Digital Marketing which is known worldwide for its strategic operations, is one of the best-used methods for brands in e-commerce sales to build, connect, promote, engage, and sell through different and unique channels.
With advanced technology and innovations present at our fingertips and accessible at any time, using creativity in conjunction with the tools and resources that Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides, digital marketing can be used to its full potential which has proven to be a big advantage for e-commerce platforms and for businesses that want to transform from B2B to B2C.
Digital Marketing is also known as online marketing and can be used as a very good leverage for the development, creation, growth, and overall success of business operations. In the retail industry where competition to be unique and to stand out from the others is always the go-to vision, the most common strategy used by companies to get there is through digital marketing.
There are many types and kinds of digital marketing that are used to better reach, engage, communicate, promote, etcetera. Some of these are – Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Email Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Mobile Marketing, Landing pages and Brand Websites, Online Advertisements, and Campaigning.
In this article, we will be talking about Social Media Marketing (SMM) used as a digital marketing strategy and how its methods and uses drive sales of e-commerce brands, in the fast-paced and tech-savvy Gulf Region.
What is Social Media Marketing (SMM)?
Also known as Online Marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM) in simple terms, entails that it is a strategy used in online platforms such as the well-known applications of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etcetera., social media to reach, engage, and communicate with their customers directly.
Providing a user-friendly experience and service, many businesses and brands need to keep up with the knowledge, skills, current trends, and the creative use of the features in social media applications to know how they can be used to their advantage.
Another essential purpose of using Social Media Marketing strategies is to also create and form a community and a strong, loyal customer base which would help in driving traffic to their brand’s products and services as well.
Digital marketing strategies are a skill that can be easily learned if one is tech-savvy, aware of current trends, and has good knowledge about the brand, its services, and the products that are being sold.
Be it in the form of image posts, video posts, or text posts, regularly commenting, regularly optimizing the brand page, adopting influencer marketing strategies, and timely responding to customers and users. The e-commerce sales generated through the effective use of this strategy will be unstoppable, more so with the right demographic target.
In the Gulf region, due to the rapid development of e-commerce sales in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries, many brands and diverse businesses take to social media advertising as their first step in promoting and or announcing their online digital presence.
Benefits and Advantages of Social Media Marketing:
Since the fast-growing population of Millennials and Generation Z in the world, the demographic presence makes use of online and digital platforms. As they are very primarily present and active on them, there would be a lot of reach, engagement, and promotions happening through recommendations, word-of-mouth, and post shares.
Digital marketing has honestly shaped the world and redefined business operations providing them with a good leverage and advantage. Making the digital experience easy to navigate, and user-friendly, discount offers, coupons, memberships, freebies, etcetera., are some of the features provided by brands to increase retention.
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Strategies Used in Social Media Marketing:
Before and during the implementation of social media marketing by and for brands for boosting and running their e-commerce sales, ‘Shoppable Posts’ and official e-commerce brand websites use the following strategies.
Primarily, understanding the target market and demographic is of utmost importance, without which there would be less to zero reach and engagements. Next, taking necessary action in approaching the target market by learning which platforms are used largely by the demographic would be very beneficial.
Moving further, beginning to actively engage with the target audience by posting, sharing, interacting, commenting, collaborating, etcetera., can be used as leverage. Moreover, data analytical tools to identify and improve weaker areas can be implemented.
To Conclude:
Consistency is key. Being regular and constantly engaging with the target audience can help Social Media Marketing (SMM) as an online marketing strategy to drive e-commerce sales of brands, by targeting the audience. As digital marketing has only increased in businesses in the UAE, building and forming trust, loyalty, partnerships, collaborations, and engagements, can be forces that push the reach, awareness, and presence of many brands in the industry and market.