A Marketing strategy for an emerging eCommerce website development firm. Strategy based on content marketing and social marketing.

1. FiniStrat 2015
Amith Alampally
IIM Kozhikode

2. E Commerce Business Analysis
Sectors to concentrate
• Ticketing
• Market Place
• Retail
Online Ticketing
•Steady growth
•Pattern – Dual visits for a service
-Target similar companies which need booking
-Eg : Restaurants booking
Online Market place
• Hard targets
• Major players already existing
- Amazon and Snapdeal
- Small players capitalize on big brand names

3. Analysis Cont..
Retail
Retails segment is promising
- Growing for past 2 years
- Expected growth by 2017 - 40-50 %
Eg : Restaurants booking
Sectors to concentrate
- Electronics
- Apparel and accessories
- Books – reached saturation
- Beauty and personal care
- Healthcare - projected to grow heavily
- Home and furnishing

4. Pro
 Easy targets(increase volumes)
 Large growth
 ecommerce major player(33%)
Con
 Compete with online market
place
 Unpredictable customer
Pro
 Structured segment
 Safer option to target
 Sector grows at 11.5%
Con
 Compete with online market
place
 Competency to build own
websites
Pro
 Most structured segment
Con
 Competency to develop own
website

5. Target
 Design Marketing
plans targeted to
these sectors
 Incorporate the
direction in the
marketing plan
 Select the
appropriate strategy
to suite the
segment
 Customize the
strategy to suite the
customer sentiment

6. 3 Pronged Strategy
 Pull strategy
 Targeting sophisticated
customers
 Primary targets SME
 Automate marketing & sales
 Capture the inflow received from
strategic content
 Track relevant leads using
software
 Targeted for startups
 Feedback
 Informal connect

7. Strategic Content
Position template
 Internal thought process
 Core competency
 Value Proposition
 Target focus
Mission statement
 Perception building
 Customer focus(target segment)
 Product Focus(target sector)
 Developing right leads
Example: “FedEx Corporation will produce superior
financial returns for its shareowners by providing high
value-added logistics, transportation and related
information services through focused operating
companies. Customer requirements will be met in the
highest quality manner appropriate to each market
segment served. FedEx Corporation will strive to develop
mutually rewarding relationships with its employees,
partners and suppliers. Safety will be the first
consideration in all operations. Corporate activities will
be conducted to the highest ethical and professional
standards.”
Template: For (your target) who wants / needs
(reason to buy your product/service), the (your product or
service) is a (category) that provides (your key benefit).
Unlike (your main competitor), the (your product/service)
(your key differentiator).
Important elements

8. Providing forum
• Provide user friendly way to interact
– Website interaction forums
• Online chat facilities
• Easy contact via hotlines
• Assess and track leads using technology
– Eg: Leadlander, leadformix
• Target leads via email
• Keep the interested leads engaged and updated
• Updated and clear report on results
– Internal assessment of policies
– Helps in setting up new goals

9. Social Media
• Choose the right forum
– Track the target segment (startup)
– Use the outbound conversations to target
• Use it as a channel
– Feedback by tracking the public perception
– Use the inbound conversations to assess
• Track the performance
– Understand the performance of strategies
– Adapt according to the perceptions
• Move the perception towards you positioning
• Use latest software
– Eg: Tweet Research, Hootsuite etc

10. Collaboration
• The strategy is to be implemented in collaborations the other teams
– Sales team to track the positive leads
– Development team  to know the positioning and core competency
– Common definition for a positive lead across department
– Clear reports at regular intervals to be shared across the team
– Update other teams on the latest developments
• Collaborate with existing customers
– To understand market trends and requirements
• Collaborate with traditional ways of marketing
– The positive leads should be tracked via cold calling