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“My boss wants better marketing of our brand. Our website is already top-notch. What next?”

For many companies in the ever-growing E-Commerce space, marketing ends once the user selects his products, adds them to his cart, clicks on on ‘Buy’, enters his payment details and then clicks on ‘Pay’. Post which, he gets his delivery confirmation, tracking details, receives his product and maybe, a feedback/review email. That’s the standard format. Not too much out-of-the-box marketing.

A good organization must recognize that marketing does not have to be or end like this. The marketing manager must identify multiple touch-points which could be leveraged after an order has been placed.

Ideas to strengthen E-Commerce Marketing after the sale

Using The Box

1. The Color of your BoxIf your brand color is purple and your boxes are completely purple on the outside, over time people may begin to associate your brand with any purple box that arrives at your doorstep. If you think about it, almost all Nike shoe boxes are orange in color, it must be for a strong reason and something which definitely aids recall.

2. Packing Tape

Customized tape with your brand on it is definitely a good way to spread your company name across.

3. On The Box Messaging

Many E-Commerce vendors still ship with a plain brown/white box with little or no messaging. When there is a blank canvas present, why not use it? To avoid over-messaging, you may not want to go overboard but at least your Company name, brand tagline, customer service no. and website address are a must. If you wish to go further, add a line on why buying from your website is as simple as 1-2-3.

If you are worried about the cost of customized boxes, stickers for messaging can be used. In this case, ensure consistency regarding placement of stickers.

Inside the box

1. Inserts

Placing inserts, speaking of other deals and promotions or even warranties and instructions is important. Rarely does a customer not see what’s come with his item. The quality of your inserts means something. Just photocopied sheets of paper with offers or instructions shows the value of the brand.

2. Loyalty Gifts

Imagine opening a box and discovering a free gift along with your order. Using existing data on no. and value of purchases, some customers could be sent a free unisex (or gender based) gift as an acknowledgement of their loyalty. This can also be a talking point if you use social media to promote the same.

3. Birthday Promos

Have a ‘for a birthday’ check box on your website. If ticked, wrap the box and insert a birthday card with a unique promo code on it. Create a social media campaign on how many birthdays your brand has helped celebrate through its products.

 4. Promo Code Vouchers

Having a promo code voucher with a loyalty or special discount as an insert for existing purchasers can definitely help gather repeat purchases.

In the Customer’s Inbox and on his Mobile

1. Re-organizing the Survey/Feedback/Review Email

If an organization does a shipping before standard time, why not let the customer know? An email to the customer stating that we have managed to ship ahead of time (mention the time/time saved) and asking for a review might be better received than just an email asking for a rating/review.

2. The Invoice

Sending an email copy of the invoice should become a gold standard. You will save on paper and have the ability to creatively make the invoice more interesting. It will also allow you to attach additional marketing messages to it.

3. CEO’s Voice Mail Message (Thank You with Feedback)

Provide your best customers with a voice message, one which thanks them for their purchases and asks for any feedback to make their experience better. Let it be limited and be sent only to engaged, loyal customers.

As companies slowly break away from traditional brick and mortar sales models and accept online E-Commerce, marketing becomes extremely diverse and different. At the helm of all challenges is integration with social media. More talking points mean more digital word of mouth, translating to more visitors to your website and ultimately more purchases.