Already launched your flagship store on China’s leading E-commerce platform; the massive Tmall or Tmall Global? Congratulations! Now it is time to rethink your Tmall marketing strategy. How do you think you can increase the traffic to your Tmall store and reach your targeted sales?
Since Tmall welcomed foreign brands and let them sell their products without a Chinese business license through the Tmall Global platform, more brands started to set up their brand flagship stores in Tmall. With a relatively small investment required in infrastructure, Tmall is turning into a hub for foreign brands.
If you haven’t launched your store and are not sure how to do it, just read more here. Or contact us and we can discuss your tailored marketing options for China with a free consultation today.
How to increase your traffic?
In China, in the wake of COVID-19, there is an increasing demand for premium foreign brand products in many different industries. It is a critical time to make sure you stand out among your competitors and reach your target audience. Well, there are a couple of different ways to increase your traffic and we will go through them for you in this article.
External Channels for Tmall marketing
Tmall has taken big steps towards expanding the marketing types available on its platform. This includes live streaming and the Tmall advertising channel. Yet, it is important to also use external marketing channels to grow your customer base.
You will need these channels to drive traffic and brand awareness to your Tmall shop in China if you don’t have much. If your brand’s name is unknown to the Chinese audience you have to use all the channels available to be seen and heard.
Interact with the massive Weibo audience
Registering an official account on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter can help foreign brands connect with a much larger audience. Paid advertising opportunities and investing in engaging limited organic search traffic are both great digital marketing tools to gain followers and increase brand awareness.
By using Weibo, you can live stream, create polls, use paid-to-post options, or pay for subscriptions. Also, since Weitao is Weibo’s social network designed specifically for marketplace purposes, being active on both will amplify your Tmall marketing activity.
Viral videos on Douyin
When it comes to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, it is home to a large number of influencers. In this way, it is a bridge to reach younger Chinese consumers. Hundreds of millions of daily active Chinese e-commerce users have the power to make videos with featured products go viral. And it leads to massive product searches on Tmall and consequently bigger instant sales.
Some brands on Tmall have already taken advantage of this, and we can see how popular some videos are by searching related topics on Douyin. Brands like L’Oréal Paris, Nike, Xiaomi, and Jack & Jones all have a presence on the social video app.
To increase traffic to your Tmall store, consider using TikTok influencers to market your products. There are a few things to keep in mind when working with TikTok influencers. Such as making sure the products they promote are relevant to their audience and align with their personal brand.
Participating in marketing events
Tmall’s marketing efforts encompass many ways to bring a brand’s traffic onto the platform, including but not limited to brand zone ads and influencers. These can be very effective in drawing customers into stores in a short time frame, which subsequently increases product sales and exposure. By doing so, it becomes much easier to increase market share and establish name recognition.
You can invest in the most visible ad placement to attract new customers and compete with both local and international retailers. Chinese shoppers are used to ads and it’s a common practice in China’s eCommerce market that helps brands promote their products and stores.
Teaming up with KOLs
If you’re looking for a way to quickly and efficiently market your Tmall store, consider teaming up with KOLs. Key Opinion Leaders are the so-called influencers on China’s social media platforms and a great affiliate marketing tool.
They already have a trusted audience. By signing up for the Tmall Affiliate Market scheme, you can establish KOLs with a link to your store. They make a commission fee every time someone uses it to purchase from your store. This is an efficient way of reaching out to your audience and the good news is that it won’t cost you too much money upfront.
Internal Channels for Tmall Marketing
Let’s check the external marketing advertising options available within Tmall.
Tmall Keyword adverts
Keyword ads on Tmall come up in the search results when a customer enters a relevant keyword. The position of the banner ad is based on a bid. Zhitongche which is Tmall’s equivalent to Google Ads is where they can be operated.
Keywords ads lead the target audience when they search for a specific keyword, based on some criteria. A photo of the product and a link is included that leads the audience to click and go directly to the specific store. You can check competitor’s product search keywords for inspiration.
Tmall Banner ads
The most pricey ads type on Tmall, banner ads have the potential to reach the largest audience. These video or image-based links usually appear at the top of the homepage and can be directed toward your store or product page.
Tmall Juhuasuan adverts
Juhuasuan, a flash-sale opportunity created especially for the Tmall audience. It simply offers exclusive deals and discounts. This is an effective way for brands to increase their presence in the Chinese market, particularly in the lower-tier cities that are more open to value flash-sale opportunities. Tmall’s homepage has Juhuasuan advertisements that lead the audience to the store’s page in the flash-sale section.
We are a certified Tmall partner!
If you are looking into ways to get into Tmall marketing in China and do not know where to start, contact us today.
We are a China-based digital marketing agency specializing in marketing strategies and e-commerce solutions for foreign brands looking to tap into the Chinese market.
We are a certified Tmall partner and we can offer you the best marketing solutions on Tmall and Tmall Global, including:
Leave us a comment or contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our e-commerce specialists, that will learn about your brand and present you with the best solutions for your Tmall strategy.
