We’re living in a digital era, with an estimated 4.39 billion internet users in 2019. With a huge proportion of consumers using the web, it’s no surprise that retail marketing techniques have evolved and gone digital.

UK retail is constantly changing to meet the needs of consumers, and with numerous high street stores closing as more shoppers opt for online convenience, brands need to find new ways to attract attention and gain traction. Online trends mean more retailers than ever before are looking to spark new interest, increase footfall and promote their products or services through digital marketing. 

In this blog post, 8RC—a business consultancy specialist—use their experience in retail mentoring to explain how brands can successfully set up their first digital marketing campaign through implementation of the 8 pillar philosophy.

Plan, plan and plan some more

Planning is a fundamental pillar for any successful digital marketing campaign. Whether you’re creating your retail brand’s first campaign or have been producing them for years, planning is a supporting structure vital to its success.

Key aspects of planning for your digital marketing campaign include:

  • Consumer research
  • Setting KPIs
  • Marketing strategy
  • Professional advice

From concept to delivery, the entire digital marketing campaign for your retail company needs careful planning. If you’re putting time and resources into creating a campaign, you want to ensure that you make a return on your investment. Planning and preparation to ensure that the decisions made in your digital marketing campaign are low-risk with a high chance of success.

Know your consumer

For any digital marketing campaign, retail or other, you need to know who it is that you’re trying to reach. Your marketing campaign can be well thought through on paper, but if you don’t have a clear idea of who you want to reach, it’ll fall short. The audience your campaign is geared towards affects everything from messaging and content type to the platform, so it’s important to get it right from the get go. 

Research who your consumer profile is, from age and gender to geographical location and interests. Understanding who you’re trying to target solves half the battle when it comes to digital marketing.

Set goals

Goals need to be set to run a successful digital marketing campaign for your retail brand. Without clear goals and expectations in place, your campaign will lack structure and direction. 

The purpose of any campaign is to increase visibility without losing money. Your digital marketing campaign will only be profitable in this way if you’ve set the relevant targets.

Setting clear KPIs is an effective way to ensure that your campaign moves in towards its objectives and will help you to indicate when you’ve made an achievement as well as where there’s room for improvement. 

Create a strategy

Having a strategy in place is fundamental to successful digital marketing. Once you’ve set goals for your project, you need to determine how to reach them. Implementing a clear plan for your campaign will ensure that everyone in your team understands what needs to happen, and how.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a successful retail campaign. But putting a thought out and, importantly, flexible strategy in place will help make the vision for your brand a reality.

Ask a professional

Digital marketing is both a science and an art. Getting it right takes skill, knowledge and experience. If you’re looking to run a digital marketing campaign for your retail brand and want to get it right first time, enlisting the help of an industry professional will ensure that you get the results you’re after.