inspired and we may talk about you in the next post!
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From time to time, it is worth stopping to see what are the best strategies of social media for eCommerce. Review the latest trends and get inspired in what the best ones do.With this objective, we start the series of posts that we are going to discuss, let's see in detail the strategies of 10 models and find insights in their different channels that we can apply to our stores.
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Some considerations in social media strategy
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Each company uses their accounts in a different strategic way. We can distinguish several parameters:
- Tone of communication: some opt for humor, others by emotion...it always depends on the mix audience-product.
- Direct objective: some accounts are more promotional, others seek the engagement or contextualize the product within a lifestyle.
- Channels: when different channels are used there are companies that know how to use each one so that they exploit the strategic advantage of each one in a different way.
We could add more vectors, but we will essentially use these three to evaluate those top strategies of social networking in eCommerce. -
#1 - Purina
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Are you surprised that we start with a pet food brand? That is because you have not stopped to think over what they do.
To begin with, I like this example because Purina is a manufacturer that has carried out a vertical development the sale of its product. It does not incorporate e-commerce within its corporate website, but it links to its parent company´s store (Nestle) where you can buy on. -
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You may like its design more or less, but the truth is that there is a clear message that is fully consistent with which it transmitted in the social network: "your well-being our passion" and they focus much on the client-pet relationship at content level.
The strategy is segmented by channel using Twitter andFacebook in a similar way. Let´s not focus so much on the specific content that they share (many posts about care and outreach) nor in the interaction which is high enough. -
INSIGHT: what we like most about their strategy is how they have integrated their corporate social responsibility actions in the speech. They use this means of direct communication with their community to spread their work and strengthen connection. These actions range from therapeutic programmes with animals to drive an initiative called Pets at Work to bring pets to work.
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#2 - Bonobos
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We have already talked about this men´s clothing ecommerce. The truth is that Bonobos does so many things well that it always tends to be one of the recurring examples to bear in mind.We could speak of all its channels because, frankly, they are fantastically managed. Seeing what and how they do always provide another interesting idea (I do recommend it especially if you sell clothes online)
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We are going to focus on Instagram which summarizes the strategy of social media best, which on the other hand is very consistent between channels. Its bet is connecting with its target audience using:
- Life style: what you see at first glance is not a catalogue or a succession of products with a neutral background like that seen in the images of a store. In fact, in many photos does not appear even a product. They focus on capturing a very defined aspirational day-to-day: modern, urban, men going to meetings, playing golf, surfing, walking with their pets and cycling... they want you to be reflected.
- Tone of communication: they try, I think successfully, to find that balance between elegant clothes and some relax. This is not only transmitted through the selection of their models who are not the canonical as you could expect, also in colorful and humorous publications. An example is one in which a box of matches is seen and is made reference to "the big boys club"and the boys with thighs (there are many more examples in their feed)
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INSIGHT: think about your audience, which both their real and aspirational context is. If you are able to show your product as a tool to achieve it or, simply, as a consequence of this vital context we want to reach, then you will develop a very interesting empathy.
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#3 - Warby Parker
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Another one of those brands that you have seen throughout this blog is the online optical store Warby Parker. I recognize I love how these guys work. They have a great product, social conscience and a really good communication strategy which is very supported by storytelling.As for Bonobos, we are going to focus on one of their channels to get specific conclusions. It is their YouTube channel and its intelligent use of video to sell prescription glasses, something which is slightly more arduous.We can find different types of videos about the company and its charitable projects, the manufacture of their glasses (important when we talk about cheap prescription glasses, we have to reinforce confidence). But, what really seems to me to be better is one very simple but of great value to the target audience of Warby Parker: frame comparatives.
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They are less than two-minute videos in which a model tries on several models or different finishes of a same frame. Taking into account that the sale process is completely online, it is a very good idea to see see the effect in the same model.
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INSIGHT: use all means to appreciate products. Social networks can be a great ally in this regard for the eCommerce because they represent a point of contact with your audience and they have so many multimedia possibilities.
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#4 - Penguin Random House
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Let´s move to a less well known store. It is the online bookstore Penguin Random House whose recommendation component plays an important role. It is not Amazon and they do not expect so. As its concept is different, more similar to a small neighborhood bookstore on the third floor of a shopping mall.I like particularly to see how they want to take advantage of the reading culture and turn the web itself into a catalyst for that life style and the pleasure of reading. In order to do that, they take advantage of a very consistent social media strategy which turns to bet more on the context and what moves around the product than the book itself.
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What stands out, from my point of view, of Penguin Random House in social networks, is its profile on Pinterest. They have created boards with a very strong inspirational component in which literature is the focus:
- Authors: writers are key for reading lovers. They arouse passions so let´s take advantage of it.
- Shelves: it may seem too superficial, but those who are still buying paper books enjoy the object and we like keeping them organized.
- Reading corners: there is nothing that cheer up more than the image of a bookmark or a nice library, they encourage reading.
And famous quotes, gift recommendations, corporate photos... so up to 78 different boards. -
INSIGHT: we need to look beyond those networks where everyone is present, you may find a very interesting and less competitive channel. If Pinterest is used properly, it is really good (and it allows you to link to your site, something that is complicated on Instagram)
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#5 - BB Dakota
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If we had a men´s clothing fashion brand then we could not miss one women´s. In the end, this is one of the sectors that more and better move on social media. Let´s talk about the case of BB Dakota, fashion and accessories for especially young audiences.As in the case of Bonobos, it is worth focusing on Instagram as channel but in a different sense. The strategy is completely different since BB Dakota wants to rely on the prescription ability of instagramers and the UGC (user-generated content).Indeed, they have coined their own hashtag #babesinbbd so that clients nurture it with their own images.
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The use of Instagram is so relevant for eCommerce in its strategy that they have included the own hashtag in the header of its website and it has a section where you can see (and buy) the most outstanding outfits that have been uploaded to this network both by the brand itself and by other users.
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INSIGHT: use the power of prescription of social networks, make users become brand ambassadors and prosumers recommending from their own profiles. You can even use, with the due consent, their images in advertising campaigns.
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That is all... so far. Soon we will share with you examples of other really top 5 social media eCommerce strategies. Any suggestions? Do you want to talk about any specific brand?
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Images | Fotolia and linked sites .