Today, digital media is changing the landscape for marketing everywhere. Nowadays, with the appearance of several social platforms, businesses and industries are particularly searching for innovative options to promote their products and services and stand out among the competitors. The rise of social media marketing has urged several industries to include novel digital marketing ideas to attract audiences and also the FMCG sector is not any exception during this regard. In comparison to other industries, the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry has to apply more shrewdness into their digital marketing strategies to get more customers and promote specific brands. They will do that by employing a digital marketing agency which comprises seasoned specialists knowledgeable in various marketing tactics.
Benefits of Digital Marketing for FMCG Brands
A growing number of consumers now prefer to buy mass consumer products online rather than visiting a physical store. Reports from Google and Bain and Co show that around 11 billion dollar, or two-thirds of total sales of beauty and hygiene products, will be influenced by online marketing. A solid full-funnel digital marketing strategy is a must for consumer goods brands today. Digital marketing for consumer goods companies does not mean going back to the proven 4 Ps of marketing. Rather, it involves using the marketing mix of mass consumer products to bring them up to date. The digital marketing techniques at FMCG not only allow marketers to capture the consumer in the final stage of purchase, but also establish a relationship with him from the beginning, something that was not possible before. This requires marketers to focus on a holistic consumer goods digital strategy, not only to influence customers, but also to personally involve them. Coca Cola was one of the first brands to put personalization and personalization at the forefront of its digital campaigns. This created a strong bond between the brand and the named individuals rather than anonymous customers. A strong digital marketing strategy offers many benefits to consumer goods brands:
- Helps Distinguish Your Brand – Since the FMCG sector is characterized by a variety of similar products, it offers consumers the opportunity to choose from a wide range of products. Having a clear and defined marketing strategy helps create a unique brand identity. These somehow help consumers to form a solid opinion about the brand, which somehow influences their purchasing decisions.
- Brand Visibility – Creating a unique and specific brand space within digital channels is important for consumer goods brands. This means that the brand name must be prominent when a user searches for it on social media channels such as Google, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To do this, brands must protect their brand assets, such as domain names or social media identifiers. However, securing a top position in Google’s organic rankings requires more than just the proper domain name. On average, Google receives more than 72,000 searches per second, making it the most widely used search engine in the world, followed by its subsidiary video search engine, YouTube. It is estimated that around 50 percent of Internet users use YouTube. Therefore, a strong online presence is vital for any brand.
- An Innovative Way to Display Your Brand – Virtual shelf display is an important focus in consumer goods marketing. It helps to reach your target audience effectively, which makes your marketing strategy more profitable. Like physical shelves, digital marketing also allows you to position products in a contextual way. By using tools like AdWords Smart Display, products can be easily displayed while consumers can explore similar categories. For example, if you’re a skin care brand, you can easily display your ads alongside the beauty blogs your consumers browse.
Key Strategies for Successful FMCG Digital Marketing
There is no single strategy for marketing mass consumer goods. Promoting or selling products at a competitive price alone is not a sustainable strategy for brands to remain competitive and relevant. A unique approach that delivers a memorable omnichannel experience is what matters most. The perception of a specific brand is an important aspect, as how a customer feels about a specific brand can directly influence sales. It is important to evoke positive emotions at each point of contact.
- Reflect the brand in each digital channel: the website, the content and the messaging and social media channels must be a true reflection of the specific brand. The very appearance of logos, design and media must be consistent with offline activity. When a user lands on the brand’s website or finds an update on social media, they must acknowledge that they are viewing authorized content from the specific brand they trust.
- Identify Your Target Audience Group: Identifying your target audience is one of the key aspects to steer FMCG digital marketing in the right direction. Create a clear picture of the target audience group, as this can help segment your marketing campaigns. After establishing the customer’s personas (based on behavioral data and other demographics), the next step is to identify the target audience group that is digitally active. Customer personas are important to marketers if used correctly. Website platforms like “Sitecore” have customer experience features like marketing personalization and machine learning (Sitecore Cortex) that can transform relationships between brands and their customers. Personalized marketing experiences are crucial, with about 58 percent of customers looking for more personalized experiences. McKinsey reports that personalization not only reduces acquisition costs by 50 percent, it can increase revenue by 15 percent and improve marketing efficiency by up to 30 percent. Brands that do not take this approach run the risk of falling behind their competitors.
- Content Marketing Matters – Digital marketing trends at FMCG focus on creating user-centric content that delivers unique value to customers. It is estimated that around 82 percent of people purchase a product as a result of consuming content. By developing unique and informative content, you can drive the conversation among customers and build strong communities that in some way help develop a loyal customer base. Key content marketing strategies that work for consumer goods brands include:
- Channels – This is important to the success of your digital marketing strategy. Take the time to review your owned, earned, and paid media channels, as this will help analyze what is currently working for you and what will help you achieve your overall goals.
- Mediums – Digital marketing media such as video, motion graphics, email, and audio influence the target audience at every touch point and deliver varied customer experiences while ensuring great SEO value.
- Devices: Today, people buy more products online with about 40 percent of purchases made from mobile devices. Therefore, it is important to optimize content for all types of devices.
- SEO-friendly content: Incorporating SEO-friendly content for the website would help brands gain prominence on Google listings. Smart use of content is essential to establish your authority in the space. A solid SEO plan that includes a strategy for content amplification is crucial as it drives consumers to your website, creating more brand awareness. Keyword-optimized content also helps answer consumer inquiries, which goes a long way toward establishing your brand’s credibility on that domain. It is important to use valuable and identifiable content. For example, the “DOVE” brand offers a separate section for skin care tips and advice.
- Influencer Marketing: Influencer marketing is one of the most innovative ways to market your products digitally. Through the use of influencers, a brand can easily access a large number of followers and increase consumer awareness of its products. The concept of influencer marketing gains great prominence, particularly for consumer goods brands, because consumers are more likely to trust the brand when a trusted influencer (could be a celebrity) recommends it to them. These celebrities who have a large following can influence or convince people to buy a particular product. For example, the “Oreo” cookie brand uses celebrities and megafluencers for its influencer marketing. The brand recently created a “#StayPlayful” campaign that featured rapper Wiz Khalifa and his 5-year-old son Sebastian. Promoting family values alongside your products is sure to resonate with the brand’s younger group of customers.
- Instagram Stories: Instagram Stories are considered one of the newest and most unconventional ideas for an online campaign. Since stories are typically only 24 hours long, it’s exciting to see them before they expire. Through published stories, consumer goods brands can announce the arrival of new products, display product images, product information and features, and much more. For example, DOVE uses Instagram Stories to keep its customers engaged.
- Drip Email Marketing – Drip email marketing is a unique strategy that helps to personalize your marketing tactics. Also known as automated emails, drip emails are a set of emails that are sent directly to customers based on a specific set of parameters. One of the most effective lead building strategies, these automated emails target consumers at several different stages, guiding them through a purchase. This step in digital marketing for consumer goods companies helps influence the consumer decision-making process. Automated emails that are sent when consumers abandon their shopping carts are particularly useful because they push the consumer to complete the purchase. For example, an email is sent to consumers when they first register, one is sent if consumers add products to their cart (but leave without completing the purchase), one is sent after making a purchase, and so on.
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Brands understand well the growing importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and do not shy away from it. Showing CSR is one of the most effective ways to develop customer loyalty and faith. For example, the NESCAFE brand helps farmers by training them in irrigation, planting and land management through its online management program.
If you own an FMCG business and want to promote your brand, consider availing digital marketing services in Bangalore from a top provider. A digital marketing company in Bangalore will be up-to-date with all the changing online marketing strategies for any type of business.
