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Consumer purchasing habits can be a mysterious thing. Scientists don’t know how a bumble bee flies, as its aerodynamics are all wrong. And why, during the most challenging holiday shopping season anyone can remember, did sales hit unheard-of peaks, even though many shelves were bare and shipping prospects were uncertain?

This is where a savvy e-commerce advertising agency can help keep your contact with consumers going, regardless of the prevailing business climate.

Online Sales Hit Record Highs

According to Adobe Analytics, online sales rose to a record $204.5 billion this holiday shopping season. Thats a 253% increase over pre-pandemic figures. Even though online prices were up 3.1% from the previous year with weak discounts and sale pricing, many items were labeled “out of stock”, and the supply chain was unable to guarantee on-time delivery.

Interestingly, many holiday purchases involved high-end items such as jewelry. The answer might be as simple as pent-up frustration with pandemic conditions. And consumers were obviously ready to make up for so many months of stagnation. After two years of quarantine and with activity severely limited, perhaps people just wanted to get out of the house, climb out of their shells, and splurge.

But effective advertising may have played a significant role.

Supply Chain Delays and Early Shopping

With plenty of media attention on the nation’s logistical problems, smart shoppers started their holiday buying as early as October. Data from Placer.ai showed that some US outlets enjoyed a 10-16% boost in business that month.

Black Friday lasted for several months this year, with enticing deals announced as early as before Halloween. Merchandisers were aware that there would be a logistics issue this year, so they wanted to strike while their shelves were still relatively full. And this thinking was, indeed, predictive because many brick-and-mortar outlets were practically vacant on Black Friday itself. As a result, that day’s shopping traffic was down as much as 27.3%, according to a report from Placer.ai.

Effective outreach on the part of retailers was the key. The wise marketer foresaw the difficulties and planned ahead, to the benefit of their clients. Realize the value of having a team of marketing professionals driving your advertising efforts.

Take Advantage with E-Commerce Advertising

A savvy online advertising strategy can be vital to surviving ― indeed, thriving ― even in a turbulent business climate. Consider these points for an effective outreach into cyberspace.

Don’t neglect advertising outlets.

Online outlets can fluctuate in popularity. They come and go. Build your own e-commerce advertising ecosystem so that you are still plenty active even if one of your preferred platforms either performs poorly or is rendered obsolete. If one outlet restricts your advertising flow (Facebook is notorious for that), you still have multiple irons in the fire.

Personalize messaging with SMS.

Never underestimate the power of SMS marketing. Delivered straight to the pocket of each consumer, this little message can outperform thousands of emails that remain unopened or display ads that are hastily scrolled past without notice. An SMS message feels personal and there’s not a lot of reading required. A case study by Golden Stream Media documented that a $3,000 expenditure on SMS marketing precipitated a return of $60,000 in sales. This is personal technology at its purest.

Pick the right tone of voice for your audience.

Make sure your e-commerce messaging is talking the language of your intended audience ― such as casual and conversational, or maybe more serious and formal. People like to deal with folks with whom they feel comfortable; a kinship. Much of the population speaks in email shortcuts and emogis (omg, rofl, btw), so don’t be afraid to talk to your audience at their own level. Avoid old-school sales talk. People don’t like to feel that they’re being “sold”. Instead of talking AT them, engage WITH them. It’s how strangers become friends.

Keep up with emerging platforms.

Don’t overlook one particular media platform that has captured the world’s imagination: TikTok. Love it or not, this little gem is a must-have for your advertising ecosystem. Prices for ads are among the lowest, while their reach is among the highest worldwide. People, places and things get noticed on TikTok. Many believe that it will end up being one of the most vital platforms for promotion in social media. Take a look at what it has to offer.

Advertising Experts for E-Commerce

Change is in the wind. Some pundits predict that Apple has some world-changing technology up its sleeve that will bring about profound changes in the online advertising world. This is where an experienced, connected advertising firm can be instrumental in ensuring that you don’t miss the opportunities that are coming up.

At Wizard Digital, we can help you manage your forward-facing image, your online presence and your relationship with your customers, past and future. Talk to us about what we can do for your e-commerce advertising ecosystem. You may be surprised to learn how far your advertising budget can go.