The 8 Best Ecommerce Marketing Channels For New Ecom Owners

There have never been more marketing channels than today. If you’re a new ecommerce owner, this might be overwhelming.

• Where to start with marketing? 
• What kind of materials to create? 
• What channels bring the best results? 
• What channels are available? 
• Am I using the full potential of a channel?

These, and many more questions have probably popped up in your head while you were thinking about marketing your ecom shop. 

In this article, we’re breaking down the best marketing channels for ecommerce brands and listing some tips to choose the best channels for you. 

Let’s get started.

What is an ecommerce marketing channel?

An ecommerce marketing channel can take on a variety of shapes, from affiliate networks and social media sites to SEO and email marketing. Each channel has unique benefits and calls for certain strategies in order to effectively engage and convert potential clients.

Ecommerce owners can increase their brand's awareness, develop a devoted client base, and eventually boost revenue by carefully choosing and utilizing the appropriate marketing channels. It's essential for new online store owners to comprehend the advantages and disadvantages of each channel and to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly.

We will examine the eight most effective ecommerce marketing channels in the parts that follow so that new online store owners may learn how to expand their operations.

We will dig into the features of each channel, offering actionable insights and helpful advice to assist ecommerce businesses make educated decisions about their marketing strategy, from utilizing social media effectively to improving search engine results.

The best marketing channels for ecommerce brands

Social Media

You can’t have an ecommerce store without social media presence. Social media platforms have the power to bring you many reach and interaction options. These include platforms like: 

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• TikTok
• Snapchat

These and other social media platforms can successfully engage with your target audience and increase traffic to your online business by creating captivating content, using targeted advertising, and using influencer collabs.

Advantages of social media

Here are the benefits you can see from using social media as an ecom marketing channel: 

• A large user pool to reach with your messages
• Many targeting options to get the right ad to the right person
• Brand awareness and trust as a result of consistent content
• Direct interactions with customers
• User-generated content from loyal customers

Disadvantages of social media

On the other hand, here are some challenges you could face: 

• A large number of similar profiles that will compete against you
• Frequent algorithm updates and changes
• Content production can be time-consuming
• Possible negative feedback

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

For an e-commerce business to succeed, significant search engine results placement is essential. Applying SEO strategies, such as content optimization, site speed improvement, and keyword targeting, may greatly improve your brand's exposure, generating organic traffic and boosting conversions.

Advantages of SEO

Here are the benefits of implementing SEO in your ecom marketing strategy: 

• Better product discoverability as a result of increased organic traffic
• More cost-effective long-term benefits from organic traffic compared to paid advertising
• Improved brand reputation if you appear in the top results
• More targeted traffic if you determine the right search terms your audience uses

Disadvantages of SEO 

However, there are also some downsides: 

• Results don’t come immediately
• Frequent algorithm and ranking factors changes
• A large number of competitors
• Results aren’t guaranteed based on the unfamiliarity of all ranking factors

Pay-per-click Advertising (PPC)

PPC advertising can help you display targeted ads on social networking sites and search engines. These platforms allow you to create budgets, choose target demographics, and monitor campaign effectiveness with tools like Google AdWords and Facebook Advertising. This channel provides immediate visibility and has a high conversion rate potential.

Advantages of PPC advertising

• Ads appear on top of search results immediately after you set up the campaign
• Various targeting options to narrow down your audience 
• Detailed metrics to calculate your return on investment and find out what ads work for your business
• Full control over your budget

Disadvantages of PPC advertising 

• Depending on the niche and competition, this can be an expensive marketing channel
• Some internet users who use ad blockers won’t see your ads
• Setting up an effective ad requires expertise 
• Limited long-term visibility compared to organic search strategies

Email Marketing

For ecommerce stores, creating an email list and fostering consumer connections through tailored email marketing may be key to business growth. Delivering consistent content, special offers, and tailored suggestions can encourage repeat business and build brand loyalty.

Advantages of email marketing

Email marketing is an essential marketing tool for ecom owners. Here are the advantages of using it: 

• Direct communication with your audience
• Building relationships that foster loyalty
• Not too expensive
• Email marketing tools that offer robust analytics allow you to see the direct impact of your campaigns
• The process can be automated–meaning you don’t have to spend too much time on this

Disadvantages of email marketing

• Email client spam filters can sometimes mark your campaigns as spam
• Inbox clutter of your subscribers can cause them to unsubscribe
• Many legal regulations to pay attention to

Influencer Marketing 

By collaborating with influencers in your field, you can expose your brand to a larger market and build credibility and trust for it. By promoting your goods through reviews, how-to videos, and endorsements, influencers may help you reach consumers who are more likely to buy.

Advantages of influencer marketing

Here are some of the advantages of influencer marketing: 

• Exposure to larger audiences that are relevant to your brand
• Buyers who trust influencers’ recommendations
• High-quality content created by influencers
• Backlink opportunities if you appear on influencers’ channels and platforms

Disadvantages of influencer marketing

However, the coin has two sides. Here are the disadvantages of influencer marketing: 

• Collaborating with influencers might get expensive
• You have limited control over the content
• It might not always be in line with your brand identity
• Measuring the return on investment can be challenging

Content Marketing 

Your brand can become recognized as an authority in your sector by producing useful and interesting content, such as blog articles, videos, and infographics. You can bring in organic traffic to your e-commerce site while attracting and keeping customers by offering insightful information and advice.

Advantages of content marketing

• Increased search engine discoverability thanks to high-quality content
• Positioning yourself as an opinion leader in the industry
• Generating more leads and conversions
• More content to repurpose for various channels

Disadvantages of content marketing

• Building high-quality content requires a lot of time and resources
• Results aren’t visible immediately, so this is a strategy for the long term 
• High competition as almost everyone is producing content today
• Difficulties measuring direct results

Affiliate Marketing

Working with affiliates will allow you to take use of their current customer bases to market your goods or services. Affiliates get paid a commission for every sale they bring in, creating a win-win situation that increases your market share and encourages affiliates to spread the word about your business.

Advantages of affiliate marketing

• Reaching the audience of your affiliates
• You only pay if a conversion happens, making this method cost-effective
• Niche-specific marketing to a relevant audience
• Increased credibility thanks to trust between the affiliate and their audience 

Disadvantages of affiliate marketing

• Dependence on affiliate’s efforts
• Risk of fraud due to attracting individuals who engage in these practices
• Limited control over content
• Large competition

Retargeting 

You can re-engage website visitors who have demonstrated interest in your items but haven't completed a purchase by using retargeting. This tactic helps you increase the probability that a potential consumer will convert by displaying customized adverts across a variety of channels.

Advantages of retargeting

• Increased conversion rates due to targeting people who have already shown interest in your brand
• Repeated exposure that increases brand awareness
• Personalized recommendations
• Cost-effective advertising due to the narrow audience focus

Disadvantages of retargeting 

• Privacy and data protection concerns
• Overflooding the customer with information about your brand if you use it too frequently
• Limited audience size if you don’t have many users who’ve already engaged with your brand

4 tips for choosing the best ecommerce marketing channels

After we’ve elaborated on the best 8 channels for ecom owners, let’s see how to choose the best channels for your specific needs.

Analyze your target audience 

Each effective marketing plan is built on knowing your target market. Consider criteria like age, gender, region, interests, and purchase habits to determine who your ideal consumers are. You may pick marketing channels that efficiently reach and interact with your target audience by being aware of their preferences and habits.

What are your competitors doing? 

Examine the marketing channels used by your competitors to advertise their products. Study their tactics to find any possible openings or market gaps that you might attack. You could make better choices regarding the best channels for your business by taking lessons from their successes and failures.

Set clear goals

Prior to choosing the channels you intend to employ, define your marketing objectives and goals. Are you trying to boost website traffic, lead generation, brand awareness, or sales? Choose the marketing channels that fit your unique goals and have a track record of producing results because each one has advantages and disadvantages.

Choose channels fit to your budget

Analyze your marketing budget and the tools at your disposal for controlling the various channels. PPC advertising, for example, can require a more money, but content marketing or social media might require more time and effort. Select channels that are compatible with your financial situation and available resources to help you carry out and sustain your marketing initiatives.

Conclusion

Choosing the right channel for your ecommerce store depends on many factors. However, this is our list of 8 best channels for ecommerce owners: 

• Social media 
• SEO 
• PPC
• Email marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Content marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Retargeting

To choose the best channel, get to know your customer, see what your competitors are using, set goals for your business, and analyze your budget. This information will give you the answers about which channels to choose for your online store.