Thanks to the economic impact of COVID-19, businesses, and consumers across the globe increasingly went online – according to UNCTAD global review report – raising the eCommerce share of global retail trade from 14% in 2019 to about 17% in 2020.

Even the 2021 data released by IBM highlighted that the pandemic has accelerated the shift toward eCommerce by roughly five years. With the acceleration of eCommerce, direct-to-consumer (DTC) business models are also gaining mainstream momentum. 

As Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner, it’s a great opportunity for DTC brands to acquire new customers, which is vital for their growth. However, for brands to grow sustainably, it’s just not enough to acquire new customers through marketplaces.

According to Business Insider, 48% of eCommerce sales come from repeat customers who are twice as likely to make a purchase as first-time buyers. Therefore brands need to have access to customer data to target repeat customers and maintain long-lasting customer relationships. 

To make it a reality, smart DTC brands need to gear up to take back control and tap into their own channels to create compelling marketing experiences. Here are certain strategies that DTC brands need to adopt to make the most of this annual shopping extravaganza and drive some Prime Day traffic your way: 

Engage customers proactively

Amazon Prime Day debuted on July 15^th, 2015 as a single-day event; but soon expanded in size and scope to become a marquee event to kick off a shopping spree during what is usually a summer season shopping lull. In 2021, Prime Day is slated to be held even earlier than usual: on June 21^st and 22^nd. 

As shoppers will already be in the mood to purchase, it will be easy for you to drive traffic to your website, so long as you engage them proactively. Running personalized campaigns would certainly help to keep your products and deals on the top of their mind. You can also leverage your social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, etc. to drive sales.

Optimize inventory management

There’s nothing more annoying than missing a sale for an inane reason, such as a product being out of stock. So be sure to forecast demand for your products, and ensure that you stock enough inventory to satiate the forecasted demand. Only promote such products that you know will be well-stocked.

Review product listings

It’s highly unlikely that a shopper who lands on a listing with incomplete product information and low-quality images will be converted into a buyer. So, ensure that your listings are up to par. Review and refresh your product listings. 

Make sure that product titles, copy and descriptions are accurate, complete, and top-notch to clearly communicate the envisioned message to the consumers. High-quality images can make the product more appealing to them. Adding interesting graphics and videos to product listings is also a proven strategy to increase conversions.

Leverage your unique value proposition

Though many shoppers have been eagerly awaiting this season of sales, there will be quite a few who are averse to purchasing from big platforms like Amazon, to avoid any risk of getting poor-quality counterfeit products. This will prevent them from being able to cash in on the shopping bonanza like others. With a well-timed email or SMS notification, you can convert such shoppers into customers by offering unique, high-quality, and limited-quantity products. 

If your business focuses on local markets, this will be a good selling point to lure such shoppers who wish to spend their money on brands that contribute to the economic growth in their local markets. Leverage this opportunity to highlight your brand and convert such shoppers.

Take advantage of the halo effect

One of the common mistakes that brands make, after the completion of Prime Day, is slowing down their marketing efforts. Nevertheless, it should be noted that even after the event is done and dusted, shoppers continue the shopping spree with high volumes, for at least two weeks afterward.  

Therefore, you should leverage this halo effect and promote flash sales or Missed Prime Day deals, etc. This will help your brand to re-engage with your new customers at scale for re-sell, cross-sell & up-sell opportunities; and to re-target lost customers. This will help you to bring those new and returning customers into the loyalty loop.

Key For a successful order fulfillment experience 

Getting ready to cash in on the biggest eCommerce events of the year with effective planning, is by itself half the battle. Additionally, DTC brands must be geared up to create a seamless customer experience throughout the customer’s journey from the website, to check-out, to the last-mile delivery.  Brands who want to create their own “Amazon Prime-like” delivery experience can leverage our AI-Powered Shipping & Delivery platform. Drop us an email at info@fenixcommerce.ai for an amazing order fulfillment experience.

Read more about what DTC brands need to know About Selling on Amazon