Ecommerce businesses are pioneering new products, ideas, and marketing every day. Every business owner is looking for the next way to level up, get more done, and help more customers. We had the chance to attend the 2022 LA Ecommerce Summit to learn more about the future of the ecommerce landscape right from the industry professionals themselves.
We gathered the overall themes and key takeaways from many of the panels and presentations throughout the event, and here are the four ideas ecommerce professionals couldn’t stop talking about.
Social media and community building are key to a brand in 2022. Connecting with your audience, tapping into User Generated Content (UGC), and being present where your customers want you to be… all things social media provides.
It also provides in-app shopping experiences, influencers, and brand ambassadors to promote products more organically, and opportunities to make an impact or create change.
While platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been around for a while, several new players are entering the game. TikTok has gained rapid popularity over the last few years. While the user’s side is highly tailored and even more engaged, the opportunity for advertisers to take advantage of the curated platform has been slow to start.
Companies are wondering: are places like TikTok and the Metaverse environments where brands can thrive?
The answer is yes. It starts with organic experimentation. It’s free to post content organically on channels like TikTok, Instagram Reels, or even Snapchat. All it takes is time to try things out and the resilience to push forward. However, marketers and business owners should note: not all platforms are created equal. You must learn to adapt to each platform’s unique user behavior, algorithm, and more.
Organic experiments are a great way to make your creative work for you for free, but what happens if you want to supplement that with paid? Social ads provide an opportunity to accelerate your content learning. You can easily test out creative as a paid ad before you have several variations made for all channels.
Did you know? AdRoll is your one-stop-shop for social ads. You can integrate your channels, get reporting, and manage campaigns, all in one place. Want to learn how to level up your social media strategy in 2022? Learn more about social retargeting.
If you’ve been thinking about adding brand ambassadors or even influencers to your marketing efforts, you’re not alone. It’s easy to see that individual content creators are dominating the online space.
While leveraging another person’s network is not a new marketing concept, the digital landscape has prioritized the network’s relevance vs. the size of the network. Social media algorithms, for example, quickly categorize content and content creators. Then, related content is served to users who might find it interesting. Platform users are used to tailored content experiences that only show them the types of content they want to see.
What does that mean to business owners and marketing teams? It means that you have to choose partners (influencers, affiliates, etc.) that are of interest to your audience. It also means YOU should be relevant to your partner’s audience.
Areas of alignment include but aren’t limited to:
Industry
Values
Products
Geographical area
Always ask yourself, “Will my customers/audience expect me to partner with…?” or “Will my customers/audience enjoy and approve of the outcomes of this partnership?”
The idea of utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence is intriguing, especially as a tool in marketing. While everyone is eager to cut time, tap into data, and create efficiencies with these types of tools and software, is it time to go all in?
The answer is…it depends.
Big companies are diving in on creating their own AI, while smaller companies are weighing which of the available tools are right for them. There are many tools and AIs to choose from, but not all companies are ready to go all-in on every one.
If you’re in the experimentation boat, start small. Try out software that cuts time for you or your team, like an AI that suggests ad copy or even a chat bot.
Did you know that AdRoll Retargeting is powered by AI? Through our experience working with 37,000 advertisers, we’ve got machine learning that makes more predictions per second than the NASDAQ. Learn more about building a retargeting strategy that fits your customers here.
In a world where digital presence is of the utmost importance, it’s clear brands need to be in as many places as they can for their target audience. Of course, how do you build a consistent brand + be available everywhere your customers are?
Omnichannel isn’t a new concept, but it has gained more and more momentum over the years, largely due in part to the positive customer experiences with these types of strategies. It proves that ease, relevance, frequency, and consistency are all important areas for businesses to provide their potential and current customers.
AdRoll is the one-stop marketing solution for ecommerce businesses. Whether you’re a one-person marketing shop or a whole marketing team, we’ve got what you need. Run display ads, social ads, and email ads in one place. Learn more about how AdRoll can help your business here.
Last updated on May 6th, 2022.