I am just back from two big trade shows – the Spirit of Christmas Show and the Conde Nast Travel Show and am keen to share with you some key takeaways from both.
First up is how everyone I met was on it when it came to building an email list. This is an absolute essential at any trade show and, of course, when it comes to any kind of marketing but you have to get it right now more than ever as consumers grow increasingly more sophisticated.
Here is an excellent guide to email marketing, not just for ecommerce but for anyone serious about building a list and marketing to it:
https://www.shopify.com/guides/email-marketing
Shopify also have a very good guide to marketing on Twitter. I have seen a return to this as a social media channel of choice so this is also well worth grabbing:
https://www.shopify.com/guides/twitter
Of course, many of the businesses I met have their own online store as well as an offline presence – some better than others. Here’s a good guide on how to not only build one but do so easily and effectively:
https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/how-to-build-an-online-store/
While this tutorial offers to teach you how to build and launch a profitable online store in only 15 minutes…seriously!
https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/how-to-create-online-store/
With another great 17 step guide here you really have no excuse:
https://ecommerce-platforms.com/ecommerce-selling-advice/ultimate-epic-guide-successful-online-shop
Another thing I noticed was how many businesses had their social media marketing down to a tee – if you think you need some help with that, here’s how to strategize for 2018 and beyond (as well as right now):
https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-strategy-2017
Talking of social media marketing, I mentioned The Journey to you last week – Social Media Examiner’s ongoing marketing series. Here’s the latest episode packed full of great behind the scenes tips and you can catch up with the rest on their site:
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/leaving-the-nest-the-journey-episode-4/
If you need some cool tools to help you with all that social media marketing, here are 23 of them:
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/23-cool-tools-for-social-media-marketers/
Another strong takeaway I got from the shows was how well brands told their stories – here is how to tell yours:
https://www.quicksprout.com/the-beginners-guide-to-online-marketing-chapter-3/
And here is how to use that storytelling to build that all-important trust:
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/create-authentic-brand-story/
Your TED talk this week is, aptly enough, on the future of storytelling:
