In part one of this two-part blog series, we reviewed some basics of the major carriers available for international e-commerce shipping needs. From USPS to several others, you have a few options for international shipping – and which you choose will depend on a few different variables.

At eHub, we’re happy to offer international shipping e-commerce solutions as just one piece of our comprehensive shipping API services. From helping you navigate paperwork and customs documentation to negotiating non-US shipping deals, managing returns, and more, we’re here to help with every area of international commerce for our clients. While much of part one of our series evaluated your options for international shipping, today’s part two will dig into the factors you should consider while selecting your carrier.

Landed Cost

Within the shipping world, the term “landed cost” is commonly used to describe the final, all-in-one price. It includes not only shipping costs but also duties, taxes, and fees, plus potential add-ons like insurance.

Before any customer completes an international purchase of your products, you should lay out their landed cost. In many cases, this information will include details on who is responsible for any additional fees that might be present.

Full Details

In addition to the landed cost of standard shipping needs, you must know what’s included in a shipping carrier’s program. For instance, does the carrier include insurance for all orders, for only orders with a specific minimum price, or not? If it’s not offered at all, you may have to offer some of your own. Also, inquire about areas like whether there’s a charge for proof of delivery, how tracking will work, and more.

Customs Forms

While customs forms will be pretty similar or even identical between carriers, they’re essential to think about. This is actually an area where working with our team of shipping professionals is just as important as finding a great carrier – we’ll help you with things like value per unit, international currency, harmonized tariff codes, and others, though we require a partnership with a robust carrier in several of these areas.

Trade Regulations

Another area where it’s essential to have both a suitable carrier and the expertise of pros like ours is within trade regulations, which vary between countries you may be shipping to or from. For instance, Austria does not allow the shipment of any alcoholic beverages or medicine, among other things; China doesn’t allow the import of toy guns. Knowledge of these regulations is vital for limiting overhead and maintaining your company’s reputation.

If you’re like most business owners, this photo of someone being literally boxed in by shipping containers probably feels familiar.

Ask yourself:

If you nodded your head emphatically to any (or all) of these questions, we can help. 

EHub is an integrated platform that simplifies shipping by connecting your eCommerce systems. We have agreements with major carriers that allow us to get you more competitive rates without sacrificing customer service.

We’ve also perfected the art of international shipping. Let us teach you our ways.

 

What is international shipping, anyway?

Domestic shipping involves shipping goods or documents from and to locations within a single country’s borders.

By contrast, international shipping (also known as cross-border or global shipping) is precisely what it sounds like: importing and exporting goods across national borders by land, air, or sea. 

While the definition is simple, the application tends to trip people up. 

If you are ready to start shipping outside the United States, there are a few things you need to know right off the bat:

  1. International shipping will take longer and cost more. Don’t waste time fighting it. Embrace it and find the best solution for your company.
  2. Customs and duties, both in the originating country and the receiving country, are all forms of import/export taxes you can’t avoid.
  3. Because every country has unique import/export requirements, it’s easiest if you start shipping to a country that is part of a strong US trade agreement.  Mexico and Canada are the easiest since the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) simplified taxes and other requirements, but 20 other countries also have free trade agreements with the US.

 

Domestic vs. international shipping

As long as you aren’t shipping something liquid, fragile, perishable, or potentially hazardous, all you need to ship a package domestically is a shipping label.

International shipping is more complicated, with restrictions on the types of goods that can be shipped and more documentation requirements. 

Navigating all these regulatory requirements can be confusing and overwhelming, but if you’re ready to take your business to the next level by expanding to a global customer base, keep reading.

 

What qualifies as international shipping?

Shipping from the US to Canada is considered international shipping, even though they share a border because two sovereign nations are involved. On the other hand, if you want to send a package to Hawaii, 2,285 miles from the US mainland, you have multiple domestic shipping options.

But is shipping to Puerto Rico or Guam considered international shipping? They aren’t sovereign nations, but they aren’t states either. Do you need to fill out forms and pay duty taxes?

Here’s a basic rule of thumb:

LOCATIONINTERNATIONAL SHIPPING?
Any one of the 50 US statesNope (all carriers)
Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands(US territories in the Caribbean)USPS: Nope (no customs forms or duty tax)Fedex/UPS/DHL: Yep (regular customs forms)
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands (all other US territories)Yep (all carriers)
Every other countryYep (all carriers)

What can I ship internationally?

Requirements vary between shipping providers (between the USPS and FedEx, for example), but there are limits on what you can ship within the United States. Generally speaking, things like airbags, ammunition, explosives, gasoline, illicit drugs, and marijuana (including medical doses) cannot be shipped domestically.

In addition to the list of prohibited items, some products have restrictions on domestic shipping, including:

All items prohibited and restricted for domestic shipping cannot be shipped internationally. Additionally, you can’t use priority mail express to send packages containing currency (coins, banknotes), securities of any kind that are payable to the bearer (like traveler’s checks), precious stones and metals, and other valuables to other countries. 

international shipping (also known as cross-border or global shipping) is precisely what it sounds like: importing and exporting goods across national borders by land, air, or sea

What documents do I need to ship outside the US?

Remember your pre-Covid trip to Cancún? Before you landed, the flight attendants had you fill out a tourist immigration form listing where you were coming from, what airline you flew in on, where you were staying, and when you’d be leaving. 

After landing, you likely gave this form to an immigration officer before going through customs, where you had to fill out another form “declaring” whether or not you were bringing restricted items and/or large amounts of cash into the country with you.

Most governments treat packages like tourists and require similar documents to accompany them across borders. The most common forms needed for international shipping are:

Depending on where and what you’re shipping, you may also need a/an:

 

International shipping with training wheels

EHub is basically international shipping with training wheels. We have carrier and cart integrations that can save you the time and stress of figuring out documentation and tax requirements while capitalizing on your expansion opportunities.

Shipping, savings, simple. Get in touch with us today to get started.

For eCommerce businesses that ship internationally and domestically, shipping factors and variables are a bit different. However, modern technology and improvements have created a situation where numerous companies have the resources to ship internationally with ease, not only significant corporations – this used to be the case in past generations.

Introduction


At eHub, we’re happy to help with a wide range of international shipping needs and challenges, from helping you choose the ideal carrier to filling out the correct paperwork, managing international returns, and many other areas. That first area, choosing a carrier, is often a bit more complex for international shipping than for domestic – this two-part blog series will go over several factors you should be considering, which our team will be happy to help you with during any international shipping process.

Major Carriers

Generally speaking, there are four significant companies or carriers that ship internationally:


International First

One crucial tip for companies who perform both domestic and international shipping: When finding a new carrier, ask about international shipping variables first. As noted above, the significant carriers vary widely in their international shipping guidelines, pricing, and more – there isn’t as much difference between them when you get to domestic shipping areas, so your primary focus should be on the area with more variability.

When finding a new carrier, ask about international shipping variables first

Certain carriers might limit regions or countries they will ship to, which could be a big issue for your business. If you’re unsure about a given carrier, you may consider only shipping internationally to a few countries first to see if the program works for you.


Wrapping Things Up

For more on choosing an international shipping carrier or to learn about our eCommerce shipping services, speak to the staff at eHub today.

Why Ship Internationally?

You’ve seen the stats, like this one from CIEDEC—that 95% of the world’s consumer market awaits you outside US borders. And, after reading our tips for international sales growth, you’ve laid the groundwork to expand your international business shipping horizons. Now, it’s time to get up to speed with international shipping.

Though it may seem daunting, follow these steps, and your products will soar—literally.

1. What Can I Ship, and Where Can I Ship It?

First, review the Commerce Control List (CCL) to verify whether your product is allowed for export or if it is a controlled commodity that requires an export license. Also, depending on where and to whom you are shipping, you’ll want to check whether the government has sanctions or embargoes and prohibitions on end users or the product’s end-use. Then, check the Country Commercial Guides to determine whether your product is allowed for import in a particular country.

If your product does require an export license, determine your product’s Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) because you’ll need it to file an Electronic Export Information (EEI) form. You must also file an EEI if your shipment’s value exceeds $2500.

The good news is most commercial products do not require an export license and are designated EAR99 in the Export Administration Regulations, but before exporting, you will still need to ascertain your product’s Harmonized System classification and Schedule B number to complete the export and import forms.

An easy way to start offering international shipping to Canada and Mexico first and branch out from there. Trading with our neighbors has been simplified with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which allows qualifying small package shipments valued at less than $150CAD (in Canada) and $117USD (in Mexico) to ship duty-free, and the taxes have also been simplified.

Or, select from the 20 countries with a free trade agreement with the US. If the customs regulations of the country you are shipping to are rather complicated, and you plan to ship there frequently, you may want to hire a customs broker to help you cut through their red tape.

33Countries with Free Trade Agreements with the United States
AustraliaBahrainCanadaChile
ColombiaCosta RicaDominican RepublicEl Salvador
GuatemalaHondurasIsraelJordan
KoreaMexicoMoroccoNicaragua
OmanPanamaPeruSingapore

2. Decide Who Should Pay For What

Incoterms define the rules of the ownership transfer… for instance, During the delivery process, when does ownership transfer; who is responsible for covering the licensing, customs fees, and taxes; and who, if applicable, is insuring the product for loss and damages? What’s the de minimus value for the country you’re shipping to?

As you consider handling these expenses, you should also estimate what your landed cost (or total expenses from the point of sale to the final receipt of the product) will be—there are many online calculators available to help you. Does it make sense for you to offer free shipping? Split the costs? Will you accept returns, and if so, who covers that cost? Should you adjust your product pricing to reflect the additional cost and work?

An easy way to start offering international shipping to Canada and Mexico first and branch out from there

Selecting which carrier to use is a big part of this step. Price is often the primary concern, but speed and convenience of delivery are factors as well. While USPS can often be the least expensive, its tracking capabilities and delivery responsibilities end once the product leaves its jurisdiction. Many private carriers handle delivery from door to door and offer more services, but those costs will fit into your overall price.

3. Sell Your Product(s) and Get Them On Their Way

Yay! You’ve cut through the red tape, done your research, and it’s paying off—the cash register is ringing.

Now, it’s time to generate a detailed Commercial Invoice (or Pro Forma Invoice for samples) outlining the terms of both the sale and the delivery, then finalize the required export and import forms (which you will have already determined through your research). Some of these can be completed online.

Then, package your product in a sturdy container that meets the standards of your selected carrier; create and affix your international shipping label, carefully proofing your recipient’s address and contact information; and attach your Commercial Invoice along with any other necessary customs paperwork.

Finally…

Easy as 1-2-3.

  1. Research 2. Analyze 3. Ship

Right? Okay, maybe we’re oversimplifying it. But, once you perform the cost-benefit analysis and create the foundation, the process will become systematic and, ultimately, well worth it.

Final Thoughts

However, if you find you do not have the capacity for it. eHub can help. We’ve done our due diligence in the export arena, developed relationships and pricing contracts with multiple carriers, and built the databases to support a seamless e-commerce API that will facilitate every international sale you make. To explore whether our international shipping solution could work for you, click here.

At eHub, it’s our pride to help clients work with all the major shipping carriers available to them. We work with UPS, FedEx, DHL, and, of course, USPS, or the US Postal Service, providing a vast range of shipping options and services from and to any area of the country.

Our carrier-related services span several areas, including helping our clients understand and react to rate increases from any of these carriers. USPS recently filed its planned rate increases for the 2021 year with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) – what are these changes, and how might they impact your standard USPS shipping formats? We’ll go over this plus dig into some of the general benefits of using USPS to begin with.

Benefits of Using USPS

Firstly, why USPS? There are several reasons why many businesses rely primarily on the US Postal Service for their primary shipping needs, including:

That said, many of USPS’s competitors also have these same themes at play. For this reason, shipping rates will often be one of the key elements a business considers when choosing a shipping partner. Let’s go over how USPS rates will change in 2021.

Basics and Approval

As noted above, USPS has submitted its planned rate increases to the PRC for 2021. We’ll review the precise rate increases briefly, but some general basics first.

Firstly, if approved, the new USPS rate changes will kick in on January 24, 2021. In addition, a $100 charge will be imposed on packages found in the USPS mail stream that are larger than the maximum size of 130 inches (combined length and girth) – this applies to all service levels, from standard ground and air mail up to First Class package service and any areas in between.

Average Increases for Common Labels

Here are the average percentage increases that will be seen for the varying service levels within USPS once the rate increases take effect – if they are approved, which has not happened yet:

Are these changes enough to impact your business and make you consider switching to another shipping carrier? This is where our pros come in – we’ll use all our latest techniques to help you find the best shipping company and save money on shipping in several ways.

For more on USPS rate increases or to learn about our shipping API or software programs, speak to the staff at eHub today.

Black Friday is the most significant event for commerce all year. But are you ready?

While it’s essential to plan out your discounts and promotions, many tools make your life easier to prepare for the peak season. Here’s our top list of Shopify tools you can use to take your Black Friday sales to the next level:

Let’s dive in.

1. Countdown Sales Timer by Pixel Union

Urgency is your best friend when it comes to driving sales during Black Friday. You need to highlight the limited-time nature of your offer so that customers have no choice but to make a purchase right away.

That’s where the countdown sales timer by Pixel Union comes in. The app makes it simple to add an action bar on your website that lets visitors know how much time is left to benefit from your offer. No coding knowledge is necessary to set up the timer on your store.

Pricing:

2. Privy

Privy is a tool you can use to create email pop-ups that get the visitor’s attention and invite them to sign up for your list.

Privy will come in handy when customers on Black Friday are about to abandon their carts. You can set up a pop-up offering a discount on the product if they don’t finish their purchase so they can follow through.

It has countless templates to style your pop-up, whatever you’d like. Privy also has A/B testing to experiment with what works best for your pop-up — sometimes, a simple change in color or copy is all it takes to transform your results.

Pricing:

3. Referral Candy

Referral programs are great for spreading the word about your Black Friday sales. Each time a customer refers your discount to one of their friends and family, they receive a special prize. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Referral Candy helps you set up winning referral programs that grow your list and drive new customers. You can create special Black Friday discounts that turn customers into brand advocates and share your sales with people around them.

You’ll be able to generate extra sales with not so much effort on your end.

Pricing:

4. Rise: Gift Cards & Loyalty

If you plan to use gift cards as part of your Black Friday strategy, then Rise is the tool for you. Customers can send their gift cards to their friends or relatives seamlessly with their email addresses.

You can set up as many rules as you want to boost customer loyalty and satisfaction. Rise also allows Shopify stores to issue gift card returns and run bulk discount campaigns.

Pricing:

5. Klaviyo

Email marketing is a big part of running a Black Friday campaign. With customers getting bombarded by brands left and right, however, it can be challenging to make your emails stand out from the crowd.

Klaviyo is an email platform that makes it easy to send engaging, personalized emails that convert. You can segment email campaigns for wherever the customer is at in their purchase, such as if they abandon their cart or are browsing your products.

The tool dives deep into the mind and behavior of your customers so it can structure the best emails. As a result, you’ll always be able to send the right message to the right person during Black Friday.

Pricing:

6. Back in Stock & Restock Alerts

While your goal should be to make as many sales as possible, selling out on items too quickly can make you lose potential opportunities. There are customers out there who wanted your product, and they didn’t get the chance to purchase.

Back-in-stock alerts solve this issue by allowing customers to sign up so you can notify them when your item is back in stock. That way, if you plan to restock after Black Friday, customers can get another chance to buy the product.

You can also use this to gather presale orders. Collect emails from customers who want to be notified when the product is ready for sale!

Pricing:

7. Carthook

An excellent tactic to boost your average order value is upselling. It’s a sales technique that consists of persuading customers to buy other complementary products on top of their original order.

Carthook is a platform that allows businesses to offer three upsell offers for the customer once they make a purchase. It auto-fills the checkout page, so customers don’t have to re-enter their payment information.

You can style your Black Friday upsells however you want with trust symbols, customer testimonials, and countdown timers.

Pricing:

8. Sales Pop Master

Social proof is a powerful tactic to win more sales in e-commerce. It offers trust to the customer and boosts your brand reputation.

With Sales Pop Master, you can showcase social proof in your Black Friday offers to make customers feel they might miss out on something big. By clarifying that the offer won’t last forever, you will be driving extra sales and acquiring more customers.

Pricing:

 

Final Thoughts

From driving urgency to delivering a better customer experience, these tools should provide you with everything you need to spur additional website sales this Black Friday.

Aside from implementing these platforms, however, you need a strategy to promote your Black Friday sales and grow your list before the big day. Check out our last post on how to grow an epic list of hungry customers before the holiday season.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming soon. How are you preparing for the big day?

Don’t wait too long before you start planning your Black Friday promotion. More than half of customers start doing their research on Black Friday sales in early October.

So, if you want to maximize your sales for Black Friday, now’s the best time to get started. Here are some of the best tactics you can use to build your list before Black Friday comes:

Use Email Popups on Your Homepage

When visitors first land on your website, you can get their attention with an email pop-up that includes your exciting Black Friday offer. It’s a great way to optimize your traffic and supercharge your list.

For example, if you’re offering a special 20% discount on all orders for Black Friday, you can create a pop-up with your special offer and ask the customer to opt in. Here’s an example of how that can look like:

Stores can use a tool like Privy to set this up for their website. The platform comes with countless templates to choose from, along with A/B testing to help you create high-converting pop-ups.

Add a Promotional Bar on Top of Your Website

Another way to inform visitors of upcoming sales is through an action bar near your navigation. It’s an excellent tactic to leverage the holiday season and win more sign-ups.

Ensure your short action bar includes an exciting offer and a deadline. An extra tip to make your bar more effective is to add a countdown timer to emphasize that time is running out.

Optimize Your Social Media Pages for Black Friday Sales

Social media is one of the channels for generating leads during the holiday season.

For example, you can add a sign-up button on your Facebook page so they can join your list. They’ll be led to a landing page where they’ll have to sign up with their information, just like Dollar Shave Club in this example:

Something else you can do on social media pages is to include banners that announce your upcoming Black Friday sales. Consider pinning posts on Twitter and Facebook that provide all the information customers need about your promotion.

Run Segmented Ads on Facebook and Instagram

Another tactic to use on social media to generate leads is running ads.

The first and most vital step of running a successful social ad campaign is to use previous customer data to segment your ads. It ensures your message is getting in front of the right people.

Make sure to include engaging imagery and copywriting in your ad. Since you don’t have a lot of characters to write, keep the ad as straightforward as possible with a clear CTA.

Here’s a great example from top retailer Target:

In this ad, they’re giving customers a preview of the deals they expect to launch during Black Friday.

Provide Loyal Customers With VIP Access to Pre-Sales

Your loyal customers are vital to your success. 41% of a company’s revenue comes from only 8% of its customers. On top of that, it’s around 2-3X more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.

This Black Friday, something you can do to grow your leads is to offer loyal customers early access to sales. It’s your way of rewarding them, making them feel valued, and getting them excited to make more purchases once the big day comes.

Create a Referral Program for Black Friday

A referral program is perfect for spreading the word about your Black Friday sales and boosting your list. Each time a subscriber refers your brand to one of their friends and family, they get to win a special prize for their efforts.

Here’s an example of how you can set this up during Black Friday:

You start by providing subscribers with a 10% discount and encourage them to share it with the people around them. Each time one of their friends redeems the coupon, they win another discount for 20% off on their orders.

Boux Avenue is a top lingerie brand that uses referral programs to promote their sales. In the example below, customers have the opportunity to receive some loyalty points if they refer a friend:

Collect Customer Data During Checkout

Customer checkout is the perfect time to collect leads for the upcoming Black Friday season.

As they’re about to finish their purchase, you can ask customers to sign up for your email/push notification list or SMS number so they can be up-to-date with the latest Black Friday sales.

For example, you can offer them a Black Friday coupon in exchange for their information. Avoid being too pushy, and make sure to emphasize the benefits that come with signing up for your list.

Host Special Black Friday Contests and Giveaways

A classic tactic for Black Friday is to run contests. It builds excitement around future Black Friday sales and drives more subscribers to your email, SMS, or push notification list.

What’s also great about contests is the many ways to style it. Some of the different giveaways can include:

Here’s how Shein Organized a Black Friday Contest to promote their brand last year:

Use Traditional Marketing Methods to Promote Your Sales

Do you have a physical store on top of running an eCommerce business as well? If so, you can use traditional tactics to grow your list for Black Friday.

Let’s say that SMS is a big part of your Black Friday strategy. You can add signs to your store and have business cards with your text number so customers can contact you. If you can, billboards can work, too.

Conclusion

The main takeaway is not to put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to building your list. By using a diverse choice of tactics, such as social ads, referral programs, and contests, you can build a solid list of customers that are going to be ready to purchase on Black Friday. Now, it’s up to you to get out there and start promoting your sales!

There are over 3 billion people today who use social media. That’s almost half of the world’s population at your fingertips!

Social media is accessible to the individual, but getting started as a brand isn’t always straightforward. What platform is the right fit? What kind of content should you post for your audience?

So, to help you, we’ve compiled a list of the 16 best social media steps to grow social. Let’s dive in:

Develop a Strategy for Content

Not planning is the equivalent of planning to fail. To deliver the best posts on social media, you need to develop a game plan for the type of content you’ll be sharing. Here are some of our best recommendations:

1. Research Your Target Audience

Before you even get started with social media, do some research on your audience. No single channel fits everyone: what platforms do your customers use the most? What are their demographics (gender, age, location, etc)?

This tells you where to find your audience. But what kind of content do they consume? Memes? Blogs? Podcasts? Do they love infographics or informal posts?

Answering these questions gives you a solid idea of what type of content will resonate the most with your audience.

2. Take a Look at The Competition

A crucial next step in creating a strategy for content is to take a look at your competition. Go through other brands’ social media pages and get an idea of what content they’re putting out there.

Now, we’re not encouraging you to copy whatever your competition is doing. Instead, try to understand what’s working for them and see how to apply some of the same concepts to your social media.

Suppose you can see that specific posts get good engagement and others do not; learn from what is (or isn’t working) for that brand. Looking beyond competitors, you can find other brands that do social media really well and copy their practices into your space/industry.

3. Create a Posting Schedule

Consistency is critical to growing your follower base. Social media algorithms tend to favor accounts that publish frequently.

The best way to stay consistent is to use a social media calendar that keeps track of your content. Check out platforms like Sprout or Hootsuite.

You must outline which channels you want to use (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc) and how much you plan to post. We recommend that you post 4 – 6 times per week for the best results.

Wow With Photos

It’s not enough to post pictures of your products on social media. You need content that will stop customers and grab their attention.

That’s where optimizing your brand photos comes in. By making your pictures eye-catching and engaging, you’ll spike the customer’s interest and drive traffic to your website.

Here are some of our best tips to make sure your pictures look on point:

4. Include a White Background

A white background on your Instagram pictures is an excellent way to showcase your products. It does a great job of highlighting the colors and details of your products.

5. Use Apps to Style Your Photos

Sometimes, the filters that come with Instagram aren’t enough to style your photos the way you’d like. Thankfully, there are various apps you can use to improve the quality of your photos, such as:

6. Hire a Professional Photographer

Lastly, If you have the budget, consider hiring a professional photographer for your social media pictures. Not only will it help create a steady flow of posts, but it also makes sure you’re posting the highest quality content possible.

Focus on Branding

To stand out on social media, you want your accounts to reflect the look and feel of your brand. There are various tactics you can use to make your online presence feel unique, which include:

7. Use Hashtags

Don’t underestimate the power of a hashtag—social media posts with hashtags average more engagement than posts lacking them. An excellent tactic to give your social media presence a unique feel is to use branded hashtags. They help followers find content created by you and build a community around your business.

Hashtags are another way for people to find your brand. Use hashtags that are on-brand and resonate with your audience, product, and message. Don’t just add them in to throw a wider net; be specific and purposeful in what you use.

To stand out on social media, you want your accounts to reflect the look and feel of your brand

8. Keep Your Visuals Consistent

To excel at branding on social media, you want to make sure that the visuals on your page are consistent. On Instagram, for example, select a theme you want to use for your page and stick it to it throughout your feed.

It does help to experiment with different types of posts and visuals from time to time. Optimizing your feed over time means you try different things and do what works the best!

9. Find Your Voice and Tone

Lastly, you want to find your brand voice to spice up your social pages with personality. What’s your type of humor? What are your brand’s qualities? Next, think about how you can express these features in your captions.

Messaging is extremely important in marketing and social media especially. Will you talk about products directly? Talk about life? How you speak to your audience will be the key to keeping or losing them.

Offer an Experience to The User

To create epic content for social media, you want to focus on delivering an experience to your followers. This way, they won’t feel like just another prospect and will be encouraged to engage with your brand.

Here are some of our best tips to make your social media more memorable:

10. Share User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content (UGC) consists of any form of content that you create for your customers.

If you have any pictures of customers using your product or testimonials, consider publishing them on your social media pages. Not only does it humanize your brand, but it also allows the customer to share their experience.

11. Organize Contests and Giveaways

Another way to engage your audience on social media is through contests and giveaways. You can also use these to leverage existing customers into bringing new followers to your brand.

You have many options, from simple comment-to-win contests to asking followers to ask users to drop a caption in exchange for a prize.

Promote Your Products

As an e-commerce brand, you don’t want to settle with just engaging content for your audience. You need to also think about how you can promote your products to drive more sales.

On Instagram, it’s possible to add product links to your images. That way, as customers browse your feed, they can also click on the picture to land on your store and purchase the product that interests them.

You can also include product links as part of product links on Instagram. Since its algorithm heavily favors stories, it’s a great way to boost your reach and drive more traffic.

14. Run Targeted Social Media Ads

Another great tactic with an excellent ROI is running ads on social platforms. You can run ads that target anyone who’s liked your page, follows you, has visited your site, or even go after new customers that match your existing base.

You can also structure your ads based on where the customer is in the sales funnel. For example, you can run a retargeting campaign whenever a customer abandons their cart and doesn’t follow through with their purchase.

Build a Relationship With Your Audience

Lastly, long-term success on social media consists of building a relationship with your audience. Here are small things you can do to engage them and form a bond:

15. Respond Fast to Your Audience

Customers want you to respond quickly to their requests on social media. For example, Twitter users expect to receive a brand response within a few hours.

If you cannot address their needs quickly, you risk losing them forever. It’s why you want to make sure to reply fast and get their issues solved quickly.

Most of the platforms have automated responses you can enable. Facebook Messenger, for example, has a host of options for answering common questions.

16. Engage With Your Followers’ Posts and Comments

To build a relationship with customers and show that you care, you can reply to their comments and engage with their content.

Customers love receiving personal messages from their favorite brands. It makes your brand feel more human and encourages a conversation between you and the customer.

Final Thoughts: Best 16 Social Media Practices for E-commerce Brands

There you have it! These tips should give you a roadmap of where to go with social media. It will take a bit of time, but by applying these sixteen tactics consistently, you’ll see your following on social media grow exponentially.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and take action!

It goes without saying that Amazon is the undisputed king of e-commerce. The platform is currently taking almost half of the e-commerce market.

There are many good reasons to seek website sales from Amazon. The platform provides access to more than 300 million users worldwide. You’re selling on a website that has a good reputation and that consumers trust.

When people shop from your Amazon store, they’re not really your customers. They belong to Amazon. While there are definitely a lot of benefits, however, there are also some disadvantages that come your way.

This comes with many drawbacks. First, you lack control and must comply with the company’s rules. If Amazon decides to drop you, there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Second, not owning the customer means you can’t communicate with them. Upsell them. Find additional ways to add value and interact with them.

While we aren’t discouraging you from selling on Amazon, what we do recommend is that you have a strategy for directing Amazon customers to your store – without breaking any rules.

So, without further ado, here are the best tactics you can use on Amazon to get more sales on your own website:

5 Tips for Success

1. Sell Product Bundles on Amazon While Offering Individual Products on Your Website

A great way to combine the best of both worlds is to offer bundles on Amazon but make individual products only available on your website.

For example, let’s say that you’re a company that sells razor blades and shaving accessories for men. On Amazon, you could sell bundles that consist of blades, cream, and gel.

If the customer wants to buy one of the products individually, such as the razor blade, they must go directly to your website.

2. Make Your Username on Amazon Your Website Name

A simple way of driving more traffic to your website via Amazon is to make your username on the platform the same as on your website.

For example, your website’s name is “coolsocks.com.” You can use the same name for your Amazon username if available. If not, you should do your best to make sure your username approximately resembles it.

Along with making the username the same, make sure to frequently refer to your company’s name on your Amazon profile’s different pages. That way, if the customer were to research your name on Google, they’ll easily land on your website.

3. Include Inserts into Your Amazon Package

It’s worth noting that Amazon has strict rules against inviting customers to visit other sites. However, there’s still a way you can get around this while remaining compliant with Amazon.

As part of your package, for example, you can include a thank you note with some info that connects the buyer with your customer service team.

Another tactic you can use is to encourage customers to register their products on your website. When doing this, however, don’t give a direct link to your store. Instead, create a separate landing page and link to it on your card.

If you link directly to your website, Amazon can close your business on its platform. You can always include a link to your home page on the product registration site.

4. Encourage Customers to Follow You on Social Media

As an e-commerce business, you’re likely marketing your brand on social media. While you can’t link Amazon customers to other sales channels, you can still invite them to follow and like your business on social.

For example, you can include your Instagram or Twitter username on your package. Even better, if branding is part of your packaging strategy, you can encourage customers to share a picture of their box on social media.

To get the best results with this tactic, you want first to make sure that your social media pages are on point. Check out our blog post on how e-commerce brands can get the most out of social media.

5. Use Amazon Buyer Data to Run Facebook Ads

Amazon’s platform comes with buyer data that shows you which type of customer has purchased from you before. Brands can use the same data to run Facebook ads for their target audience and win more sales on their website.

With Custom Audiences, you can target users with similar demographics. As a result, you’ll be reaching people with the same interests and attributes as your Amazon buyers.

Wrapping Things Up

Directing your Amazon customers to your website can be like walking through a minefield. A straightforward misstep and boom, Amazon could take down your store in a second. With these five tactics above, however, you can still get the best of both worlds and leverage website sales from Amazon for your site.

Instagram is a must-have for e-commerce brands.

The highly visual platform makes it the perfect place to promote your products and spread the word about your brand. And there are currently one billion users active on the app.

To make the most of Instagram, you need to be doing more than just posting pictures of products. You need a strategy that promotes your brand and attracts followers.

In this blog, we’ll dive into nine tactics you can use to engage your followers and successfully grow your audience on Instagram:

Switch to an Instagram Business Account

To get the most out of Instagram, the first thing you should do is switch to a business account.

Making the switch will make your Instagram account look more professional. It can pull your contact information from Facebook while keeping Instagram shoppable links.

The business account also comes with advanced analytics on your page, such as:

The additional perks don’t stop there. With a business account, you can promote posts as ads and add links to products on Instagram stories. However, you won’t be able to set your account to private.

Apply for a Verification Badge

Next, to take your credibility even further, your business should consider applying for a verification badge. It assures your customers that you’re the real deal and not some bogus account.

Here’s an example of what a verification badge on your profile looks like from Peak Design’s Instagram page:

Collect User-Generated-Content from Customers

Collecting user-generated content (UGC) is one of the best ways to promote your brand on Instagram.

The reason why you want to do this is that UGC is considered 2.5X more authentic than branded content. After all, who’s better to judge your products than your own customers?

Check out this great example from top beauty brand Glossier:

They often feature pictures from their own customers on their Instagram page. It’s a great way to boost social proof and invite customers to become brand advocates for your business.

You can even include some of your UGC content from Instagram on your website homepage for instant credibility. It’s something that Onzie does on its homepage, under the “Styled On Insta” section:

Tap Into Influencer Marketing

Another tactic related to UGC is collaborating with an influencer to promote your products.

There’s a reason why some companies are willing to invest millions of dollars in celebrity endorsements. When people see someone they admire promote a product, they’re more likely to buy it themselves.

It’s something that Daniel Wellington does regularly with their hashtag #DWPickoftheDay. They select the best influencers that use their hashtag and republish their picture on their own Instagram profile:

When it comes to finding the right influencer, follower count isn’t everything. You also want to look at their engagement rate: if an account has 100K followers but only 100 likes per post, you can already know that something is suspicious.

You don’t need to spend much to find influencers willing to work with your business. The first step is to research and find those that align with your brand and have a similar audience you’re trying to reach.

Once you’ve targeted some people who fit that description, reach out and ask about their process for working with brands. Influencers who want to be paid upfront for promotions are common; if you’re considering one of these, ask for numbers about past posts and what kind of return you should expect.

The best kind of influencers only work with brands they believe they can sell – so they will ask for a commission or percentage of the sale. This is a great way to collaborate – they are motivated to move your product, and you are only out the cost of samples and pay when sales are made.

If you know the cost to acquire customers through Facebook or other sales channels, agreeing to a 10 or 15% commission will make sense if you usually pay more to run ads.

Most brands will want samples, so make sure you create a memorable unboxing experience for them as well! While it is a lot of work finding the right ones to work with, it can be very lucrative if you can cement a long-term relationship that works for you and them.

Set Up a Click-Able Storefront

With Instagram, you can integrate your product catalog seamlessly with Instagram Shop. Users can explore your products directly from your Instagram page without landing on your website.

Here’s an example of how it looks like from Watch company MVMT:

All the customer has to do is click on “shop” to get instant access to the various watches MVMT promotes. It makes shopping more accessible for customers and creates a better online experience overall.

To make things better, you can even tag your products in Instagram pictures. Customers can click on the product link right away as they browse through your posts.

Use Instagram Ads

Instagram is a great platform to run targeted ads to promote your products. According to recent statistics:

One thing that makes Instagram ads so effective is that they look just like any shared post on the platform. As a result, they come across as less spammy to the customer.

Instagram ads get run through the Facebook Ad platform. You can run ads for sales or to raise brand awareness – either way, you can leverage the options on Facebook Ads to match your goals. For example, you can ask Instagram to find people similar to your existing customers.

Use Broad and Unique Hashtags

Using broad hashtags that apply to your brand and industry will make you come up in more searches. Including hashtags means you want to be found for that particular keyword. But don’t just use anything – make sure the hashtag actually works for what you’re trying to post.

Unique hashtags mean that anyone looking at your posts will recognize your content for yours. Having a single, unique hashtag that no one else uses will pay off in the long run as your brand awareness grows.

Organize Contests and Giveaways

A fun way to grow your following and generate new leads is to run contests for your audience on Instagram.

Contests and giveaways have been a classic business tactic for a long time. Now, with social media, it’s never been easier to run competitions that engage followers and make you stand out from the crowd.

By making your offer exciting, you’ll be able to reach new people who’ve never heard of your brand before. Here are some of the different types of contests that you can run on the platform:

Keep Track of Analytics

Lastly, to make sure you’re getting the most out of Instagram, you want to keep track of how your page is growing over time. That includes keeping track of things such as follower base, likes, which photos get the most engagement, etc.

By keeping track of analytics, you’ll be able to identify which form of content works the best with your followers. You can then start publishing high-quality content consistently to boost your engagement.

Final Thoughts: How to Make the Most of Instagram

There you have it! With these nine tips, you should have a solid idea of where to go with your Instagram strategy. Now it’s up to you to try these tactics and see what works best for you.