Direct to consumer marketing allows shop owners to directly engage with a consumer base without the need for traditional brick and mortar partnerships. Per BigCommerce, “Direct to consumer means you are selling your product directly to your customers without third-party retailers, wholesalers, or other middlemen”. Before the direct to consumer model was introduced, brands both big and small had to rely on getting the ideal shelf space in stores like Walmart, Target, local supermarkets, etc. Think about when you go to these brick and mortar stores now. The most popular brands are usually placed within eye level, hence, making it easier for these brands to attract more ‘eyeballs’ and ultimately sales. With this shift toward DTC marketing, the “eyeballs” you attract to your website is key to your customer growth, as is the customer journey once you bring them there. Small-to-medium businesses can now command “eyeballs” or impressions via digital marketing instead. Thus enabling a global audience for upcoming brands out of the gate.
Furthermore, DTC – Direct to consumer marketing is a key topic as businesses pivot to capitalize on new trends. Statistica has reported that the number of people involved in direct selling in the US has increased over 3X from 2010 to 2020. This means that people are opening digital storefronts on platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, Square and others at record numbers. More on how to increase ecommerce sales in our blog where we showcase some of the more popular D2C customer marketing platforms. For the purposes of this guide we refer to the direct to consumer model interchangeably using the acronyms DTC and D2C marketing. It’s important to note that both of these terms are used widely.
D2C Marketing Model How-To-Guide
- The first step to D2C marketing is to know your audience!
- Use tools that are available to you to get to know more about your audience. Tap external resources like Statista.com to learn more about your vertical or line of business
- Narrow down your competitive set and see what they are publishing in web content and social channels
- Launch a D2C website. Check some options in our blog.
- Keyword specific
- Ensure that the content you are publishing is keyword specific to your vertical and reflects the terms people are searching for
- Social Media & YouTube Content
- Hire an experienced social media strategist and content marketing strategist to help you create relevant content for your line of business. There are plenty of freelancer options available on websites like fiverr.com and upwork.com.
- If you are creating D2C content on your own, tap resources such as free stock imagery to help smooth the process on sites like istockphoto.com.
- Launch a cohesive marketing campaign across all relevant social media channels inclusive of Facebook, Instagram, twitter and TikTok
- Optimize website and social media imagery with a AI photo retouch platform
Direct to Consumer Model Using an AI Photo Retouch Service
Ensuring that your direct to consumer business model is posed for success means that the photography used throughout your website, social and marketing materials needs to convey your value-proposition clearly. If your DTC business is selling clothing, then the imagery presented should be free of distractions, distortions and use the Ghost Mannequin effect.
autoRetouch has automated the Ghost Mannequin process to make product retouching easier and more efficient for small to medium business owners who are usually working with tight budgets. At just €0.50 per image and with a pay-as-you-go model, autoRetouch is a flexible option for business owners.
Try autoRetouch for free today.