We love this little tale from an article featured in The Guardian earlier this year: In January 2020, the Petersfield Bookshop in Hampshire experienced what was likely the worst business day in its 100-year history when it sold nothing whatsoever. In a pleading tweet, it offered a 25% discount to any followers kind enough to purchase a book from its online store. Cue one retweet from author Neil Gaiman and the bookshop racked up over £1,000 worth of orders overnight. “I don’t understand social media because I’m old-fashioned, but when I heard the figures, I was gobsmacked,” said John Westwood, whose family owns the store.
The incident served to emphasise how e-commerce and social media have transformed shopping behaviours. In the month that Petersfield Bookshop felt the benefits of an enhanced online presence, digital channels accounted for 19% of all retail sales in the UK, up from 12.8% five years prior. That proportion surged to a record high of 33.4% in May as COVID-19 lockdown measures meant that most traditional brick-and-mortar avenues were unavailable, further demonstrating how an increased reliance on the web is reshaping age-old habits. Meanwhile, social media has enabled people to discover new brands through their peers, celebrities, and the brands themselves. Indeed, in April, 27% of global consumers said they’d found new brands or products since the start of the pandemic via ads on social platforms.
So, how can they go about building their brand online in a way that resonates with people?
Discovery and engagement is one area to focus on to ensure your brand sets its tone and characteristics right up front in the customer discovery phase. Consistent content generation is one way in which brands are building their online profiles while also seamlessly blending in ‘commerce content’ (think subtle selling) to ensure products and brand beliefs are being showcased.
Building relationships is also key to driving a community aspect around your brand. Your brand strategy needs to include your ‘community strategy’ from the start. Making consumers feel like they belong to a community (that your brand might of even created) is a strong method of creating a space for people with shared interests.
Offer a sense of intimacy and exclusivity – With 55% of UK consumers (IPSOS) feeling they’re going unrecognised when interacting with online merchants, there’s a clear need for brands to personalise the way they communicate with shoppers. This can be done via personalised email campaigns or even by creating exclusive content or offerings for customers once they have purchased your product or service.
It’s a long road to gain trust and become a trusted advisor within the lives of your consumers but if you think about some of the first steps above, we hope you’ll be on your way.