Contents
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Experimental marketing is a type of advertising method where customers get the full brand experience through various methods, which helps persuade them to purchase the product or service from the brand. It is different from traditional marketing in the sense that the benefits of the product aren’t only broadcasted to a large number of people but are also demonstrated to some of them. Also, they don’t try to make the brand stand out through sheer repetition of the name.
It has also been termed as engagement marketing. The kind of strategy where the customers end up forming an emotional bond with the product and the brand. This strategy is being employed more and more each day by not only big brands but also dropshipping businesses. In fact, small businesses can sometimes get further with experimental marketing than the bigger brands.
What you’re doing is essentially creating an experience for your customers. They feel invested in your business and your product and as a result, want you to do well. They enjoy actively participating in your marketing sessions.
If you are curious about how experimental marketing can benefit your eCommerce business, read ahead to find out.
As a dropshipping business, you can utilize various tactics in which your consumer base engages with your products. For example, you can send samples to customers and ask for their feedback. From the feedback, you can improve your product and see if the customers like it.
However, letting people see your samples alone won’t do. Storytelling should be the focal point. Your products should have stories surrounding them. There need to be causes cause the customers would rally after. Stuff that will make tug their heartstring. Remember, you want to create an emotional connection with your customer.
Social media is a great way to engage with the customer base. You can reach out to more customers with stories that have a heart in it. You can create a video that tells the story behind why you chose to dropship a certain product. These are just some of the ways you can take advantage of experimental marketing.
There is also the option of creating an event app. If you are hosting an experimental event, you can create hype around it on the app by helping people schedule their appointment and giving frequent reminders. You can create further excitement by doing random polls focused on the products.
What you need to do is put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think about what would make you receptive to a product. Along with it, extensively research your target audience. Look at the kind of experimental tactics that have already resonated with them. Researching your consumer base is as important as researching your competitors. Gather the data and create value out of your content. Once people find value in your products, they will naturally start engaging with your dropshipping business.
If you get experimental marketing right, nothing else can actually compare. Suppose you successfully get your consumer-base immersed into your brand, the traditional source of marketing such as broadcasted ads will only be mere accessories to a growing business. Once you have your customer base to trust you emotionally, they do the marketing for you.
Additionally, you do form a real connection with your customers. Your product and services are top-notch because you want to retain the trust of your customers as much as they want to keep believing in you. Let’s take a deeper look at this.
Recent data indicates consumers have been losing trust in traditional marketing sources. When they see an ad on television or random ads while scrolling down their Facebook feed, those glittery words and visuals don’t inspire their confidence. They have also become interested in actually getting value from the material they buy.
It seems millennials especially aren’t receptive towards traditional advertising. In general, rather than simply buying new things, they like spending their time doing things that bring them joy. If they can get happiness from a product and they have the assurance that the product will be enjoyable in the long run, they are more likely to buy it.
If you look at these two points, it makes sense why experimental marketing would be the perfect solution.
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Like we already mentioned, experimental marketing creates a loyal fanbase. These people trust your product and the causes you stand for. They feel compelled to buy everything you put out. That’s not all though. They feel the need to support your brand in whatever way possible. This includes recommending your products and sharing your brand moto with as many people as they can.
If they enjoy the time they spend engaging in your experimental tactics, they would want their friends to experience the same fun. Their friends don’t even have to ask. They will voluntarily share this information. In today’s age of social media, this is more so the case.
If you manage to ensnare a social media influencer, and they have fun at your event, they are likely to take photos and videos. Then, they share it with their followers, which naturally creates lots of buzz. As more people learn about you, they will come to the experimental event too.
Experimental marketing is not something you can do half-heartedly. Is it about creating an experience worth remembering through various mediums. This means pop-up stores, events, social media promotions, and so on. The ultimate goal is to amaze your audience beyond words. So that at the end of your campaign, your customers keep talking about your brand for days and years to come.
This is something you have to plan thoroughly. From the start to finish, it will have to be well balanced. Your values, research, resources, and what you can afford for the event should all line up with each other. You might find some shortcuts but this is the kind of marketing where you can’t take them.
Make your event something that everyone remembers. So the amount you spend on it pays off in the end.
