Digital marketing strategy for e-commerce businesses

When the pandemic hit the world, businesses were pushed to think on their feet to ensure business continuity. As one of the most thriving economies in the world, Hong Kong was susceptible to the same challenges. Like all regions around the globe, large-scale social distancing measures led to a significant downturn in Hong Kong’s retail industry. However, today, as stated by Osome, 50% of Hong Kong’s consumers prefer online shopping, indicating that the online retail shift now seems inevitable for the region.

With over 4.5 million online shoppers (according to Osome) and a rapidly developing e-commerce sector, online-orientated business strategies are seen as the next big step. However, as daily time spent on the internet increased, so did the average hours on social media. According to Statista, local individuals aged 16 to 64 are estimated to spend about two hours a day on social media platforms., This offersoffering another channel for companies to tap into. As e-commerce continues to grow, a thorough comprehension of the social media landscape is necessary. Similarly, given the infatuation with social media in Hong Kong, designing a robust social media marketing strategy for e-commerce is pivotal for efficient acclimatisation.

Social media marketing in Hong Kong

According to Datareportal, close to 90% of Hong Kong’s population are active users in the social media playground. This means that, big boys like Facebook are now imperative tools needed by businesses to maintain a central position in the market. It thus comes as no surprise that e-commerce success and social media marketing go hand in hand. As marketing becomes more accessible through social media, a proper digital marketing strategy must be thrown into the marketing mix for efficient dissemination of brand information.

How social media can help the success of e-commerce

Consumers have increasing expectations for multi-channel shopping amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Findings released in the Adyen Hong Kong Retail Report 2022 highlighted that 78% of Hongkongers will not shop from the same merchant after a single bad shopping experience. Therefore, catering to this growing customer need for a top-notch shopping experience is one of the ways to adapt to the trend of mass personalisation. A strong social media presence raises awareness of alternative conduits for loyal customers to turn to. This newfound online presence will also engage and reach more digital users, increasing a business’ consumer base. As more digital consumers are converted, new avenues towards business growth may open up too.

How to market your e-commerce store on social media

1. Start with the marketing basics

Whether you’ve just kickstarted your e-commerce business or want to improve an existing e-commerce social media strategy, every plan needs to have its basics established. Be it deciding on the right platform to market your business or setting social media goals, a good plan must be present before tackling other tactics. To do so, evaluate the top-ranking social apps in the region, study your target audience and conduct competitive analysis. Even a social media audit or e-commerce website analytics can be leveraged to better support social efforts to reach specific business goals.

2. Build a solid digital marketing strategy for e-commerce

To remain relevant to the changing needs of consumers, constant engagement is needed in the social media space. Even if an e-commerce website offers a seamless customer experience while shopping, the lack of personal connection can lead to an influx of zombie followers on social platforms. Be it through the use of hashtags or sending push messages on social platforms like WeChat to promote an e-commerce website, significant planning is thus required to maintain a brand’s online reputation. Utilise social listening and campaign to stay on top of the game. Combine paid strategies in addition to these organic ones to improve brand recall and customer acquisition.

3. Tap into influencer marketing

Influencers are users who are capable of influencing their large following. Whether encouraging them to take a certain action or directing them to a specific e-commerce site, influencers hold the power that has many marketers running towards. In Hong Kong, many rely on the expertise of local influencers when marketing on social media. With their content driving some of the largest user clicks, building true brand advocacy through this method is worth considering.

Capable of supporting greater resonance with the modern-day consumer, e-commerce social media marketing offers great possibilities to boost e-commerce sales when used as a tool to raise awareness. As the online retail shift becomes part of the new normal, jumping on the digital marketing bandwagon is one of the key ways to gain a competitive edge in the evolving e-commerce sector.

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