Because well-known overseas social media have differentiated positioning, even if they have mastered the above channel selection skills, cross-border e-commerce companies will still find it difficult to choose. In practice, companies often choose multiple social media platforms to implement the so-called “full network marketing”. At the same time, as online transactions migrate from e-commerce websites to social media marketing, social media channels are not only marketing channels, but also sales channels, and their role in business is becoming more and more important.
1. Construction of overseas social media full network marketing matrix
Different platforms have different missions, and companies have diverse goals in social media marketing. Common marketing goals include increasing exposure, increasing traffic, cultivating loyal fans, increasing sales, building business relationships, providing market insights, and increasing thought leadership.
Most cross-border e-commerce companies will choose multiple overseas social media platforms for marketing, build an overseas social media marketing matrix, and strive to build a wider coverage of the full network marketing camp. According to the current channel usage status of cross-border e-commerce companies, the overseas social media full network marketing matrix can be obtained. The social media platforms involved in the channel are divided into four categories.
The first category is stable. Facebook is the only platform that stands out in this category. Judging from the current application of social media platforms by cross-border e-commerce companies, Facebook is also the most mainstream channel.
The second category is the growth type. The proportion of cross-border e-commerce companies choosing this type of platform for social media marketing is relatively high, and more companies will choose this type of platform to carry out marketing activities in the future. Among them, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube are growth stars. According to the “2020 Social Media Marketing Report” released by Social Media Examiner, the number of companies choosing Instagram increased by 14% in 2020 compared with 2019. This also reflects that YouTube and Instagram, as channels characterized by videos and pictures, are gradually playing an increasing role in social media marketing.
The third category is the potential type. The proportion of cross-border e-commerce companies conducting social media marketing on this type of platform and the future expectations are relatively low, mainly emerging and cutting-edge social media. In the future, the platform’s own model innovation and user accumulation will become an important consideration for cross-border e-commerce companies to increase investment. Typical representatives of this type of platform are Snapchat and TikTok. The fourth category is the sinking type. In the past, it was the main social media marketing position for cross-border e-commerce companies, but with the change of consumer behavior habits, companies’ expectations for it have also changed significantly. Companies have gradually abandoned it and are showing a sinking trend. The typical platform is Twitter.
Therefore, when building a marketing matrix, companies should consider it systematically and achieve cross-platform integration based on their own product positioning.
2. Overseas social media marketing channel construction path
Channel integration based on marketing goals can be implemented step by step and done within one’s capabilities. It is necessary to select important social media platforms for operation according to business conditions to ensure that the platform is worth investing energy, time and budget.
If it is a company that has just involved in social media marketing, the main factor to consider is the influence of the platform. Generally, start with a stable platform with a large number of users such as Facebook, and use a single platform as a position to test the waters for marketing.
After having a certain amount of marketing experience, try a multi-platform channel strategy. The platform selection is more personalized, and product user positioning and user interaction can be considered. Generally, companies will develop growth platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
When corporate social media marketing enters a mature stage, the company’s channel selection autonomy increases, and the company’s social media marketing platform is stratified, with major and minor positions. The company’s new channel construction is generally based on potential platforms, such as Snapchat, Tik Tok, etc.
In addition, for B2B business and B2C business, the path to building channels is different. For B2C business-based corporate channel construction, it is recommended to focus on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. For B2B business-based companies, Facebook and LinkedIn are generally the main platforms.