The Best E-Commerce Brands on Social Media
As a leading Belgium marketing agency, we love to watch brand behaviour on social media. Recently we looked at the best pet care brands clawing their way onto Instagram, Facebook and the other social media giants. Today, we’re looking at e-commerce and the brands engaging their audience through content and social media marketing.
Photo by Roberto Cortese on Unsplash
An Overview of The E-commerce Market
As we approach the end of 2020, it’s a good time to discuss the e-commerce market. The enforced lockdowns we have witnessed this year saw consumers staying at home and placing orders online. And e-commerce has rapidly adapted to accommodate them. With shoppable Instagram posts, clickable discount codes and even Black Friday online, this is a rapidly developing space.
And social media now makes it even easier for consumers to buy. Businesses can make their digital media shoppable, removing the friction of asking customers to switch to a website to buy an item. Facebook and Instagram now have in-app shops,allowing customers to complete a transaction without leaving the app.
· Digital shoppers in the USA are clicking their way to more than $374 billion in online sales in 2020. By 2024, e-commerce sales of physical goods are expected to top $476 billion.
· The largest e-commerce sites in the world are Amazon, Inc, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, eBay Inc and Rakuten, Inc.
· Asia-Pacific and North America lead the regional totals for retail e-commerce sales. Asia-Pacific will account for 42.3% of retail sales worldwide, North America will capture 22.9%, and Western Europe will make up 16.2%.
· 90% of social media users buy from companies they follow on social networks. The portion who said they increased their spending with a brand they follow rose 12% to 75% this year from 2019.
· Some e-commerce sectors like supermarkets and sports equipment have thrived this year whilst others like luxury, jewellery and watches lost revenue. You can see an overview in this chart from Statista.
So, who’s winning in the e-commerce battle on social media and what are they getting right? We all know about huge e-commerce giants like Amazon. So, let’s look at some of the other retailers and see what techniques they are using to win sales.
#1 FOREVER 21
Forever 21, is an American fast fashion retailer headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Originally known as Fashion 21, the first store was founded in 1984. The company sells accessories, beauty products, home goods and clothing for women, men and children via physical and online stores.
With a strong presence on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter, Forever 21 uses some innovative techniques to push e-commerce sales.
On Facebook, Forever 21 utilises Global Pages. That means social media users searching the brand will see a localised version of the page. Those accessing social media from Europe see a European shopping link. This is important because shipping and customs taxes from the USA to Europe can be high and off-putting. It also allows the brand to be more personalised in its offering and approach. For example, a warm Mediterranean country like Cyprus below will still purchase summer clothes in September and October.
On Twitter, Forever 21 fully utilises influencer marketing with influencer tags and hashtags like #foreverbabe. You can also see that tweets originate from Instagram and actually CTAs drive consumers there and not the website. This shows the power of social media e-commerce and how the brand places importance on that channel to achieve sales.
So let’s head over to their Instagram channel and see what they’re doing.
Firstly, see how their bio makes it clear that users can “Shop the Insta Feed”. That means if you like an outfit or accessory you can buy it right now. @forever21 also categorises its highlights using cute emojis so you can see what’s in each collection. For example, gifts, Halloween and new collections.
New collections give users a sneak preview into what’s coming up creating excitement and a bit of FOMO. Modelled by a diverse range of models from Forever 21 HQ; we love how all the individual clips fit together to make one end image. Forever 21 offers a range of products to suit all skin colours, body sizes and styles. It’s therefore important that this is demonstrated in their Instagram posts.
There are also plenty of CTAs to follow the brand on Tiktok, perfect for the young Gen Z target market.
Forever 21 also has physical stores and reminds us of that with regular video tours. This one also highlights how the brand helps charities. The caption highlights how your purchases equal donations to “The Boys and Girls of America”. This is especially important for the target Gen Z and Millennial generations who favour strong community and charity initiatives.
Black Friday 2020 might not involve shoppers climbing over each other to get the last pair or discounted jeans (we think that’s probably a good thing!) However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening online. Brands like Forever 21 fully utilise selling holidays to cash in and Black Friday is a big one. The brand promotes its discounts on Instagram and Facebook. Using phrases like “Last ones”, “Selling out fast” and “Limited offer”, the brand creates urgency and prompts purchases.
Brands also utilise clever wording like “prices from $1”. That means you only need to have one item at that low price on the entire site. However, it will still tempt people in. If you’re running an e-commerce sale, it’s essential to set your terms and conditions including an end date.
When the sale is ended, end it! If you often extend your sale, fans will not pay attention next time knowing that bargains can be grabbed at any time.
We also love a good unboxing session. There’s something about the suspense of seeing what’s inside that has us hooked. Plus, it’s a great way to demonstrate transparency to potential consumers. Add in an influencer, a giveaway contest and a charitable donation and you have a winning post.
Forever 21 utilises Instagram to explain how its new faster shopping experience works. This is key because Gen Z and millennials especially, like things done fast. Less clicks, more personalisation and no hanging about waiting to purchase.
Learning Lesson - It might be tempting to adopt the same marketing approach as Millennials when targeting Gen Z. But Generation Z behaves differently. While most Millennials can remember a time before reliable internet connections and smartphones, Gen Z has experienced little else. So, their relationship with retailers has moved decisively online and a significant part is through mobile. 24% strongly prefer to purchase online and 13% through mobile. 40% of Gen Z buy their clothing online.
If you’re targeting Gen Z through e-commerce, your strategy should be Instagram and Tiktok savvy. Your website must be fast loading, mobile optimised and easy to navigate. You may also want to consider integrating “Buy now pay later” tools like Klarna to encourage purchases.
#2 Magnolia
Magnolia is an e-commerce brand that sells elegant homeware products and promotes a sense of togetherness as illustrated by their manifesto.
Ok we’re more than a little in love with the blog over at Magnolia. Elegantly segregated between Design, Garden, Lifestyle, DIY and Recipes, there is something for everyone. It can be easy to overlook the power of content in an e-commerce world. However, content marketing sells products.
We love design stories with real photos like this one telling the story of the renovation of an old church. Consumers love to read about real stories, before and afters and real journeys. This demonstrates authenticity, transparency and a real passion for the business you are in.
Magnolia has a strong focus on community and charity. This is something that really comes across when looking at their Insta feed. Brands are increasingly incorporating Corporate Social Responsibility into their strategies.
New visitors to Magnolia get a 15% discount in return for subscribing to the newsletter. It’s important to fully utilise email marketing if you want to succeed in e-commerce. Swapping a discount, whitepaper, eBook, voucher or product for an email signup is a great technique to get consumers into your marketing funnel. From there you can also retarget them on social media.
A big trend in e-commerce is user-generated content (UGC): 85% of people find UGC more influential than branded content, and 64% of potential buyers actively seek out UGC before making a purchase. Magnolia utilises UGC throughout its social media efforts including on Pinterest where it has over 800k followers. Pinterest is all about curating UGC collections and encouraging a community. This is the perfect place for a design savvy homeware brand to thrive.
On Instagram, Magnolia shares beautiful photos, recipes and tips from other community members like this banana bread recipe.
Upsell where you can with clever add-ons and incentivised messaging. In the world of online e-commerce, free shipping is also a big win. Here are some great upsells:
· Buy 2 and get a discount
· Spend over $50 and get free shipping
· Spend over $100 and get a $10 voucher
· Add X item for only $5
Keep it real. We like this post that showcases the founders and company owners. Despite the technology at our disposal, people do still buy from people.
Learning Lesson – Don’t be salesy. Yes, you want to sell products, but that doesn’t mean you have to be pushy. Magnolia on social media is a great example of e-commerce done in a classy way. The homely and lovable feed is entirely shoppable, but visitors can still enjoy the stories, photos and ambience. The online store is highly visual and segregated to make shopping easier.
#3 Trunk Club
Trunk Club is an e-commerce brand that specialises in providing tailored clothes for men and women. Its innovative business model serves consumers by providing head-to-toe outfits, styled and delivered. Take the quick style quiz and they will pack you a Trunk. Ok we already love it. Here’s how their content and social media sells products…
Firstly, they provide free virtual help sessions. These 30-minute style sessions help users to plan their look and choose their wardrobe. After a free consultation, users will feel confident to go ahead and purchase the look.
Trunk club doesn’t hold back when it comes to what they stand for. Their website content is clear, informative and stands for diversity and fairness.
Trunk Club recognises the power of influencer marketing and invites long term partnership opportunities. It even details some of the ways influencers could work with the brand:
· Sponsored blog posts - Share a Trunk experience with your readers
· Curated collection- Create and co-promote a thematic Trunk for our customers to purchase
· Content features - Star in a campaign cross-promoted on blogs and social-media channels
· Social takeovers - Expand your audience by posting your content on our social handles
We love the visuals on the Trunk Club’s Instagram. Showing you exactly what you can expect with beautifully photographed collections. The captions tell a story and paint a picture of the person who would wear the clothes. Visualisation is an enormously powerful tool in the e-commerce world. Words like Imagine if and Picture this help the user to visualise wearing or using the products.
Helpful content on repairing clothes is a big winner for this e-commerce brand. And links neatly to their expert, tailored approach.
We also love these short videos that show how clothes can be altered to suit your style. This emphasises that despite Trunk Club being a huge e-commerce brand, they still care about individual styles.
Did You Know- Some brands are choosing not to use Instagram’s Checkout feature as shown below. Many prefer to retain control over their retail sales with all posts linking to their website as opposed to checking out on the platform. It’s too early to get a feel for overall consumer sentiment but it’s something to watch. Get our brand new Instagram Marketing eBook Free here.
Learning Lesson – Explaining how something works is a big part of e-commerce retail. By providing short videos, colourful gifs, collated collection photos and FAQs, Trunk Club explains exactly how it works. They offer clear information on their returns policy and shipping to reassure potential consumers.
3 More E-commerce Marketing Lessons
#1 Personalisation - It’s key for e-commerce brands in 2020 to personalise their messaging. 42% of internet users are annoyed when presented with information that's irrelevant or impersonal.
· Provide relevant recommendations for your customers- this could be clothes in their size or styles you think will suit them based on previous purchases.
· Send a birthday promotional offer or discount. This shows you remembered and incentivises loyalty.
· And speaking of loyalty, acknowledge and reward regular shoppers with a discount or voucher.
#2 Social Media Customer Service- When we talk about social media, we are not just talking about the posts you add. We also mean your responses and your private messaging with customers. Utilising chatbots, e-commerce brands can also provide a faster and more efficient service.
· Utilise a chatbot to establish the customers query and provide an estimated response time.
· Provide an FAQ menu on Facebook Messenger to take the heat off your support team. Often questions are simple such as “What time is your store open?” or “Do you ship to Canada?” ASOS has an advanced chatbot that can assist customers with a variety of order issues.
· Aim to respond promptly to comments or complaints on social media. 40% of consumers expect brands to respond within the first hour of reaching out on social media, while 79% expect a response in the first 24 hours.
#3 Utilise Social Proof- Social proof is a powerful tool used by the top e-commerce retailers. It involves showing happy customers who rated the product or friends and family who like and follow the brand. This is a powerful persuasion technique.
· Use videos to show your product in action, being worn, used or demonstrated. About 85% of internet users consume video on a weekly basis. YouTube is the leading online platform with a reach of 90%, followed by Facebook with 60%.
· Encourage user generated content. Reward users for sending in photos of themselves using or talking about your products.
· Buyers look for online reviews to learn from customers’ experiences so make it easy for them by sharing positive reviews. Frank Body, a company that offers coffee-based skin care products even made stories from their reviews.
