The e-Commerce industry has experienced incredible growth due to the implications of the pandemic. When lockdown occurred, many businesses were forced to close, meaning buyers were left with little choice but to turn online. While lockdown measures have lifted this increased digitalization is predicted to be one of the pandemic’s lasting impacts, with the projected market valuation aiming to surpass £92M by 2025.
The UK tech industry has reaped the benefits of this surge, with verticals such as API technology in high demand as well as a surge in companies innovating in the electronic and online payments markets, creating great competition and attracting plenty of investment.
With competition showing no sign of slowing down, the challenge for e-Commerce tech firms will be how to communicate with their target audiences, reach key decision-makers, and educate them on how their services could provide value and business impact. At a crucial time for e-commerce in the UK, we look at some of the tactics tech businesses can implement to capitalise on this growth and renewed media interest.
Building trust
With the market now gaining momentum as the industry grows, e-Commerce brands will be watching closely for which tech brands can support them with their specialist needs. PR is a great tool to not only build awareness but also establish trust among your key audiences.
For e-Commerce tech firms, the challenge is being able to convince buyers of precisely why they need their services rather than just being seen as a ‘nice to have’. This process all begins with education and devising a communications strategy that targets these decision-makers.
Securing media cut-through in influential publications that are being consumed by the right people not only build credibility but can also provide a platform to show the benefit your business can provide. Sharing data or insights to help you comment on industry trends with real authority, or providing real-life examples of how your tech has been/can be implemented, are both effective ways of engaging media and in turn, building trust among audiences that matter.
A large part of our work with our client Ecommpay, a payments services provider working with e-commerce brands, has been to identify industry trends the business can own in the media – two key examples are open banking and digital wallet usage, which the client has spoken on with real authority throughout our campaign, backed up by our own market research data.
Be clear on your public messaging
As the e-Commerce industry has grown exponentially so too have the number of service providers vying for a slice of the pie. It is vital that businesses in the sector have an engaging and clear brand message that can set you apart from your competitors. A PR agency can help your brand to establish its key messages and will ensure all your external communications are aligned across all channels.
Think about your target markets and be clear on what you want to be known for across each of them – this could be potential customers, partners, investors or even end-consumers if your service is B2B2C. There is a wealth of PR tactics that your agency can advise you on, designed to give you a variety of opportunities to communicate key messages across print, online, broadcast, podcasts, national news and trade/industry media, depending on where your priority lies.
We work with loyalty e-wallet platform Swapi, which in December launched on all app stores aiming to help consumers redeem their expired loyalty points with their favourite brands and retailers. Expired points will be swapped for Swapi’s in-app currency ‘Swapi Points’, which can be spent with hundreds of brands in the Swapi marketplace. This campaign had two separate target audiences – retail partners/brands, and the end consumer, therefore our PR strategy had to be tailored in line with the business’ priorities.
Become a thought leader
Once you have firmly established yourself within the market, the final step will be to build authenticity and authority which can be achieved through thought leadership pieces authored to your senior spokespeople and placed editorially in relevant media.
Utilising the insight and expertise of your key spokespeople across a breadth of topics that resonate with readers can help position your firm as a leading authority on the market, further consolidating your reputation as a business that brands can trust. Providing insightful longer-form content to relevant media not only builds your own media relationships but in time will establish a reputable personal profile for your C-suite execs, which is crucial when it comes to earning the right to engage with potential customers, partners and future investors.
We have overseen a series of effective thought leadership strategies for a range of technology clients involved in online retail, from ConsultMyApp, to Ecommpay, to Swapi and Loyalize, resulting in high profile thought leadership coverage in the likes of City AM, The Independent, The Drum and The Daily Express.
Are you a tech company interested in building your reputation via a bespoke PR strategy? Get in touch to discuss.
