Another Reader Question

Here we go:

• "Is there more to what is happening across e-commerce than what you are talking about? In other words, it just seems like marketing is under pressure right now. Would you agree that marketing tactics are under pressure right now?"

Yeah. I would agree.

What's changing, of course, is "how" we communicate with customers.

We've learned three things post-COVID.

1. E-commerce brands are too focused on "bottom-of-the-funnel" tactics. The relationship in-between purchases is quite limited, and needs to be expanded.
2. Expensive "bottom-of-the-funnel" tactics are being ruthlessly eliminated by reduced response in the post-COVID era paired with overwhelming competition from Amazon.
3. We don't know how to communicate at the "top-of-the-funnel", especially now that old-school methods like television (outside of sports) are largely limited to a 50-85 year old customer.

Allow me to use eBay as an example. They are great at communicating with me when I've looked at a headphone or a dac/amp combo. They thrive at the bottom-of-the-funnel. They also have no clue whatsoever at how to keep me interested in-between purchased. They know exactly what I've looked at, they know what I've purchased, and they know what I've sold. They appear to use virtually none of that information in the months in-between purchases ... just a complete failure of top-of-the-funnel activities.

So yes, marketing tactics are under pressure right now. Anything too expensive at the bottom-of-the-funnel is being ruthlessly eliminated (ask Orvis). And too few e-commerce companies know how to keep a customer or prospect interested in-between purchases. Having a million followers on Instagram is easy. Having a compelling story to tell customers between purchases is hard.