Photo: Instagram.com/ms_kuan
To say we live in an age of advertising is an understatement. From the internet to any social media app you use, advertisements are everywhere. While it is second nature to swipe an ad away, what can an eCommerce brand do to avoid being forgotten or swiped on through their ads?
One foolproof method is complementary branding, or partnering with complementary brands or personalities, and a complementary eCommerce seller platform. By following this method, you can bait and hook brand-new customers to drive business growth.
Let’s dive into 8 tips to grow your eCommerce business with complementary branding strategies:
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1. Understand your target audience
Start by gaining a deep understanding of your target audience. Identify their needs, preferences, and pain points. This knowledge will help you identify complementary brands, products, and services that enhance their overall experience and provide value. Your target customers are influenced by:
- Environmental factors such as regulations, be it goods and services taxes, technological advancements, convenience in logistics, emerging partnerships, and current issues such as environmental or educational concerns.
- Demographic factors such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, income, education, and employment. Take particular notice of the generation categories that your target customers belong to. For instance, most millennials prioritize financial security over marriage and children.
- Psychographic factors in terms of individual needs and preferences. What gaps in their needs are you filling or what existing problem are you solving? Analyze the social class, personalities, behaviors, interests, daily habits, lifestyles, values, and opinions of your target buyers.
2. Leverage influencer partnerships
Keep a lookout for local influencers or key opinion leaders (KOLs) who align with your brand and target audience. Instagram is a useful platform to identify suitable influencers or KOLs as they have paid partnerships with brands. Such brands are a good indication of the values represented.
Once you identify suitable influencers who are respected in your community, collaborate with them, and be sure to have a contract in place to avoid unfinished work or ghosting. Discuss ideas with such influencers to create authentic and engaging content that showcases the complementary nature of your products or services. Their endorsement can significantly boost your brand visibility and credibility.
3. Research and collaborate with complementary brands
Conduct thorough research to identify complementary brands in your industry. Look for brands with a similar target audience but different products or services. Partnering with these brands can create synergistic opportunities and expand your customer reach.
Once you have identified the brands which can enhance your visibility, reach, and status – reach out to them! Forge strategic collaborations with complementary brands to create mutually beneficial partnerships. This can involve joint marketing campaigns, co-branded products, or cross-promotions. By leveraging each other’s customer base, you can expand your reach and tap into new markets.
4. Tap into Lazada’s Community
Complementary branding can also mean working with experts who sell similar products as you do. One way to connect with mentors and experienced sellers is through Lazada University. You get to engage with Lazada’s community of sellers to exchange ideas, learn from experienced sellers, and gain insights into eCommerce best practices.
Be sure to participate in forums, webinars, and training sessions provided by Lazada to stay updated on industry trends and optimize your eCommerce store. Mentorship is great as you obtain knowledge and expertise in tackling industry-specific challenges. These golden nuggets of wisdom allow you to save both time and cost as many mistakes can be avoided.
Three brothers attest to the strong community of Lazada University trainers who impart their knowledge with a detailed and results-based approach. Visit your local Lazada University page here:
Lazada University Indonesia
Lazada University Malaysia
Lazada University Philippines
Lazada University Singapore
Lazada University Thailand
Lazada University Vietnam
5. Leverage an eCommerce platform’s brand reliability
A complementary brand can be a well-known Commerce platform that unites many sellers from different categories. Just look at the Luczons. They experienced buyer confidence in their laptops thanks to selling on Lazada. Filipino Monica Luczon happily shares that many people in their community are familiar with Lazada. When the Luczons told their friends and family about their online store, many responded: “Oh, you’re also with Lazada!”
6. Optimize your product listings
Ensure that your product listings are SEO-optimized for better visibility by doing these:
- Research relevant keywords related to your products and integrate them naturally into your product titles, descriptions, and tags.
- Use research tools such as a simple Google search, Google Trends, or Ubersuggest. Additionally, take time to analyze trending keywords by competitors on eCommerce platforms.
- Follow your local leading news publications, influencers, politicians, and economic news to stay ahead of the consumer curve.
7. Offer Value-Added Bundles
Create value-added bundles by combining your products or services with complementary offerings. These give customers a complete solution and increase the perceived value of your offerings. Promote these bundles as special offers or exclusive deals to incentivize purchases.
The bundling strategy such as an “Add Items” button is also available in Lazada’s seller tools. For example, if dresses are often purchased from your store, create an add-on deal where a chic tote bag or underwear can be obtained at 50% lower than their usual price – using the “Add Items” button.
8. Leverage Lazada’s free marketing opportunities
Partnering with Lazada comes with several free marketing opportunities. Through Lazada’s link with Google, your products can gain increased visibility through search engine results. Additionally, you can utilize Lazada’s fun features. For example, coins collection and Flash Sales offer exclusive promotions or discounts, attracting more customers to your store. These generate buzz and attract followers from both brands. This synergy amplifies your social media presence and fosters a sense of community, encouraging user engagement and increasing the chances of your content going viral.
