Let's start from the beginning! What do we want to sell?
Even if our e-commerce or online business is already up and running, when it comes to making a promotion plan it is better to start from the beginning. We must rethink what we want to sell and/or promote, what the objective will be, what means we will have available, etc. To do this, we recommend that you make a list of objectives that we will then convert into actions for our plan. Try to answer the following questions:
-What do I want to sell or promote? All my products, the products that sell the least (outlet), the launch of a new product or a specific product category. This point determines the entire plan doctor phone number list since the definition of the target customer, the design, the date, the channels, etc. will depend on it. Although it may seem like a common sense task, many e-commerce sites launch into promoting all their products without a real objective behind it and end up wasting time, money and resources.
- What is my objective? I want to gain sales (and that is why I am promoting my best-selling products), I want to gain margin (and I promote the ones that are cheaper for me) or I just want to retain my customers or attract new ones with interesting discounts… At this point, remember that not all promotions must include a discount. You may be promoting the launch of a new or star product and you don't have to offer a discount, but rather the advantages of the same product or an additional service (free shipping).
-Who will be my target? Related to the previous point, I need to be clear about who I am going to address: new clients who search for information on Google, my social media fans, my regular clients, etc.
-What is the reason for my promotional campaign? Although it is probably defined in the objective, it is interesting to establish a reason or excuse for your clients to buy from you. Many times it is related to the seasonality of the campaign (Christmas, Valentine's Day, Back to School, Black Friday, etc.) but other times it is related to the company or the sector (the store's anniversary, VAT-free day, a weekend with no shipping costs, etc.).
- What resources do I have? We need to pay special attention to human resources (designers, marketing experts), financial resources (advertising investment) and time resources (am I in time to promote Black Friday this year?). A large part of the secret to carrying out a successful promotional campaign is closely related to the planning of its resources.
Once we have answered this list of points, we can define the plan more precisely and begin to develop the actions. Taking as a hypothetical case that we have an online shoe store, an example of this plan could be:
Doesn't that make it much clearer? The next step is to think about the actions and the schedule of all the tasks that I need to carry out. Following the example, if we want to promote rain boots in March-April, as the end of the season:
What actions could we take in a promotional campaign?
Below we give you some ideas of various actions that you can carry out in any promotion, in relation to the channels where they could be promoted.
General discounts:
Although this is the most common action, it is usually one of the most effective. We can offer discounts (amount or % discount) on all products or on a selection of them.
Channels: Web (via banners, pop-ups, special section, header messages), email marketing to regular customers, social media posts , ads ( Adwords , display, social media ads, etc.). There are so many options!
Coupons:
Coupons are usually different from a general discount open to the public. They are usually offered in personalized emails to customers (to reward their loyalty) but they can also be offered with a general code to offer on social networks or with a pop-up to website visitors. They can offer an exact amount, a percentage discount or other extra options such as shipping costs.
When you create coupons in your online store, remember to set them so that they are valid for a period of time or after using them X times. They should also be personalized if you send them by email.
Channels: Web (pop-up or text on homepage), Social Networks and e-mails. They are not usually used as much in coupon ads.
Exclusive discounts:
What better way to encourage a purchase than with a feeling of exclusivity or immediacy? “The last units just for you, this weekend.” With this type of discount we are talking about promoting a group of products with reduced conditions (only for regular customers, etc.).
Channels: E-mailings, as this is the most exclusive way to communicate with our clients. Websites with pop-ups programmed according to visits, or with temporary promotions for a few days.
